The hooded figure held Xander tightly, pressing a dagger firmly against his throat. The boy barely moved, his breath shallow, his wide eyes locked onto Revan. The air was thick with tension, every second stretching endlessly.

  ‘Where did they come from?’ Revan’s mind raced as he studied the figure before him. ‘How did they slip past the guards and get through the Vaelgrim Guard?’

  But now wasn’t the time for questions.

  ‘That doesn’t matter. Right now, I have to save Xander.’

  Revan’s grip tightened around his sword as he analyzed the situation. Something felt off. The figure had no Etherea. No energy, no presence—just an empty void where there should have been power. It was unnatural.

  ‘Is that even possible? Can someone truly have no Etherea?’ His muscles tensed. ‘I can’t afford to act recklessly. I need an opening, just a small distraction.’

  A soft whisper broke through his thoughts. “I can distract them.”

  Revan turned slightly. Luna stood behind him, her expression calm but unwavering.

  He gave a small nod before whispering back, “Good. On your mark.”

  Luna raised her left hand, her palm glowing faintly as she aimed at the hooded figure. But before she could act, the intruder’s voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding.

  “Lower your hand, or this boy dies.” Their grip on Xander tightened, the dagger pressing deeper against his skin.

  Revan forced his expression to remain neutral. “What do you want?” His voice was steady, but his mind was already preparing for the worst.

  The hooded figure tilted their head slightly, as if weighing their answer. “That girl.” Their voice was cold, devoid of hesitation. “Give her to me, and your brother will live.”

  Revan’s stomach twisted, but he kept his expression unreadable. His eyes flicked toward the small girl behind him—her fragile form trembling, yet her gaze remained locked on the figure.

  “What do you want from her?” His tone was edged with suspicion.

  “That is not your concern,” they replied. “Just hand her over.”

  Revan barely breathed. His mind was already calculating his next move.

  ‘Now’s my chance.’ He leaned in ever so slightly and whispered, “Are you ready?”

  Luna didn’t answer, but her hand glowed brighter in response. A split second later, she unleashed a blinding flash of light. The explosion of brightness engulfed the area, forcing the intruder to flinch. Their hooded heads jerked to the side as they instinctively raised an arm to shield their eyes.

  Revan didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat. With one powerful motion, he drove his sword into the ground just inches from Xander’s feet, then seized the figure’s wrist—the one gripping the dagger. His body moved on instinct as he summoned Etherea into his legs, channeling its power before launching himself into the air.

  His foot connected with brutal force against the intruder’s face. A sharp crack echoed as they were sent sprawling backward.

  By the time the hooded hit the ground, the dagger was no longer in their possession.

  Revan now held it firmly in his grasp. His grip tightened as he turned to Xander, his voice firm but reassuring.

  “Get behind Luna,” he instructed, tossing the dagger toward his brother.

  Xander caught it with shaky hands, stepping quickly toward Luna as Revan turned back to face their enemy.

  Revan yanked his sword from the ground and quickly turned to check on Xander and Luna. His heart pounded as his sharp eyes scanned them, making sure they were safe.

  Behind him, the hooded figure groaned and pushed themselves up, blood dripping from their nose. Under the moonlight, their features became clearer—a middle-aged man with short hair and a rough goatee.

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  “Call the guards!” Revan shouted.

  Luna knelt beside Xander, gently holding his face between her small hands. “Run and scream for help. I’ll stay here in case your brother needs me.”

  Xander hesitated for only a second before nodding. Then, taking a deep breath, he sprinted toward the banquet hall, his voice echoing through the garden.

  “HELP! THERE’S AN INTRUDER IN THE GARDEN!”

  His footsteps grew fainter as he disappeared into the distance, leaving Revan and Luna alone with the enemy.

  Revan stepped forward, his small fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. “I’ll ask one last time. Who are you?”

  The hooded man clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Tch… What makes you think I’d tell you, kid?”

