Villain's Path System-Chapter 26: Premature
"RUN!"
Like hell.
Lucian activated Mana Threading, channeling what little power he had into his legs. He moved left, trying to flank—
Assassin moved—a blur closing the distance in an instant.
His kick landed with brutal precision, catching Lucian in the ribs exactly where he was already injured.
White-hot agony exploded through his chest. Old bruises screamed. Something cracked—a sickening sound.
He hit the ground hard, vision swimming.
Can’t breathe. Can’t—
"LUCIAN!"
Seraphina’s attention split for just a heartbeat—her eyes darting toward where he’d fallen, concern breaking through her combat focus.
"Sloppy."
It was all the opening the assassin needed. His kick caught Seraphina square in the stomach. She flew backward, slammed into a pillar, and crumpled.
Lucian forced himself to his knees, clutching his ribs. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
Broken. Definitely broken this time.
Get up. You’re useless on the ground.
He looked up and,
"No—" He tried to stand, but the assassin was already there, looming over him.
Shadow blade raised for a killing blow aimed at his throat.
"This ends now, Valemont."
"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"
Seraphina pushed herself up from where she’d fallen—too fast and easily for someone who’d just been thrown into a stone pillar. If anything, she looked stronger than before, as though the impact had ignited something inside her rather than weakening her.
The assassin’s head tilted. Just slightly. A fractional pause that hadn’t been there before.
He’d noticed.
She charged — and something shifted. Not a decision. or a technique. Something underneath her skin that had no name yet.
Her blade met the assassin’s strike and held.
Shadow and steel clashed in a shower of sparks that shouldn’t have been possible. She didn’t understand why it worked this time. No time to understand.
Assassin pressed forward. She matched him. Strike for strike. Block for counter. Fast, brutal, neither giving ground.
But in her reckless charge, she’d left an opening.
The shadow blade lashed out in a counter-strike, slicing across her shoulder. It cut through fabric and skin—not deep, but enough.
Blood welled immediately, staining her uniform crimson.
She hissed in pain, stumbling back a step—
And something changed.
Her eyes flashed.
Just for a second.
Black and silver, blazing with something that came from somewhere deep inside the wound.
Heat pulsed outward from her in a visible wave—not an explosion, just a surge of raw power released instinctively. Brief. Uncontrolled.
The assassin actually stumbled backward, his shadow form rippling as the wave struck.
Lucian, still on his knees clutching his ribs, felt the pulse wash over him—two opposing forces colliding in a single wave. Heat and cold. Light and shadow. Wrong in a way that made his instincts scream.
Near the edge of the courtyard, two figures had been watching.
Elena—who’d been pressed against the wall in terrified silence since the fight started—watched Seraphina’s power erupt. Her nerve broke. She ran. Didn’t look back.
The mystery boy had been more arrogant.
He’d positioned himself in the back alcove—far enough to avoid notice, close enough to see everything. Probably congratulating himself on his cleverness. Enjoying the show.
Right up until the wave hit.
Seraphina’s awakening pulse didn’t distinguish between friend and bystander. It rolled over him with the force of a physical blow—raw power with nowhere to go, lashing out in every direction.
The boy’s smug expression vanished.
His eyes went wide. Then rolled back.
His body crumpled. Knees first, then torso, then face—meeting stone in rapid succession.
He just lay there, sprawled and unconscious.
The courtyard fell silent.
Seraphina swayed slightly, her eyes returning to their normal ember gold. She looked down at her hands, turning them over as though seeing them for the first time.
"What did I—" Her voice came out small. Confused. "What just happened?"
