The alley reeked of blood, sweat, and fear. Broken stone, shattered wood, and scorched earth told the story of the fight. Rayon's recruits were bruised, battered, yet alive—a testament to his Hollow Strings and meticulous control.
Kaelen stepped back, eyes cold steel. He was about to retreat, his cape flowing behind him as he vanished into the shadows.
But the night had other plans.
From the far end of the alley, shadows began to move. At first, just one, then another, until the darkness erupted into a dozen figures, each radiating danger, each a Hunter of Forsakens.
The tallest, cloaked in black with piercing red eyes, stepped forward. "You've been a thorn, Kaelen. Let us see what all the fuss is about."
Kaelen's jaw tightened, recognizing the elite. "Stay sharp. The Forsaken isn't ordinary."
Rayon's hollow eyes glinted. His fingers brushed his strings. This is exactly the challenge I was waiting for.
Rayon moved first, strings snapping like black lightning. A Hunter lunged from above, twin blades slicing downward. Rayon twisted midair, strings guiding his arm to deflect and counter with a kick that broke ribs.
Drevan and Draven leaped into the fray, fists and elbows smashing Hunters into walls, floor, and each other. Selene danced through shadows, blades whispering death with each precise strike.
The alley erupted in chaos. Steel clashed, bone cracked, blood sprayed, and Hollow Strings wrapped, cut, and strangled with terrifying elegance.
Rayon twisted, flipping over a Hunter swinging a spiked chain, letting strings guide his foot to smash the man into another Hunter. Kaelen struck from the side, cutting a Hunter in two, only for Rayon's strings to yank another into his path.
Lyra had joined from the shadows, silent and lethal. Twin daggers flashed as she cut tendons, shattered joints, and left Hunters screaming before they could even react.
The fight wasn't just combat—it was theater. A ballet of violence, blood, and precision. Hollow Strings laced through the battlefield, binding, snapping, and directing chaos.
The dozen Hunters moved like a single organism, but Rayon's Hollow Strings made them stumble, misstep, and falter. Every recruit was synchronized, every motion anticipated.
Rayon's grin was faint, dark. Perfect chaos. Perfect control.
Kaelen growled, recognizing the orchestration, but even he couldn't fully predict the movements. The Forsaken wasn't just fighting; he was controlling the battlefield, manipulating perception, guiding the minds of friend and foe alike.
By the end of the alley, bodies littered the ground. Some Hunters had fallen. Some survived, retreating into the night with wounds and terror etched into their bones.
Rayon stood in the center, strings flicking lightly, body bruised but unbroken. Drevan and Draven panted, Selene's knives still glimmered with streaks of red, Lyra disappeared into the shadows, leaving whispers of fear behind.
Kaelen stumbled to the edge of the alley, red-eyed and furious. "This isn't over," he hissed. "They'll send more. Stronger. Faster. You'll pay for this, Forsaken."
Rayon's hollow gaze followed him. "Send them. I'll make sure every thread they leave behind screams."
The city itself seemed to shiver as the two forces parted, leaving only darkness, blood, and the echo of Hollow Strings stretching across the night.