Chapter 168: Who... Touched My Little Bird?

Ahead, the tank carrying Zenick had nearly reached the ship. Aisha’s heart tightened.

"Zenick!"

She pushed herself harder.

One of the men pulling the tank glanced back. His eyes met hers, and he immediately released the rope.

"She’s coming!"

The others also stopped.

Aisha cursed under her breath. She had been hoping they wouldn’t reach her quickly. Now all four of them were turning toward her.

Four Sentinels.

She stood alone, her breathing becoming heavier as the pain in her body started to numb her limbs. This was bad. Very bad. Yet, strangely, she wasn’t afraid. She had already survived situations worse than this — a ruined city, a horde of mutated creatures, a body slowly turning into something that wasn’t human anymore. She had survived while knowing there was no one coming to save her. This was the same. Only this time, she had something to protect.

Aisha glanced toward the tank before lowering her gaze to the ring hidden inside her pocket.

Nykos.

She didn’t know how much of his power was stored inside it. She hadn’t even tested it. But if she used it now, she might be able to destroy the tank. The problem was that she didn’t know whether the ring could protect Zenick from the impact.

Aisha’s fingers tightened around it.

No. She couldn’t risk it. She would find another way.

The Sentinels spread out. One approached from the left while another moved to her right. The goateed Sentinel remained in front, watching her carefully now. They weren’t treating her like an ordinary Guide anymore. That made sense — she had already killed one of the Order’s members.

"Drop your weapons," the goateed Sentinel ordered.

Aisha glanced at the needle still between her fingers. "No."

His jaw tightened. He charged.

Aisha moved at the same time, but she didn’t meet him head-on. Instead, she ran toward the Sentinel on her left, forcing him to react. The man threw his arm out to catch her, but Aisha ducked beneath it and drove her needle into the exposed area beneath his jaw.

The Sentinel froze.

Aisha twisted the needle.

He staggered backward with a strangled sound.

The other Sentinel swung at her. She felt the attack before she saw it and threw herself forward, rolling across the wet ground. The punch struck the floor, cracking the stone and sending fragments flying past her.

Aisha came up on one knee, her vision blurring. She blinked rapidly, but for a moment, everything doubled. Her body was reaching its limit. She knew it. The Sentinel knew it too.

"She’s exhausted." The man sounded almost relieved.

Aisha heard footsteps behind her. The goateed Sentinel was coming again. She forced herself upright just as the Sentinel rushed forward.

Aisha raised her hand.

The remaining shadows immediately gathered around her, far thinner than before. The Sentinel’s fist smashed into them, and the shadows twisted around his arm, slowing the attack enough for Aisha to move aside. His fist slammed into the wall.

Aisha seized his wrist.

For one brief second, the Sentinel looked confused. Then Aisha pulled. He stumbled toward her, and she slammed her forehead into his face. Blood immediately ran from his nose. He staggered, but Aisha followed with a knee to his stomach, and this time he actually bent forward. She grabbed the back of his head and slammed it against the wall, once, then twice, and the Sentinel collapsed to one knee.

Aisha stepped back, panting. She had barely managed to do that.

The other Sentinels were already closing in. One grabbed her from behind. Aisha twisted violently, but his arm locked around her waist, and she kicked backward, but he didn’t release her. Another Sentinel approached with his fist raised.

Aisha’s pupils narrowed. She couldn’t break free.

The fist came down.

Then a black shadow shot across the chamber and wrapped around the approaching Sentinel’s wrist.

He froze. Everyone froze.

The shadow tightened.

Crack.

The Sentinel’s expression changed as his wrist bent at an unnatural angle.

"What..."

Aisha stared at the shadow. She knew that power. The Sentinel holding her also recognized it, his face draining of color.

"That shadow..."

Aisha’s eyes shifted toward the entrance of the chamber. Nothing was there. Not yet. But the shadows were moving, spreading across the floor, crawling through the filthy water like living things, slipping around the walls and pillars, filling the space between the Sentinels.

The other Sentinels surrounding her also noticed this, and took several steps backward.

"What is this?"

Aisha didn’t answer. She was staring at the shadows too. They weren’t the same shadow that came from the ring. She knew that much.

Soon, a familiar pressure began spreading through the chamber — cold, heavy, dangerous enough that even the Sentinels who had been surrounding her instinctively stopped moving.

Aisha’s fingers slowly curled. She had only seen this power a few times, but she would recognize it anywhere.

Nykos.

A voice suddenly cut through the darkness.

"I hope I didn’t come too late."

There was a stark contrast between his cold, steady baritone and the wicked, playful words he actually spoke.

Hearing this, the Sentinels turned toward the entrance. A tall figure slowly stepped out from the darkness, his black coat untouched by the filthy water beneath his feet, his crimson eyes sweeping across the chamber before finally settling on Aisha. For a brief second, his expression changed, his gaze lingering on the blood covering her face, then moving to the bruises scattered across her body. The faint smile on his lips disappeared.

Behind him, several figures emerged from the darkness. Vince was the first one Aisha recognized, Elias following close behind him, along with the rest of Nykos’ men. They entered the chamber with weapons already drawn, spreading out without needing to be told where to stand.

The Sentinels backed away. One of them looked toward the ship. Another looked at Nykos. Then his face went pale. They recognized him almost instantly when their eyes fell on him.

"N-Nykos..."

Nykos didn’t respond. His gaze remained fixed on Aisha, who stood there covered in blood, breathing heavily, one hand pressed against her injured ribs.

Their eyes met.

Nykos slowly lifted his gaze toward the Sentinels surrounding her. His expression was almost pleasant.

Almost. If only his eyes didn’t glow red.

"Who," he asked quietly, "touched my little bird?"