Except for Vorden, everyone in Quinn's gang could only watch the massacre unfold before their eyes.
It was instantaneous.
People fell in rapid succession, cut down before they could even react. The intruders—clad entirely in black—moved like living shadows.
Erin and others stood at the rear, chains locked tightly around their necks. Escape wasn't an option. Even if they tried, those figures would cross the distance and end them in less than a heartbeat.
Erin felt as though they had been dragged from a boiling pot and hurled into scorching oil—where death wasn't a possibility, but a certainty.
Marr acted instantly and threw Vorden's body aside, instantly activating her invisibility armor. Needles shot from her hands toward the humanoid creatures.
They noticed.\ them instantly.
In a flash, they severed the threads midair before the needles could even graze them.
Marr struggled. For the first time, she was completely overwhelmed. Then—without warning—she was suddenly lifted off the ground and slammed down like a discarded doll.
Her invisibility flickered and died.
She didn't get back up.
"How dare you attempt such cheap tricks? A sneaky attack on us?" one of them sneered. "Pathetic creature. Alas… you are far too useful to kill."
What are these people?
That was the only thought racing through Erin's mind.
Then she noticed the pattern.They targeted only the male faction members.The women were left standing. Within minutes, it was over. Every one of the men lay dead. Their abilities had meant nothing.
The intruders were simply… too fast.
---
Quinn had already reached the camp by now. The only reason he had arrived earlier than expected was because of the blood. His enhanced sense of smell caught it from miles away. The faction members hadn't escaped unscathed — their wounds had left trails, and the metallic scent carried on the wind like a beacon. That smell had pulled him forward.
And with one hundred points invested in agility, he was faster than ever.
On the way, dozens of thoughts raced through his mind — how he would confront Grazer, what he would say, what he would do if things had gone wrong. He ran through possibilities, strategies, contingencies.
But when he arrived…
The camp was empty. Not a single soul remained. Quinn dashed through the makeshift tents, shouting names.
"Vorden!"
"Erin!"
"Amy!"
Silence answered him. No movement. No voices. No sign of life. A cold weight settled in his chest.
"Where did they go…?" he muttered.
He stepped back out into the open, scanning the surroundings, unsure which path to take. For the first time in a long while, he felt completely lost. The wind continued to blow.
Then—
Quinn lifted his head sharply.The smell.It was stronger now. Fresh blood.
His body tensed. His eyes sharpened. The panic burned away, replaced by something colder. He locked onto the direction of the scent.And without another thought, Quinn took off.
--
The leader of the intruders stood tall, surveying the aftermath.All the men were dead. Or nearly. Without warning, she lifted her leg and brought her heel crashing down onto Grazer's chest.
"Pretending to be dead, you idiot?" she said coldly. "Did you really think your little act would go unnoticed?" She laughed — sharp, manic, almost delighted.
Grazer cried out in pain, the sound cracking through the air.
"Please… whatever you want, I'll do it. I'll do anything. Just spare my life!"
He was sobbing now. Begging. Reduced to something small and pitiful. To Erin, it almost looked funny. This was the same man who had threatened them — talked about imprisoning them… about doing worse.But then—Quinn. The thought struck her like ice water. He wasn't here.He wasn't among the dead. He wasn't chained with them. He wasn't anywhere.
Where was he?
Few meters from her Vorden began to stir. Or rather — Sil did. The effects of the treacherous ability had finally worn off when Marr had taken that blow.
He slowly lifted his head. And saw the massacre.Bodies. Blood. Silence. But none of that mattered.
In his mind there was only one question and that was,"Where is Quinn?
"Quinn!" Sil shouted hoarsely. "Quinn, where are you?!"
He ignored the carnage around him. Ignored the intruders. Ignored the danger. Anger rose inside him like a swelling tide. Erin and the others hissed urgently at him to stay quiet. They didn't want to draw attention. They didn't want to get caught between the scavenger faction and these terrifying black-clad figures, But Sil wasn't listening. He had only one thought. He needed to see Quinn.
Right Now.
His eyes shifted — and that's when he saw the man in question. The woman in black stood off to the side, casually speaking to Grazer as if nothing had happened.
Fragments of memory surfaced in Sil's mind — the moments before he had succumbed to that forced sleep. And then—Blade Island. The betrayal. The deaths. Everything he had tried to bury came rushing back. His mind was a mess. His hand trembled. But despite the shaking, heat began to gather in his palm. Fire condensed. Dense. Controlled. Furious.
And then—
The fire shot forward and struck Grazer several meters away. The sudden flare of power made the woman turn sharply toward its source — but when she realized the attack wasn't aimed at her, she didn't move. Instead, curiosity flickered in her eyes for the boy.
Grazer hadn't even seen it coming. The flames engulfed him, and he screamed — a raw, broken sound. He had no defenses prepared for that one.
Then lightning followed. White-blue arcs tore through him, and Grazer convulsed violently, thrashing across the ground in agony. The other intruders glanced toward their leader, waiting for instruction. She said nothing.
So they returned to their grim task of cleaning up their part of the end.
The leader began walking toward Sil.
"Well… now you look interesting," she said smoothly. "I do hope you can entertain me. Fire and lightning? How exquisite."
But Sil barely heard her.His mind clung to one name. Quinn. He stepped forward slightly, voice quieter now.
"Did you see Quinn?"
The woman tilted her head.
"Who?"
"I don't know who you're talking about," she replied. "But thinking about someone else while I'm standing in front of you… isn't that a little disrespectful?"
Sil's composure cracked.
"Where is Quinn?!" he shouted, his voice almost childish in its desperation.
For the first time, the leader looked slightly taken aback.
Erin hissed urgently from behind, "Stand down, Vorden!"
But he wasn't listening anymore. Rage swallowed reason.
Fire and lightning surged from his hands again, tearing toward the woman in a violent storm.
It was fast. Blindingly fast. But she moved as fast. She slipped aside — and then vanished from his sight.
Suddenly—
A red, condensed aura slashed toward him.
Sil reacted on instinct. Flames burst outward just in time, colliding with the crimson attack and vaporizing it midair. Steam and heat exploded around him.
The leader reappeared a short distance away.
Now she was truly intrigued.
"He destroyed my Blood Swipe…" she murmured. "Interesting. Very interesting."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"Well then… let's see what else you can do."