A sharp voice sliced through the chaos, calm yet commanding.
"Who dares?"
Before Zuka could react, a streak of darkness materialized between him and the incoming surge of blood magic. The attack—a roiling mass of crimson and iron—collided against a newly conjured shield of pure shadow. The moment the blood met the barrier, it shrieked as though in agony, writhing and twisting before dissolving into nothingness.
A shockwave rippled outward from the impact, momentarily silencing the chamber.
Zuka's golden eyes narrowed as he took in the figure standing before him. A long coat billowed behind the newcomer, his stance effortless yet unyielding. Slowly, he turned his head, a smirk playing at his lips.
"Sorry I'm late, my lord," **Kiaren** said.
Zuka exhaled sharply, his momentary surprise giving way to irritation. "Kiaren. You shouldn't be here."
Kiaren didn't flinch. His crimson eyes, sharp as razors, met Zuka's with unwavering resolve. "We are on a mission, my lord. I cannot sit idly by."
Zuka scoffed but said nothing more. He refocused on his target.
With a burst of speed, his form flickered—a radiant blur soaring above Segun. Power coiled around his fist, light bending and crackling like a miniature sun. The warlock barely had time to react. He raised an iron-forged shield in a desperate attempt to guard himself, but the moment Zuka's strike connected—the metal shattered like brittle glass.
Segun was sent plummeting, the impact cratering the stone beneath him. A thick cloud of dust and debris billowed outward, settling slowly as silence reclaimed the room.
Kiaren strode forward with measured steps, dark energy crackling at his fingertips. He peered down at the fallen warlock, unreadable. "Shall I finish him, my lord?" His voice was quiet, but it carried an unmistakable finality.
Zuka studied Segun's broken form, expression unreadable. A tense pause stretched between them before he exhaled through his nose.
"No." He turned slightly toward Kiaren. "He may prove useful later. Restrain him and keep watch. I have other matters to attend to."
Kiaren didn't question it. With a flick of his wrist, shadowy chains wove through the air, wrapping around Segun's unconscious form like living serpents. "And what of you? You're going alone?"
Zuka smirked, rolling his shoulders. "I'm not the one you should be worried about. Free Elyndris and have him healed."
Kiaren inclined his head, though something flickered in his gaze—concern, perhaps?
Zuka turned, stepping into the dimly lit corridor ahead. But just before the shadows swallowed him whole, he paused and glanced over his shoulder.
"And… Kiaren. Thanks."
Kiaren blinked, then let out a quiet chuckle. "No worries, my lord."
Zuka vanished into the dark, his mind already racing toward the next move.