The combat training room was unnervingly quiet. The large space, lined with polished mats and weapon racks, felt too still compared to the chaos outside. Artemis, Ren, and Cyrus stood catching their breath, their bodies tense with anticipation, their muscles aching from their previous battles.


    Then, a slow, mocking clap echoed through the room.


    Archie leaned against the far wall, his eyes glowing with eerie golden rings. A smirk played on his lips as he took in the sight of them. "You made it. Impressive."


    Artemis clenched her fists, her grip tightening on her bow as it formed in her hand. "So... it was you." Her voice was steady, but fury burned beneath the surface. "You sent the Hydra. The Mantikhoras at the museum. The attack on the city. It was all you."


    Archie let out a low chuckle and shrugged. "Of course, Artemis. And the best way to do that was from the inside. You actually thought you could trust me? That was the whole plan—to get close to you, to all of you. To make you believe I was one of you so that when the time came, you wouldn’t see the strike coming. But you all started to catch on after the museum..."


    Ren raised his sword, the metal catching the dim light. Shadows coiled around him, flickering like living tendrils. "Sorry, it seems we ruined your plans."


    Archie’s grin widened. "They''re really not my plans. They are my Mistress''s and they are far from over.  You, Artemis, are in the way of her return and must be erased from existence."


    Cyrus’s golden energy flared around him like a burning aura. "Your Mistress? Who is she?"


    Archie’s smirk faded. "You’ll never live long enough to find out."


    Then he attacked.


    The room exploded into action as Archie moved at unnatural speed, his blade slamming into Artemis’s with a burst of sparks. She barely had time to react before he knocked her backward, sending her bow skidding across the floor. The impact rattled her bones, but she rolled away just before his sword sliced through the air where she had been.


    Cyrus retaliated, summoning a burst of solar energy that lit up the room. Archie twisted away, dodging just in time. The blast struck the floor, leaving a scorched crater and shaking the ground beneath them. Weapons clattered from the racks, scattering around the room like fallen leaves in a storm.


    Ren emerged from the rubble, his eyes glowing dark violet as shadows coiled around his arms. He thrust his hand forward, and the darkness stretched out like whips, aiming for Archie’s limbs. The tendrils lashed out, wrapping around Archie’s wrists and ankles, attempting to pin him in place. Archie snarled, his golden energy surging as he tore free, shattering the restraints like brittle glass.


    Ren gritted his teeth, reforming the shadows into jagged spears and launching them in quick succession. Archie spun, dodging with unnatural agility, but one of the spears nicked his shoulder, drawing a thin line of blackened blood. Archie glanced at the wound, then smirked. "Ah, Ren. Always lurking in the darkness. Did you really think you could hold me?"


    Ren didn’t respond. Instead, he vanished into the shadows, melting into the room’s dim lighting. Archie’s smirk faded slightly, his eyes darting around as he tried to track Ren’s movements.


    "Clever trick," Archie muttered. "But I’m not so easily fooled."


    From the darkness, a whisper: "You talk too much."


    Then Ren struck. He erupted from the shadows behind Archie, his blade swinging in a deadly arc. Archie barely managed to parry in time, sparks flying from the clash of their weapons. Ren’s attacks were relentless, his strikes precise and fueled by the darkness swirling around him. His speed had doubled, his form flickering between light and shadow as he kept Archie on the defensive.


    But Archie was still faster.


    With a cruel grin, he twisted, dodging one of Ren’s slashes and driving his knee into Ren’s gut with bone-crushing force. A choked gasp escaped Ren as the impact sent a shockwave of pain through his ribs. He stumbled, his vision swimming, but before he could recover, Archie struck again. The force sent Ren staggering backward, his ribs throbbing in agony as the breath was stolen from his lungs. The shadows flickering around him wavered, their strength faltering under his pain. He barely had time to brace before Archie’s elbow smashed into his jaw, sending him crashing onto the floor. His head slammed against the hard surface, black spots dancing in his vision. Dazed and disoriented, Ren tried to roll away, but Archie was relentless. His blade whistled through the air, aiming for Ren’s throat with lethal precision. Ren barely managed to lift his sword in time, the impact jarring his already battered body. His arms trembled as he held his defense, his strength waning under the brutal assault.


