Aria didn't hesitate.
The moment Dorian vanished, she turned to Finn and Kael. Their friends were out there, captured, and she wasn't about to stand by and do nothing.
"We're going after them. Now."
Kael gave a firm nod, already adjusting the strap on his sword. His face was unreadable, but Aria knew him well enough to recognize the quiet intensity in his stance. Finn, on the other hand, groaned, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for a long, exhausting night.
"I was hoping for sleep, but, you know, rescuing friends is important too."
Aria forced a small smile, but the urgency thrumming in her chest wouldn't let her relax. Lyric and Quinn were out there. If she had to tear through the entire night to find them, she would.
---
The forest was unnervingly silent as they moved. No rustling leaves, no chirping insects—just an eerie stillness that made Aria's skin crawl.
"Are we sure this is the right way?" Finn whispered, his voice barely audible.
Kael crouched low, scanning the dirt beneath them. His fingers brushed against the faint imprints left in the earth. "Footprints lead this way. They're fresh."
Aria didn't need further confirmation. She pressed forward, instincts guiding her like a beacon in the dark. The deeper they went, the heavier the air felt, thick with something unspoken. Then—just ahead—a flicker of light.
She stopped, motioning for Finn and Kael to do the same. Through the gaps in the trees, she spotted a small campsite. Sitting by the fire, lazily poking at the embers, was Ashar.
And there—bound near him—were Quinn and Lyric.
Aria's breath hitched.
Quinn looked tense but alert, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings as if already searching for a way out. Lyric, however, was too still. Aria's stomach twisted. Something was wrong.
"We get in, take him down, and get out," she whispered.
Kael nodded, his grip tightening on his weapon. Finn cracked his knuckles, a smirk creeping onto his face.
"I've been waiting for this."
---
Ashar sighed, flicking a small ember from his cloak. "You know, you two are awfully quiet for captives."
Quinn glared at him. "We have nothing to say to you."
Ashar smirked. "Fair enough."
Then a gust of wind rushed through the camp. A blur of motion.
Aria struck first.
Her blade sliced through the air, aiming for Ashar's shoulder. He twisted at the last second, just barely avoiding the strike.
"Well, well," Ashar muttered, dodging another slash. "I was wondering when you'd show up."
Kael appeared beside her in an instant, swinging his sword in a precise arc. Ashar leapt back, his movements unnaturally fast.
"You're making this a lot more dramatic than it needs to be," he taunted. "You could have just let me deliver them in peace."
Finn, meanwhile, had slipped past the fight, reaching Quinn and Lyric. He knelt beside them, his hands working quickly to undo their bindings.
"Can you fight?" he asked.
Quinn rolled his shoulders, his usual smirk returning. "Try and stop me."
Finn turned to Lyric, concern flickering in his expression. "You okay?"
She didn't answer.
Because in that moment, a dark presence surged behind them.
Ashar's goons had arrived.
---
The air crackled with tension. Aria barely had time to react before shadowy figures emerged from the trees, their movements swift and calculated.
"We've got company!" Finn called out, stepping protectively in front of Lyric.
Kael didn't hesitate. He launched himself at the nearest enemy—a hooded figure wielding twin daggers. They clashed, metal meeting metal in a furious exchange. The assassin was fast, ducking and weaving around Kael's powerful swings, but Kael was relentless, driving them back with sheer force.
Aria had no time to watch. Another goon lunged at her, a curved blade flashing under the moonlight. She ducked, rolling out of the way just as the blade sliced through the air where she had stood moments before.
"You picked the wrong fight," she hissed, swinging her sword in a precise arc.
The attacker barely had time to raise their weapon before Aria's blade connected, sending them stumbling back. She pressed forward, forcing them on the defensive.
Meanwhile, Finn was holding his own against a sorcerer, dodging bursts of dark energy while throwing quick counterattacks of his own. He summoned glowing tendrils of energy, lashing out at his opponent and forcing them to retreat.
"You guys never fight fair, do you?" he muttered, dodging another attack.
Quinn, now free, wasted no time. He grabbed a discarded staff from the ground and spun it expertly in his hands.
"Let's even the odds," he said, slamming the staff into the ground. A ripple of energy burst outward, knocking back two of the goons.
Lyric, still shaken, finally snapped out of her daze. Her hands trembled, but she summoned a sphere of energy, launching it toward the remaining attackers. One of them managed to dodge, but the second was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree.
Aria blocked another strike from Ashar, gritting her teeth as their blades locked together.
"Give it up, Ashar," she said. "You're outnumbered."
Ashar smirked.
"Am I?"
A dark mist exploded from his body, engulfing the battlefield.
---
Aria coughed, her vision blurring as the darkness surrounded them. She felt movement—sensed an attack coming—but before she could react, Kael was there, pushing her out of the way just as a dagger slashed through the air.
"Stay close!" he ordered.
She nodded, gripping her sword tighter.
Then, through the haze, she saw him.
Ashar stood at the center of the battlefield, his body crackling with raw energy.
"Enough playing around," he growled. "Let's end this."
Aria didn't hesitate.
She charged.
Ashar met her head-on. Their blades clashed, sending sparks flying. She struck again, faster this time, forcing him back step by step.
Kael came in from the side, slashing low, forcing Ashar to jump back.
Finn took the opening, sending a bolt of energy straight at him. It connected, knocking Ashar off balance.
Quinn followed up with a crushing blow from his staff, sending him sprawling.
For the first time, Ashar looked rattled.
"Tch," he muttered. "This isn't over."
And just like that—he vanished.
---
The battlefield fell silent.
Then—
"You're ready."
Aria turned sharply, her breath catching.
Dorian leaned against a nearby tree, watching her with an unreadable expression.
"What are you saying?" she asked.
Dorian smirked. "Only those with unwavering ties can enter the Black Veil. And you—you just proved you're strong enough."
Her heart pounded.
"I only just figured it out myself," Dorian continued. "But I'm the key. And I can take you there."
Silence.
"The place where your mother is trapped."
Dorian extended a hand.
"Are you coming?"
And just like that—everything changed.