Nox flew through the night sky toward Portentia. The void wings carried him faster than any mount could have managed. Below him, his army marched at double speed, but they would arrive hours after him.
'Kendra, Yeda, Vasa. They're alive. They made it this far.'
He had not thought about them much since the separation. Too much had happened. Too much had changed. But hearing they were in danger brought back memories of that first dungeon, when they had been a real team.
The city lights appeared on the horizon. Even from this distance, he could see smoke rising from several districts. Whatever this Puppet Master was doing, it had turned the city into a war zone.
He landed on a rooftop overlooking the old high school. The building was surrounded by players, at least two hundred of them, all moving with the same mechanical precision. Their eyes were blank, their movements synchronized.
'Mind control. Or possession. Either way, they're not fighting of their own will.'
