Shadows of Ascension

87. Shadows in Pursuit

The cold night air wrapped around them as Luca struggled to start a fire. Riona sat close by, rubbing her arms for warmth.

"Hurry, Luca!" she urged, shivering.

"I'm trying!" Luca grumbled, striking the flint again.

Meanwhile, Aiden sat slightly apart, gazing at the vast night sky, lost in thought. The stars twinkled, but his mind was elsewhere.

The Next Day

The team continued their journey through the barren landscape. Aiden walked slightly ahead, his senses sharp. He could feel them—five figures lurking behind, concealed in the distance.

"Sylvester... and four others," Aiden noted. He could sense Sylvester’s shadow clearly, but the other four were unfamiliar.

"These men aren’t Sylvester’s usual hunters. Who are they?"

Then a realization struck him—how had Sylvester even found them?

His instincts screamed danger.

Without hesitation, Aiden suddenly attacked.

His fist struck what seemed to be empty air.

To Riona and Luca, it looked like Aiden had simply punched the sand.

But then—

"Gah!"

A man staggered forward, coughing blood.

His figure shimmered into view, revealing an expert assassin hidden with invisibility magic.

"He was right..." the man gasped, blood dripping from his mouth. "You really are something else."

Aiden swiftly stepped back, sensing another attack.

A blade whizzed past where he had just stood.

"Four... no, five attackers," Aiden confirmed, his eyes narrowing.

Sylvester stepped forward, emerging from the shadows with the four unfamiliar men.

"We are not here to fight this time," he announced.

Aiden remained on guard, his eyes scanning each figure.

"Where are your men, Sylvester?" he demanded, his tone ice-cold.

Sylvester hesitated. His grip on his axe tightened.

"It all happened so fast..." he muttered. "After you defeated us... he came."

Another man took a step forward. "And he came for us too," he admitted, his voice grim.

Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Who's he?"

A silence hung in the air.

Then, another hunter spoke.

"Your powers were terrifying, Aiden," Sylvester admitted. "But his... just a glimpse of his power is enough to make you shiver."

The other hunters nodded grimly.

One of them, a tall man with scars running down his arms, finally spoke.

"We were all high-ranking members of the biggest bounty hunter association in this lawless land. We killed for a living." His voice was heavy with something almost like regret.

"Why are we telling you this?" another hunter added. "Because he asked us to."

Aiden’s expression darkened.

"He attacked us and our teams individually. Then, he gave us a mission."

Aiden clenched his fists.

"He wants us to let you know that he’s following you."

The weight of the words settled over the group like a storm cloud.

Aiden took a single step forward.

"Shadowbane."

The bounty hunters flinched at the name.

Aiden’s voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"I know you’re there, lurking in the shadows, Shadowbane." His tone was unwavering. "Shadows are my domain, after all. I just want to let you know—we’re closer than ever to the Celestial Blades."

A gust of wind swept across the sand.

"You won’t be able to take them," Aiden continued, his aura flaring. "You won’t be able to wreak more havoc."

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he released a wave of aura.

The sheer force of it shook the ground beneath them.

Sylvester and the others staggered.

"Go back to him," Aiden commanded. "Let him know we’ll be waiting for his next move."

His voice dropped to a near whisper, but its intensity sent a chill through everyone present.

"I swore I would never harm a person ever again," Aiden admitted.

Then his eyes turned cold.

"But I might make an exception for Shadowbane."

Without another word, Aiden gave the signal to Luca and Riona, and the three of them walked away.

As they moved, Luca broke the silence.

"I’m glad to hear you’re willing to fight Shadowbane, Aiden," he said. "You’re the only one of us who might actually stand a chance against him."

Aiden didn’t respond.

Riona, gripping her staff tightly, whispered, "We’ll take revenge. For Kaiden. For Erebus. For everyone."

The sun shone down upon them, but the shadows stretched long behind.

Somewhere, lurking in the darkness, Shadowbane was watching.