A sharp breath burned its way into my lungs.
Scarlett and I locked eyes. No words needed—we had to move.
I nodded. She nodded back.
Then, we ran.
The corridor stretched out before us, its cold metallic walls reflecting the faint glow of energy pulses that ran through them. The doors ahead—our escape—were so close. But then—
"Alright—time's up. I'm done waiting."
Ren's voice cut through the ruins like a blade to the throat.
The ground roared beneath our feet, a violent tremor that sent dust and debris crashing from above. Something massive was happening overhead.
I listened carefully—there was shouting, snarling, the clash of battle.
Ren wasn't alone.
The Dracus had caught up.
And now? They were fighting each other.
This was our chance.
I turned to Scarlett, adrenaline burning through my veins. "Just like we planned—don't look back."
She gave a quick nod. "Right."
And then we split.
I charged toward the battle.
She vanished into the shadows.
The moment I burst through the doors, I saw it.
A battlefield.
Ren stood at the center like a force of nature—completely unshaken as the Dracus lunged at him. His Null flared violently, rippling through the air in chaotic waves, the raw energy twisting the space around him.
He wasn't fighting.
He was butchering them.
One Dracus leapt at him, claws aimed for his throat. Ren didn't even flinch. He simply tilted his head, reached out, and caught the creature by the skull.
A surge of blackened energy poured from Ren's palm into the Dracus' head.
For a moment—nothing.
Then the Dracus let out a blood-curdling scream—not of pain, but of sheer, primal horror. Its body shriveled, skin cracking like dried clay, as its very essence was drained into Ren's hands.
I watched in utter shock as the Dracus collapsed into a husk, lifeless before it even hit the ground.
Ren exhaled, rolling his shoulders like he was warming up.
Then, his eyes landed on me.
The battlefield went silent.
The Dracus stopped fighting.
And then—
They all turned toward me.
I felt it before I saw it. The shift. The way their bodies moved with sudden, singular purpose.
Ren had changed the game.
Now, they all wanted me.
"Shit. SHIT. SHIT—"
I spun on my heels and ran.
The snarls of Dracus warriors thundered behind me, a storm of claws and chaos closing in fast. They weren't just chasing me—they were competing to see who would get to me first.
Ren?
He wasn't running.
He was walking.
Like he knew exactly how this was going to end.
The ruined city blurred past me as I sprinted through shattered alleys, vaulting over broken structures, kicking up sand and stone as I threw myself deeper into the wastelands.
I ran until the ruins disappeared behind me.
Then—I stopped.
My breath heaved, sweat dripping down my face.
The Dracus halted as well, fanning out in a semi-circle, blocking any possible escape.
Then, Ren finally arrived.
He took his time, stepping forward at an easy, deliberate pace—like a man walking to collect something that already belonged to him.
"Enough running, Scarlett." He cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. "Let's get this over with."
I exhaled sharply.
Then, with one swift motion—
I ripped off the cloak.
Ren's smirk flickered.
The Dracus shifted uneasily.
I grinned. "Scarlett? Nah."
His eyes narrowed. "Is this some kind of joke?"
I tilted my head, rolling my shoulders loose. "What girl?"
Ren's jaw tensed. His voice dropped—low, dangerous. "Don't play dumb. Tell me where she is, and I might let you walk away."
The air between us stretched thin, electric with the weight of something inevitable.
Then, I took a step forward. "Are we doing this or not?"
A slow, dark chuckle escaped him.
"Wait a second..." His gaze flickered with recognition. Then amusement curled his lips into a wicked grin. "Aren't you that defect we threw out a few months back?"
He let out a full laugh—deep, hollow, like I was nothing more than an afterthought.
"You of all people—you want to die for that girl? Fine. Be my guest."
I said nothing.
Then—his Null exploded outward.
The air rippled, distorting from the sheer weight of his power.
The ground beneath us cracked.
The Dracus backed away.
And for the first time, I understood—
Ren wasn't just strong.
He was a monster.
This wasn't power—it was something else entirely.
Something devouring him from the inside out.
And then—he charged.
I clenched my teeth.
And Voidscar pulsed in my grip.
This time—I was ready.
Ren lunged.
I saw it coming, but there was no outrunning him—not directly. Instead, I twisted my body at the last second, darting backward and yanking one of the Dracus into Ren's path.
The impact was brutal.
Ren's hand ripped through the Dracus' torso like paper, his claws tearing through flesh, bone, and sinew as if they were nothing. The creature let out a garbled, guttural gasp before collapsing in a heap—lifeless before it hit the ground.
The other Dracus froze.
For a split second, everything was still.
