Elsewhere in the forest, Lilith, Abyss, and Eris found themselves alone amidst the swirling chaos of the illusion. The ground beneath them felt unsteady, as though it might give way at any moment, and the trees loomed impossibly tall and close.

Eris clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Great. Stuck with you two," she muttered, crossing her arms. "Just my luck."

"Don't start," Lilith snapped, her crimson eyes narrowing as she swept her gaze across the distorted landscape. "We need to focus on getting out of here and finding the others."

"Funny coming from you," Abyss drawled, her voice dripping with venom. "Wasn't it your brilliant idea to come through this forest in the first place?"

Lilith rounded on her, her lips curling into a dangerous smile. "And wasn't it you who insisted we take the lead because you were oh-so-confident in your tracking skills? Don't pin this on me, Abyss."

"Oh, please," Abyss shot back, her violet eyes gleaming with anger. "If we'd followed my instincts, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Eris sighed dramatically, leaning against a nearby tree that seemed to shimmer and ripple like water. "As riveting as it is to watch you two rehash your greatest hits of bad blood, maybe we should actually, you know, move before the Shadow Court decides to kill us."

Lilith turned her glare on Eris. "Why don't you make yourself useful for once instead of running your mouth?"

Eris's grin widened, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Careful, Lilith. You don't want to hurt my feelings. Oh, wait—you don't care about anyone's feelings, do you?"

"That's rich coming from you," Lilith retorted. "The goddess of envy, always stirring up trouble just to amuse herself. You'd throw us all to the wolves if it meant you'd get a laugh out of it."

"Enough!" Abyss snapped, stepping between them. "Both of you are insufferable. We need to find the others, and we won't get anywhere if you keep bickering like children."

Eris smirked, tossing a stray lock of hair over her shoulder. "Look who's suddenly the voice of reason. Didn't you once try to throw Lilith off a cliff during a mission? What was it you called her—'a useless pretty face with a superiority complex'?"

Lilith's expression darkened, her eyes flashing dangerously. "And didn't Abyss threaten to chain you to a rock and leave you for the scavengers because you wouldn't stop flirting with Adrian?"

"Oh, I remember that," Eris said with a laugh. "Good times."

Abyss groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I swear, if we survive this, I'm asking Adrian to separate us permanently."

"Aw, you'd miss me," Eris teased, though her voice lacked its usual bite.

Before another argument could erupt, a sudden rustling in the underbrush drew their attention. All three of them fell silent, their hands moving instinctively to their weapons. The distorted trees seemed to shift closer, their shadows stretching unnaturally.

Lilith held up a hand, signaling for quiet. She narrowed her eyes, her sharp senses straining to detect any movement. "Something's watching us."

"Brilliant deduction," Abyss whispered sarcastically, drawing her twin daggers.

Eris tilted her head, her expression oddly calm. "I say we let it come to us. It's easier to fight what you can see."

"And if it's not something we can fight?" Lilith asked coldly.

"Then we run," Eris replied with a shrug, her dagger already in her hand. "But I'm betting it's mercenaries. The Shadow Court loves their hired help."

A sudden burst of movement confirmed her suspicion. A figure lunged out of the shadows, blade glinting in the faint, distorted light. Lilith reacted first, her whip snapping out with a crack, wrapping around the attacker's arm and yanking them off balance.

Abyss was a blur of motion, her daggers flashing as she disarmed the mercenary with ruthless precision. Eris stepped in, her movements graceful as she delivered a well-placed strike to the back of the mercenary's head, rendering them unconscious.

"Well, that was easy," Eris said, dusting off her hands. "Almost disappointing."

"Don't get cocky," Lilith warned. "If there's one, there are more."

As if on cue, more shadows emerged from the trees, their forms flickering and shifting as if part of the illusion itself. The three women exchanged a tense glance.

"Truce?" Eris asked, her grin returning.

"For now," Abyss muttered.

"Let's make this quick," Lilith said, her whip snapping back into her hand. "The longer we stay here, the harder it'll be to regroup."

They moved as one, their grudges temporarily set aside in the face of a common enemy. Lilith's whip cracked through the air, striking with precision, while Abyss darted between foes, her daggers slicing through the illusion-cloaked mercenaries.

Eris moved gracefully through the chaos, her attacks quick and powerful.

