The night was pitch black, the only light coming from the pale glow of the moon. Shizuku's Ladder—the sole passage between the floating continents—stood before us, its massive rungs disappearing into the darkness above. The only other way down was to jump… and that wasn't an option.
We approached the ladder, steeling ourselves for what lay ahead.
Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged.
"Hasn't it been too long, Iben?"
The voice was smooth, almost amused. I turned to my right and saw Iben standing rigid, his entire body trembling. Clara, too, was frozen. Neither spoke. Neither moved. Kyo glanced between them, confusion flashing in his eyes.
The man stepped forward, moonlight revealing his grotesque visage. His right eye was missing, not sewn shut, but simply gone—replaced by a jagged scar that stretched from his empty socket to his ear. A nightmare given flesh.
"So," he continued, tilting his head, "how did it feel, locked away in that tower all these years? I hope Grim hasn't forgotten about me. Shouldn't old comrades greet each other?"
Iben's voice was barely a whisper. "How did you know we were coming… Zeke?"
Lh. Zeke.
The traitor who had betrayed Aurora and murdered Rapar, their leader.
But I didn't care about that.
He was the one who killed my little sister.
He had stolen from her the most basic knowledge any living being should possess—the knowledge to draw breath.
Rage burned through me. The moon was bright. Kyo's flames flickered at my side. Maybe, just maybe, I could hurt him.
"Kyo, back me up!" I roared, charging forward, light surging around my fists.
I didn't even make it a step.
Iben's hand clamped onto the back of my collar, yanking me back like a disobedient child. "Don't do anything stupid," he said, his voice eerily calm. "You too, Kyo."
Then, his composure shattered.
"ANSWER ME, ZEKE!" Iben bellowed.
Zeke smirked. "You should know why. I vowed to settle the score with you ex-Faction Eight dogs. And besides…" His grin widened. "What Nullborn wouldn't rush to Dunkle Tiefen when they heard the commotion?"
Iben moved before Zeke could finish.
One moment, he was beside me. The next—gone. My light-enhanced eyes barely caught the blur of his movement.
Zeke didn't flinch.
"Fall."
A crushing force slammed Iben into the ground. No attack. No visible force. Just a command.
"Did he trip?" I muttered.
"No," Clara whispered, trembling. "Zeke doesn't use powers like we do. He doesn't summon the void. He commands it." She swallowed hard. "Just like Grim."
Iben staggered to his feet, blood trickling from his lips. "BUT IF I GET CLOSE ENOUGH—!"
He vanished again, reappearing behind Zeke in an instant, fist aimed at his spine—
WHAM.
The impact echoed across the meadows of Flauma. Dust billowed. When it cleared—
Iben was on the ground.
Zeke's boot pressed against his skull.
"How…?" Iben choked, blood bubbling from his mouth.
Zeke leaned down, his smile twisting into something inhuman. "Don't be so surprised. I just did what you wanted to do to me. Fair, don't you think? You attacked first. This is self-defense… right?"
Clara retched.
My body locked up.
Why was I even here? Why was I with these people? Why was I tangled in something that had nothing to do with me?
My thoughts spiraled. My limbs refused to move.
Clara was the next to act. She lunged—a healer, of all people, throwing punches that cracked the earth beneath them. Kyo followed, flames erupting in support.
And me?
I just stood there.
A month ago, I was just an orphan with strange abilities. I'd gotten my answers from Grim. So why…?
There was no way we could win.
Zeke was beyond us. Maybe beyond even Grim.
My knees hit the dirt. My hands clawed at my face. The ladder was leaving. No one was left to board it.
We were finished.
Or so I thought.
A hand seized me—violent, desperate. Then Kyo. Then Clara.
"Make sure you figure things out,"Iben growled before **hurling us toward the ladder.
We barely caught the rungs.
I looked back.
Iben stood alone, bathed in a dark golden aura, his body radiating power I'd never seen before.
Zeke chuckled. "So, you've finally decided to get serious?"
Then—
A hand punched through Iben's chest.
Blood sprayed.
Zeke kicked him to the ground. Spat on him. Stomped on his corpse long after life had left his body.
We could only watch.
Iben the Hunter… was dead.