Thick fog slowly rolled between the trees. The roaring wind mixed with the heavy breathing of the soldiers still standing amid the destruction.
"Commander!" several soldiers shouted in panic.
Jake stood tall in the swirling dust. He brushed his robe calmly, shaking off fragments of stone and dirt from his shoulders.
"I'm fine…" His voice was deep, steady, yet carried immense pressure.
His eyes locked onto the energy wall before him—still vibrating like split water.
"This woman… possesses power equal to Rei," he muttered, his sharp gaze piercing through the fading light.
"Who exactly… is she?"
The mist thickened, coiling around the darkening sky. From afar, a faint roar echoed—long, heavy, like the cry of some ancient creature.
"What was that…?" a soldier whispered, his voice trembling. The others swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the dark forest ahead.
Suddenly Evelyn grew restless, her eyes darting wildly as if searching for something.
"What are you looking for?" Leon asked anxiously.
"Ryu. Where is Ryu?" Evelyn's voice shook with fear.
The soldiers turned toward her.
"That's right… where did that kid go?" Akira muttered, scanning the area.
At once, voices echoed through the ruins.
"Ryu! Ryuuuu! Where are you!?"
Their shouts bounced against broken stone and drifting fog. Evelyn ran forward a few steps, her gaze frantic among the debris.
Jake observed quietly, but his expression tightened.
"Calm down," he said flatly. "It seems Ryu has been taken hostage by that woman."
"The day is nearly evening…" He looked up at the orange sky sinking behind heavy clouds.
"It appears we must search for Ryu and rescue him from that woman," Jake continued firmly.
Evelyn spun around, her eyes sharp as blades.
"Commander! You can't possibly leave Ryu with that insane woman for an entire day! She could… do something to him!" she shouted angrily.
Jake met her gaze without emotion, though confidence filled his voice.
"Trust me, Evelyn. She won't harm Ryu. There are two possibilities—either she has some unknown interest in him… or he is merely being used as leverage."
Evelyn clenched her fists, breathing heavily, her face flushed with anger.
"Then I'll search for him myself!"
"Don't be reckless, Evelyn," Akira warned coldly.
Leon quickly held her shoulder.
"Calm down," he said in a low but firm tone. "We'll search for Ryu together tomorrow. Night is almost here. If we force ourselves to search in this fog, we could get trapped… and lose even more lives."
Evelyn fell silent. After a few seconds of staring at Leon with tear-filled eyes, she slowly nodded.
On the other side, Ethan and Julian exchanged glances, sly smiles hidden on their faces.
"Ah… this is my chance to get closer to her," Ethan thought, suppressing a small chuckle. "Damn, Evelyn is too beautiful… I've been waiting for this."
Julian looked at Evelyn, his cheeks faintly red.
"That weak guy Ryu isn't near her anymore. Now… it's my turn."
Jake finally spoke again.
"We return to base. Everyone, prepare!"
"Yes, Commander!" the soldiers shouted in unison.
Evelyn walked slowly among them, holding something inside her pocket—a small blue cloth, its color slightly faded. She stared at it with sorrowful eyes.
"Forgive me, Ryu… I will save you. I won't lose my family again," she whispered.
A Memory from the Past
The afternoon sky glowed golden. Young Ryu and Evelyn sat together in an open field beneath the gentle light of sunset.
"Ah-choo!" Evelyn sneezed, rubbing her nose with her small hand.
"Are you sick?" little Ryu asked worriedly, placing his palm on her forehead.
"No… I'm fine…" Evelyn replied shyly, her cheeks red.
"Then take this," Ryu said, handing her a small blue cloth. "You can use it if you get a fever later."
Evelyn accepted it hesitantly, her face turning redder.
"Th-thank you…"
Ryu smiled brightly. "Ah, this flower is pretty." He picked a white flower from the grass and placed it in Evelyn's hair.
"It looks really good on you," he said with a small laugh.
"R-really?" Evelyn asked in disbelief.
"Of course," Ryu replied warmly. The sunset reflected in his eyes, preserving that small moment forever.
Back to the Present
Evelyn's steps felt heavy. Tears slowly fell as her empty gaze fixed on the ground.
"If anything happens to Ryu…" her thoughts echoed,
"I will kill that woman."
