I lie on the ground, staring up through the trees at the bits of sky visible between the branches and leaves. The speeder hums softly beside us, and I glance over at Apollo, still standing guard, with DP-7 hovering beside him. Nikko is lying against a tree, asleep, her tail occasionally twitching.

  How much longer? I wonder, feeling the weight of anxiety settle in. Suddenly, Nikko shoots up, her expression angry as she sniffs the air. Apollo and DP-7 react as well, DP-7's red eyes scanning the surroundings, zipping left and right. Apollo readies his spear and shield. Fear grips me as I get to my feet.

  Ahead of us, many cloaked figures emerge from the trees. They wear black cloaks, their faces obscured except for their glowing yellow eyes. They wield black swords, and their shoulders bear a strange crest: a great eye, lidless and glowing yellow against a red background. Nikko rushes over to me, her own fear though hidden by a determined look on her face. She draws a weapon similar to the ones IG-22 uses but smaller.

  The figures step closer, unperturbed by Apollo's towering stature. They charge.

  Apollo meets them head-on, his spear moving with precise, deadly efficiency. He skewers one figure through the chest, then swings his shield to bash another, sending them sprawling. His movements are fluid, each strike measured and powerful. DP-7 darts around, firing red bolts at the attackers and they fall to his shots, smoke rising from their glowing chest wounds.

  The cloaked figures multiply, each arrival marked by a sinister puff of black smoke. They advance on us relentlessly, forcing Apollo to split his attention as several slip past his defenses, charging straight toward Nikko and me.

  Nikko steadies herself, her small frame unshaken as she raises her weapon, firing red bolts of energy with pinpoint accuracy. Cloaked attackers fall with each shot, yet I find myself paralyzed, fear rooting me in place. My heart pounds wildly as one of the figures reaches Nikko, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off the ground. She kicks and thrashes, but its grip is unyielding, the eerie darkness of its hooded face fixed on her.

  Without thinking, I reach for my knife, surging forward. My hand trembles, but I drive the blade deep into the attacker's arm. It releases Nikko with a pained snarl, and she drops to the ground, gasping for air. But before I can react, the figure's fist crashes into my face, sending me reeling back, pain exploding across my cheek and blood trickling from my nose.

  Nikko, enraged, pulls her knife and jumps on the man, stabbing him multiple times in the chest. Her face is a mask of fury. I get up, wiping the blood from my face with my sleeve. I look over at Apollo, who stands amidst a sea of corpses, our attackers all dead. The only sound is Nikko's and my heavy breathing.

  "Are you okay?" Nikko asks, her sweet and caring demeanor returning as she approaches me.

  "I think so," I reply, wincing from the pain in my nose. "Are you okay?"

  Nikko nods, gripping each of her weapons tightly as her attention returns to Apollo. But in an instant, a crackling arc of dark lightning slams into him, and he collapses with a heavy, metallic thud. My heart leaps as I whirl around, only to see more cloaked figures materializing from clouds of shadowy smoke, their eyes glowing with an unnatural yellow light, dark lightning flickering at their fingertips. They stand still, watching us intently like predators sizing up their prey.

  ?????

  "Apollo! Apollo, come in!" Ryu's voice crackles over Apollo's comm, sharp with worry. But Apollo remains silent, his figure lying motionless on the ground. "Apollo!" Ryu calls again, his voice heavy with desperation. I glance around, half-hoping to see Ryu, Talia, or even IG-22 rushing to our aid, but there's no one. It's just us, and I feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

  Nikko steadies herself and raises her weapon, her face set in fierce determination. She fires a rapid series of shots, and while most of the cloaked figures dodge, one takes a direct hit in the chest and crumples to the ground. The remaining figures retaliate immediately, sending bolts of dark lightning arcing toward us. We leap out of the way, the crackling energy slamming into the speeder, its metal shell sparking and sizzling with the force.

  Nikko keeps firing, her shots striking two more of our attackers. As they fall, I seize the moment to dash toward the fallen figure where I left my knife embedded in his arm. I yank it free, but before I can react, one of the cloaked figures charges, striking me square in the face and sending me reeling to the ground. The impact leaves my head spinning, the world a blur of shadows and pain.

