The cold wind howled through the darkened corridors of the abandoned ruins outside the academy, carrying the scent of blood and steel. Ethan walked forward, his boots echoing against the cracked stone floor.
This place was supposed to be a mere training ground for dungeon explorers, yet something felt… wrong.
A feeling that made the hair on his neck stand on end.
He was being watched.
His instincts screamed at him—an invisible force lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Then it came.
Shhhh!
A blade whistled through the air toward his throat.
But Ethan was already moving.
He sidestepped at the last second, spinning just in time to see the glint of a dagger in the moonlight—followed by a figure cloaked in black.
A woman.
She moved like a ghost, her body light, her presence almost nonexistent. The air around her barely shifted as she lunged again, her dagger aiming straight for his heart.
Ethan blocked with his arm, the blade grazing his skin, but he ignored the pain.
"You're fast," he muttered.
The woman didn't respond. Instead, she twisted mid-air, using his own block to propel herself away, landing silently a few feet away.
For the first time, he got a clear look at her.
She wore a fitted black combat suit with deep violet accents, emphasizing both her agility and lethality. A thin mask covered the lower half of her face, but her piercing violet eyes burned with intensity.
She was young, perhaps around his age, yet her movements spoke of years of training.
"An assassin?" Ethan guessed, flexing his fingers.
The woman finally spoke, her voice smooth but filled with cold precision.
"Eline Alexander. You weren't supposed to notice me."
Ethan smirked. "Well, I'm full of surprises."
Eline wasted no time. She darted forward again, this time faster, more precise. Her blade aimed for his ribs, her other hand reaching for his throat in a deadly combo.
Ethan reacted instinctively. He dodged to the side, catching her wrist mid-strike.
But she countered—flipping her body in mid-air, twisting her wrist free, and using the momentum to land another strike toward his shoulder.
Ethan barely managed to avoid a fatal wound, but the blade grazed his skin again, drawing blood.
For the first time in a long while…
He felt the thrill of a real fight.
His smirk widened. "You're good."
Eline's eyes narrowed. "And you're better than expected."
She attacked again. Faster. More relentless.
But Ethan had already adapted.
He blocked, dodged, countered—his passive-enhanced body allowing him to react at the last second, his instincts sharper than any normal fighter.
Finally, after a dozen exchanges, he found an opening.
Eline lunged forward—this time, Ethan didn't dodge.
Instead, he stepped into her attack, deflecting her dagger at the last second, his hand grabbing her wrist and twisting.
With a sharp gasp, Eline lost balance.
Ethan spun, using his strength to slam her into the ground, pinning her wrists above her head.
For the first time in the fight… she wasn't in control.
Their breaths were heavy, her body trapped beneath his. Her violet eyes burned with frustration, but there was also something else.
Something foreign.
A flicker of… surprise?
"You—" she started, but before she could finish, a monstrous roar echoed through the ruins.
Ethan turned just in time to see shadows moving. Monsters.
Dozens of them. Crawling out from the ruins, their glowing red eyes fixed on their new prey.
Eline cursed. "Tch. This wasn't part of the plan."
Ethan released her and stood. "Yeah, well, neither was your assassination attempt."
She clicked her tongue but didn't argue. "We need to move."
Ethan smirked. "No need."
The monsters charged.
And Ethan ran straight into them.
To be continued…