Chapter 26: No Escape

Dune sat on the roof of a dilapidated building, eyes fixed on the chaos below. He had already seen Nea, the invisible Zeten user, lurking behind Atlas, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Dune's mind raced, knowing that the element of surprise was his only advantage.

He had laid his trap meticulously, threading the sharp, nearly invisible line across the building, and now he waited, tension coiled in his muscles like a spring.

From his vantage point, Dune watched as Atlas, in his demonic form, clashed violently with Raven. The sounds of their battle—clanging metal, shouts of rage, and the crash of destruction filled the air.

Dune's heart pounded as he saw the struggle unfold, his eyes darting between Atlas and Nea, who kept her focus on Atlas, unaware of the fifth person watching her every move.

As Atlas finally overpowered Raven, ripping his head off in a gruesome display of strength, Nea saw her opportunity.

She moved swiftly, her form shimmering into visibility, long sword glowing with orange Neba, poised to strike the exhausted Atlas from behind.

Dune's eyes narrowed. "Got you," he whispered to himself.

In one swift motion, he pulled the thread taut. The razor-sharp line rose to the height of Nea's neck just as she lunged toward Atlas. She didn't see it coming.

The thread sliced through her flesh with a clean, precise cut. Nea's eyes widened in shock and horror. She stumbled, dropping her sword, as her head separated from her body.

Blood spattered everywhere, painting the ground in crimson. Her lifeless body crumpled to the earth with a heavy thud, followed by her head. The once dangerous and invisible assassin lay in a pool of her own blood.

Atlas, drained from the battle and unaware of Nea's demise, finally succumbed to exhaustion.

He collapsed to the ground, the demonic aura dissipating as his body reverted to its normal form. He lay there, unconscious, amidst the ruins and the fallen bodies of his enemies.

Dune, still clutching the thread, let out a long breath. He had timed it perfectly. The tension in his body released as he observed the aftermath, ensuring there were no more immediate threats.

The battlefield was silent now, save for the crackling of distant fires and the soft moans of the injured.

He descended from the roof, his heart still pounding from the adrenaline. As he approached Atlas, he glanced around, ensuring their safety.

His eyes lingered on Nea's fallen form, a testament to the precision and ruthlessness required to survive in this harsh world. He knew the battle wasn't over, but for now, they had won this fight.

As night fell, the group gathered in the remains of a half-destroyed house. A small, flickering fire, conjured by Nely's orange Neba, provided a semblance of warmth and light amidst the ruin. They sat in silence, their exhaustion palpable

Elijah, Dune, Nely, Ned, Atlas, Ezra, and Liam. Ned's hands, almost healed from his red Zeten, were a testament to their collective endurance. Dune stared into the fire, lost in thought, when Ezra finally broke the silence.

"So, Atlas, are you gonna tell us what that was?" Ezra's voice carried a mix of curiosity and frustration.

Atlas sighed heavily. "It's just my ability... nothing that important."

"Nothing that important? Are you serious?" Ezra's voice rose, incredulous. "We almost died, and you had something like that and didn't even use it?"

Atlas's face hardened. "I can't just use it whenever I want. I risked a lot by using it."

Ezra was about to retort, but Liam placed a calming hand on his shoulder, stopping him. The tension was palpable until Elijah spoke up.

"Except for us, only five people are left. I killed 26 people while I hunted, asked all of them questions about their kills, enemies and allies.. before killing them. Everyone looked at Elijah shcoked.. how could he talk about killing twentysix Zetens like it was nothing?

If my math is correct, except us, there are still five people left. That means we need two more kills. Two more need to die, and this hell ends… but for some reason i couldn't fnd last 5 anywhere.. I searched for so long, i don't think they're here"

"They must have a way to hide their Zetens from your eyes" .. Nely said

"Probably" Elijah laughed

As they sat around, occasional conversations broke the silence. Liam asked a question that had been on everyone's mind.

"What are y'all gonna do when we get out of here? Our city is destroyed, so I guess me and Ezra will go find a place to live first. What about you guys?"

Nely spoke next. "I'm gonna go back to my house and keep living. I also want to join an academy to improve my abilities."

Ned followed. "I don't know. I'm gonna find my family and continue my life like it always was, maybe."

Atlas sighed. "We need to survive here first."

Elijah chimed in with a smirk. "Oh, it seems like all of you are in bad situations. Well, not me. I'm just gonna eat, have parties, and have fun. But it gets boring easily, so who knows, I might start traveling too, hehe."

Dune, who hadn't spoken since the battle ended, finally broke his silence. His voice cut through the night, causing everyone to fall quiet.

"You guys really think we can go back and keep living like nothing happened? The gods want us for something, and nothing in this life is free.

They want something in exchange. And until we have these marks and the gods are watching us, we can't go back to normal. Ned, we can't keep living like that. We need to change something."

He paused, his expression pained. "But what am I even talking about? Change something? Me? I'm just a useless, weak kid who doesn't have any powers.

How am I gonna change anything?.. He sighed heavily and stood up.

The group watched him leave, each lost in their own thoughts, the weight of their predicament settling heavily upon them.

Dune stood on the roof of a nearby building, keeping watch. Nely climbed up and joined him, the night air cool and quiet.

"Dune," she called softly, "are you okay?"

Dune didn't turn around, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Yeah .. it's just.. so much is happening at the same time.. i don't know what to do… "

Nely sat silently, listening to Dune. Then she sighed, wanting to say something, but Dune suddenly stood up.

"Call everyone up here, now," he whispered .

Nely followed his gaze and saw the water already close to them. The house below was sinking into the dark liquid. "What the hell... how is this possible?" she muttered. She ran down and called the others.

They came up quickly, shock etched on their faces as they saw the encroaching water.

Dune turned to Elijah. "Is there anywhere on this island with a mountain taller than our building?"

Elijah shook his head. "No, I haven't seen anything taller than the trees and this house. This island is small."

Dune's mind raced. "Why hasn't this whole thing ended yet? if water is already here then how are other 5 people alive? But… What if they have an ability to survive in water, waiting for us to die first so they can win? Who are these last five people? How are they able to live in the toxic water?"

Dune spoke up, sharing his thoughts. "I think They are in the water. The island will sink, and it doesn't matter if we fly away or not.

I think our enemy is a five-person team, and they probably have information about this whole thing. They might have artifacts or abilities that can protect them from the water."

The group's shock deepened. Atlas sighed, frustration clear on his face. "Damn it... The building will sink soon. How can we fight them in the water?"

The team had no plan. They stood in silence, each grappling with the grim reality before them. The toxic water crept closer, a tangible threat that seemed impossible to overcome.