Aeron remained still, his breathing controlled as the energy within him coiled like a shadow waiting to strike. The Seeker and his men moved closer, their steps deliberate, unfazed by the darkness that surrounded them.
Kael shot him a wary glance. "If you're going to do something, now's the time."
Aeron didn't respond immediately. He focused on his newly adapted aura—a distortion of his own energy, laced with something far more primal. The Abyssal Convergence had shifted, twisting his presence into something neither fully human nor entirely void.
Then, the Seeker spoke.
"I know you're here."
The voice carried a dangerous certainty.
Aeron didn't flinch, but his fingers curled slightly. He could feel the Seeker reaching—his energy, his presence, brushing against the walls of the cavern, feeling for even the slightest disturbance.
Kael whispered, "He's about to lock onto us."
Aeron's gaze darkened. Not if I lock onto him first.
System Notification: Abyssal Convergence—New Trait Acquired.
[Predator's Veil: Temporarily masks the user's presence while inducing false energy trails for tracking-based abilities.]
A slow smirk tugged at Aeron's lips.
Kael stiffened as his aura suddenly pulsed, shifting. "What the hell are you"
Aeron placed a hand on Kael's shoulder. "Trust me."
Then, the entire cavern pulsed with energy.
The Seeker's men tensed.
"There!" One of them pointed to a shadow shifting to their left.
The Seeker frowned. "No, wait—"
Too late.
A phantom presence darted across the room, twisting and slithering like a living entity. The false aura Aeron had created danced through the air, mimicking movement—an illusion of a hunter ready to strike.
One of the Seeker's men lunged forward, drawing his blade. "I'll handle it"
Slash!
His body jerked not from an attack, but from his own energy rebounding against him. The illusion had manipulated his perception, and in his haste, he had exposed himself.
The Seeker scowled. "It's a trick."
Kael exhaled. "That's new."
Aeron didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the Seeker, watching how the man reacted.
No panic. No hesitation.
He's dangerous.
Aeron whispered, "We need to move before he recalibrates."
Kael nodded, and in a silent motion, they both slipped through a narrow crevice in the cavern, leaving only echoes behind.
—
The Seeker stood in the now-empty space, his sharp eyes scanning the remnants of distorted energy still hanging in the air. He lifted his hand, feeling the residue of the trick Aeron had played.
"Interesting."
One of his men groaned in pain, clutching his wounded side. "Sir, what should we do?"
The Seeker smirked.
"We hunt."
Aeron moved swiftly through the cavern's twisting corridors, Kael at his side. The lingering echoes of the Seeker's presence still clung to the air, but Aeron knew they had only bought themselves a moment's reprieve.
Kael shot him a sideways glance, his grip tightening around his weapon. "That was a neat trick back there. You're going to tell me how you did it, right?"
Aeron didn't respond immediately. The Predator's Veil had worked—masking their presence and sending false signals—but it had taken a toll. His body felt like it was burning from the inside, his veins pulsing with residual energy.
Too much too soon.
They needed to keep moving.
"The Seeker won't fall for the same trick twice," Aeron finally said. "And he's already closing in."
Kael cursed under his breath. "Damn it. Then we need to make sure the next thing we throw at him actually slows him down."
Aeron's eyes darkened. Or we change the game entirely.
A flicker of energy pulsed through his body as he extended his senses outward. The cavern stretched before them, narrow pathways leading into unknown depths. But Aeron wasn't searching for an escape.
He was searching for an opportunity.
System Notification: Abyssal Convergence—Calculating Potential Battlefield Advantages…
Weak structural integrity detected. Collapse potential: High.
Natural energy vents detected. Highly flammable.
Water reservoirs in proximity. Can be manipulated.
Aeron's lips curved into a smirk.
"We don't need to run," he murmured. "We just need to set the right trap."
Kael arched an eyebrow. "You have something in mind?"
Aeron's gaze flickered to the jagged rock formations above. "If we play this right, we bury them alive."
Kael exhaled. "I like the way you think."
They moved quickly, working in tandem. Kael loosened the weakest rock formations while Aeron traced the natural energy veins, carefully setting up a trigger using his Abyssal Convergence. The air in the cavern grew thick with tension, the impending chaos waiting to be unleashed.
Then, Aeron felt it.
The Seeker's presence—closer, sharper, more focused.
"He's here."
Kael tensed. "Then let's make this count."
Aeron's eyes gleamed with predatory intent as he whispered, "Time to turn the hunters into prey."
Aeron could feel the Seeker closing in. The weight of its presence pressed against his senses like a suffocating storm, each pulse of energy sharper than the last.
Kael crouched beside him, his fingers gripping the hilt of his blade. "He's fast," he muttered. "Faster than I thought."
