Last night

  In the dimly lit restaurant, Eclipse leaned back in his chair and flicked the ash from his cigarette as he laid out the plan to Sage and Chael.

  "I can only use my telekinesis within a certain range," Sage had pointed out, fidgeting with a small vial of the sleeping chemical they had picked up from a market within the Avyssos.

  "So, what do you suggest we do?" Chael asked, flipping his coin absently.

  Eclipse had exhaled a cloud of smoke, the gears in his mind turning. "Simple. We use their routine against them. When the Dracoferus tribe sets up camp for the night, Sage, you’ll infiltrate their tents. Kill one of the tribesmen, then switch clothes with him."

  The scene shifted to Sage creeping silently through the Dracoferus camp. The sound of muffled voices and the crackling of fire filled the night air. He slipped into a tent where a tribesman was fast asleep. Sage moved quickly, pressing a cloth soaked in the chemical over the man’s mouth. The tribesmen twitched but soon went limp, knocked out cold.

  Sage’s eyes then gleamed with a cold, sadistic light, and he grabbed a jagged dagger from the floor and arced it across the incapacitated tribesman’s neck, taking his life.

  "Once that's done," Eclipse’s voice echoed in the background, "you'll be ready for the next step. I had a look at the route they'll be taking… and there's a point where the road splits. There's a straight path and a curved path that leads to a dead end."

  "Right," Sage had nodded, following along. "So?"

  Eclipse turned to Chael, his eyes cold, "Uhh…Leo, you'll use your Tenelux to block the straight path with trees. Make it look natural, like it’s always been there. We’ll do this a day before they make their journey. That way, those empty-headed savages will think the curved road is the path they’re supposed to take and follow it straight into our trap."

  “Got it, boss,” Chael said nonchalantly as he leaned back on his chair.

  "Now, Sage, you'll be among the army, following closely behind Khali and the Dracoferus tribe. I’ll signal with a thunderclap, and that’s when our plan is set into motion. Use smoke bombs and your telekinesis to catch Khali off guard and smother him to sleep using your telekinesis." Eclipse instructed, his eyes flashing with a dangerous gleam of light. "Once Khali is down, use your power to carry him away while pretending to be a tribesman trying to retrieve him. Leo will block the path of the tribesmen to prevent them from following."

  With the plan echoing in his mind, Sage, disguised in Dracoferus clothing and hooded, carefully followed the tribe. A few minutes after walking past the bend in their path, not realising that their original path had been blocked off by Chael, a loud thunderclap echoed so loud it sent reverberations in the ground and disoriented the horses, throwing the tribesmen into chaos.

  Sage immediately focused and set off several smoke bombs, sending thick clouds of smoke into the air. Sage acted quickly and using his telekinesis, he thrust the cloth soaked in the sleeping chemical against Khali’s nose. The startled leader struggled to breathe but succumbed to the effects almost immediately. Sage grabbed Khali’s limp body with his telekinesis, starting to run away with him, disguised as a tribesmen trying to retrieve their fallen leader with a few other tribesmen. Meanwhile, Chael had restrained the majority of them.

  Sage continued to pretend to chase after Khali's body and was on the lead with Dragos and a few other tribesmen on his tail. In a shadowed corner away from the sight of the other tribesmen, Eclipse swapped Khali’s body with that of the dead tribesmen. The swap was quick and seamless.

  Eclipse, now carrying Khali’s real body, moved in the opposite direction, leaving Dragos and his men - including Sage - chasing the decoy tribesman’s corpse into the forest. The tribesmen, confused and frustrated, searched desperately for their missing leader, unaware of the clever ruse.

  Sage, with the decoy tribesman in tow, led the search party deeper into the forest. Meanwhile, Eclipse walked calmly away with Khali’s body, vanishing into the depths of the forest, his mission a success.

  In the heart of the dense forest, Khali’s body lay motionless on the grass. Eclipse stood over him, his eyes burning with rage.

  “You son of a bitch,” Eclipse growled, a murderous pressure enveloping from his anima.

  Suddenly, Eclipse’s senses heightened as he felt an invisible force pushing against him. Instinctively, he crossed his katana in an X shape, bracing against the unseen attack. His eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for the source of the pressure that felt like a punch landing against his defences.

