The wilds east of Callistor were grey with ash and hushed by wind. Each step away from the city peeled back layers of soot and silence, revealing a world that had tried—and failed—to forget the old ways.
Kaelis walked ahead, unbothered by the road, the cold, or the ache of distance. Her stride remained even, tireless, as though she'd never learned fatigue. Ren limped behind, boots blistered and lungs scratched raw from two days of dust and dry air. Every time he stumbled, she never turned. Never slowed.
The border to Callis loomed ahead, watched by rows of rigid towers and riflemen in purely aesthetic prayer-beads and bulletproof cloth. It was a place torn between two epochs: Mavros, with its machines and tech, and Callis, proud in its refusal to yield to circuitry or change.
Ren rubbed his eyes. "This is insane. A no-tech border patrolled by men in laser scopes."
Kaelis stopped briefly, the wind tugging at her cloak.
"Callis does not abide contradiction. They reject advancement as sin, yet their fear of it breeds obsession. A fool's cycle."
He scoffed. "Sounds familiar."
She resumed walking. "You would do well to still your tongue when we pass their eyes."
They were barely a mile from the heavily marked gate when it happened.
A sharp crack rang across the plains.
Kaelis fell.
Not staggered. Not stumbled.
Fell.
Her armor clanged against the gravel path, her hair fanning like blood against snow. A dark bloom spread across her shoulder.
Ren froze. Then instinct screamed.
Sniper.
He didn't hesitate. Kaelis' longsword lay beside her, its edge clean and glinting in the sun. Ren snatched it, the weight nearly dislocating his wrist, and ran.
Another shot whistled past.
Then the sound of an engine.
A black motorcycle tore over the ridge behind him, sleek and growling, rider hunched forward in matte gear and mirrored helmet.
Ren risked a glance.
The man was fast—too fast. But the gates of Callis were in sight now, a hundred yards ahead. Guards had noticed the gunfire. The checkpoint lit up—men aiming, shouting. The border hummed with tension and high alert.
Ren pushed harder.
At fifty yards, the motorcycle began to slow.
Then it stopped completely.
The rider—Castor Green—knew better.
He couldn't cross with weapons. Not here. Not without starting a war.
Ren stumbled past the checkpoint, gasping, Kaelis' sword still in hand. He collapsed to his knees beyond the line, the Calliot guards forming a silent wall between him and his pursuer.
Behind him, Castor simply dismounted and watched, his helmet catching the light.
He didn't speak.
Didn't need to.
This wasn't over.
Ren looked down at the sword, then back toward the plains beyond.
Kaelis lay somewhere out there.
Still.
Motionless.
Dead.
Maybe.
After the confrontation, it was natural for Ren to take a moment to recalibrate.
The situation had suddenly gone loud—and not by any fault of his.
It didn't feel like betrayal, leaving Kaelis' body behind. It was of no use to anyone. Especially not to him. There was nothing personal about taking her longsword, either. He could sell it for something vital, learn to wield it for defense, or call upon it when the system demanded.
Either way he spun it, the choice was rational.
Ren continued along the unforgiving terrain, Kaelis' longsword giving him something to think about in terms of weight. He was lanky, sure, but he hadn't imagined the difference in their strength would be this stark.
Thud.
Ren dropped to one knee. His blistered feet finally protested too hard. He'd earned a moment to rest.
He wasn't in danger.
Yet.
Widow's Clarity would let him know when he was.
Blink.
Ren blinked again.
Standing before him—Kaelis.
Alive.
Livid.
"A thieving slayer. I must have hit rock bottom with you," she said through a pained cough, fists coiled.
Pow.
She sat him down with a blow.
She didn't pull the punch.
Silence followed.
She picked up her sword and turned away.
Blood dripped down her armored hand, but it didn't seem to matter. Even with a bullet lodged in her shoulder, she moved at full pace—fast enough to catch up to him.
Then she stopped.
They weren't alone anymore.
His green hair, matte gear, and black shades made him stand out. So too did the gun he was pointing at Kaelis' face.
Castor Green had tracked them again.
Kaelis stiffened. Her grip on her sword tightened.
"I will not lose to one disrespectful enough to bring a gun into Callis," she said.
Castor clearly wasn't like her. He looked Mavrosi—probably was, depending on who you asked.
He had chased Ren all the way to the border.
Now he stood still as water.
"If you pull that trigger," Kaelis said boldly, "we'll be surrounded by Calliot forces within minutes. Unwise for someone who already missed once."
Without a word, Castor tucked the gun away. He drew a silver sword from a sheath on his back.
"I advise you to steer clear. This is Ashen business," Kaelis warned. She never drew her sword without intent. If it came out, it would be used.
Finally, the man in matte blazers spoke. His voice was calm and cold.
"This is fate's business," Castor corrected—and lunged.
He struck clean and true, his silver blade clashing with Kaelis'.
Ren watched from the ground. Almost in admiration. Whoever won would likely decide his next destination.
He hoped Castor's intentions were at least clearer than Kaelis'.
After absorbing pressure for a while, Kaelis struck back. She took the fight to Castor—the Ashen way.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
And then—
"All tears are heard. Even the silent ones," the system relayed.
[NEW MISSION ACQUIRED]
Target: Anna Fog
Objective: Kill within 7 minutes
Location: 300 yards west
Ren leapt to his feet, distracting Kaelis for a split second. She shook her head and refocused on the duel.
Ren didn't explain.
Time wasn't on his side.
He ran at full pace, eyes scanning for the target.
Where?
Where?
Where?
There.
Covered in a tattered cloak, a woman moved slowly through the sand.
Ren didn't ask questions.
Three minutes left. No room for doubt.
He wrestled the woman to the ground, grabbed a stone, and started caving her head in.
No words. Just blood.
He didn't stop.
The prompt hadn't appeared.
She was still alive.
He couldn't stop—not until she was dead.
[STATUS UPDATING...]
Target: Anna Fog. Deceased.
[MISSION COMPLETE]
Ren halted. His vision cleared. He stared at what he'd done.
He wasn't the only one watching.
Kaelis had arrived first.
Castor followed.
Ren looked up, eyes cold. Face unreadable.
And then, he heard it:
"You have witnessed a master at work. The system remembers what your eyes have failed to learn."
[REWARD GRANTED: Combat Insight: Kaelis' Stance (Passive Skill)].