After the Izu with Major Obika, I moved fast.
There was no time to waste. I needed to find the rest of my group — especially Idris. My mind was still replaying parts of that conversation with Obika.
If his suspicions were right…
Then we had more than just Fallens to worry about.
That meant threading carefully — especially when it came to the Husafis.
Especially when it came to Idris.
I had conducted another Izu shortly after discussing with Major Obika, this time with Ajani. His update made things clearer. He told me where they were, what direction they were heading, and most importantly, that Idris had moved on ahead — alone. Supposedly aggravated by delays.
That was all I needed to hear.
Obika had already warned me. The Husafis might be playing a different game altogether.
Worrying about the contract itself was already a burden. Cleansing missions were difficult enough with just Fallens to worry about. But now we had to account for rival families with hidden agendas. Internal threats disguised as allies.
This contract was becoming a drag.
Still, I had to catch up to Ajani and Idris. Resolve any tension that might've sparked between them. I trusted Ajani to follow instructions… but if things had escalated, they would need me to step in. I just hoped they hadn't run into Voro trouble.
The thought had barely left me when I heard it.
A howl.
Sharp. Guttural. Gutted from somewhere deep in the trees.
My steps stopped. Immediately.
Then another howl answered it — from a second direction.
Two.
My eyes scanned the trees, mind sharpening.
Before I could move again, spores launched at me from two angles — fast and coordinated. Most wouldn't have even seen them coming.
But I wasn't most.
I pushed off the earth and rose swiftly, landing on the thick branch of a tree above. As I did, I caught sight of the Uro Voro leaping from its cover — they had howled first to disrupt any craftiness from me, then launched spores to corner me.
Didn't matter.
I slammed my foot down mid-air, crashing it hard against the Voro's head and sending it tumbling into the ground below with a groan.
Just then, the second one emerged—fully visible now, howling in fury.
I pulled out my dagger.
Sharp, clean, and humming softly with divine energy. Thankfully, I hadn't fought any Fallen yet. My reserves were untouched. I could afford to burn through some energy.
But even with my advantage, something felt off.
Uro Voros this early?
Too early.
They weren't supposed to surface this soon—not unless we were closer to the shrines than expected.
But if that were the case…
Why hadn't I run into any lesser Voros before now? And as far as I knew, Idris and Ajani hadn't signaled any heavy confrontation either.
Unless…
My eyes narrowed on the Uro Voros as they circled below, twitching with bloodlust. They had the look of creatures fresh out of the birth stream — skin still steaming, instincts still raw.
Unless there was a portal of birth nearby.
That had to be it.
But no Voros on the path before now… No buildup. No warning. This portal hadn't been there long, or it had been sealed shut and suddenly reopened just to let these two slip through.
Either way, they were here now. And I had to handle them.
Fast.
I couldn't afford to burn too much divine energy — not yet — not before regrouping with Ajani and Idris. And I had no backup here, which meant getting close was risky. One wrong step and their spores would catch me off guard, and that would be the end.
No mistakes.
I needed precision.
I scanned the terrain, tracking their movement. Their formation was decent, side by side with one slightly ahead of the other. Good. That meant they were blocking each other's vision slightly — tight spacing, weak awareness. All I needed was one perfect strike right between them, hit the angle clean, and end it before they could process.
But getting that close without being touched?
That was the trick.
I steadied my breath. Reached within.
Channeled divine energy into my limbs — not too much, just enough to spark the trick.
Then I flung my dagger.
It sliced through the air and landed exactly where I needed it to — between the two beasts. My mark.
Now.
I activated Shedskin.
My form split and scattered. Four distorted versions of me blurred into existence, rushing around the Uro Voros in circles, weaving between trees, moving erratically. To them, I was everywhere — a blur of motion with no clear target.
They roared and howled in frustration. Confused. Good.
They spat spores wildly, clouding the air with their filth. But they weren't hitting anything real.
That was the beauty of Shedskin.
I didn't need divine resonance to control the clones. They were projections — illusion drawn from my movement and energy signature.
Just misdirection.
And while they attacked shadows, I didn't step forward blindly.
I let the dagger pull me in.
The moment it struck the earth between them, it became more than just a weapon — it was the center of my movement, the axis of my technique. Every Shedskin projection swirled around it, creating a cyclone of illusion, a misdirection storm.
And I was the eye.
I shed my final skin and reemerged at the center — real body, real presence — my hand closing around the dagger's hilt in one smooth motion.
Before either Voro could register the shift, I spun.
A tight, brutal arc.
The dagger carved through both beasts at once — slicing through flesh and bone like a blade through fruit. Their torsos ruptured violently, spraying black ichor into the trees.
It hit my arms. My chest. My jaw.
Disgusting.
I stood still for a second, watching the pieces collapse. The forest fell quiet again. Their limbs twitched briefly… then stopped.
I took a deep breath.
Rolled my shoulders.
I'd used more energy than I wanted to — but not too much. I'd recover before reaching Ajani and Idris. Hopefully, whatever tension brewed between those two hadn't exploded yet.
Or maybe it had.
Either way, I was on my way.
***
He came faster than I expected.
Major Deji.
I didn't even hear him approach until his boots hit the dirt behind me. His steps were quick, deliberate — then they stopped. A short silence as he scanned the area. The dead Voros. Ajani's collapsed body in my arms.
And me — still sobbing.
He rushed forward. "What happened?" he asked, panic in his voice.