  Without waiting for a response, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a strange, tube-like device with a glowing Ether Stone in its center. The contraption looked hastily assembled, wires sticking out at odd angles. With a sharp press of a button, five orbs of Etherea materialized around them, pulsing with unstable energy.

  Then, in an instant, the orbs burst like bubbles—each revealing a hooded figure armed with swords, now surrounding Revan and Luna.

  Luna instinctively turned her back to Revan, standing close as fear flickered in her eyes. She wasn’t used to fighting, at least not like this.

  ‘So that’s how they got in’, Revan thought, his pulse steady but his grip firm.

  “How well can you fight?” he asked, keeping his voice calm.

  Luna exhaled, trying to steady her nerves. “I can manage,” she said, though her hands trembled slightly. A blade of pure light materialized in her grip, flickering with energy.

  The bloodied man wiped his nose with his sleeve and smirked. “Careful. These two are Ethereans.”

  One of the new attackers lunged at Luna, attempting to grab her. Without thinking, Revan moved. His sword slashed through the air, and in a single stroke, the enemy’s hand hit the ground.

  Luna gasped, her breath catching in her throat. It was the first time she had seen something so… real. Blood stained the grass, the severed hand twitching slightly.

  Revan didn’t stop. He surged forward, driving his sword deep into the attacker’s shoulder, forcing them back with a cry of pain.

  Another enemy charged toward Revan, sword raised high. Luna, still shaken, reacted purely on instinct. She swung her light-forged sword, meeting the attacker’s steel weapon mid-air.

  The moment they connected, Luna’s glowing blade sliced through the enemy’s steel sword like a hot knife through butter.

  The man staggered back, staring in disbelief at the cleanly severed stump where the top half of his weapon used to be.

  The bloodied man cursed. “Use Etherea, you fools!” he barked at his subordinates.

  “Flash!” Revan shouted, squeezing his eyes shut.

  Luna reacted instantly. Light burst from her palm, blinding everyone in an instant.

  Revan didn’t waste a second. He dashed forward, grabbed the sword that had been knocked loose earlier, and channeled Etherea into his hands. With a swift motion, he hurled the blade straight at one of the attackers.

  The sword flew with deadly precision, piercing through their skull.

  ‘Three left.’

  Revan turned and lunged at the closest enemy, his small frame moving faster than they could react. His blade sank into their chest, right where the heart should be.

  ‘Two.’

  “Flash!” he commanded again, shielding his eyes.

  Another burst of blinding light erupted, sending the remaining enemies into a panicked daze.

  “Damn it! Grab the girl, now!” the bloodied man growled, still covering his eyes.

  The two remaining swordsmen swung wildly, their movements frantic and unfocused.

  Revan exhaled, feeling the Etherea wrap around his entire body. In one swift motion, he dashed past them. His sword slashed cleanly through their necks.

  The fight was over before they could even scream.

  Their heads fell to the ground, their bodies collapsing moments later.

  Revan flicked his sword, trying to shake off the blood. He turned to Luna, who was still standing there, her body trembling.

  She had never seen anything like this before.

  Before either of them could speak, the bloodied man suddenly rushed forward, pulling a small, disk-shaped device from his cloak. The Ether Stone embedded in its center pulsed erratically.

  Revan reacted immediately, his instincts kicking in. He dashed forward, his sword thrusting straight into the man’s chest.

  But it was too late.

  The disk in the man’s hand lit up, and in an instant, an orb of Etherea formed around them.

  A moment later, it burst like a soap bubble—taking them along with it.

  Revan barely had time to process what had happened before he felt the ground shift beneath him. The familiar cool air of the garden was gone. The scent of grass and flowers had vanished.

  He looked around.

  They were no longer in the garden.

  Instead, they stood inside a dimly lit room with no windows, the only light coming from flickering Ether Lanterns hanging on the walls.

  The bloodied man coughed weakly, blood trickling from his mouth as he chuckled.

  “Heh… I got the girl.”

  Then, with one last breath, he collapsed to the floor, unmoving.

  Revan and Luna exchanged glances, their hearts pounding.

  Wherever they were, they were trapped.