The air in Elandor was different when Kael and Leiya returned. Not heavy. Not loud. But tight—like a taut bowstring waiting to snap.
The Worldflame Guild's halls were buzzing with whispers. Conversations halted when certain names were mentioned. Maps unrolled, locations circled, assignments sealed under urgent wax. Leiya leaned against the mission board, brow furrowed.
"Three scout teams," she said. "Gone without trace. Not even a burst flare sent back."
Kael's eyes followed the red-stamped report pinned to the board. Myrrhfen Wastes – Outer Rim Sector B7. Disruption Level: High Risk. Varnok sightings escalating.
"Wastes have always been dangerous," he said, but even he didn't sound convinced.
Leiya glanced around. "Not like this. Not coordinated."
Their suspicions were confirmed moments later when a stern-faced guild marshal approached them.
"You two are being sent to Sector B7," he said, handing over the sealed directive. "Two others will join you—special selections. Scout, investigate, return. Engage only if necessary."
Kael opened the seal. Inside, a single sentence caught his attention:
"Possible Humanoid Varnok activity."
⸻
The group assembled before dawn. The other two members of the squad were already waiting.
First was Ryse, a lanky, dark-haired swordsman with sharp features and sharper eyes. Analytical. Reserved. His hands constantly hovered near the hilts of twin shortblades strapped across his back.
The second was Tarn, a red-haired, broad-shouldered bruiser who exuded impatience. He cracked his knuckles before anyone even spoke.
"Let's not waste time," Tarn said, slinging a war-axe over his shoulder. "If there's a Varnok smart enough to set traps, I say we put it down fast."
Ryse tilted his head. "Assuming it lets you find it. Humanoid Varnok don't fight like beasts. They wait. They read patterns."
Kael simply nodded. "We move together."
⸻
They reached the outer Myrrhfen ruins by mid-afternoon. The terrain had changed since Kael last saw it—twisted roots, blackened stone, and thick Essence fog now blanketed the crumbled outposts. Strange symbols had been scorched into the ruins, forming patterns that made Ryse frown.
"These weren't made by Varnok claws," he muttered. "This is structured. Ritualistic."
Leiya drew closer to Kael. "You feel that?"
He did.
Something beneath the soil vibrated faintly. Not like tremors—more like breath.
They didn't have time to wonder long.
The ambush came fast.
Varnok burst from the mist—not the usual mindless charge, but flanking maneuvers. They used the terrain. They came in silence. And at their rear stood a cloaked figure, humanoid in shape, its eyes glowing violet.
Tarn roared into the fray, meeting the front wave with raw power. Ryse danced around him, slashing precise arcs of wind Essence. Kael moved forward as lightning surged across his skin.
"Leiya!" he called, sparking his arms with heat. "Left formation!"
She answered with a beam of blinding light, cutting across the flank and freezing two advancing Varnok in a burst of ice. Kael dashed in.
Thunderflare Surge detonated beneath his feet as he slammed both fists into the ground. A shockwave of flame and electricity exploded outward, blasting the ground and launching Varnok into the air, their claws trailing smoke.
He didn't stop.
Stormfire Whip Spiral followed. Kael spun mid-air, arms extended. A spiral of storm-charged flame erupted from his limbs, slicing outward in a whip-like arc. The ground ignited behind him. Electricity rippled along the scorched soil, disrupting Varnok movement and Essence channels.
Behind him, Leiya followed his rhythm. As he spun left, she jumped right, releasing arcing bolts of light that converged on his whip spiral. The combo created a stormfire-laced flashbang that blinded half the battlefield.
"Nice timing," Kael muttered, dashing past her with a nod.
"I'm getting used to your tempo," she replied, grinning through the chaos.
But it wasn't enough.
The Humanoid Varnok moved at last—lifting a single clawed hand.
The scattered Varnok regrouped. Perfect timing. Cohesion.
Kael's instincts roared.
He narrowed his stance, then ignited Maelstorm Overburn—not as a technique, but as a burst. Lightning snapped across his body. Storm winds flared from his shoulders. Flame coiled along his legs and fists. He dashed between three enemies, each strike overcharged, each motion infused with the chaotic grace of the storm.
His body trembled from the strain. Overburn was meant to be temporary. But he was learning. Controlling it. Bursting in and out of the state with measured efficiency.
"Tarn, Ryse!" Kael shouted. "We hit the tall one. Together."
The two nodded—Ryse forming a piercing arc of wind Essence while Tarn vaulted with a cyclone-assisted swing.
Leiya jumped forward with a flashstep, launching a narrow beam of ice and light toward the Humanoid Varnok's eye. It didn't flinch, but it did raise its hand—and blocked the strike with a conjured shield of pulsing shadow.
Kael dropped from above with another Overburn burst, fist crashing against the shield—and cracking it.
The Humanoid's head tilted. For the first time, it spoke.
"I see. You're not like the rest."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"You'll break better than they did."
⸻
The Varnok retreated just as suddenly as they attacked, disappearing into the Wastes with unnatural coordination. Ryse tracked for a moment but returned, shaking his head.
"Gone. Purposefully. They wanted us to see them."
Leiya stared into the distance. "Or test us."
Kael let his Essence fade, shoulders tight.
Whatever this was—it wasn't just a new Varnok breed.
It was the start of something else.