Lycan sat by the window sill of the dimly lit suite. His eyes fixed on the shadowy landscape of Traja. The night stretched on, heavy and oppressive, the moonlight swallowed by thick clouds.

  "The coast is clear," Alez whispered, her voice barely audible yet firm.

  She lifted her squire under his armpits. "Get ready," she instructed.

  Lycan braced and shifted into the position they had practised. He nodded once he was in position. At first, he thought they were about to crash into the stone paths beneath. But as the stone filled his vision, he began to feel sick as they flew into the sky.

  Lycan drew a steadying breath, shifting into the practised position. He nodded once he was ready, his eyes meeting Alez's for a brief, reassuring moment. She jumped without a word. As the cobblestones blurred beneath him and his feet left the sill, nausea roiled in his stomach. The world around him twisted, the ground rushing up only to fall away as they rose into the night sky.

  "That is going to take some time to get used to," he muttered.

  "It does," Alez agreed.

  The air grew thinner as they ascended, and each breath became a little more laboured. He felt the cold bite into his skin, and he transmuted tenaga to keep him warm.

  "Thanks for that," the Bhayangkara's voice echoed in his mind. Usually, I'll have the proper gear," she said, referring to her flight suit. Our latest intel informed us that Lord and Lady Anishi have moved into their factory ever since their heir graduated. We shouldn't encounter more than the regular security detail, but expect more anyway."

  Lycan nodded. "Understood."

  They flew in silence through the cloudy night; Lycan's flame helped keep their clothes dry. Five power stones glowed and dimmed in succession as Alez absorbed the tenaga. He estimated they flew for an hour when he was able to spot the factory. The compound was perched atop a mountain- its silhouette a boxy contrast against the jagged mountain. Clusters of smaller structures dotted the perimeter, their windows dark except for a few dimly lit ones. A wide road wound up the mountainside; he reckoned it was for the wagons to come and go during the day.

  "We sneak in and take out anyone still alive. The workers have gone home by this time. Treat everyone there as hostile," Alez ordered.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  They landed behind a large pile of rocks, their flight eerily silent. He only noticed how quiet their flight was when his boots touched the ground; the soft thud stood out to his ears.

  "Building by building," Alez ordered. "Start with this one," she pointed at a small structure on the far side of the complex, its window glowing with candlelight.

  Lycan followed Alez closely. Their footsteps were light on the gravel as they approached the structure's wooden door. She raised a hand, signalling for him to pause. The sound of someone snoring reverberated through the door. She slipped a thin knife from her belt and began to pick the lock with practised ease. There was no click when the door slipped open. Lycan was not sure if she had used her abilities to silence the lock.

  Inside, the room was lit by a single candle on a table. Papers, maps, and blueprints sat beside it. A guard was slumped on a wooden chair in the far corner. Her head tilted back, mouth slightly open, and deep in sleep. Her spear leaned against the wall beside her, out of reach. She let out a loud snore.

  Alez moved like a shadow, as she stepped closer to the guard. She drew her blade and stuck it into the guard's throat, her other hand around the guard's mouth. The guard's eyes shot open with panic, but only for a moment. Lycan watched as the life drained from her eyes. Alez eased the lifeless body down, careful to not let it make a sound.

  She wiped her knife on the guard's tunic before returning it to her sheath. Her eyes were cold and distant, but there was no malice in them, only duty. "Take the papers, it might be useful."

  Lycan complied and gathered the papers, scanning them simultaneously. Some were patrol schedules, worker check-ins, and shipment schedules. He placed them in his pack. They will analyse them later.

  "Stay sharp; we have more to clear," Alez said as she exited the structure with the same silent steps.

  -------

  They moved silently from one illuminated building to the next, their black form flickering in and out of view as they secured the perimeter of the complex. They worked methodically, ensuring the outer exterior was cleared before venturing deeper. Each life taken left no trace, not even a scream.

