Wei nodded, his expression calm. "Understood. I’ll be in and out."
Alexander’s eyes moved to ilin. "ilin, your focus is on controlling the field. We need chokepoints, blockades, anything to limit their movent and force them into vulnerable positions."
ilin nodded, her eyes sharpening with determination. "The ground will be ours."
Finally, Alexander turned to Jui-Lao. "You’re with . Titan’s Resilience will keep us steady at the front. When we make contact, use Tremor Burst to disorient their formation. We need to draw as much of their attention as possible."
Jui-Lao smiled, a hint of amusent in his eyes. "You know I enjoy making a scene."
Alexander looked at each of them in turn. "We move in two hours. Every detail matters. We’re not here to prove anything—we’re here to win. Eliminate the King, and pull back. Precision over everything."
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps approached the tent. The flap opened, and a scout stepped in, saluting Alexander. "Commander, we’ve located the Midnights’ stronghold. It’s twenty-five miles from here, directly ahead. We estimate we can have the entire periter surrounded in an hour."
Alexander’s eyes sharpened with purpose. "Good. Get your team ready. Everyone else, prepare. We rally in two hours."
The scout nodded and quickly exited. Marcus clapped his hands together, his grin growing even more mischievous. "Looks like it’s showti, folks. Hope they’re ready for us."
Wei slipped back into the shadows, his presence almost vanishing. "They won’t see coming."
ilin gave a small nod, her eyes already focusing inward, ntally preparing. "The earth will obey us."
Jui-Lao, standing beside Alexander, gave a relaxed, almost lazy salute. "No mistakes, just execution. Let’s show them what it ans to challenge us."
Alexander watched each of them, their readiness clear in their expressions. "Rember, we’re not here for glory. We strike fast, strike hard, and get out. We kill the King, and let the rest tear each other apart."
Marcus gave a nod, his grin turning serious for a mont. "Understood, Alex. We’ve got this."
Alexander took a deep breath as the room emptied, his gaze falling to the table for a brief mont. "Just a bit closer," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. A flicker of uncertainty passed through his mind, an odd feeling that wouldn’t quite settle. He clenched his jaw, dismissing it. "I suppose I shouldn’t worry too much."
He looked down at his hands, watching as bits of green energy pulsed and circulated across his fingers. With one last glance at the map, he turned and stepped out of the tent.
Outside, the camp was a storm of activity—squads preparing, warriors getting into formation, readying themselves for the strike. Alexander’s eyes scanned the area until they fell on the figures of Wei and ilin, standing near a supply cart, discussing sothing in hushed voices.
Alexander approached, catching ilin’s eye first. She straightened, nodding in acknowledgnt. Wei turned towards him as well, his expression serious, as always.
"Let’s get moving," Alexander said, his voice firm. "It shouldn’t take long to get into position. We need to be ready before Marcus kicks off the diversion."
ilin adjusted her gear, giving Alexander a look. "I’m just hoping Marcus doesn’t overdo it. You know how he loves a grand entrance."
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Alexander smirked slightly, his eyes glinting. "He’ll do what needs to be done, and we’ll make sure it counts."
Wei walked beside them, silent for a mont before speaking, his voice calm. "The last ti we did sothing like this, we didn’t have this much riding on it. You’re expecting us to make it look flawless, Alexander."
Alexander t Wei’s gaze briefly, his expression unwavering. "I expect us to win. Perfection is optional."
Wei’s lips quirked up in a ghost of a smile. "Straight to the point. Good."
Jui-Lao joined them at the edge of camp, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for sothing fun. "I hope you saved a good role, Alex. No one likes feeling like an extra."
Alexander looked at him, his expression dry. "Trust , Jui, you’ll get plenty of action. We just need you to make sure the ground shakes when it counts."
Jui-Lao grinned, his eyes gleaming. "Just what I wanted to hear."
The four of them moved through the forest, the faint rustle of leaves underfoot the only sound. There was a sense of calm among them—no tension, no fear—only focus. They knew their strengths, and they were going to use them.