  From the shadows of the trees, a figure emerged, laughing with a sinister edge. “Kihihihi! You truly are extraordinary. To think you could devise such a plan and actually manage to capture one of the six figures of the Avyssos.”

  A deathly shadow cast over Eclipse’s face as he recognised the voice. He gritted his teeth and turned around and sure enough, Sage was there, leaning against a tree with a smug look on his face.

  Eclipse’s eyes glowed with malice and advanced towards him slowly with both katana in both hands, “I knew there was something fishy about you, you rat bastard…”

  Sage smiled menacingly and pulled out a large saw and held it vertically over his face, “We had a fun time - Jin, or should I say, Eclipse?” Sage’s words dripped with mocking amusement.

  A flicker of a shadow crossed Eclipse’s eyes. “...”

  Sage’s cold smile widened into a grin as he stepped fully into the open. “So, aren’t you going to ask me why I kept you entertained in this little game of yours?”

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  Eclipse stopped walking when there was a meter space between the two of them. He looked dangerously calm. “It won’t matter once both of my katana are down your throat.”

  “Suit yourself.” Sage sneered, and pulled out a sword that belonged to the decoy Dracoferus tribesman as he lunged forward with a precise swing. Eclipse moved fluidly, dodging the attack with ease. He absorbed Sage’s fighting style - each swing was precise and fast, with each attack directed towards his vitals. Every single swing was meant to kill.

  Fast as he was, his speed couldn’t compare to Eclipse’s. Having seen enough of his fighting style, a flash of lightning encapsulated both of Eclipse’s katana - when suddenly:

  Whack!

  Eclipse was jolted by an unseen force, a punch landing squarely on his face from an invisible attack. He staggered back, taking three steps as he tried to regain his composure.

  ‘How is he doing that?’ Eclipse gritted his teeth, ‘Where did that come from? How would his telekinesis be able to do that? That fucking snake.’

  As Sage continued his assault, Eclipse found himself constantly getting pushed back, stepping back and forth to evade the saw’s thrusts and swings. However, when Eclipse would see an opening to retaliate, another invisible attack would strike Eclipse’s face, knocking him back. It’s like his telekinesis is another person!

  Feels like I’m fighting two opponents at once - Sage and this invisible force. Eclipse’s frustration mounted. Was he lying about telekinesis being his Tenelux?

  Memories flashed through his mind - the fight against Thorn, the sudden telekinetic force that had turned the tide of that battle. He had felt something similar now, an invisible force working against him.

  Eclipse gritted his teeth and continued to dodge Sage whilst focusing on defence to keep his openings as few as possible. “So you’re the rat that was messing with my fight against that Dracoferus scum.”

  Sage sneered but didn’t stop attacking, “Bingo. It was hilarious how quickly I reversed your positions in that fight, kihihi!”

  Eclipse watched as Sage’s saw thrust forward with deadly precision, but Eclipse’s heightened reflexes allowed him to dodge effortlessly. Sage seemed to trust that Eclipse’s attacks were predictable, but as he lunged forward, his blade met only an afterimage.

  In a flash, Eclipse reappeared beneath Sage, his katana coated in electricity and aimed straight for Sage’s throat. The strike was swift, but just before it reached its mark, an invisible force materialised to intercept the attack, pushing Eclipse’s blade away. Eclipse snarled in frustration, vanishing from Sage’s sight once more.

  He reappeared behind Sage, his eyes blazing with determination. With a growl, Eclipse thrust both katana towards Sage, lightning crackling along their edges. Sage’s calm demeanour remained unshaken. It was almost as if he had complete confidence in the outcome of the battle.

  Before Eclipse could land a blow, he felt a sharp and disorienting bang at the back of his head. The world spun, and he stumbled, barely able to stay on his feet. Sage moved with a predatory grace, rushing towards Eclipse as he fell. His hand reached out, poised to grasp Eclipse’s face. Eclipse's vision grew dark around the edges, and he realised too late what was happening - Sage was using the sleep vial. The liquid’s effects were almost instantaneous.

  “Goodnight.” Sage taunted with a gentle smile.

