Eclipsed Fate: Bound by Destiny

The Hidden Power

The battle erupted in a blur of steel and blood.

I moved instinctively, my assassin's reflexes giving me an advantage, but sheer numbers threatened to overwhelm me.

The Moon Dragon Blade became an extension of my arm, a deadly force cutting through the night as I parried, dodged, and countered the relentless barrage of attacks.

The swordsman, a towering figure wielding a massive longsword, fought with brute strength, his swings calculated to crush rather than cut.

I barely sidestepped a downward strike meant to cleave me in two, feeling the wind of his blade slicing past my shoulder.

Using his momentum against him, I twisted, slashing across his side, drawing a deep gash—but he barely flinched.

He gritted his teeth, pushing forward, his strikes growing even more vicious.

The dagger-wielding woman was faster, deadlier in a different way.

She darted in and out of my reach, her twin daggers flashing in the dim moonlight like fangs of a serpent.

One strike nearly caught my ribs—I barely twisted away, but the tip still ripped through my sleeve, grazing my skin.

Pain flared, but I shoved it aside, countering with a quick upward slash that forced her back.

The sharpshooter lurked in the shadows, his presence a constant danger.

Each time I moved, I heard the whistle of bullets cutting through the air, forcing me to keep my steps unpredictable.

One shot nearly clipped my ear, another shattered a chunk of stone behind me.

And Zxia—she was exposed.

I risked a glance at her.

She clutched her pendant, trembling, her eyes wide with terror.

"Protect yourself!" I roared, my voice raw with urgency.

She flinched but nodded, her fingers glowing faintly as she began channeling her healing magic.

A soft blue light surrounded me, dulling the pain from my wounds, but it wasn't enough.

Not against this.

Not against killers who had spent their lives perfecting the art of death.

The swordsman roared, lunging forward.

I barely had time to react before his blade came crashing down—too fast, too strong.

I raised my own sword to block, and the impact rattled through my bones, sending me skidding backward.

The woman lunged at that exact moment, her dagger gleaming as she went for my throat.

I twisted, the blade grazing my neck, warmth spreading where it cut.

I gasped, seeing an opening—a single moment of hesitation.

I struck.

My blade carved deep into her side, a sickening resistance as steel met flesh.

She choked, staggering back, clutching her wound in disbelief.

But there was no time to finish her.

The swordsman recovered, his weapon already swinging again.

I saw it too late.

His sword rushed toward my skull—unstoppable, merciless.

And then—

A blinding explosion of light.

Zxia screamed as she threw her pendant.

It struck the sharpshooter square in the chest, sending him stumbling back, his rifle tumbling from his hands.

The pendant erupted in white radiance, engulfing him in an unnatural glow.

His body froze mid-motion, limbs convulsing as if the very energy of the world had wrapped around him.

The other two assassins stopped cold, their eyes locked on the spectacle.

They hesitated.

A mistake.

I didn't.

I surged forward, driving my blade through the dagger woman's heart.

Her breath hitched—then silence.

The swordsman's face contorted in rage, but before he could react, I twisted, slashing clean across his throat.

His body crumpled, blood spilling into the dust.

Then—silence.

The only sounds were our ragged breaths, the distant echo of our battle fading into the night.

Zxia collapsed to her knees, trembling, staring at her pendant, now dim and lifeless on the ground.

"That… that wasn't me," she whispered, voice unsteady.

"It happened… on its own."

I followed her gaze, my grip tightening around my sword.

For the first time, I saw it.

A power lurking within her.

A force far beyond simple healing magic.

A power that could change everything.

---

- The Awakening

The night air was cold, biting deep into my skin. The stench of blood still clung to the ruins, thick and metallic, despite my efforts to wipe most of it away.

Zxia sat beside me, her White Lily Pendant resting between us, its glow faded, as if exhausted. Her breath came in uneven gasps, her body trembling from exertion and shock. My wounds still ached, though her healing magic had eased most of the pain.

I studied her—fragile, yet somehow… different. A spark had ignited in her eyes. Something raw. Something powerful.

"You… you used it," I said, my voice rough, my throat dry. I gestured toward the pendant, avoiding her gaze. I wasn't used to moments like this—unexpected revelations, emotions I couldn't quite place.

She nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the pendant. "I… I don't know how," she whispered. Her voice wavered. "It just… happened. Like it wasn't me. Like it had a will of its own."

Silence settled between us.

I thought of Mother Elina's words—about the White Lily Pendant and my Jade Amulet. About the slumbering power waiting to be awakened.

Tonight's battle had revealed more than I anticipated.

Zxia wasn't just a fragile healer. She carried within her something far greater, something even she didn't fully understand.

And I… I still didn't know why I was protecting her.

Was it because of the pendant?

Or was it something deeper—something I wasn't ready to admit?

I reached for my Jade Amulet, the deep green stone cool against my skin. It felt like a burden. A legacy I never asked for. But also… a clue.

These two pendants—hers and mine—they were connected. Two sides of the same coin.

And we, trapped between them.

I rose to my feet, gripping Moon Dragon Blade. Its edge gleamed faintly under the moonlight, reflecting a cold, enigmatic glow.

This weapon held secrets. A past that haunted me. A fate I hadn't yet unraveled.

"We have to leave," I said, my voice steady, pushing away the lingering doubts clawing at the back of my mind.

Because beneath the fear of the Black Dragon Syndicate, beneath the threat of assassins, I could sense something far more terrifying.

Something awakening.

Zxia lifted her head, her gaze meeting mine—full of uncertainty, yet holding onto an odd, unspoken hope.

A single tear slid down her cheek, lingering at her lashes before falling onto the dusty ground.

---

I sheathed Moon Dragon Blade, the motion slow and heavy, as if my body finally felt the weight of the battle.

Zxia remained seated, her gaze locked onto the White Lily Pendant, now dull and lifeless. I stepped closer, crouching in front of her. The scent of earth and blood lingered in the air, a stark reminder of the fight we had just survived.

She looked so fragile, so small beneath the vast darkness of the night sky.

"Are you alright?" I asked, my voice softer than I intended. The words felt unfamiliar, unnatural coming from me—like they belonged to someone else.

She nodded weakly, wiping away the lingering tears on her cheeks. "I… I'm scared," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm afraid of that power. I don't understand it…"

I studied her pale face.

Her fear wasn't just about the battle. It wasn't just the assassins or the bloodshed. It was something deeper—the terror of an unknown power awakening within her. A force too vast, too unpredictable.

I understood that fear. Power without control was more frightening than any visible enemy.

"That power is a part of you, Zxia," I said, my voice steady, almost gentle. "You need to learn to control it—not fear it."

The words felt foreign on my tongue. They didn't belong to a killer, to a man who thrived in the shadows. They sounded more like the guidance of a protector—a role I wasn't sure I was ready for.

She lifted her gaze, her eyes searching mine. "How?"

I hesitated. I didn't know the answer.

I was an assassin, a warrior trained to kill—not someone who understood mystical forces. But as I looked at her, trembling yet holding on to something unspoken, I felt something stir inside me.

A responsibility I never asked for.

But one I couldn't ignore.

"We'll find out," I said, my voice firm despite the uncertainty in my heart. "There's a place that might hold answers… The Black Lotus Temple. We'll continue our journey there."

I stood and offered my hand. She hesitated before finally reaching for it.

Her fingers were small and cold, yet there was strength in them—the same strength that had just overpowered seasoned killers.

As I pulled her up, I realized something.

Our journey was far from over.

And the mysteries surrounding us were only growing deeper.