SHADOWS, SECRETS AND SPARKS

The road to the west was a silent hell. For days, Asimil and Luce guided the enchanted medical wagon carrying an unconscious Mio through a crumbling world. Food was scarce, and every shadow seemed to hide a corrupted creature, forcing them to take detours and ration their already meager supplies. They avoided battles at all costs; with their cargo so precious and vulnerable, a direct confrontation was a risk they could not afford.

After four days of exhausting travel, they found refuge in the ruins of an ancient sanctuary, a place of peace forgotten by the war. While the few warriors that accompanied them set up camp, Asimil and Luce took the first watch, sitting on the edge of a dry fountain, observing a sky that did not seem to have the same color it should have.

— Do you think we'll make it? — Asimil asked, his voice a whisper in the stillness of the night.

— Of course we are — Luce replied, although her usual energy was tempered by fatigue. — We're a top-notch team. The Tortured Soul and the Chaotic Butt Kicker" We have our own slogan and everything.  —

Asimil smiled, a genuine gesture. — I like it.  — The silence returned, but this time it was comfortable. They found themselves looking at each other, and for a moment, the warring world, the Generals and the Void disappeared. Only the two of them existed under the broken stars. He noticed a badly healed cut on her arm. — You are still wounded. —

— You should be too — she replied, her gaze sweeping over him. — But you're not. Your wounds from the battle... are almost gone. are almost gone. How is that possible? —

Asimil looked at his hands. It was true. He felt stronger, he was recovering at an unnatural rate. — I don't know. Ever since that... ball of energy that hit me, something inside of me feels... different. —

They were silent again, not for lack of words, but because there was something growing between them, a bond forged in the chaos that neither dared to name.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles to the east, despair was the bread and butter of Ikel, Mitsu and Lyra. They were stuck in a makeshift camp, licking their wounds from Nyx's last raid.

A shadow crept around the perimeter of the camp, avoiding the traps with supernatural ease. He reached the center of the camp and stopped in front of Mitsu's tent. — I heard you were looking for information. —

Mitsu stepped out, his hand on his sword, but relaxed at the sight of the figure. Ikel, however, did not. — Treachery! — he roared, appearing with fists on fire. — You let in a Void assassin! —

— Ikel, calm down — said Mitsu with a sigh. — Not everyone who hides in the shadows is an enemy. —

— Analysis: his energy signature does not match that of the Generals — added Lyra, appearing behind Ikel, her face expressionless. —  However, his level of stealth is... problematic. —

The newcomer laughed, a dry, quiet sound. — You flatter me. I am Viper, one of the Stars of the Firmament. And my business is information. —

— He confirmed the news they feared so much. Yes, Mio has been defeated. She is not dead, but she is out of combat. — Viper consulted a small data orb. — My sources indicate that a white haired boy and a black-haired girl are transporting her to the Healing Citadel of Eldoria. —

Ikel and Mitsu looked at each other.— White-haired boy? — Ikel began.

— Who else would be stupid enough to go directly against the generals — Mitsu finished, with a rare spark of respect in his voice.

They needed no more. Asimil and Luce were alive. A small but desperately needed flame of hope flared in their hearts.

— There are also rumors — Viper continued, — that Goliath was defeated in the west by Ragnar, but there is no proof. His body has not been found. He is a ghost. —

The chatter was abruptly interrupted. A high-pitched shriek echoed from the outskirts of the camp, followed by war cries. — We are under attack! — shouted Ikel.
The four went outside and saw the chaos. The stockade had been broken. And in the center, watching the massacre with a predatory calm, was Nyx. She had found them again.

Viper clicked his tongue. — Well, my work here is done. I'll leave the account in your... —

— You're leaving? — Mitsu interrupted him, a sly smile on his lips. — Don't you want to stay for the fun? Think about it, Viper. No one has reliable combat data on General Nyx. Can you imagine how much that information would be worth on the market? You could put whatever price you wanted on the Alliance. —

Viper's eyes glittered behind his mask. He was an assassin, but first and foremost, he was a businessman. — Your proposal is... persuasive — he admitted.

He turned toward the battle, two ethereal daggers materializing in his hands. — All right. I'm staying. But the combat data is mine. And if we survive, you'll owe me a favor. A big one. —
The battle for survival was about to begin. And this time, they had a shadow on their side.