As they moved, Eanne's voice, both in his mind and in the physical world, grew more strained. "I can feel it, Emmet. It's there… it's moving."

  "So it is mobile after all," Emmet muttered. They got closer, joining the throng, their movements mimicking the sleepwalkers.

  "Can't they see us?" Eanne whispered, waving her hand slowly in front of a mesmerized man's eyes. Raze did the same. Nothing.

  "It's a state of hypnosis," Emmet explained, his voice low. "They only see what they want to see, their desires burning so bright they're blind to the shadow lurking just beyond." He looked at Raze, a grim question in his eyes. "I need you at your best. Are you up to the task?"

  Without waiting for an answer, Emmet summoned his earth totem. A great wall of stone erupted from the ground, blocking the path of the hypnotized people. Eanne assisted, her eyes closed in concentration, as she created a shimmering energy field that snapped the people back to their senses. The crowd recoiled, confused and terrified.

  "Go back to town!" Emmet commanded, his voice ringing with authority. "There's no time! You're in danger here!"

  While Emmet and Eanne ushered the panicked crowd away, Raze pressed on, alone. He walked through the now-empty path, his eyes searching until he found it: a single, pulsating orb of glowing light. The air grew warm and smelled of cinnamon and home, a familiar scent that made his muscles relax without his permission. So this is the one responsible, he thought, his hand dropping from his sword.

  As he stared, the light showed him a vision: himself, saving countless people, the hero he always wanted to be. For a brief, agonizing moment, he felt the full weight of that impossible dream, tears of joy and relief a hot rush down his face. It was everything he had ever wanted, everything he had ever fought for, and he was finally there. He was a hero. He didn't notice his body moving forward, just as he didn't see the monstrous, razor-toothed mouth that was about to swallow him whole.

  Suddenly, a heavy boot connected with his side, throwing him violently to the ground just as the jaws snapped shut. The stench of stale blood and rot filled the air.

  "Snap out of it, Raze!" Emmet yelled, his voice a sharp blade cutting through the illusion. Eanne quickly cast a sigil of cleansing beneath him, the cool energy jolting him back to his senses.

  Raze blinked, his mind reeling. "What happened? I saw… I saw him..."

  "Great, you're back," Emmet said, his voice urgent but steady. "Don't let your guard down. Don't look at the thing." He pointed a finger at what Raze had just seen as a ball of light.

  Eanne's brow was furrowed in concentration. The energy field now became a sealed perimeter, a protective bubble of power that hummed with a visible strain. Her hands trembled slightly as she held the spell.

  "Hang in there, Eanne," Emmet said, his voice low with concern. "Try to maintain it as long as you can."

  "Okay," she replied, a faint bead of sweat on her temple. The magic was draining her more than she'd ever let on.

  The glowing light shimmered and shifted, revealing the horrible truth: a massive, grotesque Bloodbound whose torso was a gaping, fanged mouth. On its forehead was the source of the magic—the pulsating, glowing ember amulet. Surrounding it were smaller Bloodbounds, snapping and growling, their eyes fixed on the three of them.

  "The amulet is what causes the hallucinations," Emmet explained, his voice strained. "It lures them with their deepest desires, blinding them to the real danger." He looked at Raze, the responsibility of the moment settling on his shoulders. "I leave it to you, Raze."

  Raze's sword was a silver blur. He lunged forward with a defiant yell while Emmet's earth totem created a defensive wall behind him. His fire totem blazed to life, illuminating the dark cavern and exposing every foe. Eanne maintained her seal, her breath coming in short, quick bursts, ensuring none of them would fall prey to the amulet's siren call again.

  The battle raged on. Emmet faithfully maintained his role as support, constantly creating stone walls to block attacks and forming steps and higher ground for Raze to launch mid-air strikes. He even shook the ground to disorient the smaller Bloodbounds, slowing their movements. Eanne focused on her sigil, a clear strain showing on her face, but her determination was unyielding. Raze, meanwhile, summoned rings of his warrior divinity, making his movements faster and his strikes sharper and stronger. He moved with a dancer's grace, slicing through Bloodbounds with single-minded focus, confident that Emmet had his back.

  The number of Bloodbounds thinned until only the massive one remained, still clutching the artifact. Emmet created one final stepping stone, a perfect launching pad for Raze to deliver a final, decisive blow to the monster's head.

  But just as his sword was about to hit the ember amulet, a figure abruptly appeared, blocking Raze’s massive blade with a fortified left hand akin to armor. The figure's right hand—a monstrous, massive fist—slammed into Raze, sending him flying backward. Emmet managed to catch him.

  "Who is that?" Raze said, breathless.

  The figure was a tall, muscular man with spiky black-and-red hair and eyes like pools of blood. He had a handsome, rugged face. He twisted his neck, a sharp crack echoing through the cavern. Then, he turned and punched the massive Bloodbound, grabbing the ember amulet with lightning-fast movement.

