Xu Kai stood with blood on his hands and rage in his heart.
He was breathing hard. Dust filled the air. The mutated beast in front of him was roaring furiously, its claws tearing through the remains of the south wall. Smoke rose around them, and the battlefield was filled with fire, blood, and broken bodies.
He tightened his grip.
Just one more strike, and he would bring the monster down.
But then—
"IT'S BAD! MISS LIORA—SHE'S GONE!!"
A panicked voice ripped through the chaos.
Xu Kai turned his head sharply.
A guard came running toward them, his face pale with terror. "She vanished from the west wall! No one can find her! Liora is missing!"
Everything around Xu Kai went silent.
The sound of battle faded. His hands dropped slightly. The weight of those words hit harder than any monster ever could.
Gone?
Liora?
His heart stopped. He couldn't believe it. She wouldn't disappear. She wouldn't leave her people behind. Not unless something had happened to her.
