The first scream came just after dawn.
A bird-call, broken by steel.
Then silence.
Then thunder.
Aiden stood at the center of the mill, his hand resting on the support beam near the upper release rig. Around him, five villagers crouched low—Torran among them, pale but steady, eyes fixed toward the entry doors.
"They're here," Aiden said. "Positions."
---
> [Encounter Triggered: Gravedogs Mercenary Raid]
Estimated Enemy Count: 22
Detected Class Variants: Warhound, Flamebreaker, Null-Sight, Unnamed Echo
Environment Modifiers Active:
– Rain: -15% visibility
– Fortification Advantage: +20% terrain control
– System Divergence Risk: High
---
Outside, the earth shook.
Mael Derrek led the charge.
The massive sellsword walked like a battering ram, his greataxes resting across his shoulders, face hidden behind a fang-toothed iron helm. The rain slid off his blackened armor like blood.
Behind him came men in Dominion surplus gear, mixed with rogue sigil plate. One wore the colors of a Null-Sight—a magekiller from the capital's black operatives.
They weren't here to loot.
They were here to erase.
---
The Gravedogs hit the village like a hammer.
Buildings were torched.
Alden's early warnings had cleared the civilians, but smoke still rolled through the streets, choking the air. Screams flared near the eastern fence, where the decoys had been placed—tied scarecrows with illusion-glamors. One went up in flame.
And then they reached the mill.
Mael kicked the door in—
And fell through the trap pit.
---
> [Trap Triggered: Pitfall + Oil Spike Combo]
Result: 1 Enemy Fatality, 2 Injured
+20 XP | Tactical Momentum Gained
---
"Torran, left flank!" Aiden barked.
The boy rolled into position, loosing his first arrow into a merc lung.
Another burst through the side—met by Elya's axe.
They weren't soldiers.
But they were angry.
And sometimes, that was enough.
---
Upstairs – 3 Minutes In
Aiden climbed the mill's upper floor, Flame Pulse ready in one hand, torch oil in the other. He reached the beam support and slammed the release pin.
> [Trap Triggered: Upper Beam Collapse]
Effect: Crush Damage – 3 Enemies Neutralized
+40 XP | Flame Resistance Buff Maintained
The beam smashed through the center floor, sending three Gravedogs into the oil basin below. Flames licked outward.
Then came the Null-Sight.
Clad in void-thread cloth, her eyes burned violet beneath a silver visor.
She stepped through the fire untouched, sword in hand.
Aiden moved fast—Temporal Slip, blink—
But she tracked him.
> [Skill Clash: Temporal Slip vs. Echo Trace Protocol]
Outcome: Neutralized – Movement Denied
She swung.
Steel kissed Aiden's cheek.
---
He dropped, sliding beneath her guard, and flared Flashburn Spark right into her visor.
The flame didn't kill her—but the flash blinded her just long enough.
He threw his dagger.
It sank into her neck.
She dropped without sound.
> [Critical Elimination: Null-Sight Operative]
+90 XP | Sync Spike Detected
Legacy Sync +1%
Total Sync: 14%
---
The mill roared around him.
Below, Torran screamed something—then went quiet.
Aiden turned, blood running down his jaw.
Mael Derrek climbed from the pit, one arm shattered, rage burning like a furnace in his chest.
"Boy," he growled. "You think you've won?"
Aiden faced him.
"No," he said. "I think I've rewritten the end."