  "I'll be taking this," he said, and the Bloodbound slowly fell, its body disfigured from the stranger’s strike.

  "He's strong, Emmet," Raze said, leaning on his friend. "It's like he has the same punching power as you."

  Emmet instructed Eanne to stop channeling her energy and rest inside him, which she happily obeyed. She was at her limit.

  Emmet analyzed the situation, and Raze waited for his instruction. The mysterious man inspected the amulet, seemingly ignoring them.

  I'm not sure if he's a friend or a foe, Emmet thought, his mind racing. He destroyed the source of the danger, but he's also taken the amulet. He stepped forward. "Who are you?" he asked, not waiting for a reply. "I need that amulet. Please, hand it over."

  "Ah, do you even know what this thing is?" the man said, a smirk on his face. "If you can entertain me, perhaps I'll give it to you as a reward."

  Emmet smirked back. "Deal." To Raze, he said, "Go all out. I'll cover you."

  This is a perfect opportunity for Raze to use his chaos power, Emmet thought, and it will give me all the information I need about it.

  Raze, who loved a good fight, grinned with excitement. He charged, pouring his warrior divinity into his movements, his strikes a blur of speed. The man was agile, easily evading every attack. Then, he began to counter. Emmet blocked the blows with rock walls while his fire totems followed up after Raze's attacks, creating a relentless barrage.

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  The enemy noticed their coordinated teamwork was troublesome. A unique red aura enveloped his skin, and he used it to create footholds, avoiding the shaking ground Emmet created to unbalance him. The aura also enhanced his fortified skin, shielding him from the fire totems and allowing him to focus on fighting Raze head-to-head.

  He managed to land a direct hit to Raze's stomach, pushing him back. Raze’s warrior divinity shield lessened the damage, but he was still thrown off his feet.

  Emmet stepped closer. "He's adapting to our attacks."

  "Yeah," Raze grunted, getting to his feet. "And he hits so hard." He grinned at Emmet. "You did say I could go all out, right? I'm going all out."

  As if waiting for his challenger to finish his preparations, the mysterious man stood ready. Raze summoned his Chaosbane, his appearance shifting. His hair began to turn gray, and dark energy marks appeared on his body. With the Chaosbane (sword) in his hand, the room filled with a palpable sense of chaotic power.

  "Step back, Emmet," Raze said, his voice deeper and more distorted. "Let me handle this."

  Emmet had been waiting for this moment. "Happily," he replied, retreating to a safe distance.

  The enemy observed the chaos energy. Chaos energy? Is he an abyssal? No, he’s not. If he was, I’d be dead already. Like Emmet, he found Raze's transformation fascinating.

  Raze lunged, his movements now unpredictable. The enemy was more cautious, but at a disadvantage. He too summoned a weapon, pulling a sword-like bone from his torso. It looked grotesque—a weapon of blood and bone and fortified skin.

  Warrior divinity? Emmet thought, watching the strange weapon. It feels… wrong. Like a perversion of it. He continued to observe Raze, realizing that while the chaos power was a burst of incredible strength, it was also consuming his rationality. The enemy noticed it too and tried to prolong the fight, waiting for Raze to lose all control. He saw that Emmet was no longer assisting and grew more confident, facing the slowly maddening Raze head-on.

  Seeing an opening, the enemy prepared a killing blow. But Emmet interrupted, throwing a massive boulder at him. Emmet pulled Raze away from the fight, pulling him back from the brink.

  "His control has its limits," the enemy said, a hint of respect in his voice. "He gets more powerful the more he loses his sanity. That's enough for now."

  Emmet called out to Raze, "Stop! You're losing control! Pull out now!"

  Raze seemed to hear him. He took a shaky breath, and the chaotic power began to recede, his body returning to its normal state.

  The enemy, despite being hit by the boulder, smirked. "What now? Your most powerful fighter is down."

  Raze, unable to stand properly, slumped onto a makeshift stone chair Emmet had created. "Sorry, Emmet. I'm leaving this to you. This is an exception, alright? I'm all out of energy."

  The enemy noticed their relaxed demeanor. Raze seemed completely unworried.

  "Got it, Raze," Emmet said, a low rumble in his voice. "I'll deal with him. Just rest there." He walked slowly toward the enemy. "My name is Emmet Langer, a tool divinant from the North. And yours?"

  "I don't like sharing my name with nobodies," the man said.

  "Then tell me this," Emmet continued. "Are you part of the demonic cult? Are you the one spreading these demonic artifacts and altars?"

  "You mean like this amulet?" He held it up. "No, I'm not. 'Demonic cult'? Is that what you call it? Hahaha, I guess you really are clueless. You don't even know what this amulet is. I have nothing to do with the Bloodbounds, as you call them. But out of respect for your bravery... I am somehow related to them, but I'm not with them."

  Emmet paused, trying to read the man. Maybe he's not an enemy. Or maybe he is. He spoke again. "Give me the amulet, and we can just walk away."