  Through my dazed vision, I see the remaining figures closing in on Nikko. She moves with surprising agility, dodging their grasps on all fours and striking out with her knife whenever she finds an opening. She manages to slash one figure across the leg, forcing him to stagger back with a pained hiss. Another figure grabs her by the collar, lifting her, but she drives her blade into his neck, and he releases her with a gurgling gasp, collapsing in a dark pool.

  But one final attacker remains, and he lunges forward, landing a harsh kick that sends Nikko sprawling backward. She rolls, recovering her balance, and lifts her weapon, firing a shot that him in the shoulder. The figure stumbles but quickly closes the distance, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her into the air.

  I blink, willing my vision to clear as I push myself off the ground. Nikko thrashes, her small hands clawing at the figure's grip as she gasps for breath, her weapon slipping from her grasp. My stomach drops, but just as all seems lost, two piercing red bolts slice through the air, striking the cloaked figure squarely in the chest. He's thrown backward, releasing Nikko, who crashes to the ground, clutching her throat and coughing.

  Turning, I see Apollo lying where he fell, his right arm raised, two barrels extending from his wrist. His head tilts ever so slightly in our direction, then, as if satisfied, he lowers his arm, retracting the barrels back into his wrist, and his head shifts back toward the sky, once again motionless and silent.

  Nikko rushes over to me and helps me to my feet. I struggle to stand as my head still spins. Suddenly, a dozen more cloaked figures appear around us, their yellow eyes glaring.

  ?????

  "A futile effort," one of them says, their voice deep and foul. "But you are only delaying the inevitable," another adds in the same voice.

  Fear grips me again, but Nikko remains stern, hissing at them. They step closer, lightning crackling from their hands. Suddenly, a pink bolt flies by and hits one in the chest, followed by a yellow bolt striking another. We turn to see Ryu and Talia rushing over, Ryu holding a weapon similar to Nikko's but larger, and Talia wielding a black bow with a line of pink energy as its string.

  Ryu holsters his weapon and draws the hilt of a sword. A vibrant yellow blade of energy ignites with a sharp hum, casting a warm, almost eerie glow across the trees. I can't help but feel a sense of awe and fear as the figures charge forward, their faces concealed beneath dark hoods, blades glinting in their hands. Ryu steps forward with a deadly grace, his blade moving with precision. The figures that charge him are cut down instantly, the yellow light slicing cleanly through them as if their body were mere paper. Their swords clatter to the ground, followed by their collapsing forms.

  The remaining cloaked figures hesitate, glancing at each other, but they soon raise their hands in unison, summoning a dark, crackling energy between their fingers. Runes materialize in glowing, red circles before their hands, swirling like symbols of doom. In an instant, they unleash bolts of dark lightning towards Ryu, the air around them filling with a chilling hum of pure power. I gasp, and even Talia's breath catches as the lighting surges forward, a fierce storm of jagged energy.

  Ryu raises his free hand to meet the lightning head-on. The combined energy strikes his hand with such intensity that he's pushed back, his boots skidding over the ground as he holds his stance. His body seems to resist the violent torrent, his shoulders tense, his stance unwavering.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "Papa, no!" Nikko cries out, her small voice filled with fear as the relentless assault continues, dark energy pouring from the summoning circles, sending jagged bolts tearing through the night toward Ryu.

  The yellow blade retracts into his hilt, disappearing with a loud hiss, and for a moment, Ryu turns his face away from the attack as the lightning intensifies, its force doubling in raw ferocity. My heart beats wildly, a pit of worry settling in my stomach as the lightning swarms around him in a horrifying storm. And yet, Ryu doesn't falter. Instead, he turns back to face his attackers. With one swift motion, he raises his hand, and to my utter shock, brilliant blue lightning erupts from his fingertips, surging forward with an unnatural ease. He's not casting any incantation, no summoning circle—just raw power channeled through his hand. What is he?

  The blue lightning collides with the dark energy, overpowering it with a surge so intense that the attackers stagger, their dark magic faltering. Then, with a controlled release, Ryu's unseen force pushes the dark energy back, forcing it into the hands of the cloaked figures. They recoil, and Ryu reignites the yellow blade, tossing the weapon forward with a swift, fluid motion. It spins through the air in a deadly arc, humming as it cuts through the bodies of the remaining attackers. Both halves of the cloaked figures fall to the ground with a sickening thud as the blade returns to Ryu's hand.

