Choruslyne Fate

Lucius rose to his feet, his sharp gaze flickering toward Harriet. She had noticed it too. Yu Xuan and Nai followed his line of sight, exchanging uncertain glances as the air grew heavier around them. Though Nai remained somewhat oblivious, a sense of unease curled at the edge of her thoughts. Without a word, they moved.

The crowd thickened as they weaved through it, the figure keeping its distance but never faltering. The more they walked, the more the weight of something unnatural pressed upon them. Their pace quickened, an unspoken urgency shared between them. But then, Nai's voice, hesitant yet firm, shattered the tense silence.

"Guys… didn't we already walk this path three times?"

They froze. The realization sent a chill through their bones. The marketplace, the fountain, the narrow alley—everything was eerily familiar, repeating in an endless loop. The townspeople, once lively, now seemed... unreal. Their movements stiffened, their expressions vacant, as though puppets suspended on invisible strings.

The ground beneath them trembled. The walls of the town groaned, stretching and shifting, twisting reality itself. A deep rumble echoed as the very earth cracked, opening a jagged chasm between them.

"Lucius!!!" Yu Xuan's voice rang out in alarm.

Lucius stumbled backward, his body tipping dangerously close to the abyss that had formed between them. Harriet reached out instinctively, but the ground beneath her shifted as well, pulling her further away. The streets warped and bent, twisting into towering structures that rose impossibly high, forming an unscalable prison around them.

The figure stood at the edge of the chasm, unmoving, its presence suffocating. Yet, it had taken no steps. It had never needed to.

Lucius's breath came in sharp gasps as he took in the towering walls encasing them. His fingers curled into trembling fists.

"This town…" he whispered, his voice laced with dread, "…isn't real."

Harriet had been restrained the most, her formidable force—gravity itself—capable of crushing bedrock with ease. Yet, it had been rendered useless the moment she was struck down, forced into unconsciousness before she could resist. Nai, relentless and furious, pounded against the towering walls with her burning fists. The flames licked at the stone, searing its surface, but despite her efforts, her lack of refined control made her strikes ineffective. The walls remained unmoved, mocking her frustration.

Yu Xuan, separated and pacing like a caged beast, pressed his back against the cold stone, cupping his hands around his mouth as he shouted, desperation lacing his voice.

"Nai! Lucius! Harriet! Can you hear me?!"

His voice echoed through the labyrinthine prison, fading into the unnatural silence that surrounded them. Lucius, hearing the distant call, parted his lips to respond—but then, before he could utter a word, a shadow moved.

A figure materialized from the darkness, stepping forward with unnerving grace.

"It's pointless," the figure spoke, their voice smooth yet carrying an unnatural weight. "No matter how much you shout, those walls won't yield."

Lucius tensed, his instincts sharpening like a blade. His glare hardened, his body shifting subtly into a stance of defense.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice like steel. "What do you want from us?"

The figure took another step forward, allowing the dim, flickering light to reveal his features. Slowly, he pulled back his hood.

Long, ink-black hair cascaded over his sharp shoulders, framing a gaunt face with sickly pale-gray skin. His cheekbones jutted sharply, giving him an almost skeletal appearance. Beneath his left eye, a solitary mole rested like a mark of fate.

Lucius took an involuntary step back, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the man's unnatural complexion.

"Pale gray skin…" he murmured. "Like a corpse… but not rotten."

The stranger chuckled at the observation, his lips curling into an amused smirk.

"You catch on quickly," he mused. "But I'm afraid that won't help you."

Lucius's patience frayed. His fists clenched, his posture rigid with hostility.

"Answer me!" he snarled, his voice brimming with defiance.

The man simply tilted his head, unfazed by the aggression.

"The name is Rukzam," he finally revealed, his tone laced with amusement. "Like you and your companions, I am a force wielder. But…" His smirk deepened, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

"…I doubt we shall be getting along anytime soon."

Lucius wasted no time. The moment Rukzam finished his words, he lunged forward, his movements swift and precise, honed by necessity rather than training. His fists shot toward Rukzam's face, but the man tilted his head slightly, evading with almost unnatural ease. Lucius twisted mid-strike, using the momentum to launch a fierce kick aimed at Rukzam's ribs.

Rukzam barely flinched.

"You' re fast..." he admitted, sidestepping at the last moment, his footwork as fluid as a specter's. Before Lucius could react, Rukzam's arm snapped forward like a whip, his fist driving into Lucius's abdomen with unrelenting force.

"But you lack strength."

The impact sent Lucius staggering back, his boots skidding against the uneven stone. His breath hitched, pain blooming across his ribs. Yet, he clenched his teeth, refusing to yield. Without hesitation, he charged again. His body moved on instinct-ducking low, weaving to the side, searching for an opening. He aimed another strike, this time toward Rukzam's jaw.

Rukzam barely acknowledged the effort. He sidestepped at the last second, allowing Lucius's fist to sail past him harmlessly.

"You' re persistent," he remarked, tilting his head. "But persistence alone does not win battles."

Lucius gritted his teeth. He knew Rukzam was right. His movements, while swift, were unrefined. He was no trained warrior, merely a survivor who had learned to fight through sheer will. His attacks were fueled by desperation, not discipline.

Still, he refused to stop.

He swung again-wild, reckless, desperate. Rukzam sighed, his expression shifting from amusement to boredom. In a blur, he sidestepped, bringing his knee up sharply into Lucius's gut. The air was forced from Lucius's lungs as pain exploded through his core. He barely had time to register the agony before Rukzam followed up with a swift, almost lazy backhand.

Lucius was sent sprawling, his body crashing against the cold stone. He gasped, his vision flickering as he struggled to push himself up.

"This is getting boring," Rukzam muttered, shaking his head.

Before Lucius could react, a heavy boot pressed down on his chest, pinning him to the ground with effortless strength.

"You fight without power," Rukzam mused. "Without form. Without purpose." His gaze darkened. "And yet... you still refuse to surrender."

Lucius glared up at him, defiant even in his weakened state. Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, but his fiery determination remained unbroken.

Rukzam's smirk returned his curiosity piqued.

"Interesting."

To be continued -