Chapter 3: The Hunters

«"The moment you stop running... the hunt truly begins."»

The city of Elaris had never been this quiet.

Not after wars.

Not after plagues.

Not even after the Great Fire that had nearly reduced half the kingdom to ashes.

Tonight, silence itself felt alive.

Nyra stood in the middle of the deserted street, her eyes fixed on the crimson flames dancing inside the lanterns.

They weren't normal flames.

They burned without heat.

"They've sealed the city," Lucien said, his gaze sweeping across the rooftops. "From this moment on, every exit is guarded."

Nyra folded her arms.

"So we're trapped."

"No."

Lucien's expression remained calm.

"They are."

Nyra looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Confidence suits you."

"It keeps me alive."

Before she could reply—

A loud whistle echoed through the night.

One.

Then another.

Then dozens.

Lucien's face hardened instantly.

"They've deployed the Hunters."

"The Hunters?"

"The Order of Fate's elite soldiers."

A shadow landed on the rooftop above them.

Then another.

And another.

Within seconds, black silhouettes surrounded the entire square.

Unlike the masked followers Nyra had seen before, these figures wore dark armor marked with silver symbols across their chests.

Each of them carried a long spear instead of a sword.

No one spoke.

They simply watched.

Waiting.

A tall woman stepped forward.

Her silver mask covered only the upper half of her face, revealing sharp features and a calm smile.

"So..."

Her voice was elegant.

"The Empty One really exists."

Nyra didn't answer.

The woman slowly removed a folded parchment from her belt.

"The Council has issued a decree."

She opened it.

"The girl known as Nyra Ashbourne is to be captured alive."

Her smile faded.

"Anyone who protects her will be executed."

The Hunters lowered their spears in perfect unison.

The sound echoed across the square.

Lucien sighed softly.

"I was hoping they'd negotiate."

Nyra glanced sideways.

"You knew they wouldn't."

"I know."

"So why say it?"

"To disappoint myself one last time."

For the first time that night—

Nyra laughed.

A small laugh.

Short.

Unexpected.

Even the woman in the silver mask looked surprised.

"You're laughing?" she asked.

Nyra's blue eyes met hers.

"You brought twenty soldiers..."

She tilted her head slightly.

"...for one girl."

A faint spark of amusement crossed Lucien's face.

The Huntress frowned.

"Arrogance."

"No."

Nyra slowly pulled back the sleeve covering her left wrist.

The pale skin reflected the crimson moonlight.

Still blank.

"This is exactly why you're afraid."

A murmur spread through the Hunters.

One of them instinctively stepped backward.

The stories were true.

She had no mark.

No destiny.

The Huntress raised her spear.

"Take her."

The command had barely left her lips when every Hunter moved at once.

Steel flashed beneath the blood-red moon.

Nyra didn't draw a weapon.

She watched.

Counted.

One...

Three...

Seven...

Their formation wasn't random.

The strongest fighters had surrounded Lucien.

Which meant—

"They think you're the bigger threat," Nyra whispered.

Lucien smiled without looking at her.

"They're finally learning."

A spear shot toward Nyra.

She twisted aside at the last second.

The blade scraped her coat instead of her skin.

Another Hunter charged.

Nyra grabbed his wrist, used his own momentum against him, and sent him crashing into two others.

She wasn't stronger.

She was smarter.

The Huntress narrowed her eyes.

"Interesting..."

Lucien blocked two attacks with effortless precision.

"Nyra!"

"What?"

"Run toward the eastern alley!"

"You said every exit was sealed!"

"I lied."

"You lie a lot."

"It keeps me alive."

Before Nyra could answer—

A deep crack echoed beneath their feet.

The cobblestones trembled.

Then split apart.

A blinding silver light burst from the ground, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

The Hunters froze.

The Huntress whispered in disbelief—

"...The Gate."

Ancient symbols began glowing beneath the streets of Elaris.

Symbols no one had seen in a thousand years.

Nyra stared at the light beneath her feet.

She had never seen those symbols before.

Yet somehow...

She knew exactly where they would lead.

And that frightened her more than the Hunters ever could.

To be continued...

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