I barely lifted my head. "The Voros… they were too much for us," I said, my voice cracking, just the right amount. "I shouldn't have left the group. I shouldn't have gone off alone. If I didn't—this… this wouldn't have happened…"
My words were shaky, scattered with hiccups. I forced the tears, like I had practiced. Made sure I looked too broken to lie. But rather than fall to his knees in shared grief like I'd expected, Major Deji shoved me aside — sharp and sudden, like my presence was a stain on the moment.
"How long ago?" he asked, crouched beside Ajani already.
I blinked. "Not too long. Minutes."
He didn't respond — just nodded slightly. Almost as if that was the answer he'd been hoping for.
Then he placed his hand gently on Ajani's chest.
I stood slowly, brushing fake tears off my face, trying to understand what Deji was doing. My arms were sticky from the earlier clash. The dirt was still warm. Ajani was still. Lifeless. No heartbeat. The divine poison had done its work.
So why was he wasting his time?
I didn't ask that directly, of course.
Instead, I asked, "What are you doing?"
He didn't answer.
He just looked up — not with grief or confusion — but with sharp, piercing eyes. Then he looked back down and resumed what I now realized was a slow, rhythmic pulse of divine energy through Ajani's chest.
He wasn't mourning.
He was reviving him.
And for the first time since this all began — I felt something crack inside me.
No… no way…
I stepped back, cautiously.
My thoughts scrambled. How much time had passed? How much poison had entered his system? Reviving Ajani shouldn't be possible. The blade was coated for maximum effect — short, fast, efficient. There shouldn't be a way back from that.
Unless…
Unless Major Deji was trying to perform a miracle.
I took another step back, this time slower. My divine craft remained by my side, half-summoned. My hands trembled slightly. I was readying myself — just in case. I didn't like this. I didn't like the odds of what I was watching.
Then it happened.
Ajani coughed violently — his body jerking upright as if shocked back into life by lightning. He fell forward, vomiting black residue into the dirt. My heart dropped.
No…
Major Deji tapped his back, helping him purge the rest.
Then he looked at me — eyes cold, unreadable.
"The spores must've gotten to him," he said flatly. "You too?"
I shook my head quickly, dismissively. "No… no, I dodged the worst of it."
It was a stupid answer. Too quick. Too clean. He didn't press me, but he didn't need to. His silence was already loud enough.
He turned back to Ajani, who was still shaking, trying to catch his breath.
"What happened?" Deji asked, more focused now. "How did you let the spores get to you?"
Ajani blinked — slowly, like a man waking up from a nightmare he wasn't finished dreaming.
He placed a hand on his head, wincing in pain.
Then he looked up.
And locked eyes with me.
Something tightened in my chest.
This was it.
I could feel it.
It was over.
The one thing I had desperately tried to avoid…
Ended up happening anyway.
Ajani survived.
And not only that—he didn't seem entirely gone. He was looking at me. Not like a confused man just revived, but like someone trying to reach for a memory just out of his grasp. His glare felt like a hook dragging me toward the edge.
I was already calculating my escape.
If he remembered—anything—I would flee into the woods. Immediately. No hesitation. I'd sprint as fast as possible until I found another Husafi—anyone. That was the only route that gave me a chance of surviving whatever Major Deji would do next.
"I can't remember what happened," Ajani said weakly.
My eyes widened slightly—but I kept my face blank.
Major Deji's brow furrowed. "What do you mean you can't remember? Ajani, you almost died. If I hadn't gotten here when I did…"
He trailed off, waiting for something. Anything.
"Surely you remember how you ended up like this? Was it the spores? Did they affect you differently?"
Ajani clutched his head again, wincing as if each breath was scraping the inside of his skull. His gaze landed on me again—longer this time.
And then…
He shook his head.
"I don't remember a thing. I… I was chasing Idris. Then… Voros. They came from everywhere. I fought them. That's the last thing I remember."
My heart stopped for a beat.
Then restarted with quiet relief.
Major Deji gave a slow nod, looking thoughtful.
"Well, luckily for you, Idris was here to help you out," he said. Then turned to me. "Right, Idris?"
I gave the perfect answer.
A single, tense nod.
No words. No emotion. Just enough to imply quiet gratitude. Subtle camaraderie.
He believed it.
As long as he didn't remember, I was safe. If he regained the memory after the contract ended, what could he really do? Report me after everything was over? Not likely. And if by some twisted fate we ever met again under less formal circumstances…
I'd make sure to finish the job.
No hesitation next time.
Major Deji stood, brushing dust off his uniform. Then helped Ajani to his feet. He gave the surroundings one last glance. The skies were darkening—no moonlight, no wind, just the steady pressure of night reaching its peak.
"We've wasted enough time," he said, voice lower. Tired. "Not a single shrine destroyed yet."
He was beginning to lose faith in it. I could tell. But what he didn't know was that the very information he needed—the very route to end this contract early—was right here with me.
And all I had to do was pretend I didn't have it yet.
He stared into the forest for a while before pointing east.
"We'll head this way."
"No, Major," I said quickly. "I heard howls coming from the west. Loud ones. If the shrines are guarded, that's where the highest Voro concentration should be."
He paused.
Eyed me.
Pensive again.
"Hmm," he said. "If you heard a howl, then it's worth checking."
He turned to Ajani, who had just barely regained his footing, still holding his side.
"You okay to move?"
Ajani straightened, dusted himself off. "Yes, Major."
Deji gave a slow nod. "Good. Let's go."
And just like that, we continued.
Three of us now, walking deeper into the dark.
For the first time, the contract had begun… with a complete group.