The rumble of the carriage jolted as Yumeru, Goro, and Emi lay trapped beneath the black metal nets that weighed down their every movement. The steel fibers felt cold and unyielding against their skin, seeming to press down with an unnatural heaviness. Through the mesh, Goro glared at the dense forest outside, his frustration mounting.

“Renjiro and Kairro are still out there. I can’t just sit here doing nothing!” Goro growled, clenching his fists. With a grunt, he tried to summon his Lumina, flickers of blue energy sparking briefly before fading, absorbed into the dark metal.

Yumeru watched him, her expression calm but resigned. “It’s no use, Goro. The metal… it’s preventing us from using Lumina energy.”

He gritted his teeth, unrelenting. “Then I’ll break through it with my bare hands.”

Emi, watching his struggle, turned to Yumeru, her face a mix of worry and curiosity. “What is this metal? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Yumeru’s gaze shifted to the faint glimmer of dark steel as she spoke, her voice low. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s Zitanian steel. I’ve only heard about it in legends. Supposedly, it’s the only metal that can suppress Lumina energy.”

Emi’s eyes widened as she processed the information, glancing at her bindings with apprehension. “But… where would anyone get such a thing?”

Yumeru shook her head, her brows knit in confusion. “That’s the mystery, isn’t it? The hunters are human, yet they somehow possess Zitanian steel. Resources like this shouldn’t be in their hands.”

Frustrated, Goro glared at the two drivers seated at the front of the carriage, each dressed in black, rugged attire designed for survival. “Hey! Let us out of here!” he yelled, his voice booming. But the drivers didn’t respond, their expressions blank and unfeeling as they guided the beasts pulling the carriage.

Silence fell between the three captives as they continued their journey, each lost in thought. Renjiro and Kairro were out there, somewhere in the woods, but there was no telling if they even knew what had happened.

After hours of travel, the carriage rolled to a stop. Peering through the gaps in the netting, Yumeru, Goro, and Emi took in the sight of a sprawling camp set up around a large, central bonfire. Dozens of hunters moved between tents, sharpening weapons, organizing supplies, and securing more captives in makeshift cages. Among the prisoners, they noticed Luminarians—many from the Green Clan—as well as other humans. In one cage, an unfamiliar figure with blue markings painted across his face and rough, mottled skin sat silently, his expression somber.

Goro scowled as their captors unceremoniously yanked them from the carriage, chains clinking as the hunters fastened black cuffs around their wrists, each one engraved with a strip of Zitanian steel. The faint, cold glow of Lumina flickered and died as it came into contact with the cuffs, snuffing out any escape attempt.

Emi whispered as they were herded into separate cages, “These hunters aren’t ordinary. If they have Zitanian steel… what else are they hiding?”

Yumeru glanced around, her sharp eyes noting the organized efficiency of the camp. “And where did they get it? No ordinary human could possess resources this rare.”

The three exchanged troubled looks as they settled in their respective cages, discussing escape strategies under their breath.

“We have to find a way out of here,” Goro muttered, his fists clenched around the unyielding chains.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Yumeru nodded. “I agree. But it won’t be easy, not while we have these cuffs. We’ll need to be patient.”

Their whispered conversation was cut short when two guards appeared, unlocking their cages with a set of heavy iron keys. “Out,” one of the guards barked, his tone sharp and hostile. The three were hauled to their feet and shoved forward with a roughness that kept them stumbling as they were led across the camp. The guards herded them into a wide, open tent at the camp’s center, where a shadowed figure waited.

As the three entered, the man turned to face them, his presence commanding. He was muscular, his skin tanned dark from the sun, and he had a shaved head that gleamed in the torchlight. His hazel eyes held a calculating look, as though he was sizing them up, weighing their worth.

“So,” he began, his voice smooth yet edged with menace, “Blue Clan members, far from Azeron. What brings you out to my territory?”

Yumeru’s eyes narrowed. “That’s none of your business.”

Emi, attempting to take a gentler approach, spoke up. “We mean no harm. If you let us go, we’ll leave peacefully.”

The man chuckled, a sound that was neither kind nor amused. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple, dear. Three Blue Clan Luminarians… you’re worth a fortune on the black market. I have a few Green Clan members already, but your clan? Now that’s rare stock.”

Goro’s face flushed with anger, his patience finally snapping. He yanked at his chains, finding one of the cuffs loosely fastened. With a burst of strength, he broke free, casting off the cuff and clenching his fists, which began to glow faintly with Lumina.

Yumeru, noticing the man’s unwavering gaze on Goro, tensed. “Goro, don’t! There's something off about him.”

But Goro ignored her, fury boiling in his veins as he lunged forward, his fist charged with Lumina. “You’ll regret this, you coward!”

The man moved with startling speed, dodging Goro’s initial punch with a fluid step back. Goro swung again, his massive fists slicing through the air. He leaped up, raising both fists high, ready to slam them down on his opponent. But the man sidestepped just in time, his gaze sharp and unflinching.

Goro growled, “Hold still!” He lunged again, fists swinging, but this time, the man caught his wrists mid-air, his grip iron-strong. Goro’s Lumina fizzled as the man lowered Goro’s fists, twisting his arm until Goro gasped in pain.

In one smooth motion, the man delivered a front kick to Goro’s chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. Emi and Yumeru watched, horrified, as Goro struggled to his feet, panting. The man’s strength was unreal—he’d overpowered Goro with raw physical force alone.

Goro charged once more, swinging wildly. The man evaded effortlessly, blocking and dodging each blow until Goro, desperate, threw a powerful punch that landed squarely on the man’s jaw. Blood trickled from the corner of the man’s mouth, but he wiped it away, grinning.

“You have spirit,” he mused, his voice taunting. “But spirit won’t save you.”

The man’s patience ran out. He retaliated with a flurry of blows, each one too fast for Goro to dodge. Goro staggered back, dazed, as the man revealed a sleek spear made of the same Zitanian steel, its dark metal glinting ominously. He lunged, the spear’s tip slicing through the air.

Goro barely had time to raise a Lumina shield, but the spear shattered it effortlessly, the tip grazing his chest and opening a shallow wound. Blue Lumina flickered weakly from the cut, but it refused to heal. Pain radiated through Goro as he stumbled back, breathing heavily.

The man stepped forward, lifting his spear to Goro’s throat with a cold, merciless gleam in his hazel eyes. “You Luminarians think you’re untouchable,” he sneered. “But I’ve hunted your kind more times than I can count. I know your strengths and your weaknesses. You’re nothing.”

Emi gasped and tried to run toward Goro, but a guard held her back, forcing her to watch helplessly as Goro lay defeated. The man withdrew his spear, nodding to the guards. “Take them back to their cells.”

Yumeru stared at the man in shock, her mind racing. The way he had moved, his cold confidence—this was no ordinary human. She looked into his hazel eyes, a terrible realization forming. Could it be…?

As the guards began dragging them back, Yumeru whispered, “He’s… not human. That’s one of the most dangerous hunters in Chromaris.” Her voice trembled. “He’s Zitanian… Ukuboa.”

Emi’s eyes widened in disbelief, her voice barely a whisper. “A Zitanian? But they’re just legends…”

Yumeru’s gaze didn’t waver as Ukuboa’s cold, hazel eyes lingered on them, watching as they were escorted away. “Not legends,” she murmured, her heart pounding with fear and dread. “They’re real.”

As they were forced back into their cages, the weight of their situation settled heavily upon them. They now knew the name and identity of their captor—and the horrifying truth of what they faced.