The night air outside the ruined shrine was cold, unnaturally still. The group had barely managed to stagger back to the forest clearing before collapsing against the roots of a giant oak.
Kael's armor was dented, Mira's arrows half-burnt, Elira's runes flickering weakly. Lyra still clung to Rihan's arm like she was afraid he might vanish at any moment.
But none of them spoke.
The silence was heavier than the Mistress's pressure.
Finally, Mira let out a shaky laugh, though there was no humor in it. "So… that was the Mistress. And here I thought we were getting stronger."
Kael spat blood to the side. "Stronger? We were toys to her. If Elira's right, and that was only a projection… then we're not even close."
Elira's eyes glowed faintly, her celestial aura dim but steady. "The Mistress doesn't send warnings for no reason. Her appearance means she's marked us. From this moment forward, her forces will hunt us without rest."
Rihan sat quietly, staring at the ground. His hand was clenched around the faint shimmer of the Judicator's chain that curled across his wrist. The System's cold message echoed in his mind:
[Warning: Mistress's Hunt Begins.]
He exhaled slowly. No running. No hiding. If she's coming for me… then we'll fight.
But before he could voice his thoughts, the forest shifted.
A rustle in the shadows. Branches cracking. The air itself grew heavy.
Kael instantly raised his blade. "We're not alone."
Three presences emerged from the treeline.
The first was a hulking beast-man, his skin covered in black scales, carrying a jagged halberd that reeked of blood. His eyes glowed with feral hunger.
The second was a pale woman cloaked in feathers, her arms ending in razor-sharp talons. Each step she took left frost on the grass.
And the third… a hooded figure, silent and faceless, with only two crimson slits glowing where eyes should be. His presence was the most suffocating of all.
The beast-man grinned, baring fangs. "Targets located. The Mistress was right—they reek of Judicator's stench."
The feathered woman hissed, her voice like breaking glass. "We were promised their heads. Leave the successor for last. I want the healer to scream."
Lyra froze, terror flooding her face.
The hooded one simply raised a hand. Black chains erupted from the earth, wrapping around the trees like serpents, cutting off every escape.
Mira cursed under her breath. "They're generals too, aren't they…? Damn it. We barely survived one!"
Rihan stepped forward, his chains flickering faintly. "No. They're not generals. They're hunters. The Mistress sent them to test us."
The hooded figure tilted his head slightly, as though amused. "Perceptive. Yes. We are the Eclipse Hunters. And you, Balance-breaker… are prey."
---
Clash in the Woods
The beast-man roared and lunged first, swinging his halberd with brutal force. Kael met him head-on, their weapons colliding with a thunderous crack that shook the ground.
"Finally!" Kael grinned despite the blood at his lips. "A fight I can actually hit back at!"
Sparks flew as steel met steel, each strike sending shockwaves through the clearing.
Meanwhile, Mira darted to the side, loosing arrows in rapid succession. Each arrow split mid-flight into three, creating a rain of elemental energy aimed at the feathered woman.
The woman screeched, spreading her wings wide. Frost spread outward in a wave, freezing the arrows mid-air before they could land. With a single beat of her wings, she sent shards of ice screaming toward Mira.
Mira rolled, barely dodging, the shards slicing through trees like paper. "Yeah, that's fair. Totally fair!" she muttered bitterly.
Elira stood firm, runes swirling across her hands. "Focus on containment! We can't let them surround us!"
She cast a radiant barrier around Lyra, shielding her as the hooded hunter advanced. The faceless figure raised his hand again, black chains lashing out. They wrapped around Elira's barrier, tightening like vipers, squeezing until cracks formed.
Elira grit her teeth, forcing more power into the runes. "He's countering my seals… this isn't just shadow magic, it's ancient eclipse binding—!"
"Then I'll break it," Rihan said.
His chains erupted, glowing faintly with Judicator's will. He lashed them forward, clashing against the black eclipse chains. Sparks of light and darkness exploded on impact, the ground splitting beneath them.
The hooded hunter tilted his head again. "…Interesting. The chains of Balance still resist. The Mistress will enjoy corrupting you."
Rihan's jaw tightened. "She'll never have them."
---
Breaking Point
The battle grew fiercer by the second. Kael and the beast-man's duel tore through the forest, Mira barely stayed alive against the frost-winged huntress, and Elira struggled to keep Lyra safe under the crushing weight of the hooded one's chains.
But even with everything they had, the Hunters didn't falter.
Kael was bleeding heavily, his sword-arm trembling. Mira's quiver was nearly empty. Elira's barrier cracked again, sparks raining down.
And Rihan—his chains pulsed painfully, Judicator's voice whispering louder than ever.
Unleash me. Tear them apart. Balance must be broken.
"No…" Rihan whispered, sweat dripping down his forehead. "If I give in… I'll lose myself."
Lyra's voice cut through the chaos. "Rihan! Don't listen to it! You're not alone—you have us!"
Her words steadied him, if only for a heartbeat. Enough to anchor himself. Enough to force his chains to obey.
Rihan's chains blazed brighter, pushing back the hooded hunter's bindings. For the first time, the faceless figure staggered.
"…So the successor can resist." His voice was almost curious. "All the more reason she wants you alive."
The hunters regrouped, their movements suddenly in sync. The hooded one raised his hand, the beast-man and the winged woman pulling back to his side.
The forest fell silent.
"You survived the first hunt," the hooded one said. "But this was only a taste. The Mistress has marked you. We will return… and next time, you will not escape."
With that, the three hunters dissolved into shadow, vanishing into the night.
---
Aftermath
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then Kael collapsed onto one knee, coughing blood. Mira threw herself to the ground, gasping for air. Elira nearly fainted, her runes flickering out completely.
Lyra hugged Rihan desperately, her voice trembling. "They're going to keep coming, aren't they? They won't stop until you're—"
Rihan placed a hand gently on her head, his eyes burning with quiet resolve. "Then we won't stop either. If the Mistress wants us hunted… then we'll hunt her right back."
The System chimed again:
[Main Quest Updated.]
[Sub-Quest Unlocked: Eclipse Hunters.]
[Objective: Survive the Mistress's Hunt.]
Rihan tightened his fist, staring into the darkness of the forest.
The war had truly begun.