The Grandmaster's Reincarnation

The air felt heavier as Kael and his group stepped out of the underground ruins. The chilling presence of the Chainbearers still lingered in his mind.

Someone else was already breaking the chains.

Someone else was ahead of them.

And they had no idea who.

A Silent Retreat

They moved quickly through the crumbling ruins, retracing their steps.

No one spoke.

Even Darian, usually the first to make a sarcastic comment, remained silent.

The only sounds were their footsteps against stone and the distant howling of the wind.

Kael's mind raced.

The ashen-haired Chainbearer had called him something.

Harbinger.

It wasn't just a name. It meant something.

He gritted his teeth.

More questions.

No answers.

Verrian suddenly stopped, eyes narrowing. "We're not alone."

Kael stiffened.

A flicker of movement—something shifted in the shadows.

Kira's hand was already on her blade.

Darian muttered, "Well, that didn't take long."

The Watchers

They weren't the veiled figures from before.

These were different.

The shadows around them twisted, moved.

Shapes flickered in and out of sight. Like ghosts.

Kael exhaled. "They've been watching us the whole time."

Verrian nodded. "And now they're done hiding."

A low voice echoed from the darkness.

"You should not have left."

Kael turned sharply.

A figure stepped forward.

Not one of the Chainbearers.

Someone else.

His cloak was tattered, his face hidden behind an iron mask. But Kael could feel it—power, pulsing from him.

The others appeared behind him, moving soundlessly.

Not many. Five, maybe six.

But something about them felt wrong.

Kira's grip tightened. "Who are they?"

The masked man tilted his head. "You already know."

Kael's breath caught.

Then—it clicked.

They weren't just random enemies.

They were the ones breaking the chains.

And they had been waiting for them.

A Dangerous Proposal

The masked man took a step forward.

Not aggressive.

Not threatening.

But… controlled. Measured.

Kael watched him carefully. "What do you want?"

The man's voice was calm. "The same thing you do."

Kael didn't blink. "You don't even know what I want."

The man chuckled. "Don't I?"

He gestured toward the ruins. "You came here seeking answers. Power. The truth."

Kael remained silent.

The man continued. "I can offer you that."

Kira scoffed. "Yeah? And what's the price?"

The masked man looked at her. "Loyalty."

The word hung in the air.

Darian exhaled. "Right. So this is the part where we betray our souls and join some secret cult, huh?"

The man chuckled again. "No. Nothing so… dramatic."

His gaze returned to Kael.

"I simply offer you a choice."

The Warning

The masked figures didn't move.

But their presence was suffocating.

Kael's fingers twitched. He could feel power radiating from them.

They were strong.

Stronger than the enemies they had fought before.

The masked man continued, "The chains are breaking, whether you choose to be part of it or not."

Kael clenched his jaw. "And what happens when they're all broken?"

The man's golden eyes gleamed behind the mask.

"You already know."

Kael exhaled slowly.

No. He didn't.

But he was starting to realize—whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

The man studied him for a moment, then spoke again.

"I'll give you time."

Kael frowned.

"To think," the man clarified. "To decide."

His voice lowered.

"Because once the final chain breaks, you won't have a choice anymore."

Kael's breath slowed.

The words felt heavy.

Like a warning.

Like a promise.

Departure

The masked man stepped back.

His followers melted into the shadows, disappearing as suddenly as they came.

And just like that—they were gone.

Kira inhaled sharply. "Okay. That was terrifying."

Darian let out a breath. "We're not seriously considering his offer, right?"

Kael didn't answer immediately.

Verrian spoke first.

"We don't know enough yet."

Kael nodded. "Exactly."

Darian sighed. "Fine. But I'm just saying—people in masks offering 'choices' usually don't have great intentions."

Kira muttered, "For once, I agree with you."

Kael didn't argue.

Because deep inside, he knew—this wasn't over.

The chains were breaking.

And now, two sides were moving.

The Chainbearers.

And the ones trying to break them.

And Kael was stuck in the middle.

For now.