Kousi's vision blurred, the world around him swallowed by a creeping fog. A strange, heavy sensation pressed against his chest, his body growing colder with each passing second. Death was near—he knew it.
But fear was not the strongest thing in his heart.
No, something else consumed him, something deeper, more desperate.
He wanted it all. Her arms around him, her warmth against his fading body. The cost no longer mattered.
With trembling resolve, he reached for her, his fingers brushing against her waist as he pulled her closer. His once-vibrant skin had turned deathly pale, his life slipping away in fleeting moments.
Tridnya's breath hitched.
She was killing him—in the cruelest, most excruciating way imaginable. And yet… he still reached for her. Even now, he hadn't given up.
Tears welled in her eyes. This was her fault. She should have never let him fall for her. She should have never fallen for him.
His gaze locked onto hers, emotions swirling like a storm, unspoken words crackling between them.
But it had to end.
The technique completed its work. Kousi's body shuddered before going limp, his eyes rolling back.
The sight shattered her.
Her heart twisted violently, regret clawing at her throat. She could no longer bear to see his face in that state. With a sharp breath, she shut her eyes tightly, forcing herself to turn away. Gently, she laid his lifeless body down before running—running towards the mother and child.
Never to look back.
But oh, how fatal that mistake was.
****
A twisted symbol ignited on Kousi's forehead, its grotesque form searing into his skin. Power—dark, unnatural— flooded his body.
His mind fractured, thoughts spiraling into a chaotic abyss as his form contorted and reformed, something monstrous emerging in place of the man he once was.
His blood-orange eyes snapped open with a sudden, violent jolt.
Fangs tore through his gums. A single, jagged horn erupted from the left side of his forehead. His entire being radiated vengeance, a calamity waiting to be unleashed.
But by then, Tridnya was long gone.
***
Tridnya ran, following the destruction left in the mother's wake. When she found her, the woman was locked in a ruthless battle, bloodied but unbroken, desperately shielding her newborn as enemies surrounded her like predators scenting weakness.
They were toying with her.
Fury flared in Tridnya's chest. Without hesitation, she struck.
Her hairpin shrank to its original form multiplied a deadly cluster of emerald needles. They whipped through the air, faster than the eye could follow. Silent. Precise. Lethal.
Blood splattered the ground as several enemies collapsed.
Before the survivors could react, Tridnya was already upon them. A blur of motion. A storm of death. She drove her blade through one man's heart, twisting sharply before he even registered what had happened.
Before his corpse hit the ground, she was already onto the next.
The battle ended in mere moments; the enemy force reduced to lifeless bodies.
Panting, she dropped to one knee, her body slick with sweat and blood—her own and that of her foes. She clutched her side, feeling the pain from her burnt side.
"Elder, you're injured," the mother said, quickly kneeling beside her.
Tridnya waved her off. "It's nothing." Her voice was strained but firm. "Are you and the child unharmed?"
The woman exhaled shakily before offering a small, grateful smile. "We're alive, thanks to you. But we need to leave. More of them will come."
Tridnya nodded. "Then let's move."
With effort, she pushed herself to her feet, and together they rushed outside—only to be met with hell on earth.
The city was in ruins.
Skyscrapers collapsed in slow-motion, crumbling under the weight of war. Streets were littered with bodies—some human, some mechanical. Burning wreckage spewed smoke into the sky, thick clouds blotting out the light.
The air reeked of blood and fire.
They weren't just here to destroy the Barpoi Clan.
This was genocide. A coordinated attack on their entire Ethnarchy.
Tridnya's stomach twisted at the realization.
A massive slab of rubble came hurtling toward them. Instinct kicked in—she grabbed the mother's arm and yanked her aside just as it slammed into the ground, shattering the pavement.
It was just as she had suspected.
The Yoners.
Those underground monsters had been waiting for this moment. And now, they had joined forces with…
Him.
Her breath caught. Her past. Her demon. The man she once—
No.
There was no time for this.
She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to focus.
They needed a safe place to regroup. Moving swiftly, they found temporary shelter beneath a sturdy, half-crumbled bridge—one of the few places not yet touched by the devastation.
Tridnya snatched up her communicator. "HQ, respond!"
A crackling voice came through. "Lady Tridnya! Thank the stars—you're alive!"
"Explain." Her voice was cold, sharp. "Why did we have no warning? Why weren't we prepared for this?"
"The enemy was smart. They took out our spies before we even knew what was happening. They played us."
Tridnya's grip tightened on the device. "Then give me the current status."
A heavy pause. Then—
"It's… bad. The north, upper west, and upper east sectors have all been wiped out."
Tridnya's heart plummeted.
"What?!" Her voice cracked with disbelief.
That was impossible. That was—
Preposterous.