Then—chaos erupted.
The pack of reptilian warriors shifted their attention from me to Ren, their bodies tense with barely contained rage. One of their own had just been cut down in an instant. And even among savages like them—that needed retribution.
Ren barely had time to react before the first one charged.
Then the second.
The third.
All of them descended on him at once.
The fight was over before it even started.
Ren moved like a demon unbound by human limitations. His body blurred between attacks, ripping through flesh, severing limbs, crushing skulls with his bare hands.
One Dracus tried to claw at him—Ren caught its wrist, twisted, and ripped its entire arm off like it was plucking a weed.
Another lunged at his throat—Ren grabbed its jaw, twisted sharply, and let the lifeless body crumble to the ground.
He didn't stop. He didn't hesitate.
By the time the dust settled, Ren stood among a pile of bodies, black blood dripping from his fingertips.
His eyes scanned the carnage for only one thing—me.
And then he saw me.
A slow, twisted grin spread across his face.
"That was a cheap move," he muttered, cracking his neck. "I didn't even get a chance to steal their Null. Now you owe me."
I met his gaze dead on, my voice cold as stone.
"Why are you so deadset on killing this girl?"
His grin faltered slightly.
Then it was gone, replaced by something hard and unreadable. "That's none of your business. Last chance—where is she?"
I clenched my fists.
I could feel the pulse of Essence humming deep inside me, urging me forward.
I exhaled sharply. Then—
"Give me everything you've got."
Ren's entire expression shifted in an instant.
His lips curled, his eyes narrowing into something sharp, hateful—deadly.
Then—he moved.
The first hit nearly killed me.
I didn't even see it coming.
One second, I was standing.
The next—my skull felt like it had been split open.
White-hot pain exploded through my jaw as Ren's fist collided with my face, sending me flying.
I hit the ground hard, tumbling violently across the wasteland terrain. Dust and blood filled my mouth as I gasped, my vision blurring from the force of the impact.
I barely had time to process the pain before Ren was on me again.
No words. No hesitation.
Just raw, unrelenting brutality.
The next blows came in rapid succession.
A fist to my ribs. Crack.
An elbow to my gut. White-hot agony.
A knee to my chest. Breath stolen from my lungs.
I couldn't keep up—he was too fast, too strong.
I tried to block, but every strike tore through my defenses like they were nothing. My body felt like a punching bag, absorbing blow after blow, my muscles screaming in protest.
I had nothing.
Nothing but this plan.
Ren's foot slammed into my ribs, launching me across the ground once again.
I lay there, coughing blood into the dirt, my entire body screaming in agony. This was bad.
Ren strode toward me, looking almost bored.
"If this is all you've got," he mused, rolling his shoulders, "I you might not even get the chance to fight back. Pathetic—"
His words cut off.
His gaze snapped downward.
And there—lying just a few feet away—
Voidscar.
Its dark, twisted blade gleamed under the crimson sky, pulsing with something deep, something ancient.
Ren smirked. "Well, well. What do we have here?"
Before I could move—
He reached down and grabbed it.
"Gotcha," he muttered.
Then—he screamed.
Ren's entire body jerked violently, his muscles seizing like he'd been hit by lightning.
His fingers locked around the hilt, unable to let go as Voidscar came alive in his grasp.
The blade had him now.
The veins along his arms and neck bulged, his body twisting unnaturally as something deep inside him was being pulled out.
His eyes went wide as a scream ripped from his throat—one of pure, agonizing horror.
The Null he had stolen—the power he had consumed over the past months—was being stripped away.
Drained. Erased.
This was the plan.
Voidscar didn't just negate Null. It devoured it.
And without anyone wielding Essence to balance it—there was no limit to how much it could take.
Ren collapsed to his knees, gasping, his body trembling violently.
The moment I saw him fall, I moved.
I sprinted forward, snatching Voidscar from his hand, the blade humming with power as it recognized me once more.
Then—I drove my fist directly into his face.
His body hit the ground hard.
Motionless.
I stood over him, panting, my vision spinning. I could barely keep myself upright. My entire body was a wreck.
But I forced myself to stand.
I wiped the blood from my lips, stared down at his unconscious body—
Then I grinned.
"Next time we meet, I'm beating the shit down your leg."
With the last of my strength, I turned—and ran.
I ran for hours, barely able to keep my legs from giving out.
Somehow—some way—I made it.
When I finally reached the rendezvous point, I saw her.
Scarlett.
She turned at the sound of my footsteps.
Her crimson eyes widened. "Matte?"
I tried to answer.
But before I could—
The world spun.
And I collapsed.
Falling back into the Void.