Seraphina's offer hung in the air, and for a brief mont, Horizon's gaze flickered toward the bodies of Damon, David, and Ford.
The group seed to settle into an uneasy silence.
Velvet was still seething with anger, and looked at the others for confirmation, but even she could sense that they were no match for Horizon in their current state.
The air was thick with tension as the won stood before Horizon, their hands still tight around their weapons.
The three dead bodies of Damon, David, and Ford stood there, appearing like they would devour them at any mont—each one a testant to Horizon's strength and ruthlessness.
The n, despite their impressive stats of 400-500, had fallen at his hands, and even turned into his undead army. It was a grim display of power, one that none of the won could ignore.
Fiora, her eyes wide and still trembling from the horror of what she had witnessed, took a hesitant step back. Her grip on her weapon loosened slightly as she struggled to regain her composure. "L-let's just go . . ." she stamred.
But even as the others were visibly shaken by the undead at Horizon's back, one woman remained unfazed.
Seraphina stood tall and steady, her posture calm, her gaze locked firmly on Horizon. She was unbothered by the grueso display before her.
Where the others saw danger and instability, Seraphina saw opportunity.
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"No," she said sharply. "We're not leaving." She took a step forward, her hand outstretched toward Horizon. "If you don't mind, let's form a partnership."
Silence descended, thick and heavy.
A partnership?!
After everything that had just transpired, Seraphina was offering an alliance with the very man who had just slaughtered other players and turned them into undead?
It was a bold move, and to the others, it was practically insane.
Dawnfire's jaw clenched, and she took a half step forward, ready to protest. "Are you serious?" she snapped. "You saw what he did to them. He killed them and turned them into his undead army! We're not going to throw in with this madman."
Aria's eyes flickered between Seraphina and Horizon, and she took a defensive stance, her weapon raised slightly. "He killed them, Seraphina—do you really want to form an alliance with him? We can't trust soone like him."
Fiora nodded in agreent, her voice shaking. "He's too dangerous. It's best if we just go."
Despite the protests, Seraphina remained cool and composed. She did not flinch under the weight of their opinions, nor did she back down from her decision.
The others were not used to this. Seraphina was known for her level-headed nature, but this was different—this was a gamble.
"Why are you so calm?" Velvet's voice cut through the silence, her expression one of disbelief. "We can't just overlook what he's done. He killed them!"
Seraphina's gaze flicked sharply toward Velvet. "We've killed players too, Velvet. Or have you forgotten that fact?"
Velvet's throat tightened, her mouth snapping shut in defense. She had no response, no counter to that truth.
She knew Seraphina was right—the Wingless Valkyrie guild had blood on their hands, just like any other guild in this world. They'd killed, they'd taken lives, and they didn't hesitate when the mission called for it. But this . . . this was different.
Velvet clenched her fists, anger bubbling to the surface. "But this is different!" she spat, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and frustration. "He didn't just kill them—he turned them into undead! Do you really want him to do the sa to you? To us? What happens when we beco his puppets, nothing more than his mindless servants, forced to follow his every order? I don't want that. No matter what, I won't form an alliance with him!"
It was the sa for others too.
They all feared Horizon's power, his ability to raise the dead, to twist the very essence of life itself.
Seraphina wasn't afraid of death—she was afraid of losing everything they had fought for. This competition was everything to them. A loss here wouldn't just be a defeat; it would be the greatest sha to her, the leader of a party that failed.
Wingless Valkyries had never fallen below the top three in the yearly competition. If she failed now, she might as well embrace death right then and there.
So, if that ant working with soone like Horizon, soone who defied the very laws of life and death, then so be it. They couldn't afford to let fear hold them back, not when the stakes were this high.
"I understand your concerns, but right now, our top priority is getting out of here alive. All partnerships co with risks, and this is a risk we should be willing to take in pursuit of victory."
The others exchanged worried glances, but none could deny that Seraphina had a point. Aligning themselves with soone strong was a wise choice. It wasn't about trust—it was about survival in this brutal environnt.
Horizon raised an eyebrow at Seraphina's words, his expression unreadable. He was silent for a long mont, as though he were weighing the proposition.
The others were watching him closely, but there was an undeniable air of uncertainty in the way they looked at him now.
Horizon wasn't fond of the idea of forming an alliance, especially with won who looked at him like he was beneath them—like he'd committed so heinous cri by turning the corpses into undead.
What irked him even more was the tone they took, as if the partnership was already a done deal, simply because Seraphina willed it.
They hadn't even considered his choice in the matter. It wasn't about mutual agreent; it was about them deciding what was best, assuming he'd just fall in line.
If Horizon had wanted to, he could have crushed the Wingless Valkyrie group without even breaking a sweat.
But that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted sothing else—sothing deeper, sothing with greater potential in the future.
And Seraphina had given him a way in.
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