Aiden exhaled sharply, adjusting his stance as the warband leader loomed ahead. It was bigger than the others—easily twice their size, with thick, gnarled muscle layered beneath mismatched armor plates. A scavenger’s king. Its massive jagged blade scraped against the stone as it stepped forward, the sound grating like rusted metal against bone.

The Ruin Dwellers that had survived scattered to the sides, forming a loose ring around him. They weren’t retreating. They were waiting.

Aiden’s jaw tightened. They weren’t just mindless beasts. They were following orders.

The leader let out a low, guttural snarl.

And the horde attacked.

Aiden’s vision ignited with golden fire—futures branching in all directions. Too many. Too fast.

Dodge left. Roll forward. Parry the strike. Kick out the knee. Move.

His body blurred into motion.

A jagged dagger whistled through the air. Aiden ducked—his head tilting just an inch out of the way. His knife slashed upward, severing the attacker’s wrist. A scream. The creature staggered back.

Another charged. Aiden pivoted—his blade flicking out in a sharp arc. Too shallow. The Ruin Dweller recoiled, snarling, but didn’t go down.

The golden flickers of his foresight blurred again. Next attack. Right. Then left. Then—

Too late.

A heavy axe slammed toward him. Aiden twisted, barely avoiding the blow as it shattered the stone where he’d been standing a second earlier. Dust kicked up. His vision flickered with half-second warnings, blurred paths that told him he was just barely keeping up.

Then the warband leader moved.

Faster than something its size had any right to.

Aiden’s body tensed.

Duck. Roll. Move—

The massive jagged blade came down in a brutal vertical slash.

Aiden barely dodged in time.

The impact split the stone beneath him, sending cracks webbing outward. The force alone nearly threw him off balance.

That was way too fast.

He pushed off the ground, twisting to the side—just as another Ruin Dweller lunged with a spear. Aiden caught the movement, saw the outcome before it happened, and kicked off the collapsing rubble. His boot struck the creature’s knee, sending it sprawling.

The warband leader roared.

It swung again—this time sweeping horizontally.

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Aiden saw the future paths snap into place. If he dodged back, he’d get caught by the edge of the blade. If he dodged left, one of the Ruin Dwellers would intercept him.

One path.

Over.

Aiden jumped.

The massive blade cut through the air beneath him, missing by inches. He twisted midair, his vision flickering golden as he saw the best landing—there.

He hit the ground in a roll, spinning back to his feet.

And then, before he could react—

A spear sliced into his side.

Pain exploded through his ribs.

Aiden gasped, stumbling, golden fire faltering for just a second.

A Ruin Dweller had baited him.

He gritted his teeth, forcing his body to move, not freeze. His hand clamped down on the spear shaft before the creature could pull away.

Then he ripped it free.

Pain burned through his torso. He ignored it.

Aiden yanked the spear forward, pulling the creature off balance—then drove his knee straight into its skull. Bone crunched. It collapsed.

His breath was ragged.

The warband leader was already moving.

Aiden barely managed to lift his knife in time. Metal met metal.

The sheer force sent him skidding backward.

He barely stayed on his feet.

His grip on his knife tightened.

This thing is strong. And fast. And I still have to deal with the others.

A Ruin Dweller lunged at him from behind.

Aiden moved before it did. He twisted sharply—his blade flashing in a perfect arc.

The creature fell before it even realized it was dead.

But he didn’t have time to breathe.

Because the warband leader was already charging him down.

And this time—it wasn’t just swinging.

It was going for the kill.

Aiden barely had time to breathe before the warband leader charged.

The massive, jagged blade tore through the air, a brutal arc of steel and force. Aiden threw himself sideways as the impact cracked the stone floor, sending a shockwave through the temple ruins.

The sheer force of the attack slammed into his chest like a cannon blast, knocking the breath from his lungs. Dust and debris scattered, and Aiden barely kept his footing as the ruined pillars groaned from the impact.

His golden vision flared. Futures unfolded in an instant.

Too slow, dead. Too fast, wide open.

One path.

Aiden twisted just as a second blur of motion lunged from the side.

One of the smaller Ruin Dwellers—the last stragglers of the warband—snarled as it stabbed forward with a crude spear.

Too late.

The weapon punched into his side, tearing through his jacket, slicing into flesh.

Aiden choked on a sharp gasp, pain burning through his ribs. His step faltered, his balance shifting—

No. Stay moving.

He gritted his teeth, twisting into the pain as his knife flashed.

The blade carved clean across the creature’s throat, hot blood spraying against his arm.

The Ruin Dweller collapsed, its grip on the spear going slack.

No time to recover.

Another lunged, rusted axe swinging for his head.

Aiden saw the strike a second before it landed. His knife blurred, intercepting the attack—redirecting it just enough for the axe to glance off his shoulder instead of splitting into his skull. The impact sent a jolt of pain down his arm, but he ignored it.

His free hand shot forward, catching the creature by the throat. He drove it backward, slamming it into a crumbling stone wall before burying his knife into its chest.

The last Ruin Dweller hesitated, its beady eyes darting toward its fallen kin.

Aiden exhaled sharply, shifting his stance.

The creature hesitated—just for a second.

Then it bolted.

Not happening.

Aiden lunged after it, visions flashing ahead.

His fingers curled around the handle of the fallen spear. He pivoted, bracing his stance, and hurled it.

The crude weapon spun through the air, catching the creature mid-sprint.

It let out a short, choked cry before collapsing onto the stone floor, unmoving.

Silence settled.

Aiden wiped blood from his cheek, his breath heavy.

His side still burned. The wound wasn’t deep enough to cripple him, but every movement sent fresh pain stabbing through his ribs.

He could deal with it later.

A low, guttural growl rumbled through the ruins.

Aiden turned back.

The warband leader stood alone now, massive and unmoving, its burning crimson eyes locked onto Aiden.

It lifted its jagged greatsword, setting its stance.

Aiden rolled his shoulders, exhaling.

Finally. One-on-one.

No more distractions.

The fight wasn’t over yet.