The valley had erupted in chaos.
For a moment, the only sound in the air was the crackle of magic and the weight of the battle pressing down like a storm ready to break. But now, in the aftermath, silence loomed.
Minus stood at the edge of the ruins, her chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. She could feel their presence, especially that shadow warrior whom just clashed with her… kept up with her…sharp like the edge of a blade, watching her every move. The Special Forces were scattered, regrouping for another strike, but the man who had hunted her—Lowe—was the true threat. She could feel his eyes, cold and calculating, as they bored into her.
His silence spoke louder than any words.
They thought they had her cornered. The Empire's forces had been closing in for hours, meticulously driving her into this valley, slowly trapping her with no way out.
But they had made one mistake.
They underestimated her.
A flicker of light danced in her palm as she formed her staff once again, the ethereal glow casting long shadows across the broken stone. Lowe stood behind her, but she didn't turn. She didn't need to. He was not the one she had to outmaneuver now.
The valley, ancient and forsaken, had been her battlefield. Now, it would be her escape.
But not for long.
Her mind raced. She could flee—return to the depths of the world she knew, back to the shadows where she had come from. But there was something more pressing, something far more enticing than the retreat. A fury burned within her, one that refused to be extinguished by simple survival.
The Empire.
They had sought to control her, to force her into their game, their rules. They had underestimated her power, her resolve. And now, they would pay.
Without a word, she vanished into the shadows of the ruins, her movements a blur. Lowe's gaze locked onto her, but his hesitation was palpable. She wasn't fleeing for the sake of retreat. She was making a choice.
The Empire's capital was not far—an old city of towering spires, corrupted by greed, blood, and ambition. The very heart of their power. The heart she would tear apart.
Her staff crackled with raw energy as she melded with the storm, her magic surging like a tide, ready to consume everything in its path. The Empire had taken too much from her, from the very fabric of this world. It was time to rewrite the rules. They had no idea what they had truly unleashed.
If they wanted to corner her, they would find themselves trapped instead.
She could feel their pursuit, the Empire's every step following her like a shadow, but she would not be trapped by its blade. She would not be trapped by anyone.
The path to the capital was open. A path that would lead her straight into the heart of their empire.
And there, she would burn it all down.