The command room at HQ was dimly lit, filled with the hum of equipment and the quiet murmurs of the tech team monitoring the mission's initial stages. Team Unknown stood assembled, their cloaked figures shifting shadows among the monitors and flickering lights. Dr. Lewis was running final checks, glancing back occasionally at Team Unknown as they stood ready.

Ember watched with an uncharacteristic grin as Dr. Lewis finished up his preparations. He cleared his throat, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "So, Doc… you did remember to bring the nausea pills this time, right?"

Dr. Lewis raised an eyebrow, sighing with long-suffering patience. "Yes, Ember, I came prepared. You've only reminded me six times."

Bo chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't know, Doc; the last time I saw Riggs try to hold it together after a teleport was… unforgettable."

Riggs groaned. "I've never quite forgiven Val for that."

"Save it," Ember said, feigning exasperation. "Dr. Lewis, the pills, if you please. I'd rather not have half my team incapacitated on the ground."

Dr. Lewis handed each of them a small, innocuous-looking pill, which Bo, Fon, and Riggs quickly popped into their mouths. Ember turned to Val, nodding. "Let's skip the pleasantries. It's time."

Val, calm and focused as ever, lifted his hands slightly, and the air around them began to shift as if the very shadows were bending toward him. His eyes flickered with a deep, unnatural darkness as he activated his Void ability. Within moments, the room distorted, and their surroundings vanished in an instant.

They materialized in the dense woods just outside the Redcliff Territory's perimeter, the heart of Black Lotus's hidden stronghold. A dark, silent mist cloaked the forest, and the air carried a biting chill.

On HQ's live feed, the tech team watched as Bo, Fon, and Riggs steadied themselves, each expecting the usual wave of nausea. Instead, they stood upright, grinning like schoolchildren who'd successfully evaded punishment.

Bo, visibly relieved, chuckled. Doc's pills work! For the first time in forever, no queasiness.

Fon gave a small whoop of triumph. All hail Dr. Lewis.

Riggs, straightening his posture, gave a mock salute to the sky. Bless the doctor and his miracle pills.

Ember, watching them with faint amusement, let out a dry laugh before his tone dropped, steady and cold.

Alright, enough playing around. We're live now. Everyone, positions.

They went silent instantly, their expressions sharpening to match Ember's deadly calm.

Frost, Ember called, nodding toward Bo, flank left and freeze any movement on approach. Terra, cover the rear and secure the area from shifting ground—they don't get past the perimeter alive. Aura, take the trees on the right. Umbra and I will head straight for Odren's location.

Each of them moved like shadows, slipping into place without a sound. Their figures disappeared among the darkened landscape, leaving Ember and Val to advance toward the central stronghold. Ember's purple flames pulsed faintly, casting an eerie glow as they proceeded through the thick underbrush.

Val paused beside him. Ready?

Always, Ember replied, his voice low and unyielding. A flicker of fire glowed in his hand before it extinguished with a soft hiss. They pressed forward, deadly silence in their steps.

---Flashback---

Only hours earlier, before Team Unknown assembled at HQ, Dr. Lewis had called Ember into a quiet, enclosed room. The soundproofed walls muted the buzz of the command center outside, making the moment feel both intimate and formal.

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"Ember, before you go, there's something I need to discuss." Dr. Lewis met his eyes with a seriousness Ember rarely saw. "It's about your codename."

Ember raised an eyebrow, curious. "I thought I didn't have one. I'm just… me."

"Not anymore," Dr. Lewis replied. "You've led Team Unknown for years now, and it's time your identity holds the same level of anonymity as the rest. From this mission forward, your codename will be *Lux*."

Ember held Dr. Lewis's gaze, processing the change. It was an unspoken acknowledgment of his role, his significance. But the name "Lux" also held a weight, a faint echo of light within his ruthless precision.

"Understood," he said finally, a faint smirk crossing his face. "Lux, then."