  As he moved, Lycan's mind became a battleground. These missions always brought a familiar conflict. On one hand, he was acutely aware of the guards' ignorance and their lack of understanding as to why death had come for them. Why their innocence did not matter here. On the other hand, he felt a strange, uncomfortable numbness. Each action felt distant as if he were merely an observer, a passenger trapped inside his own body. The sensation grew stronger with every blade thrust, every silent kill. His mind felt distant as he plunged his knife into every victim.

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  Alez's voice cut through his thoughts, snapping him back to the present. "Focus. Listen," she commanded, her voice a sharp whisper in his mind. They had reached the central building. They crouched low behind a weathered stone wall beneath a large window. At first, the voices from inside were little more than muffled murmurs, distorted by the heavy stone, but as his ears adjusted, the words became clear.

  "We haven't received word from Bryan. The expansion of the Empire has complicated their operations," a man's voice stated, his tone clipped and authoritative.

  Lycan's muscles tensed. He recognised that voice all too well. Lord Anishi. The memories resurfaced like an old wound, recalling the chilling moment in the academy arena when Anishi had disowned his own son without remorse.

  "Then let's proceed as if he gave us the clear. Waiting longer serves no purpose," a woman replied, her voice sharp and stern. "Let's finish this before Sitiari comes knocking."

  Lycan wracked his brain for someone called Sitiari. He did not recognise it. He tried to recall any mention of it during their investigation, but there was nothing either. He glanced at Alez, about to ask if she recognised the name. Her white-knuckled grip on her dagger stopped him cold.

  "She's too preoccupied with her expansion efforts. Last time we met at court, it was the only thing she could blabber about," Lord Anishi mocked. "Wouldn't need Bryan if she paid her loyal highborns even a moment's attention."

  There was a pause, and Lycan waited in anticipation under the oppressive night.

  "And what if there are other players in this game?" the woman asked.

  The man snarled, and in an instant, Lycan felt his body fly through the air. There was a deafening crack as the wall they had been hiding behind exploded outwards.

  "We're discovered," Alez said.

  Lycan looked up at her from the ground and saw that she had one hand on the back of his shirt, pulling him back onto his feet. He turned back to look at the wall they were hiding behind less than a moment ago.

  Lord Anishi stood at the edge of the jagged hole, his enormous, bear-like fist still stretched forward, fingers curled into a monstrous fist. His yellow eyes gleamed with predatory intensity, glowing faintly in the dim light.

  "Guardddddds!" Lord Anishi roared, his human yell shifting into a howl as he transmuted tenaga, and his body turned. He stepped out of the rubble. His body began contorting, muscles bulging and expanding, bones creaking under the strain. After mere moments, he had grown to twice his original size, muscles bulging as it got swole. His simple clothes were shredded to ribbons, revealing dark, coarse fur that spread through his entire body. His face elongated, his jaw widening to accommodate rows of sharp teeth similar to a wolf.

  There was silence as Lycan stood and unsheathed his sword.

  "They're dead," said Lady Anishi, with a melodic but bored voice, as she joined her husband into the open. She had already transformed, her body covered in green and red feathers, into a large, slender bird creature. Her long talons reflected the orange of the lanterns.

  "Can she fly?" Lycan asked Alez through their connection.

  "I don't know," the reply came quick. "Must be some modification. I've never seen an augmenter with that form."

  "Foolish for you two to come here," Lady Anishi drawled. "Surrender and answer our questions; we'll make your deaths quick."

  "Ma'am?" Lycan asked Alez, his eyes never leaving the pair before him.

  Before Alez could reply, a green blur sliced through the air. A powerful gust of wind followed, knocking Lycan off balance. In that split second, Alez was gone, having been lifted by Lady Anishi into the sky.

  "My wife is going to make her talk," Lord Anishi snarled, dropping onto all fours. "But we only need one to talk."

  He lept, the ground cracking beneath him as he launched forward. Lycan instinctively jumped backwards. The spot where he had stood exploded into rubble and dust as Lord Anishi's massive form crashed down, disappearing into a crater he had created.