  Before I can fully process what I've witnessed, a flash of movement catches my eye. One last cloaked figure sneaks past the trees, stealthily advancing toward Nikko, who stands unaware. Talia and I gasp as the figure pounces forward, dagger in hand, but Nikko's shriek halts as the attacker suddenly jerks to a halt midair, suspended as if by invisible strings. I turn to see Ryu's arm outstretched, his fingers curled with commanding control.

  With a powerful, sweeping motion of his arm, the figure is hurled to the side, crashing into a thick tree trunk with a brutal impact that reverberates through the forest. The body falls lifelessly to the ground, a chilling silence settling over the scene.

  The tension thickens in the silence as we wait, our eyes scanning the dark woods, anticipating more of those shadowy figures. I grip my knife tightly, every muscle in my body taut, ready for an attack that never comes. Ryu clips his weapon onto his belt. Talia and Nikko putting away their weapons as well. For now, we are safe.

  Suddenly, my legs give way beneath me, and I collapse onto the forest floor, gasping, trying to steady my breaths. I glance over to see Nikko rushing to her father, throwing herself into his arms. Ryu lets out a heavy sigh, his shoulders lowering, a small gesture that somehow speaks volumes of his relief. My heart aches for Nikko; she's so young to be thrust into such terrifying chaos.

  Talia appears beside me, offering her hand. "Are you alright?" she asks, her voice steady but with a touch of concern.

  "A bit shaken and roughed up," I admit, accepting her hand and rising. I manage a weak smile as she hands me a piece of cloth, and I begin dabbing the blood off my face, feeling the sting but grateful for her kindness.

  Nearby, Ryu releases Nikko and looks her over. "Are you hurt?" he asks, his voice gentle yet probing.

  She nods, a bit unsteady. "My throat hurts a little," she stammers, "but I'm okay." Nikko glances back at me. "Rebecca saved me, Papa."

  Ryu turns his gaze toward me, and even without seeing his expression, I feel the weight of his gratitude. "Thank you," he says simply, but his tone carries profound relief.

  Embarrassed, I shake my head. "I didn't do that much," I mutter, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "She's the one who saved me."

  Ryu looks at Nikko, then scans the nearby bodies of the fallen attackers. "You did this?" he asks, surprise and a touch of pride clear in his tone.

  Nikko nods, her eyes a bit shy but resolute. "I did as you taught me, Papa. Did I do well?"

  Ryu places a reassuring hand on her head. "You did very well," he replies, a note of pride in his voice.

  Suddenly, Apollo jerks upright with a creak of metal, causing a gasp to escape from me as I stumble back, my heart pounding. Talia and Nikko also startle, though Nikko quickly recovers and peers up at the knight with a look of relief. Apollo gathers himself, his shield and spear clipping back into place on his back.

  As Apollo moves closer, his gaze falls upon the smoldering remains of DP-7. His posture shifts ever so slightly, his normally resolute stance softened, and even a touch of sorrow seems to emanate from him—a rare display of emotion in the usually stoic knight. I catch the brief pause in his movements, the way his head tilts down ever so slightly, as though he's honoring a fallen comrade.

  My attention turns to Nikko, who stands beside Ryu with her ears flattened and her eyes downcast, a glimmer of sadness shadowing her young face. Talia, too, watches in silence, her lips pressed together, sympathy radiating from her as she rests a gentle hand on Nikko's shoulder. Together, we all stand in a quiet circle around the remains, each of us feeling the weight of the loss in our own way.

  Ryu approaches DP-7's burnt frame, his movements measured, almost reverent. He lets out a heavy sigh, kneeling down to carefully pick up what's left of the tiny droid, cradling it in his arms as though it were something far more precious than scorched metal.

  "Can DP-7 be fixed?" Talia asks, her voice laced with worry. Nikko's face crumples in sadness as she watches Ryu carry the broken droid to the speeder.

  "I don't know," he says quietly as he opens up a compartment in the back of the speeder and places DP-7's remains inside. The trunk clicks shut, and his face hardens. "Either way, we need to leave. Now."

  Ryu speaks into his glove, his voice steady yet urgent, instructing IG-22 to return. A short moment passes before the golem appears, moving swiftly yet methodically. For once, I'm actually relieved to see it here, a strange comfort in its presence that I hadn't felt before.

