Bruce sighed thinking back at when he first met Vaelith. He still remembered the promise. The deal.
He would purge them. Not out of obligation alone.
But because leaving them meant allowing rot to spread.
He focused on the nearest anomaly, a mid-tier Awakened stationed at the edge of a settlement, patrolling alone along a snow laden perimeter wall. To ordinary sight, the man appeared normal. Alert. Breathing steadily.
But through Life Glance, Bruce saw the truth.
The host soul flickered weakly. The invader coiled tightly around it, threads embedded deep.
Bruce did not hesitate. He moved.
Distance collapsed beneath him as he advanced, snow kicking outward in controlled bursts with each step. Within seconds, he was behind the patrol route, unseen.
The possessed Awakened stiffened slightly, as if sensing something.
Too late. Bruce stepped forward into view.
The man turned, eyes narrowing. "You…"
Bruce's gaze sharpened, Life Glance intensifying for a brief second.