  A wave of nausea and drowsiness overwhelmed Eclipse’s consciousness. His eyelids trembled, and all the strength seeped out of his body. Even with a willpower as strong as his, it was near impossible to stay awake. As the last vestiges of consciousness slipped away, Eclipse’s thoughts became hazy and distant.

  The last thing he saw was Sage’s sneer - a dark, triumphant smile.

  “Good work, Madam Rosaria.” He muttered behind him, not bothering to even spare Eclipse’s fallen figure a glance.

  “The plan should’ve been fully executed by now,” Chael muttered, pushing through the thick underbrush of the forest. His senses were sharp, and his mind was alert. This was the place where he, Eclipse, and Sage had agreed to meet after the plan was carried out, but something felt off.

  As he emerged from the dense shrubs, Chael froze. Standing ahead of him, with a chillingly calm demeanour, was Khali. The warlord’s eyes gleamed as he turned his gaze toward Chael, an unsettling smile creeping across his face.

  “Huh... so, you’re one of the fools who dared to try and kidnap me.” Khali sneered, pointing his hand toward Chael, his fingertips morphing into giant claws.

  Chael’s instincts kicked in, and without hesitation, he summoned tree roots from the ground, blocking Khali’s sudden, vicious slash, which shredded his tree roots entirely. Chael held his ground, his mind racing. What happened to Eclipse and Sage? Why is he the only one here?

  Khali’s grin widened, his golden pupils glowing menacingly. With another powerful wave strike of beastly slash, Chael’s defensive barrier was ripped completely.

  Tsk! This guy reminds me of the blood beasts I fought in the forest with Eclipse… Chael gritted his teeth, and he pulled out his blade. Except… he’s on a fucking league of his own.

  Chael’s blade gleamed in the dim forest light, its reach nearly catching Khali, who swiftly retreated, recognizing the danger in the weapon's range.

  “Tell me, where is the other one?” Khali questioned nonchalantly as he easily manoeuvred through Chael’s attacks as if he were training a child.

  Chael pressed forward, his odachi slicing through the air widely as he drove Khali back. Meanwhile, branches beneath the earth moved in tandem with his strikes, lunging at Khali from below. But Khali kept stepping back and evading the attacks with ease, his movements sharp and calculated.

  “Other one? There’s only me here, you fuck-eyed bastard.” Chael sneered. Just as he did, his eyes widened, and he turned just in time to evade three arrows whistling toward him from behind.

  His eyes darted to the source - Dracoferus tribesmen were emerging from the trees, hidden on the ground and perched among the branches. The forest was now crawling with them, their savage eyes gleaming as they closed in, surrounding him like a pack of wolves.

  “Finally caught one of those fuckers, eh, chief Khali?” Dragos appeared at Khali’s side, a wicked grin stretching across his scarred face as he recognised Chael’s face.

  That stubborn demeanouru and that arrogant smirk were something Dragos recalled all too well, after all, he had tortured the duo some years ago, but somehow, they had slipped out of his grasp. But fate brought one of them right back to him. Dragos stepped forward, his hair fluttering behind him, and his fists clenching as veins coiled all over his arms, “History sure does repeat itself, doesn’t it??”

  Chael sneered coldly, “You look as disgusting as I’ve always remembered, Dragos.”

  “You sure talk like you’re my equal just because you’ve put on some size.” Dragos cracked his neck, “Tell me, who saved you back then? Because whoever it is, I’ll kill them slowly.”

  Khali let out a low chuckle, his voice dripping with malice. “That’s right, Dragos. Everyone who stands against the mighty Dracoferus Tribe will fall like flies. Starting with you, you fucking rascal.”

  Chael’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the sea of Dracoferus tribesmen surrounding him, their weapons drawn, ready to tear him apart. His grip on his blade tightened and he controlled his breath and slowly unleashed a large amount of golden beige qi. Before long, his body was flaring with a thick beige anima and twitching tree roots as he looked around at the Dracoferus tribesmen, before taking his gaze back to their warlord.

  With a slow exhale, he lifted his blade and pointed it toward Khali.

  “You think you’ve got me surrounded?” A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he locked eyes with the chief. “No… I’ve just got you all in one place.”

  The wind stilled, and for a heartbeat, silence fell over the forest. Then, chaos was about to erupt.