The forest was dark. Varyan moved silently, using Order Sight to track the Chaos signatures approaching the academy.
[Detected: twelve Chaos entities. Nine stalkers. three Harvesters. Estimated arrival: 4 hours.]
Twelve against one.
The odds weren't good. But Varyan had sothing they didn't—surprise.
He found a narrow pass where the forest opened into a clearing. A natural bottleneck. The Harvesters would have to co through here to reach the academy.
He climbed a tree and waited.
The first stalker appeared at midnight. It moved like a shadow, silent and sinuous. Varyan let it pass. He wasn't hunting stalkers.
He was hunting the master.
An hour later, the Harvesters ca. Three of them, cloaked and hooded, walking in single file. Behind them, the remaining stalkers followed like obedient dogs.
Varyan waited until the first Harvester was directly beneath him.
Then he dropped.
Oblivion's Edge ca down like a falling star. The blade pierced the Harvester's shoulder, pinning him to the ground. He scread.
Varyan yanked the sword free and spun to face the others.
"Evening, gentlen."
The two remaining Harvesters stared at him. One of them laughed.
"You're just a child."
"I'm a child with a sword that cuts through Chaos like butter. Want to test it?"
They did.
The first Harvester unleashed a wave of frost. Varyan dodged, rolled, and ca up swinging. The Order Slash caught the man across the chest, throwing him into a tree.
The second Harvester was smarter. He hung back, letting the stalkers attack first.
Nine shadows lunged at Varyan.
[Fragnt reserve: 45%. Order Slash energy cost: 10% per use. Cannot sustain.]
Varyan ran.
He led the stalkers through the forest, dodging between trees, leaping over roots. He couldn't fight nine at once. But he could split them up.
The stalkers were fast but stupid. They followed blindly.
Varyan circled back to the clearing. The injured Harvester was still on the ground. The other was waiting.
"Clever boy," the second Harvester said. "But not clever enough."
He raised his hand. Darkness poured from his palm—not frost, but sothing worse. Sothing that sucked the light from the air.
[Chaos ability: Void Drain. Drains fragnt energy from nearby bearers.]
Varyan felt his power slipping away. His vision dimd.
[Fragnt reserve: 12%... 8%... 5%...]
He couldn't move. Couldn't think.
Then sothing slamd into the Harvester from the side.
Seris, fully transford, her shadow-claws tearing into his arm. The Void Drain stopped.
"You idiot," she hissed at Varyan. "You said no heroics."
"Pot calling kettle," he gasped.
Together, they brought the Harvester down. Seris held him while Varyan drove the sword ho.
The stalkers, leaderless, scattered into the forest.
One Harvester remained—the one who had fled the chapel weeks ago. The tall one.
He stood at the edge of the clearing, watching.
"Next ti," he said, "I won't co alone."
Then he vanished.
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