---End of Flashback---

Now, as "Lux," Ember stalked forward, his senses alert, the faint embers of his purple fire ready to ignite with a single command.

Meanwhile, farther out on the perimeter, several members of the Clareo Aurum rank stood guard, posted in positions meant to cover a broad range around the stronghold.

Having witnessed Team Unknown's brutal training sessions during the demonstration, they were somewhat prepared for a unique combat style—but nothing could have readied them for what they were about to witness.

From his position, one Aurum user caught sight of Bo, now Frost, gliding over the forest floor, his breath visible in the sudden chill of the air around him. Bo's hands moved in swift, graceful motions, and the trees in his path became coated in thick, dangerous ice. He moved like a whisper of winter through the woods, silently catching two Black Lotus guards unaware. Before they had time to scream, Bo's ice had engulfed them, freezing them in place.

The Aurum soldier watching felt a chill race down his spine, and he found himself backing away unconsciously, the deadly silence of Bo's movement more terrifying than any drill they'd endured.

On the opposite flank, Fon—Terra—held the ground steady as a small unit of Black Lotus mercenaries began approaching the stronghold. He barely moved; his fingers brushed the earth, and with a shift of his hand, the terrain under the enemy soldiers exploded, throwing rocks and earth upwards, swallowing them whole in a brutal, calculated ambush. The ground closed over them in an instant, and the silence that followed was as oppressive as it was chilling.

Another Aurum user who had been watching Fon's display gripped his rifle tightly, swallowing hard.

The two days of training felt like child's play compared to this raw, unrestrained lethality. He blinked, feeling his palms sweat, wondering how they'd ever believed they understood Team Unknown's capabilities.

From above, Riggs moved swiftly through the trees, taking advantage of his elevated position. His wind-based aura cloaked him in the branches as he surveyed the guards moving below.

With precise timing, he swept his arm, and the air slashed down, knocking two Black Lotus scouts to the ground, their bodies crumpling as if hit by invisible blades. Riggs dropped silently behind them, a faint smirk on his face as he wiped his hands on his cloak, his work already complete.

The Aurum ranks stationed nearby were visibly shaken, some staring wide-eyed as they witnessed Riggs disappear once again into the trees, silent and relentless.

Inside the stronghold's perimeter, Ember and Val continued advancing toward Odren's primary location. Lux led the way, his purple fire flickering ominously as they encountered groups of guards trying to intercept them. Ember raised his hand, and with a single surge, purple flames ignited the ground before him, a spectral blaze that tore through the enemies in his path, leaving them silent, soulless husks.

Val added to the surreal display, using his Void ability to distort the space around them, masking their approach as they moved closer to the heart of Black Lotus's operations. His presence melded with Ember's, and together they left only shadows and burning remnants behind.

Odren's guards were unprepared for the sheer ferocity of Team Unknown. Trained to handle high-pressure situations, even they found themselves faltering under the relentless assault of a team that moved like phantoms. Odren himself, watching from his secure position, narrowed his eyes, fists clenched as he observed his men falling in mere seconds.

The live feeds at HQ picked up the action with clarity, showing each strike, each silent takedown, every flicker of deadly skill from Team Unknown.

The Aurum ranks watching on their monitors and from their positions around the perimeter were awe-struck.

The training demonstration had been intense—but this was an entirely different reality, a visceral nightmare for anyone on the receiving end of their assault. Even the most seasoned Aurum operatives had begun exchanging wary glances, some wiping sweat from their brows, others swallowing hard as they observed what could only be described as ruthless efficiency.

The realization was stark: Team Unknown was more than formidable—they were the embodiment of silent terror, an elite squad unlike anything they'd imagined.

Back on the field, Ember's voice crackled over the Mind Link. His tone was low, almost eerily calm. Everyone in position?

A chorus of quiet affirmatives echoed in response.

On my count, Ember continued, his voice steely. Odren's men will expect chaos. Give them silence.

The team shifted in sync, and without another word, Team Unknown unleashed their final approach.