  "My offer still stands," the enemy said. "Entertain me more, and I might agree."

  "So we fight then."

  "I guess we—" He wasn't even finished when Emmet was already in front of him, a fist pulled back. The man reacted fast, but Emmet was locked on to him, as if he understood every movement, every pattern. The man dashed sideways, but Emmet was right there. He jumped, and Emmet was already above him. He tried to retreat, but Emmet kept dashing forward, an unstoppable force.

  What is it with this guy? the man thought. I thought the warrior was the stronger one, but this guy… he’s more of a threat.

  "No more playing," Emmet said. A club made of rock, hinted with fire, formed in his hand. He began hitting the enemy with blinding precision, leaving no room to evade.

  What? I can't evade him? the man thought. Then I have no choice but to fight him head-on! He too held his weapon, engaging Emmet in a full-on melee, no longer even attempting to dodge.

  "You fell for it," Emmet said. Spikes of stone shot up from below, and fireballs surrounded the man. Emmet made a maddening slam toward him, but the man parried with his grotesque weapon.

  Too strong, the enemy thought, as the force of the blow shook his bones. Even stronger than me? What is he? I thought he was just an elemental divinant. My main attribute is a warrior's, but how is he overwhelmingly stronger than me?

  Emmet continuously barraged him with slams and strikes. The man kept fortifying his body with the red aura and his fortified skin, but he was still being pushed back, the hits getting worse and stronger with every strike. Wait... he's getting stronger! the man thought, a slow smile spreading across his face. His divinity... I get it now. He’s one of the mutated ones. A failed vessel.

  He retreated, the damage evident on his body. He was having trouble standing, and realized he was trapped in a corner. He held his hands up to signal to the rushing Emmet. "Stop. Please listen."

  Emmet stopped. "Okay, I'll listen."

  What? the man thought. Just like that? He actually stopped and is willing to listen?

  "Here," the man said, throwing the amulet to Emmet. "I understand your nature now... you are one of the mutated ones, a failed vessel. I can't believe there are survivors. You have your amulet. I'm done here. I leave that to your care... our path will cross again."

  "Stop," Emmet said, his voice flat. "Who said you could leave? I still have questions, and I don't mind destroying you to get my answers."

  A nervous feeling coursed through the man. Wait, you have your amulet already. Why is he still fighting?

  "What about this amulet?" Emmet said, gesturing to the glowing orb. "I think you are a better reward than this artifact. Don't you agree?"

  The enemy panicked. This isn't good. This guy is a monster. He remembered the girl who had the ability to nullify the amulet’s effect and a cold dread settled in his gut. I have to retreat now before that girl finds a way to block my exit.

  "Still thinking about escaping?" Emmet said, his tone chilling. "How about I tell you that it is... impossible?" Emmet continued to slowly move toward the enemy. "What do you mean by 'failed vessel'? What do you know about my 'mutated divinity'? What are you? Why do you feel like... like you are just like me? A warrior divinant with a hint of mutated divinity? And more importantly, are you my enemy?"

  "Wait," the man said, showing clear signs of panic. "Yes, it is as you said. I too have mutated divinity. Wait, stop. Let me go, and I will give you important info. You were after this 'demonic cult,' right?"

  "Yeah, but what about it?" Emmet said, still walking forward. "Go on, keep talking."

  "I'm not one of them," the man pleaded. "I am also on to them. Trust me, we are not enemies, and there are more of us out there. I don’t kill humans... we don’t kill humans."

  Emmet finally stopped. If he's not an enemy, there's no point in killing him. Emmet thought. Threatening him further might make him one. And he said there are more of them. I don't want to make an enemy of an entire group.

  "Fine," Emmet said. "But if you and your kind ever get in my way again..."

  "I understand," the man said, relief washing over him. "My name is Jasper. I'm sure we'll cross paths again." He turned to leave.

  "Just go."

  Emmet watched him leave, his mind still reeling. So they know something about me, my origin. No point in dwelling on it now. He thinks I'm different, so I'm sure I'm not like them. But they are dangerous. I sure hope they aren't enemies.

  Raze, still resting, said, "Way to go, Emmet. You scared the hell out of that guy. I'm glad you didn't kill him. Maybe he's not our enemy after all."

  "Right," Emmet said. He looked down at the amulet in his hand. As he did, the pulsing light within it flickered and died. The amulet, once glowing with power, cracked and crumbled to dust in his palm. "So the amulet was damaged after all," he said, the words a low rumble. "Probably when that guy punched the massive Bloodbound's head."

  "Let's go," Raze said, his voice a low grunt of exhaustion. He stumbled, but Emmet was there to steady him, a silent, comforting presence. The cold stone floor was littered with dust from the shattered amulet, but neither of them looked back. Eanne's already resting, Emmet thought, a sense of shared relief washing over him. The fight was over. They had all done their part. Now, all that mattered was getting out of this dark cavern and finding a place to rest. They were done for the day.