Nyxra Vellshade's Realm had no sun. It lingered beneath a perpetual twilight, lit only by violet crystal lanterns that cast long, dancing shadows. Obsidian towers scraped a plum-colored sky, and black and purple banners bearing the sigil of Clan Umbraclaw — a panther's claw inside a crescent moon — hung from every battlement, unmoving in the still air. It was a place of oppressive silence and deadly beauty.
That silence was broken by a sound the realm hadn't heard in centuries: the sound of a team approaching with absolutely no attempt at stealth.
"Okay, everyone remembers the plan, right?" said Zaya, adjusting a tech-enhanced glove. "Aeron makes the entrance, we do the cleanup. Quick, simple, and please try not to ruin my clothes."
"Darling, the only thing getting ruined here is Nyxra's reputation when we're done!" Kaien declared, twirling as he unsheathed two curved daggers. "Ready for the spectacle?"
They reached the main gate — a massive structure of black iron, guarded by a dozen panther-clad soldiers. The guards turned, alarmed, as the group approached. One raised a horn to sound the alarm.
He never got the chance.
Aeron Mithraldrake stepped forward, the arcane reactor in his chest glowing with a blinding intensity."Aeron Mithraldrake doesn't knock," he said, his voice resonating with restrained power."He removes."
A torrent of pure blue energy erupted from his chest, slamming into the gate. There was no loud explosion — only a silent, terrifying disintegration. Where once stood a heavy iron gate, now there was only a cloud of metallic particles slowly dispersing in the breeze.
The guards froze in shock for a second. It was more than enough time.
"Now!" Aeron commanded, and the group burst into action — a storm of colorful, deadly chaos.
Aeron surged forward like a war golem, his massive metal sword cleaving through two soldiers in a single horizontal swing. The force of the impact hurled them against the courtyard wall.
"Leave some for us, big guy!" Mika shouted, darting past him in a blur. He jumped, used a soldier's shoulder as a springboard, flipped midair, and landed behind another, driving his sharp claws into the enemy's neck."Two points for me, meow!"
Lyren was already on top of a low wall, his bow singing as it loosed arrows of light."It's about quality, not quantity, Mika," he said calmly, downing three guards with inhuman precision. One arrow pinned a hand drawing a dagger; another struck the knee of one charging at Zaya."Precision is the true elegance."
"Elegance? Darling, you need to see this!" Kaien shouted from the thick of the fight. He was locked in a deadly dance, his daggers a blur of silver. He spun around enemies, slashing tendons and throats, his movements more like a dancer's than a warrior's."This is the Adagio of Suffering! And now, the Grand Plié of Annihilation!"
"You're all so dramatic," Zaya muttered — but with a smile. She raised her hand, and a small energy drone zipped from her glove, shooting paralyzing beams that dropped two soldiers to the ground, twitching."I prefer efficiency. Less pirouettes, more zaps."
The courtyard became their stage. Aeron was the force of nature at the center, drawing most of the attention and smashing down any who dared come close. Around him, his companions danced: Lyren offered ranged support and controlled the battlefield, Zaya neutralized threats with arcane tech, and Kaien and Mika plunged into close combat — a mix of deadly grace and chaotic agility.
"Hey, Aeron!" Mika shouted, jumping onto the dragon's broad back to dodge a sword swing. "Great job keeping them busy! You owe me some cuddles later for all this help!"
"Focus," was all Aeron said — but he subtly shifted his stance, giving Mika a better launch angle for his next leap onto another target.
Within minutes, the courtyard was silent once more, save for the team's heavy breathing and the hum of Zaya's drone. Dozens of Umbraclaw soldiers lay defeated.
Kaien wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow."Warm-up complete! And my outfit is still flawless. That, my friends, is professionalism."
"You've got a scratch on your boot," Lyren pointed out from his perch.
"A detail! A mark of character!" Kaien replied with flair.
They now stood before the castle's main gate: two massive doors of black wood, reinforced with obsidian and etched with runes that pulsed with dark energy.
Aeron placed a heavy clawed hand on the wood. The chill radiating from it was palpable.
"Chitchat's over," he said, his voice echoing in the now-silent courtyard."The Shadow Queen awaits."