The enclave lights dimmed at midnight. It was a time of silence, of rest. But tonight, something moved within the shadows—swift, unseen, and far too quiet for comfort.
V had arrived.
The assassin stepped through the underground corridors without triggering a single alarm. The Thread responded to them like wind through a blade—silent, controlled, sharp.
The mission was simple: eliminate the Thread anomaly. Eliminate Eli.
---
Rebel Training Hall – Just Before Dawn
Eli stood alone, sweat tracing down his back as he repeated a Thread technique Jericho had taught him. Control. Focus. Redirect. The hum of energy followed his movements now, no longer wild.
He was improving.
A breath. A flicker.
Then—instinct screamed.
Eli spun just in time to avoid a blade slicing down from the shadows. Sparks danced across the floor. A cloaked figure stepped forward, twin-threaded weapon crackling.
No words. No hesitation.
V attacked.
---
The First Strike
Eli ducked and rolled, barely dodging a second slash. The blade didn't just cut—it severed the flow of Thread. His connection sputtered for a brief moment. Disoriented, he staggered back.
"Who are you?!" he shouted.
No reply. V lunged again.
They moved with perfect form, a ghost between heartbeats. Each strike targeted vital points—not to injure, but to kill.
Eli's hands burned with Threadlight. His instincts screamed to survive. He clashed with the assassin's blade in a burst of energy, barely parrying the force.
This wasn't a duel. It was an execution.
---
The Alarm Breaks
The commotion triggered old security lines. Sirens wailed. Lights flared. Mira, Jericho, and half the enclave rushed toward the hall.
"Eli!" Mira shouted, eyes wide as she spotted the black-armored figure.
"Don't interfere!" Jericho barked. "That's a Proxy Blade!"
"A what?!"
"V. Proxy's ghost. They don't miss."
---
A Desperate Defense
Eli was losing.
Every blow from V felt like a wave crashing against a crumbling cliff. His body ached, arms bruised, Thread flickering like a candle in the wind.
Then—he remembered the Trial.
The threads weren't tools.
They were echoes. Emotions. Memory.
He closed his eyes. For a moment.
And he listened.
The world slowed.
He felt Mira's fear. Jericho's rage. Vega's worry. Even V's cold, unreadable aura.
He pulled it in. All of it.
---
The Turning Point
V struck.
But Eli's eyes snapped open—golden.
He caught the blade between two glowing palms. It sizzled, and for the first time, V staggered.
Jericho's mouth dropped open. "He stopped the blade?!"
Eli flung the weapon away with a shockwave of energy. Threadlight spiraled from his body like flame.
"I don't know what you are," Eli said quietly. "But I'm not ready to die."
V stepped back. Assessed. Then vanished into smoke—retreating.
Not defeated.
But delayed.
---
Aftermath
Mira rushed to Eli. "Are you hurt?!"
He dropped to his knees. Exhausted. Shaking. But alive.
"They sent a Proxy Blade for me…"
Jericho nodded grimly. "That means you're a threat."
"What happens now?"
Vega stepped into the hall, gaze hard. "Now… we prepare. Because the next one won't retreat."