    At the last second, Ren forced himself to tap into his shadows, dissolving into a swirling cloud of darkness. He reappeared several feet away, staggering as he tried to catch his breath. Blood dripped from a gash on his forehead, the warm liquid blurring his vision. He pressed a shaking hand to his side, where a deep bruise was already forming. "That all you got?" he taunted, but the strain in his voice betrayed him.


    Archie chuckled. "You’re amusing, I’ll give you that. But this fight is already over."


    Before Ren could react, Archie’s energy surged, and with a sudden burst of force, he grabbed Ren by the throat. The shadows around Ren writhed, trying to fight back, but Archie’s grip was unrelenting. With a powerful swing, Archie hurled Ren across the room. The impact sent Ren crashing through the stone wall, shattering it into rubble. Dust and debris filled the air as Ren’s body disappeared into the wreckage, leaving only a gaping hole where he had been.


    "Ren!" Artemis cried, but  Archie turned back to Artemis and lunged.


    Her ring pulsed, and her bow transformed into a sleek silver sword. She barely had time to lift it before Archie’s blade came crashing down. Sparks flew as their weapons met, their strength clashing in a violent contest of skill and power.


    They moved like shadows, dodging, countering, and striking in rapid succession. Archie fought like someone who had spent lifetimes perfecting his craft, his blows ruthless and precise. Artemis met him strike for strike, her muscles burning from exertion, her breath coming in short gasps. She barely noticed the shallow cut on her arm, too focused on the next move.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    But she was struggling to keep up.


    Then, with a sudden twist, he slashed deep into her side, knocking her to her knees. White-hot pain shot through her as blood seeped through her clothes, staining the floor. Her vision blurred for a moment, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword.


    Standing over her, Archie sneered. "I’ve waited a long time for this. Do you have any idea how satisfying it is to finally kill you?"


    Her breath hitched, rage flaring in her chest. "We trusted you! I trusted you!"


    "I’ve waited centuries to get my revenge for what you did to me."


    And then she saw it—a memory from another life.


    She and Orion laughing together, sparring in the woods, hunting under the silver moon. Then Apollo’s voice, daring her to hit a target in the water. The arrow flying. The sick realization, too late.


    "Orion…" she whispered.


    Archie’s expression twisted with rage, but there was a cruel satisfaction beneath it. "Don’t you dare say my name! You knew! And if you didn’t then, you know now—I was always going to betray you. You were never supposed to win this fight, Artemis."


    "No! I didn’t know! I thought—" Her words caught in her throat as his sword lifted for the killing blow.


    "Liar!"


    Before he could strike, Cyrus shoved Artemis aside and took the hit.


    "Cyrus!" she screamed, catching him as he fell, his shirt quickly soaking with blood. His weight slumped against her, his breaths ragged and weak. A deep wound gushed at his side, his golden energy flickering like a dying flame. Artemis pressed trembling hands against the wound, desperate to stop the bleeding, but the warm liquid kept slipping through her fingers. "Stay with me, Cyrus! Please!"


    His golden eyes flickered open, his weak smile barely there. "I told her to shoot… I knew it was you… She didn’t. She never would…" His voice was barely a whisper. "I thought... I was protecting you..."


    A violent shudder wracked his body, his head falling against Artemis’s shoulder. His skin, once as warm as sunlight, now felt cold. Too cold. "No, no, no," she whispered, shaking him. "You have to be okay. You have to."


    But he didn’t respond. His chest barely moved, his breathing shallow. A heavy silence settled over the room. Artemis’s pulse pounded in her ears, drowning out everything else. Despair clawed at her, tears blurring her vision. Not Cyrus. Not him.


    Artemis lifted her head, her gaze darting toward the pile of rubble where Ren had disappeared. He hadn’t moved. The dust still hung in the air, the jagged edges of the shattered wall framing the wreckage like a tomb. Was he even still breathing? A fresh wave of despair crashed over her.


    And then, memories surged forward, unbidden and relentless. She saw Lydia, Sakura, Eric, Sorrel, and Kayla standing against the Hydra, their faces set with determination, their bodies moving in perfect unison as they fought to buy her time. They had fought so hard together. They had believed in each other. They had believed in her.


