Godhunter #1

Cira stood near the back of the main hall, her shoulder pressed against a cold stone pillar as the crowd grew around her. The low hum of conversation was already loud enough to make her flinch, even with her hearing aids adjusted to a comfortable level. Torches flickered on the walls, next to broken lamps,their light casting uneven shadows across the faces of the Godhunters packed into the room.

Taros stood at the front, elevated slightly on a stone step. His sharp, weathered face seemed grimmer than usual, his usual commanding calm replaced with something harder.

«Quiet!» someone barked, and the room gradually fell silent.

Cira's fingers twitched against her sling as Taros stepped forward, his sharp eyes sweeping the crowd.

«You're all here because of Aren's report,» Taros began, his voice steady and clear. "During the last raid, we uncovered something more valuable than supplies or weapons—information."

The word information sent a ripple of tension through the gathered Godhunters. Cira caught a glance from Evran, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Taros didn't pause. "«The Ascended are holding a high-security prisoner. Someone they consider a major threat.»

Cira frowned. Prisoners weren't unheard of—captured rebels, informants who'd outlived their usefulness—but the weight in Taros' tone made it clear this was different.

«They're holding one of our own,» he continued. «Riel.»

A murmur swept through the room at the name, low and uncertain. Cira stayed quiet, her brow furrowing as she tried to place it. Riel. She'd heard the name somewhere before—probably in passing—but she couldn't attach a face or reputation to it. Around her, though, some of the Godhunters weren't so reserved.

«Riel?» someone muttered. «I thought he was dead.»

«When did he go missing?»

«What the hell would the Ascended want with him?»

Taros silenced the murmurs with a sharp look. «He went missing weeks ago—disappeared without a trace during a recon mission near Elohans Tower. We thought he'd been killed, but now we know the truth.» His lips pressed into a thin line. «The Ascended didn't just capture him. They've locked him in one of their high-security facilities, hidden deep in Elohan tower..» Taros continued, his voice low and hard. «Aren's findings suggest they're keeping Riel alive for a reason. The Ascended don't waste resources on prisoners they don't deem valuable. We don't know what they're after yet, but one thing is clear: they see him as a threat.,»

Cira's fingers twitched against her sling again. Around her, the murmurs had returned, though quieter this time, uncertain. Riel's name meant something to many of the Godhunters, though she could see in others' faces the same blank confusion she felt. She leaned slightly toward Evran, who stood close to her side.

«Who's Riel?» she muttered under her breath.

Evran shot her a surprised glance, his expression a mix of disbelief and something she couldn't quite place. «You really don't know? He was one of Taros' best. Quiet guy. Dangerous, though—real good at slipping in and out of places no one should be able to get into.»

«Sounds like someone the Ascended wouldn't want running loose,» she said, keeping her voice low.

Taros' voice cut through the whispers, drawing everyone's focus back to him. «The Ascended will want information, and they'll stop at nothing to get it. Riel knows things about our operations. About us. If he talks—or if they break him—everything we've built could crumble.»

The tension in the room spiked. Cira could feel it like a current running through the gathered Godhunters. Fear, anger, determination—all woven together into something electric. She knew exactly what Taros was implying.

Taros let the weight of his words settle before continuing. His voice dropped lower, forcing everyone to lean in, the room holding its collective breath.

«We can't let that happen,» he said. «We owe it to Riel—and to ourselves—to get him out before they break him or worse.»

A ripple of agreement moved through the crowd, muted but unmistakable. Some nodded, their faces hard with determination; others looked uneasy, their gazes darting nervously to one another.

Taros straightened, his gaze sweeping the room like a blade. «This mission will not be easy,» he said, his voice low but commanding. «Elohan's tower is one of the most secure locations under the Ascended's control. Getting in will be nearly impossible. Getting out with Riel? Even harder.»

The room was deathly silent now, the weight of his words pressing down on everyone like a physical force. Cira's pulse quickened as she caught the glint of something in Taros' eyes—resolve, but also hesitation.

«That's why I won't force anyone into this,» Taros continued. «I'm asking for volunteers. This mission isn't just dangerous; it's borderline suicidal. I need people who are willing to take that risk, knowing full well the odds are stacked against us. If you volunteer, you need to understand: there's no guarantee we'll make it out alive.»

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of his words settling on everyone like a shroud.

Cira's heart pounded. The logical part of her screamed at her to stay quiet, to stay in the shadows where she wouldn't risk further injury or failure. But another part, louder and sharper, wouldn't let her sit still.

Riel didn't mean anything to her personally, but the thought of someone enduring what he was enduring—trapped, tortured, used as a tool against his own people—lit a fire in her chest.

Evran shifted beside her. She could feel his eyes on her, waiting. Judging.

The silence stretched, brittle as glass. Then, with a sharp exhale, Cira pushed off the pillar and stepped into the open space at the center of the room. Her leg ached, her sling pulled uncomfortably, but she ignored it.

«I'll go,» she said, her voice steady, despite the hammering in her chest.

Evran followed almost immediately, his usual smirk softened into something more resolute. «Can't let you have all the fun, can I?»

From the corner of the room, Liora stepped forward, her arms crossed but her eyes blazing. «I'm in.»

Aren was next, her calm demeanor unshaken as she adjusted her gloves. «Riel saved my life. I owe him.»

The heavy silence lingered, each second stretching longer than the last. Cira's chest tightened as she watched others step forward, their determination cutting through the suffocating tension. Taros nodded to each of them, his expression unreadable but his posture tense.

The tall man with the buzz cut was next, his movements deliberate as he stepped into the circle. He looked older than the rest of them, his broad shoulders and steady gaze suggesting years of experience. «Bran,» he said simply, his deep voice cutting through the quiet.

Then came the younger woman. Her steps were hesitant at first, but when she spoke, her voice carried a surprising steadiness. «Sienna.» She couldn't have been older than Cira, maybe younger, with wide green eyes that betrayed just a hint of fear beneath her determination.

Cira's gaze flicked between them, then back to Taros. She could feel the weight of his eyes as he swept the room, waiting for any other volunteers. When no one else moved, he spoke again.

«That's six,» Taros said, his voice heavy with finality. «The rest of you, stay sharp. If this mission fails, the Godhunters will need every one of you ready to fight. Those of you going—gear up. You're leaving at dawn.»

The crowd began to disperse, murmurs rippling through the air as the reality of the mission sank in.

Cira stayed rooted to the spot, her mind racing. She didn't know Riel—didn't even know what he looked like—but the thought of him rotting in some Ascended hellhole burned in her chest. And if Cain was involved…

Her fists clenched, the phantom ache of her arm and leg barely registering.

«Think he'll be there?» Evran's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

She didn't need to ask who he meant. Cain.

«I hope so,» she muttered, her voice low and sharp.

Evran raised an eyebrow, but whatever remark he was about to make died on his lips when he saw the look on her face. "

«You know, most people would be scared at the idea of facing him again.»

«I'm not most people.»

Evran tilted his head, studying her for a moment before smirking. «No, you're definitely not.»

As the room emptied, Cira turned toward the exit, her mind already running through what little she knew about the mission ahead. If Cain was there, she would make sure this time was different.

This time, she wouldn't fail.