The cold rain pelted down, slicking the cobblestones of the cathedral's courtyard.Elias stood motionless, gaze locked on the shattered entrance where Varekk had disappeared minutes ago.
Seraphina hovered nearby, silent. Watching him.
"Don't lose focus now, Vale," she finally muttered. "The storm's about to hit."
"Let it," Elias replied, pulling his coat tighter. But a faint tremor ran through his hand—barely visible. Barely.
She noticed.
"You're shaking."
"Just the cold."A lie.Beneath the surface, something burned—a faint pressure deep in his chest, a flicker of pain that made his breathing catch for a heartbeat. A weakness born from something old... or something new. But he pushed it aside.
A sudden crunch of boots behind them.
Varekk was back.But not alone.
Dragging behind him was a masked Obsidian scout—unconscious, bleeding.
"Found this rat snooping two blocks from here. Probably the first of many," Varekk said, tossing the man down like trash. "They're closing in faster than I thought."
Seraphina knelt, pulling off the mask. Recognition flickered in her eyes.
"Obsidian elite. The quiet kind... scouts only come first when they want a clean sweep. They'll hit hard, fast."
"Then let them try," Elias growled, but Varekk eyed him sharply.
"You sure you're up for this?" Varekk's gaze was pointed. "I heard about what happened in the warehouse last month. The... incident. You collapsed. Heart skipped, didn't it?"
Seraphina shot Varekk a glare. "Shut up, Varekk."
But Elias said nothing. His jaw tensed.
Varekk smirked faintly. "Thought so. You've been ignoring it. You can't keep doing that forever, Vale. The body remembers. Even if the mind wants to forget."
A low, soft metallic beep echoed from the unconscious scout's belt.
Varekk's expression darkened. "Shit. He's tagged. They know exactly where we are."
Elias moved instantly. "We split. Now. Meet at the eastern bridge in 20."
Varekk gave him a rare nod and melted into the shadows again.
Seraphina touched Elias' arm. "That thing in your chest—you need to tell me how bad it is. If you slow down in a fight—"
"I won't."But the lie tasted bitter.
As they sprinted into the rain-slick streets, distant footsteps echoed behind them. The hunt had begun.
And deep inside, behind every punch and blade strike, Elias knew:His body was breaking.He could outrun fate for now.
But not forever.