Despite their animosity, their combined efforts were brutally effective. But as the last mercenary fell, breathing heavily, the tension between them reignited.

"Don't think this means I trust you," Abyss said, glaring at Lilith.

"Likewise," Lilith replied coolly, her whip coiling around her arm like a serpent.

Eris laughed, the sound light but edged with weariness. "Oh, you two are adorable. Now, can we focus on not dying?"

The three of them pressed on, their uneasy alliance holding—if only barely—as they searched for the rest of the group. The Shadow Court's illusions continued to twist the forest around them, but despite the chaos, one thing was clear: their quarrels were far from over.

************

Selene stepped carefully through the distorted forest, her silver cloak brushing against the warped undergrowth. The eerie stillness pressed against her, broken only by the occasional groan of shifting trees that seemed to breathe with the illusion's unnatural life.

"Adrian!" she called. She turned her head, scanning the chaotic surroundings for any sign of her companions. "Lilith! Ava! Abyss!" Her tone grew firmer with each name, though the emptiness of the forest swallowed her words.

No response.

Selene's grip on her dagger tightened as she pressed on, her soft leather boots making almost no sound against the uneven ground. "Eris… Medea…" she tried again in a more quiet voice this time.

Still, nothing but the silence.

The path twisted, or at least what seemed like a path. She took a hesitant step forward, her eyes darting between the flickering shadows. The hairs on the back of her neck rose.

Something was out there—watching, waiting.

The sound of a branch snapping to her left sent her spinning around, her dagger raised defensively. She saw nothing but the rippling illusion of trees. The air was heavy, almost suffocating, but Selene forced herself to steady her breathing.

Suddenly, a shadow moved—a humanoid figure darting from tree to tree.

"Who's there?" Selene demanded firmly despite the unease twisting in her gut.

No reply came, but the figure stepped into view, a mercenary clad in black armor, their face obscured by a mask. In their hand, a blade gleamed faintly in the warped light.

Selene didn't wait for them to strike first.

She lunged forward, her movements precise and quick. The mercenary swung their blade, but Selene ducked under the attack, her dagger flashing as it slashed across their leg.

The mercenary stumbled, and Selene followed up with a sharp elbow to their gut. They crumpled with a grunt, their weapon clattering to the ground.

Another figure emerged, rushing at her from the right. Selene spun, catching their arm with her dagger and twisting it sharply. The mercenary yelped, dropping their weapon, but Selene didn't hesitate.

She swept her leg out, knocking them to the ground. Her dagger hovered at their throat for a split second before she pulled back, leaving them gasping but alive.

The forest rustled again, and Selene turned, her chest heaving. "Who's there?!"

As if in answer, a low laugh echoed through the distorted trees, sending a chill down her spine. \

A new figure stepped into view—a towering man wielding a club adorned with glowing runes. His armor shimmered faintly with the same strange light as the illusions around them.

In his free hand, an orb of crackling green energy formed, pulsing with deadly intent.

Selene instinctively took a step back, her dagger steady despite the tremor in her fingers.

"You're not much of a threat, are you?" the man said mocked in a deep voice. "A little beauty, wandering alone in the woods. Did your companions abandon you, girl?"

Selene's jaw tightened, but she didn't reply, her focus locked on the energy orb as it grew brighter in his hand.

"Nothing to say?" the man taunted, stepping closer. He swung the club lazily, its weight making the air around it shimmer. "Maybe I'll let you run back to your friends, bruised and broken. Or maybe I'll just finish you here."

"Try," Selene said simply.

The man smirked and hurled the energy orb toward her. Selene darted to the side, the orb exploding against a tree and sending splinters flying. She rushed back, trying to put some distance between herself and her attacker.

Another orb formed in his hand, and this time he aimed directly at her. Selene ducked, rolling to avoid the blast, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground.

"You're quick," he admitted in amusement. "But not quick enough."

He summoned a third orb, this one larger and brighter than the others. Selene's breath caught as she realized she couldn't dodge it in time. The orb shot forward, slamming into her forehead with an explosive burst of energy.

Pain erupted in her skull, her vision going white. She staggered, the dagger slipping from her grasp. The world spun, her legs giving out beneath her as she crumpled to the ground.

The last thing Selene saw before darkness claimed her was the smirking face of her attacker, his silhouette blurring against the warped trees.

Then, everything went black.

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