The sun sank beyond the dark forest. Wind blew ash and dust, making the sky appear as if it were burning.
Meanwhile, in the ruined center of Indosvara City, the two legendary mages stood facing the mysterious figure cloaked in shadow.
"Are we… fighting a demon?" one of them muttered, his voice trembling.
The mysterious man looked up, the orange glow of evening reflecting in his eyes.
"I will end all of this," he said flatly. His voice sounded like an echo from an abyss.
The mages prepared themselves, but suddenly something crept from the ground—dark hands emerging like shadowed roots, piercing the earth and wrapping around their legs.
"Damn it! What is this!?" one of them shouted.
The shadows tightened, forcing them to their knees. The mysterious man stepped forward slowly—each step felt like a hammer striking the earth.
"Any last words?" His voice was low but thunderous.
The mages forced their auras out—sparks of blue and purple energy flared briefly before fading, as if absorbed by the air itself.
"How amusing," the man said coldly. "You think I'm restraining you with ordinary magic? No… my power absorbs your energy. Your bodies are empty now. No chakra, no strength. Only fear."
"Bastard!" they cursed together.
The man raised his hand. Slowly, his skin turned glossy black, elongating into a monstrous claw coated in dark aura.
He approached calmly.
"Which part of your bodies… would you like me to pierce first?"
The mages trembled, breathing heavily.
"Ah, not answering?" he smiled thinly. "Very well. I'll slice you apart slowly—hahaha!"
His claw rose high. Time seemed to slow. The wind stopped. Dust hung in the air.
Just as he was about to strike—
He stopped.
His smile vanished.
"Ah… it seems I have other matters to attend to," he muttered. "You're lucky today."
His body dissolved into a swirl of black mist. The two mages collapsed, gasping.
In the Silent Forest
An old house stood among the dark trees. Cobwebs hung in every corner, and a dim lamp swayed in the wind.
Ryu slowly opened his eyes. His vision blurred.
"Wh… where am I…?" his thoughts echoed.
He looked around. The air was damp, moss covered the walls, and yellowish light from an oil lamp illuminated an iron pillar before him. His hands were tightly bound by energy ropes, his mouth sealed.
"Help…" his voice was muffled.
Soft footsteps approached. From the shadows emerged a woman—beautiful, mesmerizing, yet terrifying in aura.
"Hi, Ryu," she said gently, smiling cunningly. "You're awake."
"Why… did you bring me here?" Ryu muttered through the gag.
"Oh dear, what are you saying?" Velista stepped closer, her face inches from his.
"Want to talk?" she asked teasingly.
"Re-release me!" Ryu tried to shout.
Velista laughed softly. Her cold fingers brushed his cheek slowly, savoring his fear.
She pulled a chair and sat before him.
"First of all, let me introduce myself," she said politely, though her eyes gleamed with madness.
"My name is Velista."
Ryu glared at her, body tense.
"Relax," Velista continued gently, "I won't torture you… or harm you. Because you are me… and I am you. I wouldn't hurt myself, would I?"
Her gaze pierced him.
"What do you mean!?" Ryu shouted through the gag.
Velista clicked her tongue. "You're so annoying. I just wanted to get acquainted with myself." She stood and leaned closer.
"Fine. I'll remove the tape. But listen carefully… don't scream. If you scream, I'll… rip your mouth apart."
Her tone turned cold and sharp.
Ryu swallowed, cold sweat dripping down his temple.
Velista tore the tape off roughly.
"Ahh!" Ryu groaned as his lips split slightly.
"Now," she said calmly. "Speak."
Ryu took a deep breath.
"What do you actually mean!? Who are you!? Why do you say you are me!? I refuse! Even if you're beautiful… you're insane!"
Velista stared at him for a long moment before laughing softly—a laugh that made the room feel heavier.
"You think I enjoy sharing a soul with a loser like you?" she said coldly.
"Yes, we share one soul, Ryu. One entity… two forms."
"One soul?" Ryu glared at her, confused and furious. "Explain it to me now!"
Velista smiled faintly, her eyes cold as frozen crystal.
"So you want to know?" she whispered.
"Very well. But once you know… you won't be able to run anymore."
Ryu swallowed hard, eyes widening.
Velista smiled.
To be continued…