---
The sun dipped behind the horizon as Dabi and Loira walked through the quiet streets of capital City, their minds heavy with the weight of their recent encounter with Zarek.
The air between them buzzed with unspoken tension, and the silence felt oppressive.
"We need a plan," Dabi finally broke the silence, his voice low but determined. "We can't just keep reacting to Zarek's moves. Why is he after you, Loira?
There has to be a reason." Let's think about it. He must he after sothing which you have.
Loira's footsteps slowed, her expression tightening as she thought about Dabi's question.
She knew that answering it ant dredging up painful mories, ones that she had tried to bury for thousands of years. With a deep breath, she began,
"The dinsion gatekeepers, the ones who guard the entrances to the various dinsions... they've been hunted for centuries for rewad. Zarek could one of those hunters."
Dabi's eyes narrowed. "Hunters? Why?" Who gives reward for killing dinsion gatekeeper. It's been thousands years.
Why there still be a hunter. No know about your race you are from th void era. ( Before 1000 years no history found in human docunts. That's why the called that ti void era).
How did he finds about you. No one knows about you only few people know I rescued you.
Loira said information gets leaked all the ti it's nothing to be surprised about.
Also as dinsion gatekeeper my mana is different from others.
There used to be rader to find out dinsion gatekeeper different mana. Zarek might have those. Dadi asked who would be still using those. It's very strange.
Loira paused, her face growing more somber. "Long ago, there was a war a war between the gatekeepers and a powerful enemy.
My father the king, a powerful gatekeeper, fought against them. But when the battle turned against us, he used the Ti Stone to protect ."
Find your next read at empire
It's the stone you were inside when I found you.
"Yes," Loira nodded, her voice steady despite the pain in her eyes. "It was an ancient artifact that could manipulate ti itself.
My father used it to trap in a ti loop, hidden away from the enemy, until the right mont ca for to be freed.
But that mont took thousands of years. I was stuck in that loop, unaware of ti passing until you freed ."
Dabi's mind raced, trying to make sense of everything she was saying.
He rembered the ruins where he found Loira, how everything were in ruins only a hidden room was frozen is ti.
"So, you've been hunted for millennia. Loira tells zarek might be from a hunter family back then.
He might be a descendants of so hunter there might be so family book left where he learn from dinsion gatekeeper Or he is....
Never mind i can't be possibly it's been 1000 years.
Whatever the reason is because of you and your family is in danger " loira tells".
Dabi replied - it's my fault your are still being hunted.
I told so people about about from mouth to mouth zarek must have find your information.
It's not your fault. Also you are I have a contract. So we are bound together.
Now we need to find a way to beat that a*shole.
Dabi's brow furrowed, and he glanced at Loira.
I found sothing when I was exploring the ruins the gatekeeper ruins where I freed you. There was a mory Stone."
Loira's eyes widened slightly. "A mory Stone? What did you see?" How did a mory stone be seen by human.
Only dinsion gatekeeper race can fells the mory stone aura. How did you find it. Dabi replied I just find it. But the mory stone showed the battle.
Dabi's gaze drifted as he recalled the vivid images the stone had shown him.
"It was like a shadow no, more like a figure made of darkness.
It moved through the ruins, killing everyone in its path. It was ruthless, almost unstoppable.
I watched as it destroyed everything every living thing in that place was slaughtered.
That's when I realized how dangerous your enemies were. But I didn't saw anyone face only a dark shadow"
Loira clenched her fists. "That shadow... that was them. It's the powerful enemy forces that decimated my people. They are relentless."
"A mont of silent between them. " Dabi don't know how to conform her.
Dabi's jaw tightened. "we can't let zarek get to you. If he thinks you're still valuable to him, he'll keep coming. We need to stop him before he can recover."
"Zarek was injured," Loira reminded him, her tone resolute. "If we act now, we might have a chance to take him down."
Dabi nodded, thinking fast. "Right. His aura will still be lingering around our ho. If we can track it, we can find him and finish this."
"But we'll need to be careful," Loira said, her voice tinged with caution.
"Zarek's not just so mindless brute. He'll be expecting us to co after him."
"I know," Dabi replied, determination hardening in his eyes.
"But we have an advantage. If we combine our space abilities, we can catch him off guard.
He's already weakened, and with the right strategy, we can overwhelm him."
Loira nodded, her confidence growing. "We'll track his aura. Let's go back to your ho and see if we can find where he went."
Together, they made their way back to Dabi's house, or what remained of it.
The destruction from the earlier battle still hung in the air, the once-peaceful ho now a battlefield of broken walls and scattered debris.
The faint traces of Zarek's dark energy still clung to the air like a poisonous fog.
Dabi closed his eyes, focusing his senses on the lingering aura.
He could feel it Zarek's dark presence, faint but traceable. "I've got it," he said, his eyes snapping open. "But there's sothing strange…"
"What do you an?" Loira asked, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the area.
Dabi furrowed his brow, feeling out the aura more carefully.
"There are two traces of his aura. One leading to the east... and another heading south. How is that possible?"
Loira's expression turned grim. "He's trying to split us up. He must have left so kind of decoy or afterimage to confuse us."
Dabi clenched his fist. "That makes sense. But we can't let him get away. If we split up, we can cover more ground and catch him faster."
Loira frowned. "Are you sure? It's risky. What if one of us runs into him alone?"
Dabi's gaze hardened. "We won't engage. We'll track him, then contact each other. We only fight together, understand?
This is the only way to make sure we don't fall into his trap."
Loira hesitated for a mont before nodding. "Alright. But we stick to your condition no fighting alone."
"Exactly," Dabi confird. "I'll take the eastern trail, and you go south. Keep your senses sharp. If you feel anything off, call imdiately."
With a final nod, they separated, each heading in opposite directions, their senses attuned to the faint traces of Zarek's aura.
The air grew colder as Dabi moved east, his heart pounding in his chest.
Every shadow seed like a potential threat, and the weight of the situation pressed heavily on his mind.
This has to work, Dabi thought as he pressed forward. We have to stop Zarek before he fully recovers. We can't let him regain his strength.
anwhile, Loira moved south, her steps careful but quick.
The landscape shifted as she entered a forested area, the trees casting long shadows across the ground.
The aura grew stronger, and she could feel Zarek's presence, but sothing felt off. The air was too still, too quiet.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine.
Before she could react, a dark figure erged from the shadows, its presence overwhelming. Zarek. He had been waiting for her.
"Going sowhere?" Zarek's voice was a low, nacing growl as he stepped into the clearing, his eyes gleaming with malevolent intent.
Loira's heart raced as she took a step back, her mind screaming at her to move, to run. But it was too late.
Zarek had found her, and she was alone.....
---
Reviews
All reviews (0)