Max's heart pounded in his chest, the oppressive pressure of the cloaked figure's words lingering in the air. The man's smug smile never faltered as the beasts around them snarled and moved closer, their bloodshot eyes fixed on their targets. It was as though time itself had slowed, each movement punctuated by the dissonant ringing in his ears.
Leo was already in motion, his body shifting with the grace of someone accustomed to battle. His hands crackled with energy, light mana swirling around his fingertips as he prepared to defend. But Max couldn't help the gnawing feeling that something was wrong.
The figure before them—the one who seemed to command the beasts—was not just another enemy. He was something worse, someone with knowledge of powers that Max had only begun to scratch the surface of. And that was terrifying.
"You think you can stop this?" the cloaked figure said, his voice smooth, almost amused. "You're merely pawns in a much larger game, children of fate. You cannot win against what is already set in motion."
Max's grip on his dagger tightened. He had faced monsters, criminals, and even his own fears, but this... this was different. The man was too calm, too confident. His power radiated from him like a dark storm cloud, making the air feel thick and suffocating.
"I've had enough of people underestimating me," Max muttered under his breath.
Without waiting for another moment of hesitation, Max dove forward, his body moving with the instinctive speed he had cultivated over the years. His dagger was aimed straight for the heart of the nearest beast, but as he slashed through its hide, the creature dissolved into a wave of dark mana, vanishing as though it had never existed.
Leo shouted, his voice laced with both determination and frustration. "They're not real, Max! They're illusions!"
Max paused for just a heartbeat, glancing at Leo as the boy continued to unleash light-infused strikes at the advancing creatures. His attacks were strong, but the light didn't seem to have the same lasting effect as it usually did.
"Then where are they coming from?" Max called back, barely managing to dodge an incoming swipe from another beast. "And what the hell is that figure?"
Leo's expression darkened as he slashed through the illusion again, the ethereal creature dissolving in a puff of smoke. "I think... I think he's controlling them. But this level of manipulation—it's not normal. I've never seen magic like this before."
Max didn't have time to process Leo's words. The figure in front of them raised a hand, and once again, the ground trembled. This time, however, the earth cracked open more violently, as if the very foundation of the world was being torn apart. From the rift, a massive pulse of dark energy surged upward, and the beasts—real or otherwise—seemed to grow stronger, their movements more frantic and aggressive.
Max's eyes narrowed. He couldn't afford to keep fighting illusions. He needed to find the source—the one who was controlling them.
"Leo, I'm going after him!" Max yelled over the din of the battle. "Cover me!"
Leo hesitated for only a moment before nodding, his eyes flashing with determination. "Be careful, Max. We don't know what we're dealing with here."
Max didn't respond. He couldn't afford to waste another second. He sprinted toward the cloaked figure, the winds howling around him, his feet pounding the dirt beneath him. The dark figure raised an arm in his direction, and the beasts snarled in unison, redirecting their attacks.
But Max was faster.
In a blur of motion, he closed the distance between them, his dagger already poised to strike. But the moment his blade came close, the figure's hand flicked toward him, and an invisible force slammed into Max's chest, sending him crashing backward into the ground.
Max gasped, the air knocked from his lungs, his vision momentarily blurry from the impact. He forced himself to sit up, his muscles screaming in protest. The figure had barely moved, and yet it felt as if the entire world had just collided with him.
"Foolish," the cloaked figure muttered, his voice soft, almost pitying. "You think you can defeat me with such petty tricks?"
Max's fingers twitched around his dagger. His body was still sore from the blow, but he could feel the surge of energy rising within him—the power of the artifact, the bond he shared with the elements. It was more than just strength. It was willpower. It was survival.
The figure was looking down at him now, as if Max were nothing more than an insect to be crushed beneath his boot. But Max's eyes glinted with something more: defiance.
"I won't stop," Max said, his voice low, but steady. "You're not the only one with power."
With that, Max gripped his dagger and leapt back into the fray. This time, he wasn't just relying on his physical strength. He called upon the system, pushing it to its limits, unlocking powers he had never used before.
The first surge of power was small—a flicker of air that created a gust strong enough to knock the beasts off balance. But Max didn't stop. He summoned the elements to his side, his mind opening to their presence, bending the very fabric of nature to his will.
Ice formed at his fingertips, shooting out in sharp, crystalline spikes, freezing the beasts in place. He called upon the earth, the ground beneath him shifting, creating walls of stone that pushed back the relentless tide of illusions.
And then he called the fire.
It erupted around him in a blazing inferno, scorching the remaining beasts, the flames swirling in a controlled vortex that left nothing but smoldering remnants in its wake.
Max's breath was ragged, but he stood tall. His heart was pounding, but it wasn't fear that coursed through him anymore. It was power, pure and unrelenting.
The figure watched him, his expression shifting. The smirk he had worn earlier faltered, replaced by a dark, calculating gaze.
"So, you have more potential than I thought," the cloaked figure said, his voice laced with something new—respect, or perhaps curiosity. "But it doesn't matter. You are still a pawn in a game far larger than you can comprehend."
Max didn't flinch. He was done playing games.
"We'll see about that," Max said, his voice cold and final.