The air felt heavier after the storm, as though the world itself braced for something unseen. The rain had passed, but the ground was soft and damp beneath Xu Tian’s boots as he led the group along a narrow, overgrown path. The hills had grown steeper, and dense woods surrounded them now, casting long shadows even under the pale afternoon light.

  Xu Tian’s thoughts churned with the stories Qiao Rui had told the night before. He wanted to dismiss them, to tell himself they were just tales meant to unsettle him. But the whispers of the star wouldn’t let him forget.

  “The Wraithborn were weak,” the star murmured, its voice calm yet cutting. “They allowed fear to consume them. You will not make the same mistake.”

  He wanted to argue but didn’t bother. The star’s logic was cold and relentless, and fighting it only seemed to give it more power.

  “Xu Tian,” Yan Mei’s voice broke through his thoughts.

  He slowed his pace, glancing over his shoulder. Yan Mei and Qiao Rui were walking a few paces behind, with Li Wei lagging farther back, his face pale as he leaned on a makeshift crutch.

  “Are you sure about this path?” Yan Mei asked, her brow furrowed. “The forest feels… wrong.”

  Xu Tian scanned the woods. The air was still, the usual sounds of birds and insects conspicuously absent. He couldn’t sense any immediate danger, but his shadows twitched uneasily, as though sensing something just out of reach.

  “It’s the fastest way to the next town,” Xu Tian said finally. “Unless you want to double back and risk running into more of Scarlet Peak’s dogs.”

  Yan Mei didn’t argue, but the tension in her expression didn’t ease.

  The sun dipped lower as they pressed on, the trees growing thicker and the shadows darker. Xu Tian’s unease grew with each step, the silence of the forest pressing against his ears like a physical weight.

  “They’re here,” Qiao Rui said suddenly, his voice low.

  Xu Tian stopped, his hand instinctively brushing the hilt of his blade. “Who?”

  “Not Scarlet Peak,” Qiao Rui replied, his eyes scanning the trees. “Someone else. They’ve been following us since this morning.”

  Xu Tian’s shadows stirred at his feet, stretching outward like searching tendrils. The forest remained silent, but he could feel the faint prickle of energy—subtle but distinct.

  “Cultivators?” Yan Mei asked, her tone tense.

  “Not just cultivators,” Qiao Rui said grimly. “Professionals.”

  Xu Tian’s jaw tightened. He had encountered bounty hunters before, but the ones who had come for him in the past had been careless, overconfident. This time felt different—methodical.

  “They’re waiting for us to drop our guard,” Qiao Rui continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “Trying to box us in.”

  Xu Tian’s eyes narrowed. “Then we don’t give them the chance.”

  The attack came just before dusk.

  A sharp whistle cut through the air, and Xu Tian barely had time to dodge as an arrow thudded into the tree beside him. He spun, his shadows flaring to life as three figures emerged from the trees, their movements swift and silent.

  The first was a wiry man with twin daggers that glinted in the fading light. He moved like a shadow, his strikes quick and precise as he closed in on Xu Tian.

  The second was a woman clad in dark armor, her hands crackling with lightning as she summoned a bolt that arced toward Yan Mei.

  The third—a hulking brute with a massive warhammer—charged straight for Qiao Rui, his weapon smashing into the ground with a deafening crash.

  “Scatter!” Xu Tian shouted, leaping backward as the dagger-wielding assassin lunged at him.

  The shadows around Xu Tian surged, forming a barrier that absorbed the man’s strike. He retaliated with a tendril of darkness, but the assassin was fast, dodging the attack with a fluid twist of his body.

  “You’ve been a hard one to track, Xu Tian,” the man said, his voice calm despite the chaos. “But everyone slips up eventually.”

  Xu Tian didn’t bother responding. He lashed out again, his shadows striking like a whip, but the man dodged once more, his movements almost preternatural.

  Across the clearing, Yan Mei raised a shimmering barrier of golden light just in time to block the lightning bolt. The force of the impact sent her stumbling, but she held her ground, her hands glowing as she reinforced the shield.

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  “Not bad,” the lightning-wielding woman said, her lips curling into a smirk. “But how long can you keep that up?”

  Yan Mei didn’t answer. She reached into her satchel, pulling out a handful of glowing talismans, which she flung toward the woman. The talismans erupted into bursts of light, forcing her attacker to retreat.

  Li Wei, still struggling to keep his balance, hurled a dagger toward the woman, but it glanced off her armor harmlessly.

  “Stay back, Li Wei!” Yan Mei shouted, her voice tight.

  Li Wei gritted his teeth but obeyed, falling into a defensive stance as he watched the battle unfold.

  The brute’s warhammer came crashing down again, splintering the ground as Qiao Rui leapt out of range. His bow twanged as he loosed an arrow, aiming for the man’s exposed neck, but the brute raised his hammer to block the shot.

  “You’re quick,” the brute rumbled, his voice deep and gravelly. “But not quick enough.”

  Qiao Rui smirked, nocking another arrow. “Want to bet?”

  The next arrow struck the ground at the brute’s feet, releasing a burst of smoke that enveloped him in a thick, choking cloud. As the brute coughed and swung his hammer wildly, Qiao Rui darted to higher ground, positioning himself for a better shot.

  Meanwhile, Xu Tian’s fight had reached a boiling point. The assassin was relentless, his daggers flashing as he pressed the attack, forcing Xu Tian to stay on the defensive.

  “Running out of tricks?” the man taunted, his strikes coming faster.

  Xu Tian’s shadows writhed, responding to his frustration. The star’s whispers surged, urging him to stop holding back.

  “You waste time,” the star hissed. “End this now.”

  Xu Tian’s eyes narrowed. Fine.

  He raised his hand, the shadows around him coalescing into a massive spear of darkness. The assassin’s eyes widened as Xu Tian hurled the weapon, its sheer force tearing through the air.

  The man dodged, but not fast enough. The spear grazed his shoulder, the impact sending him crashing into a tree.

  Before the assassin could recover, Xu Tian was on him, his shadows forming jagged tendrils that pinned the man to the ground.

  “Who sent you?” Xu Tian demanded, his voice cold.

  The man gritted his teeth, blood dripping from his mouth. “You already know the answer.”

  Xu Tian’s jaw tightened. “Scarlet Peak?”

  The assassin chuckled weakly. “Them, and others. You’ve made quite a name for yourself, shadow boy. There’s a lot of gold riding on your head.”

  Xu Tian’s grip tightened, the shadows pressing harder against the man’s throat. “Then give them a message,” he said. “Tell them I’m done running.”

  With a flick of his wrist, he released the assassin, letting him collapse to the ground.

  The other bounty hunters retreated after seeing their companion defeated, dragging the unconscious brute with them. The clearing fell silent once more, the tension in the air slowly dissipating.

  Yan Mei approached Xu Tian, her expression wary. “You let him go.”

  Xu Tian didn’t respond. He turned away, his shadows receding as he walked toward the edge of the clearing.

  Qiao Rui watched him go, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Well,” he said, “that was exciting. Think we’ll see them again?”

  “Probably,” Yan Mei said, her gaze lingering on Xu Tian. “And next time, they’ll bring more than just a few mercenaries.”

  As the group pressed on, far to the north, a cloaked figure knelt before a massive stone altar, their hands pressed against a jagged fragment of glowing crystal.

  “The shadows grow stronger,” the figure murmured. “He is awakening. Soon, the stars will rise again.”

  The crystal pulsed with light, sending waves of energy rippling through the air.

  “And when they do,” the figure continued, a sinister smile spreading across their face, “the heavens will fall.”