The atmosphere in the air was thick, almost palpable, as if a shadow was closing in. Everyone present could feel it, even Saico, who had already been trained as an Elemental. Ziggy had warned him about moments like this, when destiny seemed to weave an invisible thread connecting all the Elementals, as if they were meant to fight together, even though they had no idea when or how. It was an unsettling feeling, like everything was balanced on the edge of collapse. Max, as the leader present, tried to remain calm. He knew he couldn’t predict what would happen, or where. But something deep inside him told him an imminent threat was on the horizon. With a firm voice, he gave the order:

—"We split up. Let’s cover the entire city. We don’t know what’s coming, but we need to be ready for anything."

The Elementals quickly dispersed, each one feeling the tension in the air pushing them to move. The city was about to change forever.

On the outskirts of the city, a group of traders chatted peacefully, laughing as they shared stories of the desert. Suddenly, a thick, unpleasant stench began to envelop them, and the air grew dense, as if something was lurking. One of the traders turned around, sensing the undeniable presence of something. Behind them, in the shadows, stood a cloaked figure.

It wasn’t very tall, barely 1.60 meters, but the aura emanating from the figure was nothing short of threatening. The traders, initially confused, quickly assumed it was a desert bandit. With a quick glance between them, they drew their knives and surrounded the creature, confident they could subdue it easily. However, before they could make a move, a stinger, like a green flash, shot out from the creature. The venom covered the stinger’s tip, and with inhuman speed, it pierced the traders, as if it were nothing more than a simple prick. The pain came instantly, but it was the dizziness that shook them most. Their muscles lost coordination, and their bodies began to tremble as if something was decomposing them from the inside.

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One of the traders, in a last-ditch attempt, threw his knife at the cloaked figure. However, when the weapon hit, it bounced off a chest plate as hard as stone. The knife fell uselessly to the ground, and the trader, powerless, also collapsed, losing consciousness at once.

Max, standing in the center of the makeshift watchtower in the central market, listened intently to a report from a scout who had rushed back from the outskirts of the city.

—"They said it was a creature... something they had never seen before," the scout panted, struggling for breath. "The traders... they’re dead, or at least they couldn’t move. Something paralyzed them."

Max clenched his fists, thinking deeply about the situation. He didn’t have enough information, but he couldn’t allow chaos to reach the heart of City Sven-1.

—"Deff, Jazz," he called in an authoritative tone, addressing the two most experienced DESTURIOS present. "I need you to take Saico and head to the scene of the attack. Investigate, but don’t engage until you know what we’re dealing with."

Jazz raised an eyebrow, her usual sarcastic tone resurfacing.

—"What if it’s already too late to investigate?"

Max stared at her coldly.

—"Then fall back. We’re not sacrificing anyone without reason."

Deff nodded, though concern was written across his face.

—"Understood. Let’s go, Saico."

As the group headed for the outskirts of the city, Max turned to the rest of the Elementals scattered around the market and nearby streets.

—"Everyone else, stay on high alert. If this thing reaches the city, we won’t let it go any further than these streets."

On the outskirts of the city, Gunn moved with eerie calm, as if he knew that no one in the area could stop him. His stinger glimmered with a venomous green glow under the sunlight, and each step seemed more deliberate, more threatening.

From the shadows, a flock of mutated birds, usually harmless, began to fly in circles, drawn by the pheromones that Gunn released. With every passing second, the tension in the air grew thicker, signaling that the real confrontation was drawing closer.

And at that moment, the first shadows of chaos began to filter into City Sven-1.