  Nikko carefully gathers her weapons, placing them back into her small sheathes with practiced care, while I take a deep breath and begin wiping the blood from my own blade. My hand trembles as I clean it, the weight of what just happened sinking in. I've never actually had to use this knife before, and the images of the attackers—dark cloaks, the flashes of their lightning, the smell of burnt earth—replay in my mind with haunting clarity.

  A gentle hand rests on my shoulder, and I turn to see Talia standing beside me, offering a warm, comforting smile. Her expression carries a quiet reassurance that somehow eases the churning anxiety within me. I manage a small smile in return, finally sheathing my knife, feeling a little more grounded with her beside me.

  ?????

  As the tension in the air lingers, one by one, the bodies of the dead cloaked figures erupt into black flames. The sight shocks me even more, each body suddenly consumed in a blazing darkness, the eerie flames licking their forms and reducing them to ash within seconds. The flames disappear just as quickly as they had come, leaving only the memory of their presence. Every trace of the attackers is erased in the blink of an eye, save for one—the figure Ryu had flung against the tree. A low groan escapes it as it struggles to rise, and Ryu moves toward it without hesitation, his demeanor sharp and purposeful.

  "Nikko, I want you to close your eyes and cover your ears," Ryu commands, his voice softer but firm. "I don't want you to see what I'm about to do." Nikko nods quickly, turning away, her small hands covering her ears tightly as she averts her gaze from both Ryu and the wounded figure.

  I watch, my heart pounding, as Ryu steps closer to the attacker, extending a hand. The figure lifts off the ground, pressed firmly against the tree by an unseen force, its cloak slipping down to reveal a face that stops my heart: it's an elf. My shock mirrors Talia's, whose expression is a mixture of horror and confusion. Blood drips from the elf's nose, his breaths labored, but what unsettles me the most is his expression—cold, empty, not a trace of fear or hatred, just...blank. Only his low, pained grunts break the silence.

  "Where is your master?" Ryu's voice is firm, demanding.

  The elf doesn't answer Ryu. Instead, his gaze shifts to Talia, an unsettling smile curling at his lips. "Does this terrify you, Talia?" he asks, his voice disturbingly calm. "Yes, there are elves among our ranks. We are everywhere." The look he gives her is as hollow as it is sinister.

  Ryu's hand tightens, the elf letting out a brief grunt as the unseen force squeezes him. "Where is your master? Which dungeon is he heading to?"

  For a moment, Ryu eases the pressure, and the elf's breathing stabilizes. He turns his blank gaze toward Ryu. "Don't you have more pressing matters, Ryu? War is upon us. Shouldn't you be trying to stop it?" He smirks, his taunt twisting like a dagger in the silence.

  Ryu's fist clenches once more, the elf's expression unchanged, seemingly impervious to pain. "Hurt me all you want," the elf sneers, his voice filled with a twisted conviction. "I'll never tell you. Once more, the world will be cleansed, and I will be one with the Shadow."

  Before we can react, black flames burst from the elf's body, consuming him from the feet up. To my horror, he doesn't scream or flinch as the flames engulf him—he just stares at Ryu, the fire climbing higher until it reaches his face, and then, in a flash, his body collapses into a pile of ash, the flames vanishing.

  Ryu lets out a heavy sigh, lowering his arm as he steps back, his movements weary. He turns to me, his shadowed face unreadable. "Believe me now?" he asks, his tone a mixture of exhaustion and grim satisfaction as he walks past me, the air thick with the lingering smell of charred ashes.

  I stand there, frozen, disbelief flooding through me, mingling with a creeping terror. My mind spins, fighting the truth that has just unfolded before my eyes. No...this can't be. This can't be real. The Shadowfell...

  The reality sinks in like a stone in my stomach. It's real. This thing, this darkness—it's real.

  "You can stop it...right?" I manage to ask, my voice barely above a whisper, turning to Ryu, hoping for even a sliver of reassurance.

  Ryu pauses, turning back to me, but he doesn't say a word. The weight of the silence presses down, and I feel the chill of uncertainty creeping into my bones.

  He takes a breath, his tone resolved. "We need to leave now—before more of its followers show up."

  Numbly, I nod, following him to the speeder, climbing on with the others in silence. Nikko, Talia, even Apollo—they're all quiet, the gravity of what just happened sitting heavily on each of us. I can barely think, barely find words. What is there to say after this? I can only hope—hope that somehow, against this unimaginable darkness, we have a chance to fight back.