For three days, Varek, Keiran, Vikas, Dicio, and Knox stayed in hiding, waiting. The anticipation was suffocating.
They knew someone was coming for them.
But when they finally discovered who it was...
Keiran went pale.
"My father?" His voice wavered slightly, disbelief clouding his face.
Dicio gave a slow nod. "John Trizk. One of the most feared strategists among Silver Rankers. He's the one assigned to hunt you down."
Silence.
Keiran clenched his fists. "No... He wouldn't—"
Varek spoke bluntly. "Keiran, you know what we are now. You know what I am. Your father isn't coming to talk."
Keiran's eyes darted toward Knox, almost desperate for another answer.
Knox's face remained neutral. "John Trizk is dangerous. He doesn't lose fights. And if he's coming, it means he's already planned how to take us down."
Vikas exhaled sharply. "So what do we do?"
Keiran hesitated. His emotions were at war.
This was his father. The man who raised him. Taught him.
And now he was coming to kill them.
Varek's mechanical hand clenched into a fist. "We fight."
Knox crossed his arms. "If we fight, we fight smart. We don't go in blind. We need to plan."
Keiran still looked troubled, but he nodded.
The night was shattered by a sudden explosion.
BOOM!
A card had detonated in the middle of their room, blasting apart the walls and sending dust into the air.
Varek, Keiran, Vikas, and Dicio woke up instantly, instinctively reaching for their weapons—only to see a lone figure stepping through the smoke.
John Trizk.
He walked slowly, completely unshaken by the destruction he had caused.
In his hands, a single glowing card flickered with mana.
The Card Mana was terrifying.
It could explode, shield, and cut like a blade. It was one of the most versatile powers among the Silver Rankers.
Keiran gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
"Father!" he shouted, his voice filled with anger and confusion. "Stop this! You don't have to do this!"
John didn't even hesitate.
With one swift motion, he kicked Keiran in the chest—hard.
CRASH!
Keiran was sent flying straight out of the house, slamming into the ground outside.
Vikas immediately raised an ice barrier to block John's advance—
BOOM!
Another card exploded, shattering the ice like glass.
Dicio tried to use his control ability, locking onto John's movements—
But John didn't even flinch.
He had trained his durability beyond Dicio's reach.
John's eyes remained calm as he stepped forward.
"I only need one target." His voice was emotionless. "Varek Solin."
Varek's breath hitched.
His hands clenched into fists. He could feel his heart pounding.
John Trizk was too strong.
So—
He ran.
into the darkness of the forest.
But he could already feel it.
The air behind him—
The silent whisper of a mana-infused card—
John Trizk was already chasing him.
Varek's body burned with power as he activated two Mana Surges.
His Bronze Mana flared, surging through his veins, strengthening his muscles—enhancing his speed.
He ran.
Faster than he had ever run before.
The forest blurred around him, trees turning into streaks of green and black. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, his breath sharp and quick.
But then—
He felt it.
A presence.
Something was wrong.
His instincts screamed at him.
He looked back—
And his blood ran cold.
John Trizk was already behind him.
He wasn't just running.
He was dashing—unnaturally, creepily—his body barely making a sound.
Varek's enhanced speed should have outrun him.
But John Trizk moved like a shadow.
No wasted movement. No struggle. Just a silent, terrifying advance—like a predator hunting its prey.
A glowing card flickered in John's hand.
"You can't run, Varek."
Varek's heart pounded.
He gritted his teeth.
He wasn't going to die here.
So he did the only thing he could—
He prepared to fight.
Varek threw everything into his attack.
Two Mana Surges—all focused into strength.
His fist met John's chest—
But—nothing.
John didn't even flinch.
Then—
A brutal kick.
Varek's vision blurred as he was sent flying, his back slamming into a tree with a sickening crack.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
His body screamed in pain.
But then—
It spoke.
A whisper.
Dark. Sinister. Crawling inside his mind.
The Shadow Vault inside him awoke.
"Let me out."
Varek clenched his fists, trying to fight it.
"No—"
"You need me."
"I don't—!"
But it was too late.
Darkness poured from his body, wrapping around him like living tendrils.
His hair—turned into glowing shadows.
His eyes—black as the abyss.
His hands—burning with Shadow-Infused Mana.
The pain in his body vanished.
Only power remained.
Varek vanished.
And reappeared.
Right in front of John.
His shadow-infused hand PIERCED John's chest.
For the first time—John Trizk staggered.
And then—
"Varek, WHY!!!"
Keiran's voice shattered through the night.
Varek's mind snapped back.
The shadows retreated.
His body—returned to normal.
His hands were shaking.
He looked at John, whose eyes were cold.
The man took a step back, completely unfazed.
Then—he smirked.
"You really are a monster."
The air was heavy.
Keiran stood there, frozen.
His father... was attacked.
By his closest friend.
His hands clenched into fists.
He knew he couldn't blame Varek.
He saw everything.
The Shadow Vault took over.
But still—
That was his father.
Varek, Vikas, Dicio, and Knox watched as Keiran stepped forward.
His voice was steady.
"I'm leaving."
Varek's eyes widened. "Keiran—"
"I'm hunting demons alone from now on."
Silence.
Vikas frowned. "That's reckless. You'll—"
"I don't care," Keiran cut him off.
Dicio's usual grin was gone. "Keiran, you don't have to—"
"I do." Keiran's gaze hardened.
He turned away.
"I need to do this. Alone."
And just like that—
He walked away into the night.