The Devourer's Dominion

Aetheron's breath was slow. Measured.

The cold steel at his throat didn't waver.

The masked man stood behind him, blade resting lightly against his skin—too confident.

Too calm.

The others were still fighting, unaware that their leader had already been caught.

Aetheron's fingers twitched. He had to act.

The man whispered, almost amused, "You're different from what I expected."

Aetheron's mark pulsed.

Move.

He twisted—fast.

The blade scraped his neck, but he broke free, spinning with a sharp kick.

The masked man vanished.

Aetheron's heart pounded. What—

A whisper—behind him.

"Not bad."

Aetheron barely turned before a fist slammed into his ribs, sending him crashing into a tree.

The bark splintered. His vision blurred for a second.

But he didn't go down.

He pushed off, landing on one knee, glaring at the masked figure now standing a few steps away.

The man tilted his head. "You have power. But you don't know how to use it yet."

Aetheron wiped the blood from his lip. "Yeah? Come teach me then."

The man smiled under his mask.

And then he moved.

Clash of Shadows

Aetheron barely reacted in time.

The masked man was fast.

His sword cut through the air, forcing Aetheron to dodge at the last second.

Aetheron countered, fist glowing with raw energy—striking.

The masked man twisted, dodging effortlessly.

Then, a palm slammed into Aetheron's chest—

Boom.

Aetheron skidded back, gasping for breath.

That wasn't just physical force—

There was something else in that strike.

Something that disrupted his body for a second.

Juno's voice cut through the air.

"Aetheron!"

She had just taken down an enemy, her spear dripping with blood.

Aetheron grit his teeth.

He couldn't let this guy toy with him.

His mark pulsed again—this time stronger.

His breath sharpened.

Then—

He vanished.

The Shift

For a brief moment—

Aetheron felt weightless.

Like something inside him had taken over.

When he reappeared, he was already swinging.

The masked man barely dodged—for the first time.

The shock was visible, even through the mask.

Aetheron's instincts screamed. He kept attacking.

Faster.

Sharper.

His fist grazed the masked man's shoulder—and for the first time, he stumbled.

Juno's eyes widened.

Kyren muttered, "What the hell…?"

Aetheron didn't stop.

Something inside him was awake now.

And it wanted more.

Breaking the Game

The masked man clicked his tongue.

Then, his aura changed.

The playful tone vanished.

For the first time, his stance was serious.

He shifted forward—

And Aetheron barely saw him move before—

CRACK.

Aetheron's guard shattered as a palm slammed into his chest.

He didn't just get pushed back—

He flew.

Crashing through trees. Stone. Everything.

His body burned as he finally hit the ground, rolling to a stop.

Blood dripped down his forehead. His vision swam.

His fingers dug into the dirt, forcing himself up.

The masked man exhaled, shaking his head.

"You're awakening too fast."

Aetheron spat blood. "Yeah? Sucks for you."

The man's head tilted slightly.

Then—

He vanished.

Aetheron tensed—but the attack never came.

The remaining enemies retreated.

Juno and the others barely had time to react before they disappeared into the shadows.

It was over.

But not really.

Because now—

They knew who he was.

And they were coming back.

The Aftermath

Juno was the first to reach Aetheron, kneeling beside him.

"Hey. You still breathing?"

Aetheron groaned. "Unfortunately."

Rael whistled. "Well, that sucked."

Kyren shook his head. "They weren't trying to kill us."

Aria muttered, "They were evaluating him."

Silence.

Aetheron forced himself up, even though his entire body ached.

The masked man's words wouldn't leave his head.

"You're awakening too fast."

What did that mean?

And worse—

What if it was true?

The Road Ahead

They didn't stay long.

By nightfall, they were moving again, wounds still fresh but no choice but to push forward.

They needed answers.

And Aetheron—

He needed to know what the hell was happening to him.

Because if that fight had proven anything—

It was that he was running out of time.