Page 36 of Second

Tor’Vek paused only to grab the portable suppressor, cradling it with care. “The shielding will hold for now, but this facility will not.”

Elara glanced at Zar’Ryn, her hazel eyes wide but steady. “Come with us.”

“I will follow,” he said firmly, his blade rising to meet another wave of Marauders. “Move!”

Tor’Vek took her arm, guiding her toward the exit. The bond flared as Elara hesitated, her fear and concern crashing into Zar’Ryn with startling clarity. He didn’t look back, his attention fully on the Marauders closingin.

“You will be safe,” he said, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Go now.”

The emergency door sealed behind them with a heavy thud, leaving Zar’Ryn alone with the oncoming horde. His blade gleamed in the crimson light, steady in his grip. He took a deep breath, the bond’s connection receding ever so slightly as Elara moved fartheraway.

Now, it was only him and the Marauders. And Selyr.

“You are wasting your strength,” Selyr said, his tone calm as he stepped farther into the room. “The bond has already made you vulnerable. It will unmake you, just as it will unmake her.”

Zar’Ryn’s blade cut down the last of the Marauders in the wave, and he turned sharply toward Selyr, his chest heaving. “You will not touch her.”

“Oh, Zar’Ryn,” Selyr said, his voice almost pitying. “I do not need to. The bond will do that for me. After all, this is not the end. This is only the beginning.”

With a sharp motion, Selyr triggered a concealed device. The lab shuddered violently as a new wave of Marauders poured in through the breached ceiling. Zar’Ryn tightened his grip on his blade, his focus sharpening as he charged to meet them head-on.

The ceiling above groaned as debris rained down, thick plumes of dust swirling through the lab. The Marauders poured in, their guttural snarls echoing off the walls. Zar’Ryn’s blade snapped through the air, ablur of lethal precision as he intercepted the newest wave. His movements were sharp, deliberate, honed by centuries of combat.

Selyr stood at the far end of the room. The faint glow of his eerie yellow eyes cut through the dust, watching Zar’Ryn with cold detachment. “So predictable,” he murmured, his voice low but audible over the chaos. “Always the noble warrior, sacrificing yourself for others. Tell me, Zar’Ryn, when will it be enough?”

He didn’t answer, instead driving his blade into the chest of a lunging Marauder, twisting sharply before pulling it free. His gaze flicked to the emergency exit where Tor’Vek and Elara had vanished. The bond thrummed faintly, awhisper of Elara’s anxiety brushing against his thoughts. She was safe. Fornow.

The next group of Marauders charged, their crude weapons raised, their grotesque forms illuminated by the flickering emergency lights. Zar’Ryn moved to meet them, his blade carving a deadly arc through the air. The creatures fell one by one, their guttural cries fading into silence as he pressed forward.

“You cannot keep this up forever,” Selyr said, his tone almost conversational. He stepped closer, his hands clasped behind his back. “The bond will break you. It is only a matter of time.”

Zar’Ryn turned sharply, his blade raised, his gaze locking onto Selyr. “I will not allow you to manipulate me.”

Selyr chuckled, the sound low and mocking. “You think this is manipulation? No, Zar’Ryn. This is inevitability. The bond is not a gift. It is a curse. And when it consumes you, Iwill be there to collect the pieces.”

Another Marauder lunged from the side, its claws slashing through the air. Zar’Ryn twisted, dodging the attack and driving his blade into its side. The creature collapsed with a choked snarl, its lifeless body hitting the floor with a dullthud.

“You have surrounded yourself with beasts,” Zar’Ryn said coldly, his blade dripping with dark, viscous blood. “Is this what you have chosen to become, Selyr? Acoward hiding behind creatures too mindless to question your orders?”

Selyr’s smile faltered, aflicker of something darker crossing his face. “You think yourself superior because you cling to outdated codes and hollow ideals. But tell me, warrior, where have those ideals led you? To a bond you cannot control? To a human who will only drag you down?”

Zar’Ryn charged, his blade cutting through the air in a sharp, precise arc. Selyr sidestepped smoothly, his movements fluid and calculated. He raised a small device, its surface etched with glowing symbols, and pressed a setting.

A pulse of energy rippled through the room, slamming into Zar’Ryn like a physical blow. He staggered, his blade faltering as the force coursed through him. The bond flared violently, Elara’s emotions crashing into him with startling intensity—fear, anger, desperation. It was overwhelming, like a tidal wave threatening to drownhim.

“Do you feel it?” Selyr asked, his voice smooth and laced with cruel satisfaction. “The bond is not your strength. It is your weakness.”

Zar’Ryn gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. The pulse had momentarily dulled his senses, but his grip on his blade remained steady. “You are mistaken,” he said, his voice low and steady. “The bond is not what weakens me. You have only ensured your defeat.”

Selyr’s gaze narrowed, his calm facade slipping for the first time. “Bold words for a man who cannot stand.”

Zar’Ryn lunged, his blade a blur of motion as he closed the distance between them. Selyr raised the device again, but Zar’Ryn struck first, his blade slicing through the mechanism with brutal precision. Sparks erupted as the device shattered, the energy pulse dissipating into theair.

The two Vettians faced each other, the tension between them crackling like static. Selyr’s calm expression was gone, replaced by a cold fury. “You will regret that,” he said, his voice sharp as a blade.

“I regret nothing,” Zar’Ryn replied, his gaze unflinching. “You will answer for what you have done.”

Before Selyr could respond, the station shuddered violently, another explosion ripping through its structure. The emergency lights flickered, plunging the room into momentary darkness.

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