Time raced against Tee, moving too swiftly, and before she knew it, she found herself standing in the mission base. Her trembling hand resembled a hair blower set to maximum power, struggling to secure the damn telecom around her wrist. When it finally snapped into place, something inside her shattered.

  She glanced back at the archway they had entered through. Could she make a run for it? But what if she ended up being the only one? People would view her as nothing more than a big baby.

  It was inevitable. She and her teammates would teleport and face the Harbingers once more. That time, they had to kill at least one of them—if not all. The memory of the pain she had endured made her stomach twist, and the thought of reliving it threatened to shatter her into a thousand pieces.

  The Commander, his Lieutenant, and Elder Caledor halted their steps, but Tee's teammates seemed as disconnected as she was. Fear constricted their minds, rendering them deaf to the words being spoken. Miko bit her lip, fighting back tears, while she finished plaiting her hair into a single braid, lowering her head in a defeated manner.

  Saeda stood motionless, her arms by her side, fixating on Kie's boots, waiting for him to take the lead. Her mind had temporarily lost the ability to think for itself. Kie, on the other hand, stared at the Commander, arms folded, his clenched jaw muscles pulsating, as if he were on the verge of an outburst of expletives.

  Meanwhile, Zod continued fussing with his gloves, never quite managing to put them on. No, they were on, but he kept loosening the cuffs, finding the sensation against his skin unbearably uncomfortable.

  The Elder Caledor's words finally registered, prompting the entire group to halt in the center of the room where the teleportation would occur. Miko kept her gaze fixed on the ground, dreading the moment it would turn crimson. The rest of the team faced the elderly man clad in a yellow-themed robe.

  The Elder Caledor's eyes, a shade of dull blue, fixated on the five young Sentinels as he spoke, his voice steady and measured. "“As before, a disturbance stirs within the vicinity of the fragment. It is meet to reckon that the Harbingers have already arrived. Yet know this—breaking the Sealed Bond of the Fragment is no swift task, even for their master of sorcery, Sade.”

  The Commander conjured a hologram screen before his face, pressing a button to activate it. "In the event of the worst-case scenario, prepare yourselves to not only face the Harbingers but also the activated defense of the Sealed Bond."

  A sudden shift in the ground beneath their feet caused it to flicker with a menacing shade of red.

  "One final thing," the Commander added, capturing their attention as they lifted their heavy heads to gaze upon the man with piercing green eyes. "I wish you all the best."

  Despite the Commander's words, they failed to make a significant impact as the transition to the new location occurred swiftly. The intense brightness of the daylight proved painfully blinding, a stark contrast to the darkness of the previous teleportation which seemed hopeful for their fate.

  Rows of tall brown pillars rose before them, large enough to completely hide anyone standing behind them. The gaps between the pillars were wide enough for them to extend their arms without touching the surfaces. It seemed like a promising location, devoid of the claustrophobic tunnels they had encountered in the past.

  Behind them, the green ground sloped sharply, stretching up toward the wide blue sky. Three faint spheres hung in the distance, like distant moons.

  Looking down, they realized they were perched on a dangerous mountainside. Sparse, low trees offered no cover, no place to hide. That time, there was nowhere to run—they were trapped.

  A rustle nearby jolted their senses, and instinctively, they summoned their weapons. After scanning the area and finding no immediate sign of the Harbingers, Zod whispered nervously, “What was that?”

  Kie’s voice barely rose above a whisper, tinged with disbelief. “I swear… this pillar next to me was taller just moments ago.”

  “They’re moving into the ground,” Saeda added, her tone cautious.

  Tee’s voice carried a hint of dread as she connected the dots. “It must be the Harbingers.”

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  Uncertain if the Harbingers had fully arrived, the five exchanged glances, a silent agreement passing among them. Tightening their grips on their swords, they formed a close line, shoulders brushing, and moved cautiously through the shifting army of pillars.

  The towering structures bore intricate carvings, some symbols clear, others cracked or worn away with time. With every step, the pillars shifted subtly, sending their hearts racing. An unseen force seemed to tug at them from below, the pillars at the front shrinking as if they were looming above their heads.

  Tee froze as a black, reflective shape appeared between two dark brown pillars. Her neck stiffened. The others took only a step or two further before glimpsing the same sinister darkness. Relief washed over her when she realized she was observing a Harbinger from behind, unnoticed. Though distant, her pulse quickened. Moving left, she took cover behind another pillar, closing her eyes to briefly tap into her foresight.

