The horn’s blare signaled the start, but for Kael, it felt like time stood still for a moment. His pulse raced as he tightened his grip on his sword. Across the arena, Kiran's team scattered with precision.

“Darin, what’s their movement?” Jin’s voice came through steady, though there was a sharp edge to it. He stood near their makeshift base, a stack of crates and debris offering limited protection. His fingers hovered over the orb, ready for Darin’s intel.

“They’re splitting,” Darin’s voice crackled through the orb. "Their watcher is coming towards me , Two are headed for Tarek and Kael.”

Kael glanced at Tarek, crouched beside him, her face set in determination. She was their Prey, and if she was captured, it would be over. But something in her stance told him she wasn’t about to sit back defensively. Without a word, Tarek took off, moving alongside Kael through the maze of rocks and obstacles.

“Stay close,” Kael muttered, eyes scanning the horizon. He felt her presence at his side, the two moving in sync as they navigated the battlefield.

But then, in the blink of an eye, Jin’s sister appeared, cutting through their path with blinding speed. “Tarek, split off , don't get captured and try to catch their commander!” Kael barked, and without hesitation, Tarek veered left, racing toward their enemy’s base while Kael stepped in to intercept Jin’s sister.

She smirked as their swords clashed with a deafening clang. “Hello, Kael,” she hissed, pressing him back with surprising strength. “You might have heard of me from your friend , I am Jin's sister Laura. Let me give you a piece of advice don't trust him."

Kael gritted his teeth, feeling the strain as their weapons ground together. “Thanks, but I don’t need you telling me whom to trust.” He pushed her back, eyes narrowed.

From the orb, Jin’s heard their conversation feeling proud at Kael's answer.

Laura chuckled, but there was no warmth in it—only cold calculation. “You’ll regret that. You’ll regret trusting him. You don’t know who he really is.”

Kael’s eyes hardened. “We’ll see about that, won’t we?” He lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air as they engaged in a vicious exchange of blows. Each strike was met with equal force, sparks flying as their blades collided.

The fight intensified. Laura moved with an almost predatory grace, her strikes precise and relentless. But Kael matched her, his movements fluid, his focus unwavering. Every blow she landed was met with a counterstrike, their swords a blur as they danced across the battlefield. The clang of steel against steel echoed in the arena, the sheer force of their strikes sending tremors through the ground beneath them.

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“You’re good,” she muttered, her breath labored but her expression still full of confidence. “But not good enough.”

Kael didn’t respond. He let his sword speak for him, unleashing a barrage of swift, unpredictable strikes. She parried, barely keeping up, her eyes flashing with frustration.

Their fight was like a storm—wild, chaotic, but neither willing to give an inch.

While Kael and Jin’s sister were locked in battle, Tarek bolted through the arena, her eyes fixed on the enemy Commander’s base. She weaved through the obstacles, her heart pounding as she neared the target. Victory was within reach.

But then, from the corner of her eye, Tarek spotted movement. A figure darted into her path—the other team’s Prey. He was smaller, leaner, but his presence was commanding. He blocked her path with a grin that spoke of confidence far beyond his years.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, voice dripping with arrogance.

Tarek skidded to a halt, her body tense. “Out of my way,” she snarled.

Tarek's eyes narrowed. “Get out of my way!”

With a swift motion, she attacked, her agility allowing her to evade his strikes with grace. The two fought fiercely, Tarek using her speed to outmaneuver him while he attempted to pin her down. She rolled beneath his guard, coming up behind him and striking him in the back.

As they battled, she glanced back, catching a glimpse of Kael struggling against Jin's sister. His movements were becoming increasingly erratic, and Tarek felt a surge of concern.

“Jin!” she called out, hoping he could offer help.

Back at the battlefield, Jin observed the chaos unfold, his mind racing with possibilities. He watched as Tarek faced off against one of Kiran's students, her determination shining through. But Kael was still locked in a heated duel, and Jin knew he needed to act fast.

“Darin!” Jin shouted, “Darin ! We need to know where they’re coming from!”

He raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. “You’re pretty fast, but you won’t get past me.” He tilted his head, studying her. “Why be the Prey? You should be running toward your own base, not ours. What’s your game?”

Tarek tightened her grip on her weapon. “What makes you think I’ll tell you anything?”

He chuckled, his eyes gleaming. “It doesn’t matter. You’re not going anywhere.”

Meanwhile, back at the base, Jin’s frustration was palpable. His eyes darted between the orb and the battlefield, his mind racing. “Darin, what are you doing ?"

Darin’s voice crackled through the orb, tense. “I... I can’t see! Their Watcher’s here with me, blocking my view. Every time I try to focus on them, their Watcher’s disrupting my line of sight.”

Jin cursed under his breath. This is the situation I was trying to avoid. They seem already trained. We won’t be able to win in a frontal confrontation. His mind whirled, weighing options. Their team was clearly more experienced, their coordination tight, their strategy refined. If they went head-on, they didn’t stand a chance.

“We won’t win this with brute force,” Jin muttered to himself, pacing near the base. If we don’t think outside the box, we’ll lose.

He glanced up at Darin’s position, his eyes narrowing in thought. “What if...” Jin trailed off, his mind piecing together a solution. “Darin, keep doing what you’re doing. Let their Watcher think they’ve got you .”

Jin’s heart pounded as an idea started forming in his head, but the clock was ticking, and their window of opportunity was closing fast. Tarek was out there, vulnerable, and Kael was locked in combat with Laura. They were on the back foot, but Jin knew one thing for sure: They needed to outsmart their opponents, not overpower them.

He took a deep breath, determination hardening his resolve. “Alright,” he murmured, the edges of a plan forming. “We’re not losing this.”