As they neared their position, ilin spoke up, her eyes narrowing as she looked ahead. "You think the Midnights are ready for sothing like this?"
Alexander didn’t hesitate, his gaze fixed ahead on the faint silhouette of the fortress. "No. They think they have this under control. We’re about to show them what real power looks like."
Wei’s eyes flicked towards Alexander, then to the fortress. "You think Ty is in there?"
Alexander’s jaw tightened for a split second, but his voice was calm when he spoke. "If he is, then he’s part of the problem we’re solving tonight. Either way, we take out their King."
ilin’s lips curved into a small smile. "Good. I’m ready to shake things up."
Jui-Lao chuckled, the sound low, almost a rumble. "Literally, in your case."
They arrived at their vantage point—a small rise in the terrain, just enough to give them a clear view of the fortress ahead. The makeshift castle lood in the distance, a shadow against the darkening sky, lit only by the occasional torchlight from the guards.
Alexander dropped to a crouch, motioning for the others to do the sa. "We wait here until Marcus makes his move. Once they’re distracted, we advance. Wei, make sure your team is ready. We need that King located as soon as possible."
Wei nodded, his eyes scanning the terrain. "They’re in position. We won’t waste any ti."
Jui-Lao leaned against a nearby tree, his eyes on the fortress. "Think they’re going to put up a fight?"
Alexander didn’t look at him, his gaze fixed ahead. "It won’t matter if they do."
ilin rested her hand against the ground, her fingers feeling the pulse of the earth beneath her. "Once Marcus starts, I’ll make the first move. Block their routes, make them scramble."
Alexander nodded. "And Jui, when they’re disoriented, you make sure they stay that way."
Jui-Lao gave a thumbs-up, his smile widening. "Got it. Let’s make so noise."
Alexander looked at each of them, his gaze sharp. "This is simple. We strike hard, and we strike fast. We’re not giving them ti to react."
ilin’s eyes t his, a hint of determination in her gaze. "Understood."
Suddenly, a deafening crack of thunder echoed across the sky, drawing their attention sharply to the mock castle below. The sky darkened rapidly, clouds swirling above the fortress, and before anyone could react, a bolt of lightning crashed down, tearing through the top of the castle.
The flash illuminated the forest for an instant, followed by the sound of stone shattering, the entire upper part of the fortress collapsing in on itself.
"What the hell?" Jui-Lao muttered, his eyes widening as he watched the scene.
Alexander’s gaze remained locked on the castle, his eyes narrowing. "That wasn’t part of the plan," he said, his voice tense, though his composure didn’t waver.
Wei moved closer, crouching beside Alexander, his eyes scanning the castle and the sudden chaos below. "You think it’s one of theirs?" he asked, his tone calm but questioning.
"I don’t know—" Alexander began, but his words were cut off as a bright, shining light erupted from the top of the castle. A figure shot into the air, flung far above the fortress, hovering against the dark sky.
"What the hell?!" Jui-Lao exclaid, his eyes wide as he squinted up at the sky. "Who is that? Do they have soone with air-walking skills?!"
Alexander’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he watched the figure soaring higher. "I’m not sure, but why the hell would he leave the castle alone?" He pulled a pair of binoculars from his side, bringing them up to his eyes for a closer look. "It’s one of the Midnights. He’s not flying... soone or sothing flung him out of there."
ilin frowned, shifting her gaze between the castle and the airborne figure. "You think he’s trying to get to our side? Heading for our King?"
Alexander lowered the binoculars, his gaze focused and cold. "Could be. Either way, we can’t let him reach our stronghold." He looked to the side. "Do we have anyone with a long-range attack? Shoot him down."
Jui-Lao snorted, a smirk pulling at his lips. "The person playing our King has a pretty decent skill—one that’d make killing him a long, drawn-out process. Besides, it’d be two against one if anyone did reach him. We took care of all the Midnight advanced teams on our way here. No one’s getting to our King without us knowing."
ilin nodded in agreent, her eyes still fixed on the figure above. "We pushed them back and forced them to regroup. There’s no way they saw us coming. They’re just scrambling now."
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