"Okay," Adrian said, his voice low but dangerous, his eyes narrowing as he studied the man. "Let's have a chat now, shall we?"

The man was trembling but he managed to keep his fear in check, replacing it with arrogance.

"You look like you're ready for another round," the village head spat in defiance. His eyes, bloodshot and full of malice, locked with Adrian's. "I'll give you this, warrior—you fought well. But the Shadow Court will rise, and you can't stop it."

Adrian tightened the fiery chain around him and his eyes widened in fear, though he tried to mask it behind a sneer.

"You know, for someone who's lost everything, you sure talk big," Adrian sneered. He brought the man up to eye level, their faces inches apart. "Now listen. You'll tell me what I need to know."

The village head tried to laugh again, but it came out as a strained wheeze. "You won't get anything out of me. You think you've won? You've delayed the inevitable, that's all. The Shadow Court is everywhere, and soon, you'll be begging for mercy." His lips curled into a twisted grin. "But no mercy will come for you.

Or for your allies."

Adrian's eyes darkened. "Tell me what the Shadow Court is planning," he demanded sharply. "Tell me, and maybe I'll make this quick."

The village head's eyes darted around, desperate, but there was no escape as Adrian brought the spear end of a chain very close to the man's eyes.

His legs kicked feebly, but the chain held firm, its fiery tendrils flickering with dark flames. The heat was searing, and beads of sweat began to form on his brow.

He winced, trying to move away from the sharp point, trying to avoid looking directly at Adrian, but the power emanating from him was impossible to ignore.

"Start talking!"

The village head swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he struggled to speak. "I—I don't know much," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "We were sent here in search of an ancient relic. That's all."

Adrian's eyes darkened. "An ancient relic? What relic? What does the Shadow Court need a relic for? And what has that got to do with Brenden?"

The man squirmed, the chain tightening slightly around his midsection, the heat intensifying. "I… I don't know. They—they're after something," he gasped. "Artifacts… relics. They think the village has them. I swear, that's it."

Adrian leaned closer, his breath warm against the man's face. "And their plans? What are they after beyond this village?"

The village head trembled, sweat dripping down his temples. "The Shadow Court… they serve something ancient. Something dark. I don't know all the details, but… but they're preparing for something—an invasion. They're gathering power, allies, resources… Brenden was just a stepping stone."

Adrian's jaw clenched. The Shadow Court wasn't just a local threat—they were part of something far more sinister.

He glanced at Faolan, who was listening intently, his face a mix of confusion and concern. But before he could ask more questions, the sound of footsteps approached.

Medea, Lilith, Ava, and Selene appeared, their silhouettes cutting through the smoke and chaos of the battlefield.

They looked remarkably unscathed, though their armor was smeared with blood and ash. Lilith twirled her blades idly with an amused expression , while Medea's sharp gaze assessed the situation.

"Seems like you're having a little interrogation session," Lilith teased, a playful grin tugging at her lips. "Need us to take over?"

Adrian shook his head, his grip on the chain loosening slightly but keeping the village head suspended. "I've got this. But there's something I need to know first."

Faolan, who had been standing close by, finally spoke up. His voice was a little shaky but filled with curiosity. "Why… why are you so obsessed with this Shadow Court, Adrian? What do they mean to you?" He gestured toward Medea and Lilith. "And… who exactly are they? How do you all have these… these powers?"

Adrian sighed, his gaze flicking between Faolan and the village head.

For a moment, he considered explaining, but then thought better of it. There were too many layers, too much complexity to dive into now.

And Faolan didn't need to know the full extent of the danger they were in.

Instead, Adrian glanced at Faolan with a raised eyebrow. "You're alive, Faolan. How about you thank whatever gods you believe in and keep quiet? You might end up getting answers you won't like."

Faolan blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of the remark. But he nodded, stepping back slightly, though his curiosity clearly hadn't faded.

Adrian turned his attention back to the village head, his voice taking on a colder edge. "You said they're after artifacts. Relics. Where do they think these things are?"

The village head's eyes darted around, his breath quickening. "I don't know exactly… we were following old maps, something ancient that led them here. But the truth is, we found nothing!"

Medea stepped forward now with her commanding presence. She didn't even need to speak—her mere approach made the village head shrink further in the fiery chains' grasp.

She looked at Adrian. "He's telling the truth. There's nothing more he can give us."

Adrian studied the man's face, but decided to threaten him further. "You still haven't given me anything tangible. You're a step away from death if you don't talk."

The man scoffed as defiance replaced his earlier fear, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "You think I'm afraid of death? The Shadow Court has power beyond your understanding. You can kill me, but it won't matter. They know everything—your weaknesses, your precious goddesses, the one still—" He stopped himself, realizing he had said too much.

Adrian's gaze sharpened. "My goddesses?" His tone was icy, cutting through the man's arrogant facade. "How do they know about them?"

The village head's mouth snapped shut, his eyes filled with a sudden fear, but it was too late.

Adrian's expression darkened, and with a flick of his wrist, more chains erupted from his back.

Four fiery chains snapped out, wrapping tightly around each of the village head's limbs—one on each arm, one on each leg.

The village head struggled, his bravado evaporating as the chains tightened. His limbs were pulled taut, his body stretched painfully. Panic replaced arrogance in his eyes as he realized what was about to happen.

"W-Wait! Wait!" he screamed, thrashing uselessly against the chains. "You can't—"

Adrian's voice was cold and merciless. "I told you. You should've stayed down and you should have given me everything I needed."

With a final gesture, the chains pulled. The village head's scream tore through the air as his body was stretched beyond its limit. The sickening sound of flesh tearing, followed by the sharp crack of bones snapping, echoed across the battlefield.

In an instant, his arms and legs were ripped from his body, blood spraying the ground below as his mutilated corpse dropped lifelessly to the earth.

Faolan's eyes went wide with shock, but he stayed silent, too stunned to speak. He had seen many things in battle, but this… this was different.

Adrian turned away from the grisly scene, his face unreadable. He flicked his hand, and the fiery chains retreated, disappearing as quickly as they had appeared. "Let's move," he said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.

The others approached then—Medea, Lilith, Ava, and Selene, their faces grim as they took in the sight. Lilith arched a brow, her lips curling into a half-smile despite the brutality of the moment.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Ava quipped, though there was a seriousness in her gaze as she studied him.

As Adrian turned back to his companions, he caught a glimpse of Lilith watching him with a mischievous smile. "So intense," she murmured in a low voice. "I like it when you're like this."

Adrian shot her a look, but his expression softened slightly. He couldn't deny that Lilith's flirty jabs were always a good way to diffuse the tension. "Try to stay focused," he said, though there was a hint of humor in his tone.

Faolan, still lingering nearby, hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "So… what now?"

"You will return to Zarpha and inform Queen Alannah about the situation here. Just tell her the village was under attack but I have it under control. I'll tarry here a bit. So, try not to get killed."

Medea watched him carefully, her eyes narrowing. "You seemed… distracted during the interrogation," she noted in a cool tone. "What did he say?"

Adrian was silent for a moment, his mind racing as he replayed the village head's words.

The goddesses. How did the Shadow Court know about them?

That was supposed to be a secret, buried deep within the temples, protected for centuries. But somehow, they had found out.

He turned to the others, his voice low enough that Faolan couldn't hear. "I'm heading to the temple."

Lilith frowned, stepping closer. "The temple? For our sister here?"

Adrian nodded. "I don't know how, but it seems like the Shadow Court is aware of your awakenings. Something tells me they were looking for the temple here but couldn't locate it. There's nothing ancient here other than the temple. And if they know about the temples, we need to move… faster."

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