  The moment confirmed what she suspected—no pillars stood near the Harbingers for a considerable distance. Fear and caution held her in the shadows. Even with her ability, meeting their gaze directly was far too dangerous.

  Sade, one of the Harbingers, sat on the ground, silver hair glinting in the sunlight, a blackbird perched stoically on his shoulder. Pillars closest to him sank entirely into the ground, while those farther away shifted just slightly. Tee realized the moving pillars worked to their advantage, masking their movements and keeping them hidden.

  Lilith stood near Sade, with Legion towering beside her, making Lilith seem almost small in comparison. The bandaged figure that had emerged from Legion’s back was absent, and Tee hoped Miko’s earlier actions had eliminated that threat.

  Sade remained deep in concentration, eyes closed, dark purple symbols glowing around him. He was breaking the Sealed Bond—a task the Elder Caledor had warned would be even more perilous than facing the Harbingers themselves.

  Tee considered the risk. Interrupting Sade could invite disaster. They could not face additional trouble beyond the Harbingers. She decided to wait, planning to let Miko seize the fragment once the bond was broken, before anyone could react.

  But what if the Harbingers sensed Miko? What if they witnessed her fall? Mr. Creepy-Hooded-Guy would orchestrate the slaughter all over again, and without teleportation, they’d be trapped.

  A sudden pop made Tee flinch. Peering carefully around the pillar, she avoided using her ability again, instead taking advantage of the now-lowered pillars for a clear view of the Harbingers from head to shoulder.

  Her eyes widened as the ground before Sade rippled like liquid, and a golden rock rose, floating above his head. From their vantage, Tee and her team could see the fragment clearly.

  She glanced at Kie, waiting for his signal to send Miko forward. Fingers tightening around her swords, Tee prepared to wield them like razor-sharp shields, ready to send a Harbinger into their grave.

  Kie remained perfectly still, his focus unwavering, while Tee shifted her gaze back to the motionless Harbingers. They hovered near the fragment but made no move to claim it. Whatever Sade was doing, it was far from finished.

  Suddenly, a circular force field of vibrant purple erupted from the ground, enclosing Sade in a protective barrier. Legion’s head arched back atop his massive shoulders before vanishing into thin air. Tee yanked her head back, ducking behind a pillar for cover.

  Her internal curses echoed louder than her pounding heartbeat as chaos erupted in her left ear. Pillars crumbled and shattered with thunderous crashes. Adrenaline surged, and Tee darted to the opposite side of her pillar, narrowly evading the creature’s line of sight.

  Rocks and shattered stone littered the ground where Miko had stood moments before. Tee’s thoughts spun in panic, but instinct guided her to press herself flat against a pillar, hiding like a coward. The pain awaiting her was inevitable—but enduring it meant she would live to fight another day. Failing to eliminate the Harbingers would mean facing them again.

  Clutching her sword, Tee emerged from cover, pouring every ounce of strength into a single, powerful swing. Her movement froze as a pair of glowing green eyes appeared in the distance reminiscent of her room’s door and glass wall.

  The creature’s body stretched wide, parts hidden behind pillars, yet its left eye remained locked on her. A black line beneath the folds of bandages curved into a sinister smile. Unknown to Tee, its other eye was fixed on someone nearby.

  Countless voices reverberated through the air, and Tee flinched, forcing herself to maintain her gaze on the glowing green threat.

  “Ye wretches have returned? Didn’t we kill you?” The myriad voices echoed in unison, rending the air with a chilling resonance.

  Each heavy footfall thundered like iron on stone, growing louder, filling the area with dread. “We defeated you once, and we can do it again. But this time, you will beg for death. Beg for the pain to end.”

  The bandaged figure’s gaze shifted between Tee and Saeda, who stood nearby. Legion was gone, leaving the two to face that nightmarish entity alone.

  Tee swung a sword at the bandaged figure’s face, but it leaped into the air, narrowly evading her strike. The force of her blow shattered four pillars behind it. Saeda reacted instantly, hurling a sword, only to have it effortlessly deflected by the creature’s long, spiked arm. The blade vanished into the sky.

  Through the lower pillars, Tee caught a distant shimmer—a sword as tall as she was, lifted into the air. The smaller figure wielding it was not Legion, but Lilith.