The garrison never truly slept that night. Torches burned until their oil ran low, shadows stretched unnaturally long, and every soldier flinched at the sound of snapping twigs or shifting wind. Word of the relay massacre had spread like poison. Fear lingered on every face.
And still, Commander Feng ordered preparations for the impossible:
A strike team would enter the Hunter-General's tunnel tomorrow night.
Li Wei woke with dawn's cold breath on his skin, the previous night a blur of blood and warnings. Mei Lin hadn't left him until exhaustion forced her to rest outside his guarded hut. Even now, as he stepped out into the pale morning light, she rose immediately.
"You didn't sleep," she said softly.
"Neither did you."
"We don't have the luxury."
Her voice trembled, though she masked it quickly.
A guard bowed. "Commander Feng requests both of you in the training yard."
Li Wei and Mei Lin exchanged a look—one heavy with dread—and followed.
The Yard of Quiet Eyes
The usually loud training yard was silent. Soldiers stood in a wide circle, forming a perimeter around Feng, General Han, and a handful of selected men.
As Li Wei stepped into the circle, murmurs rippled through the ranks.
"That's him…"
"The Hunter-General wants him…"
"The one chosen for the tunnel…"
Li Wei ignored them and approached Feng.
"You summoned me."
Feng nodded. "It's time you meet the strike team."
He gestured to three men standing like carved pillars:
1. Captain Shen — hardened, grim, scarred across the brow. A veteran of border wars.
2. Scout Yao — keen-eyed, silent, unmatched at reading terrain.
3. Soldier Peng — younger, but steady; the same man who had accompanied Li Wei on the ridge.
But there was a fourth figure Li Wei hadn't expected.
A woman.
Clothed in light leather armor.
Hair bound tightly.
Eyes like daggers.
Mei Lin froze. "No…"
Li Wei stared.
"YOU?" he breathed.
The woman stepped forward.
"I volunteer," she said, voice steady.
Mei Lin stepped between them immediately. "Absolutely not."
Commander Feng raised a brow. "You object?"
"Yes," Mei Lin snapped. "Li Wei walks into a trap. The Hunter-General expects him. He wants him inside. Taking another civilian is madness."
The woman lifted her chin. "I am no civilian."
Feng nodded. "Correct. This is Corporal Yan Xiu—expert in infiltration, silent kills, and close-range combat. She's survived two mountain skirmishes and a night raid on the southern frontier."
Yan Xiu's eyes were cold steel as she bowed to Li Wei.
"I know tunnels," she said. "I know traps. And I know traitors."
Mei Lin bristled. "I'm going instead."
Feng's expression turned harsh. "No."
Mei Lin's jaw clenched. "Commander—"
"NO," Feng repeated sharply. "You are too valuable to risk. Your connection to the Hunter-General compromises the mission. Your presence could trigger traps meant for you specifically."
Yan Xiu glanced sideways. "And perhaps my presence triggers none."
Mei Lin glared. "You don't know him like I do."
Yan Xiu smirked faintly. "Which is exactly why I should go."
Li Wei stepped forward. "Enough."
Both women turned to him.
"Corporal Yan Xiu," he said carefully, "why volunteer?"
She held his gaze. "Because someone has to guard your back. And because the Hunter-General has returned to finish what he started."
Li Wei frowned. "And… what did he start with you?"
Yan Xiu shrugged slightly. "That's a story for later. If we survive."
Her implication was clear: she had a past with the traitor-general as well—though she kept her secrets close.
Commander Feng cleared his throat.
"Additionally," he said, "there will be a fifth member joining your team."
Mei Lin stiffened. "Who? You're already risking too many."
Feng nodded to a shadowed tent behind him.
A tall figure stepped out—silent, broad-shouldered, wrapped in heavy cloak and armor. His presence sucked the warmth out of the yard.
He removed his cloak.
Li Wei's breath caught.
A familiar face stared back.
A face he thought he'd never see again.
"Zhang?!"
Zhang—his old comrade from the Wall camp.
His first ally.
The man who had trained with him, fought with him, survived with him.
Zhang bowed with fierce loyalty. "Commander Li Wei."
Li Wei blinked. "You're… here? How?"
Feng answered, "The militia recruits who passed early exams were reassigned to me two days ago. Zhang proved exceptional. I've transferred him to frontier duty."
Mei Lin's eyes widened. "You kept this from me."
"Intentionally," Feng said. "The less you know, the safer they are."
Zhang approached Li Wei, gripping his forearm tightly. "I didn't hesitate when they asked for volunteers. I will not let you enter that place alone."
Li Wei felt an unexpected tightness in his chest—an anchor of familiarity in a sea of shadows.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Zhang smirked. "You still attract trouble, I see."
A Team Built for Death
Feng addressed the gathered men.
"Tonight at dusk, the five of you will enter the Hunter-General's tunnel."
Gasps spread among the onlookers.
"This is not a mission of glory," Feng continued. "This is survival. You will find out what lies beneath the ridge—and return. Do not pursue the Hunter-General unless absolutely necessary."
Han stepped beside him. "If you fail, this garrison will fall within a week."
Silence fell.
Li Wei inhaled deeply, feeling the weight of every eye in the yard on him.
"Understood."
Yan Xiu nodded.
Yao bowed.
Peng saluted shakily.
Zhang grinned grimly.
Mei Lin stepped forward… placing her hand on Li Wei's arm.
"Come back to me," she whispered.
Li Wei's heart thudded.
"I will."
Feng dismissed the crowd. "Prepare yourselves. Eat. Sharpen your weapons. Make peace with your ghosts if you must."
The strike team dispersed.
Li Wei stood alone for a moment, staring at the ridge's black outline in the distance.
The Hunter-General had baited him.
And tonight… Li Wei would enter his lair.
But he would not walk in as prey.
He would walk in with allies.
With knowledge.
With resolve.
And with the system whispering faint guidance in his mind.
He squared his shoulders.
"Tonight," he murmured, "we descend."
---
Teaser:
As dusk falls, the strike team approaches the stone door—and the tunnel opens like the mouth of a waiting beast.
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