Hunter and Hunted
Dust still clung to Lucas's heels as he left the city. The map rested in his hand, but his mind was a whirlpool of noise.
"They're coming."
The whisper cut through his mind like a blade dipped in ice.
He stopped.The wind shifted.The smell of rust and ashes filled the air.
And then he heard it.
A roar.
The sky tore open in flames. A wall of fire ripped through the clouds.
The ground exploded beneath his feet. Shards of stone flew like starving blades.
Lucas leapt aside.The second blast came before he even touched the ground.
This time, he didn't retreat.
He charged forward.
He passed through the flames. His skin crackled, the smell of charred flesh clinging to the air.But he kept going.
The Dragon Knights
Dragons sliced through the sky like living spears. Fire, steel, fury.
Knights clad in black armor wielded enchanted lances, each one humming with an ancient aura.
Lucas recognized the crests.The same kingdom he had left in ruins.
Sir Aldric landed first. The others followed in formation. Silence fell for a moment — and then, the scorn.
"So this is it?" Sir Aldric said with a half-smile. "The fugitive from the dungeons. I expected more scars... or at least a little more fear in your eyes."
Another knight laughed.
"I was expecting a living shadow... not a beggar covered in dried blood."
"The fallen hero, at last," another mocked. "The people sing of a massacre. But looking at you now..."
He spat on the ground.
"...seems the legend was exaggerated."
Lucas didn't respond.But his shoulders trembled slightly.
It wasn't fear.It was the effort not to smile.
Sir Aldric stepped forward, voice firm:
"We were at the front. When we returned, they told us a prisoner had escaped. That the entire prison was stained with blood. But there were no bodies. Only silence."
His eyes gleamed with restrained fury.
"We swore to hunt down whoever was responsible. And look who we found."
Lucas lifted his head, his eyes empty as an ancient abyss.
The Abyss whispered:
"They still think there's mercy left in you."
Lucas smiled.A dry, fractured smile.
"If you came seeking vengeance..."
His eyes turned crimson.
"...then bring everything you've got."
The Perfect Hunter
The first knight charged with brutal force.
Lucas didn't dodge. He waited.The blade came.
And then... silence.
The strike sliced only air.Lucas was no longer there.
The knight looked around — confused.
Something touched the back of his neck.
Too late.
Lucas appeared behind him, already holding his severed head.
He tossed it to the ground like discarding a useless weight.
One of the knights stepped back, his voice trembling:"He... he's not supposed to be capable of this."
The Dragons' Fury
Another knight dove from the sky, sword drawn.
Lucas raised his eyes. A flicker of calculation amid the chaos.
When the blade fell, he took a single step. The steel passed mere inches from his face.
The knight landed.
Lucas was already behind him.
His hand punched through the armor. And pulled.
A scream. Brief. The man's chest was ripped open like hot clay.
Blood painted the earth.
The dragons roared.
One dove in flames, its mouth wide like a living furnace.
Lucas ran toward the fire. His skin split open, but he didn't stop.He couldn't.
He leapt.
Seized the creature's horns and twisted.
"Down."
The neck snapped. The dragon crashed like a dying meteor.
Lucas jumped free before impact. Another roar came.
He twisted midair.His blade already in hand.
It sliced the wind.
A dragon's head spiraled into the sky.
But then — a flash.
Something cut through the air and grazed Lucas.
He was hurled against the rocks. He rolled, tasting blood in his mouth. He stayed down for a second — his shoulder burned. His flesh smoldered.
For a moment, Lucas reached for his wrist — but there was only scorched skin and silence.