The Eternal Dao Sect: Legacy of Chaos

The morning succeeding the Mellian battle shimmered in its haze, shrouding the world with an imaginary serenity. However big their win over them, that warlike encounter had finally brought bleeding marks to them both physically and psychologically. It was indeed a victory they won but bitter in its own taste, since each one among them was battling the weight of personal losses doled out to them by their adversaries. The way back to the stronghold of the Grayhair Clan was silent, every step marked with weariness in body and spirit alike. Jayson marched at the forefront, his eyes straight, yet his mind was miles away. The paths of war led him to many decisions he had never thought he would have to make, decisions now seemingly shaping every move he made. Behind him, the weight of his footsteps was returned with equal heaviness in the gait of his comrades. Even Sarah, never without an encouraging word, had nothing to say; her eyes fixed on the path ahead. Mike and Janet, inseparable, always arguing over something, walked in silence; the banter at an end. Even Jayden with his jolly nature looked a little more pensive than usual. It was as if the air between them had become thick with all that had happened lately.

Of them all, however, Victor was the one who stood out most to Jayson. The young warrior who once had been his closest ally seemed almost completely detached since the battle had ended. He walked with his eyes focused solely on the ground beneath his feet, his usual exuberance replaced by a hollow emptiness that Jayson could not ignore. Something was wrong with him, Jayson could feel it deep in his bones.

Jayson couldn't help but turn his head over his shoulder as he walked, observing Victor lagging, the slow pace of his footsteps seeming to weigh heavier than the toll of battle wounds. His eyes no longer shone as bright as they used to, and his mind seemed somewhere else—well away from the team, something in itself out of character.

Cindy always was observant and never let such things pass her by. She spoke softly, going slow, and walked beside Victor, giving him a soft smile, as if to share a moment in comfort.

"Cindy, you okay?" she asked in a low, soothing tone.

Victor didn't say anything straight away, seemingly taken aback by the question. Slowly, he turned his head towards her, and a weak, forced smile crossed his lips.

"I'm fine," he muttered, his tone flat. "Just tired."

It was an all-too-familiar response, one which those close to Victor knew only too well as his standard reaction when something bothered him. Cindy frowned a little, dissatisfied with the answer, but decided not to push the matter any further. There would be time for that later, she thought, and there was no need to make things worse by forcing him to talk when he wasn't ready.

But Jayson wasn't so easily convinced. He had seen enough to know when something wasn't right. He fell back in line with Victor as they walked, his pace matching his friend's without a word.

"You've been quieter than usual," Jayson remarked, his voice low but steady. "Talk to me, Victor. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Victor paused, steps faltering for a brief second. He swallowed hard before his words came heavier than usual.

"I've been thinking," he started in a voice laden with something Jayson couldn't put his finger on. "About everything we went through. I don't quite know where to stand anymore. The whole thing, all we're doing-it is so much bigger than we ever envisioned.

Jayson frowned, not knowing where Victor was coming from. "Victor, you don't make sense. What's the meaning of all that you've been talking about?"

Victor took a deep breath, hands curled tightly by his sides. "It isn't just the war, Jayson. It is about stuff that we do not even know exists. I have seen things. listened to things. And I know nothing as to whom I should trust any longer.

Jayson's heart quickened, a cold chill creeping down his spine. There was something ominous in Victor's voice. "What things? What are you hiding from us?

Victor straightened, his eyes falling once more to the ground. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then snapped it shut. His face went blank, save the look of regret and fear on it. He slowly shook his head. "I can't talk about it, Jayson. Not now. It's too dangerous."

By then, Diane did notice what transpired between the two and approached them; her eyes darted between the two, her eyes wary. "What is wrong, guys? Victor, behave strangely."

Victor turned to look at Diane, with some harassment in his stare. Hesitant, in a very low tone of voice, he related to her, "You wouldn't understand.I don't understand it either, and I did what was supposedly right, but I don't know anymore.

The air seemed to thicken with tension as Diane and Jayson looked at each other. Something had gone wrong, but neither knew the full scope of it.

Later that night, when the campfire crackled and the group fell into their groove, the subject turned. The spirit of the team remained low, and instead of lively chatter, uneasy silence dominated the conversations. Jayson couldn't get rid of this feeling that Victor was hiding something, something dangerous. A storm was coming from beyond the horizon, and nobody was prepared to meet it.

He walked away from the camp in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. The moon was a sliver in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground in the forest. The cool night air helped clear his mind, but the thoughts that had been plaguing him would not let up-Victor's strange behaviour, his strange words-keeps replaying in his mind like a broken record.

As he walked, he suddenly heard a soft, almost imperceptible sound from a nearby clearing. He froze, instinctively crouching low behind a tree to remain unseen. There, in the dim light, he saw Victor.

He wasn't alone. Victor was kneeling on the ground, a strange crystal glowing faintly in his hands. Jayson's breath caught in his throat as he strained to hear the conversation unfolding before him.

I did as you instructed," Victor said in a shuddering voice, his tone afraid. "I have gained their trust. But I cannot continue this. They are my friends."

Jayson's heart was racing, his sensations spinning wildly, as a voice-distorted, unfamiliar to him-answered from the crystal. "You know the price of failure, Victor. Betray them-or face the consequences. The Mellians will not wait forever.

Victor's face contorted in anguish. "I cannot betray them. They are my family. My friends. There has to be another way."

Jayson's breath caught in his throat, his mind racing. Betrayal. The word echoed in his mind, drowning out all other thoughts. Had Victor been lying to them all this time?

He took a step forward, his voice slicing through the night air. "Victor! What the hell is this?

Victor's head whipped around, his eyes wide with shock and guilt. "Jayson, I-"

But Jayson's anger flared. "How could you, Victor? After everything we've been through together? How long have you been working with the Mellians?"

Victor opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He stood there, trembling, unable to face Jayson's fury.

"You've been using us, haven't you? All this time?" Jayson's voice was low, a growl; his fists were clenched. "How could you betray us like this?"

Victor fell to his knees, eyes wide with the shame of betrayal. "I never had a choice, Jayson, they threatened my family. An offer you can't refuse, they'd said. And I never meant this to come to pass; I thought well enough I was playing both ends to protect all of you.". His voice stuttered. "I have committed an awful blunder.

Jayson stood there, silent, but full of rage. The trust he had with Victor was irreparable; it felt as though he had lead in his chest. How would he ever again trust Victor?

The noise attracted the rest of the group: Diane, Mike, Cindy, and the others. They all came running, standing agog at the scene before them.

Jayson turned to them, his voice hard. "Victor has been working with the Mellians."

Cindy's eyes filled with disbelief. "Victor, no… Please, tell me this isn't true."

Victor's head dropped in shame, his silence the loudest confirmation of all.

Mike's fists clenched. "You've put us all at risk. After everything we've fought for…"

Jayson raised a silencing hand to the group. "Enough. He stays—for now. But one sign of more betrayal, and he's out."

Victor nodded, his face pale, but said nothing.

The weight of what just happened seemed to hang heavily upon each person's mind as the camp started to bed down for the night. Could they truly ever have a sense of trust for Victor again? Only time could tell, but one thing was for sure: whatever the form of betrayal, it usually left behind scars that were much harder to heal compared to a physical wound. And with the Mellians still around, there could be no room for weaknesses. The road ahead was very vague, but they had to press on-united, or fall apart.