Eclipsed monarch

The knight charged, his blade a blur of steel and firelight. Kael braced himself, reading the movements—there was no hesitation in the man's attack, only unwavering conviction.

Kael met the strike head-on. The impact rattled his arms, but he held firm, twisting his sword to deflect the blow. The knight followed up immediately, aiming a thrust at Kael's heart.

Too fast.

Kael barely managed to sidestep, but the blade grazed his shoulder, drawing blood. The knight pressed forward, eyes burning with fanatic resolve.

"You've already lost," the knight growled. "Your kind—those who resist—are nothing but obstacles to the future!"

Kael scoffed. "A future built on slaughter and experiments?"

"A necessary sacrifice!"

The knight swung again, but Kael had learned his pattern. Instead of parrying, he pivoted and stepped inside the knight's reach.

A fatal mistake.

Kael's dagger flashed, sinking deep into the knight's side.

The knight gasped, staggering back. Blood seeped through his armor, but he did not fall.

He gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tighter.

Kael didn't give him the chance to recover. With a swift, merciless strike, he slashed across the knight's throat.

For a moment, the knight remained standing. His eyes widened in shock—then, slowly, his body collapsed.

The battle was over.

Kael exhaled, wiping the blood from his blade. His shoulder burned, but the wound wasn't deep. He turned his gaze toward Selene.

She had done her part. The weaker knights lay motionless in the shadows, their throats slit. She stood silently, blood splattered across her face, her breathing steady.

She had become efficient. Lethal.

Yet, when her gaze met Kael's, something flickered in her eyes—an emotion she quickly buried.

Kael stepped past the fallen knight, searching his body. The document was gone, but he had expected that.

Instead, he found a small, metal insignia. A symbol of the Divine Order's secret forces.

A lead.

He pocketed it and turned to Selene.

"We need to move."