    And before that… she remembered the quiet moments. Sitting around the fire after long days of training, trading stories and teasing each other. Kayla pretending to be stoic but always cracking a smile when Lydia made a ridiculous joke. Eric and Cyrus constantly competing, always pushing each other to new heights. Sakura’s bright presence, her large innocent eyes always catching the smallest details. The nights they spent, talking about the kind of warriors and leaders they wanted to be. Those moments, those people, had made up her world. Sorrel grinning as he teased Ren about his brooding nature. Ren rolling his eyes but enjoying the company. The camaraderie, the trust, the bond they had built over time—it was real. It had mattered.


    But now Ren was buried beneath stone. Cyrus lay dying in her arms. And worst of all—she hadn’t heard anything from the others. No word, no sign that they were still alive. Had their sacrifice been in vain? Had she left them to die for nothing?


    Something inside her broke.


    Her sorrow and fury surged, the weight of her loss pressing down on her chest like an unbearable force. The anguish, the rage, the raw, unfiltered grief clawed at her insides, demanding release. And with it, a power greater than anything she had ever felt erupted from deep within her core. A silver radiance exploded from her, lighting up the entire room.


    Archie stumbled back, eyes wide. "What—?"


    She launched at him, her sword a streak of moonlight cutting through the darkened battlefield. The moment their blades met, the air shuddered with the force of their clash. Sparks erupted between them, illuminating their faces in brief flashes of silver and gold.


    Archie barely managed to block her first strike, the sheer power of it forcing him back a step. But Artemis did not let up. She struck again—left, right, an overhead swing—each movement faster than the last. She was a storm, relentless and unyielding, her blade singing through the air in luminous arcs.


    Archie countered, twisting his sword to parry her blows, but she was faster. Stronger. Driven by fury and something deeper, something primal. The divine energy coursing through her veins fueled every strike, every motion. The ground trembled beneath them as she pressed forward, her steps light but deliberate, as if she were an extension of the very night itself.


    Archie tried to push back, pivoting sharply to evade a slash aimed at his ribs. He countered with a thrust toward her shoulder, but she twisted, barely dodging, her silver armor glinting as she spun around him. She struck low, forcing him to leap back, then immediately followed with a downward slash. He raised his sword just in time, their blades grinding together in a shriek of metal.


    “You’re hesitating,” she growled, pressing down with all her might.


    Archie clenched his jaw, muscles straining. He shoved her off and retaliated, swinging in a wide arc. Artemis ducked, the blade whistling past her ear. She retaliated in an instant, her sword flashing upward, forcing him back again.


    Their battle became a blur of motion—slashes, parries, dodges, each more desperate than the last. Archie was fast, but Artemis was faster. His breathing grew ragged, his movements more erratic. His once-confident smirk had vanished, replaced by tight-lipped determination.


    She drove him back again, his feet skidding across the dirt. He barely avoided a thrust meant for his chest, twisting at the last second. But she caught him with the hilt of her sword, slamming it into his ribs. He gasped, stumbling, and Artemis seized the opening.


    With a cry, she lunged.


    Archie reacted instinctively, raising his sword at the same time.


    It happened in an instant.


    Her blade pierced his chest, sliding between his ribs and striking his heart. At the same moment, his sword plunged into her stomach. A sharp, searing pain tore through her, stealing the breath from her lungs.


    They froze, bodies locked together in the brutal embrace of death.


    Their gazes met, and for the first time, Artemis saw something she hadn’t before. The golden rings in his eyes had faded. No arrogance. No rage. Just regret.


    “I was… wrong…” His lips parted, a ragged gasp escaping and blood staining his lips.


    His grip slackened. His body sagged.


    They collapsed together, their weapons still buried in each other.


    The world blurred. Pain curled around Artemis, dragging her down, dulling the edges of her thoughts. She could barely feel the ground beneath her as darkness crept in at the corners of her vision. Archie lay still beside her. His chest did not rise.


    Artemis tried to breathe, but the weight of the wound, of everything, pressed down on her. The light of the moon above seemed impossibly far away.


    And then—everything faded.