Kael faced them—six masked figures, each motionless, their presence as suffocating as the stone around them.
Veylan stood at the center, hands behind his back, voice calm.
"You came all this way, Kael. You burned your soul for vengeance. But what will you do now that you've found us?"
Kael's grip on his sword tightened.His breath came steady, trained.His eyes—focused only on Veylan.
"I kill you," he said.
"Do you even remember what you're avenging anymore?" Veylan asked.
Kael stepped forward.
"I remember every scream."
The First Ghost Moved
A blur of steel.
Kael blocked high, then rolled left, slashing low. The figure stumbled—quick, but not invincible. He struck again. This time, harder.
The mask cracked.
A girl. Young. Eyes afraid.
Kael hesitated for only a second.
Then finished it.
The others surged forward.
A Symphony of Death
Kael became a storm. Sword dancing. Feet gliding. He didn't block—he predicted. He didn't hesitate—he adapted.
Each Ghost fell differently:
One with a blade to the heart.
One strangled by chain.
One slammed into the iron wall until the mask shattered.
Each death was precise.
Planned. Personal.
Blood coated the floor. The echoes screamed again.
And then only Veylan remained.
Veylan Drew His Sword
Black metal. A jagged edge.Not forged—it looked grown.
"You've grown stronger," Veylan said."But you're still broken."
Kael pointed his blade.
"You think pain makes me weak?"
Veylan smiled.
"No. I think it makes you predictable."
They clashed.
Steel Against Steel
They fought like brothers who'd trained beside each other for a decade—because they had.
Every parry, every feint, every counterstrike mirrored each other. They moved in sync, like twin wolves circling.
Until Kael changed the rhythm.
He feigned a stumble—then threw a dagger with his off hand. It grazed Veylan's cheek.
A scar opened. Red.
Then Kael pressed forward, striking harder, faster.
And at the edge of defeat, Veylan shouted:
"If you kill me, you'll never find her!"
Kael froze.
His blade halted an inch from Veylan's throat.
"Elira," Veylan gasped. "She's not dead. She never was."
To be continue...