Aeron didn't respond immediately. His mind was racing, running through every possibility, every move that could turn the tide in their favor. The trap was set, but execution was everything.
System Notification: Abyssal Convergence fully synchronized.
Trigger conditions met. Awaiting activation.
Aeron inhaled, steadying himself. His body still ached from the earlier exertion, but he pushed the pain aside. He had no choice but to keep going.
"Stay close," he murmured.
Kael shot him a quick look. "You don't have to tell me twice."
The first sign of their enemy came in the form of a distorted ripple in the air. It was subtle—almost imperceptible—but Aeron recognized it instantly. A space-warping ability.
"He's masking his movement," Aeron whispered.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Then we strike first."
A split second later, the cavern shuddered. The air pressure shifted, and a blur of motion tore through the narrow passage—the Seeker had arrived.
Aeron barely had time to react before a clawed hand lashed toward him. He twisted, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe, but the sheer force sent a shockwave rippling through the cave. Dust and debris scattered in all directions.
Kael moved in a flash, his blade singing through the air as he struck at the Seeker's exposed side. The blow connected, but the Seeker barely flinched.
Aeron's eyes narrowed. Not good.
He flicked his wrist, activating the first stage of the trap.
System Notification: Energy Vents Activated.
A surge of heat exploded through the chamber as the natural energy fissures ignited. Flames roared to life, turning the cavern into a blazing inferno.
The Seeker recoiled, momentarily thrown off balance.
"Now!" Aeron shouted.
Kael didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, his blade flashing as he aimed for the Seeker's throat.
But the Seeker was faster.
With inhuman reflexes, it twisted away, its body shifting in and out of focus. Then, before Aeron could react, it vanished completely—reappearing behind them.
A chill ran down Aeron's spine. Damn it. He had underestimated this thing.
The Seeker lashed out again, its claws slicing through the air with terrifying precision. Aeron barely had time to throw up a barrier before the attack connected. The force sent him crashing against the cavern wall.
Pain flared through his body, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself back to his feet.
Kael was already moving, engaging the Seeker in a deadly exchange of blows. But Aeron could tell—Kael was being pushed back.
They needed to finish this. Now.
Summoning every ounce of his remaining strength, Aeron activated the final phase of the trap.
System Notification: Structural Collapse Initiated.
The ground beneath them trembled violently. Cracks splintered through the cavern walls as the carefully loosened rock formations began to give way.
The Seeker paused for a fraction of a second—just enough time for Aeron to act.
With a final push of energy, he sent the entire ceiling crashing down.
The cavern collapsed.
A deafening roar of stone and fire swallowed the battlefield as jagged rock formations shattered under the weight of the explosion. Smoke and debris billowed outward, momentarily obscuring everything in a chaotic storm of dust.
Aeron forced himself to stay on his feet, muscles straining as he pushed off the unstable ground. His ears rang, but his senses remained sharp. The Seeker wasn't dead. Not yet.
Kael stumbled beside him, coughing against the thick air. "Did we get it?"
Aeron's gaze pierced through the dust, scanning for any sign of movement. His gut told him no. This thing wouldn't die so easily.
A sudden shift in the air.
Aeron reacted on instinct, pushing Kael aside just as black claws tore through the haze, aiming straight for his throat.
The Seeker emerged, untouched.
Its form flickered, phasing between solid and spectral, as if existing in two places at once. A deep, guttural growl rumbled from its throat, the sound laced with amusement.
"You're persistent," Aeron muttered, wiping a streak of blood from his temple.
The Seeker didn't respond. It simply moved.
A blur of darkness—faster than before.
Aeron barely managed to dodge the first strike, but the second clipped his shoulder, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his body. He gritted his teeth.
It's adapting.
Kael lunged forward, his blade igniting in a flash of crimson energy. He swung with deadly precision, aiming to sever the Seeker's torso in one strike.
A perfect attack.
Yet, the Seeker's form distorted.
The blade passed through as if cutting through smoke.
"What the hell—" Kael's words were cut off as the Seeker reappeared behind him.
Aeron's eyes widened. It phased again.
Too late.
The Seeker's claw struck Kael in the side, sending him flying across the cavern.
Aeron felt something snap inside him.
The weight of the battle. The exhaustion. The fact that no matter how hard he fought, this thing kept rising.
Unacceptable.
Something within him shifted.
A flicker of darkness at the edge of his vision. A power, lingering just beneath the surface.
Nyxus' voice echoed in his mind. "You are not yet whole."
Aeron let go.
System Notification: Abyssal Convergence Activated.
The world around him warped. The air grew dense with unseen force.
Aeron exhaled, stepping forward. The pain vanished.
The Seeker paused.
For the first time since the battle began, it hesitated.
Aeron smirked.
"Your turn."