  Lycan extended his hand without missing a beat, transmuting his tenaga into a stream of searing flames. He engulfed Lord Anishi like a bonfire, the heat distorting the air around them. For several long seconds, Lycan maintained the inferno, his focus unyielding.

  Finally, the flames subsided. Smoke curled upward from Lord Anishi's singed fur, charred patches marking his once-pristine pelt. The augmenter shook his body, and patches of black ashes fell onto the floor. There were empty spots on the man's body where the fur had gone missing, revealing dark skin. The augmenter grunted, and new fur immediately formed at the missing spots. His yellow eyes glowed and met Lycan's.

  The man moved in a blur. Lycan lifted his sword to guard his head as a fist slammed into it. He felt the flat side of his blade dent and struck his head. His mask was cut in several places, and Lycan could feel it getting drenched with blood.

  "Expensive sword," Lord Anishi growled, inspecting the broken blade. "Who are you?"

  Lycan did not answer. He tried to spit the blood in his mouth, but his balaclava caught it. He transmuted tenaga and blasted his flames at the animal before him.

  Lord Anishi shielded his face with his forearms, advancing through Lycan's fiery stream. The next thing Lycan knew, a large hand wrapped around his face, and he was flung through the air. He felt the wind rush out of his lungs and struggled to breathe as he fell. There was a snap when he landed, and pain shot up from his arms.

  Heavy footsteps approached, and Lord Anishi's wolf-like form approached. The man held Lycan's torn balaclava in one hand, the fabric hanging over a jagged claw.

  "Torress," the man hissed. "You've overstepped."

  Lycan's blonde hair stuck to his face, drenched with blood and sweat.

  Lord Anishi stopped a few feet away. "Was it worth it?" the man snarled. "The end of your house's lineage for a pathetic attempt at revenge?"

  Revenge?

  "I should thank you," the man gloated and squatted to meet Lycan's eyes. "I was unable to touch you. Hurt you like your lowborn bride. But now, I'll be able to fully avenge the death of my son."

  Lycan paled, not in fear, but in anger. "What did you do?" he grunted through gritted teeth.

  "I want you to know," Lord Anishi lowered his voice into a mocking whisper, " that it was my words that sent your friend to hell."

  Lycan transmuted tenaga, but his arms were useless, and it did not matter. He opened his mouth and spat his hatred out. Flames rush out his throat with a roar. He fueled his transmutation with his anger, his pain, and his pent-up regrets. His agony.

  The man stepped back, caught surprise by the attack. Lycan noticed his flames were blue.

  Incinerate, Lycan willed his flames. Burn everything—every fur, every skin, every drop of blood—until nothing was left. His flames obeyed. The flames felt strangely comforting. They would never hurt him.

  Lycan watched with wide eyes as the man's fur became fuel to his flames and as the skin underneath began melting. He did not relent; he pressed for more. He felt his core straining, and the pressure inside his body threatened to burst.

  "Enough," Alez's voice filled his mind. "Enough!" her voice yelled when he did not stop.

  The blue flame died out as Lycan shut his mouth.

  Lord Anishi knelt on all fours, smoke rising from his form. The night was silent except for both of the men's laboured breaths.

  Lord Anishi looked up at Lycan. Half of the man's face was melted, revealing a gory sight of muscles and bones.

  The man screamed, and his remaining yellow eye glowed again. "I am going to end everyone you love!" The missing muscle and skin began to regenerate, filling in the missing tissues.

  A blade pierced through the back of the man's head, the pointed end sticking through his mouth.

  "In the name of Monarch Sitiari of the Akar Empire, I sentence you to die," Alez's cold voice echoed from behind the larger man. Ten bloody knives floated around her. The knives rushed through the air and stabbed Lord Anishi's head from all directions.

  The augmenter immediately went limp and fell unceremoniously to the gravel.

  Lycan watched Alez standing over the dead Lord Anishi. She clutched a head in one hand. The head was human with long, locked hair. Lady Anishi. Then he turned his attention to the Bhayangkara. Not a single piece of clothing was out of place.

  Then his eyes rolled up, and he lost consciousness.