The battle had erupted swiftly, the forest growing more ominous with each passing second. Min Khant's instincts kicked in as he drew his sword, a smooth, confident motion honed by years of training. Aren moved beside him, his eyes sharp, ready for the fight. The hooded figures were upon them in an instant, drawing weapons that shimmered with dark magic.
Min Khant's eyes locked onto the leader, the figure who had spoken so confidently. The man's presence alone sent a chill down his spine. There was something unnatural about him, an aura that seemed to distort the very air around him. This was no ordinary opponent. Min Khant had faced many adversaries in his lifetime, but this—this felt different.
Aren was the first to strike. With a swift swing of his blade, he forced one of the attackers back, the steel of his sword clashing with the dark weapon in the figure's hand. The force of the blow sent sparks flying into the air, but the enemy only grinned, as if the attack had barely phased him.
"Careful," Aren warned through gritted teeth, his sword still locked with the enemy's. "They're stronger than they look."
Min Khant barely had time to acknowledge Aren's warning before he was faced with his own attacker. A figure lunged at him from the left, its hood falling back to reveal a face twisted in malice. The enemy's eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger, and the way they moved—it was almost inhuman.
Min Khant parried the first strike, his sword clanging against the dark blade of the attacker. The force was enough to send a jolt through his arm, but he quickly regained his footing. With a flick of his wrist, he slashed across the enemy's torso, but the figure danced back with unnatural agility, dodging the attack with ease.
"What are you?" Min Khant muttered under his breath, taking a step back to reassess. The figure's eyes never left him, and for a moment, he felt as though he were locked in a deadly game of chess with an opponent far more skilled than he could have anticipated.
The sound of a battle cry tore Min Khant's attention away from the immediate threat. He glanced toward Aren and saw that he was fighting two of the figures at once. They were relentless, attacking with a fury that seemed fueled by something more than just physical power. There was an eerie, dark energy in the air, and Min Khant could feel it pressing in from all sides.
"You won't win," the leader of the group called out from the distance, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "This world is destined for ruin. The storm was only the beginning. You are too late to stop it."
The words hung in the air like a weight pressing on Min Khant's chest. There it was again—the mention of the storm, and something more. Something that these shadowy figures seemed to know, something that he had yet to uncover.
But there was no time to dwell on it now. Min Khant's focus sharpened, and he tightened his grip on his sword. He couldn't let these creatures win. Not when there was still so much at stake.
He lunged forward, his blade cutting through the air with precision. The figure before him raised a shield of dark energy, and Min Khant's sword collided with it, sending a shockwave of energy radiating outward. The attack was deflected, but the force of the blow caused the ground beneath them to tremble.
A low growl rumbled from the enemy's throat, and he took a step back, his eyes narrowing with annoyance. "You're a difficult one, aren't you?"
Min Khant didn't wait for the figure to finish his sentence. He was already in motion again, his footwork fluid as he closed the distance between them. The enemy barely had time to raise his weapon before Min Khant's sword slashed through the air, cutting through the dark shield and finding its mark in the figure's side.
The enemy cried out in pain, stumbling backward. For a brief moment, Min Khant thought he had won. But then, the figure grinned—a sick, twisted grin that sent a shiver down Min Khant's spine. The wound he had inflicted began to heal before his eyes, the dark energy seeping in to mend the damage.
"So, you've learned a bit of the ancient arts," the figure said, his voice dripping with mockery. "But it won't be enough."
Min Khant's eyes hardened. This was no ordinary magic. It was something ancient, something that had been long forgotten. And yet, the figure wielded it with terrifying ease.
"What are you really after?" Min Khant demanded, refusing to back down. "You speak of storms and ruin, but what is it you truly want?"
The figure's grin faltered, and for a moment, the air seemed to grow colder. "You're more perceptive than I thought, Prince. But it's too late for you to understand. All that's left is the end. And you'll be one of the first to fall."
Before Min Khant could react, the figure raised his hand, and a surge of dark energy shot toward him. The blast was fast, but Min Khant was faster. He dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike as the energy exploded against the trees, causing them to splinter and crash to the ground.
The leader's figure seemed to ripple and blur, his form shifting like smoke. He was no longer standing still. He was moving, teleporting from one spot to another, faster than the eye could follow.
Aren shouted from across the battlefield. "Min Khant! Watch out!"
The warning came just in time. Min Khant barely managed to dodge another blast of dark energy that came hurtling toward him. His breath came in short bursts, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't keep dodging forever. He needed a way to fight back.
Looking around, he noticed that the figures surrounding them were not just warriors. They were like shadows, moving with unnatural grace, their eyes glowing with the same dark power that radiated from their leader. They were all part of something bigger, something that had been waiting for the right moment to strike.
Min Khant's mind raced, trying to formulate a plan. But then, he remembered the words from his dreams—the warnings about the forgotten realms and the force that lay within them. The storm had been a signal, a harbinger of what was to come.
He looked to Aren, who was still engaged in combat, and then to the woman who had led them here. She had been watching them closely, her eyes wide with fear and something else—something familiar.
"Stay close to me," Min Khant said, his voice urgent. "We need to find a way to end this, now."
Aren gave a quick nod, his face set in determination.
They fought together, pushing back the attackers with all their strength, but Min Khant knew it wasn't enough. Not yet. He had to find the leader, the one pulling the strings behind this madness. If they didn't stop him soon, the entire world might fall into chaos.
"Where are you?" Min Khant muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the dark figures. "I know you're here."
And then, through the chaos of the battle, he saw it—something flickering in the distance. The leader's figure, standing at the edge of the forest, watching them.
It was time.
End of Chapter 25