A shadowy figure looked over the devastation of the noble compound. With a soft hum, they stated, "Lucian is dead."

Their partner nodded. "It'll start any moment."

"We'll step in as planned."

"Fifty percent?"

"Yes." The shadowy figured turned to their partner. "We'll watch from above."

Floating into the air, the partner asked, "who was the one to kill him?"

The shadowy figure joined them a moment later. "I do not know. But the oni searching the property aren't strong enough to stop what's coming."

***

Boris stood in front of a door that led further into the complex. After searching the living room and finding nothing of note, he and his brother Brakin each took one of the side doors.

The enchantments on the door were unlike anything he had seen before. After touching them, which in hindsight was stupid, he understood they weren't dangerous. Normally, he would talk to Bronson, but the man was guarding the front gate.

Rubbing his chin, Boris opened the door and stepped back. Instead of a finely furnished hallway, what he found was a cave-like entrance leading further down in a shallow slope. Soft glows of enchanted lights were spaced just far enough apart that there were brief periods of darkness.

Why is this here?

James had given him the job to discover the secrets of the compound, so Boris squared his shoulders and entered he tunnel. Descending the slope, he walked for minutes without anything happening.

I wonder what dinner will be like tonight. Marideth is expecting me to stop by her house after I finish for the day.

The thought of his date preoccupied him until he approached a cavern room. Instead of jagged walls and rough flooring, Boris found a well carved room that was lit with plenty of enchantments.

Barred doors rested on either side of the cavern. Dozens of them that spanned the length of the room. In the very back of the large space was a single table that looked to be covered in blood with various shelves of implements.

What the hell did I just find?

Stepping further into the room, he squared his shoulders as he planned to inspect the table. Before he made it halfway across the room, the doors clanged open, one by one, sliding along tracks that he didn't notice before.

Summoning his quarterstaff, he savored the feeling of his Soul Weapon as a child no more than ten years old stepped out of the first room. With hair and skin as black as midnight, Boris froze.

What he felt from the child was unlike anything he had felt before. The Qi in the air stirred around the room, but something also pulled on his soul. He started to shiver as the boy was joined by dozens of other children. From demi-humans of various races, to human children of various ages, they were all black skinned with black hair. Silver irises shone with power as they all turned to him.

Gulping, Boris glanced at the tunnel he had come from. I'm not going to make it.

He could already feel his soul being pulled apart as he started to run.

***

James sat with Grace, preparing himself to explain more about what his cultivation was like. She was leaning forward, showing off her cleavage enough to distract him when he felt a tearing in his soul that made him cry out.

"James!" Grace screamed as he started to tip over.

He could feel himself hit the ground, his head bouncing off the stone floor. Pain coursed through his soul as he felt the alarm from all of his companions. The air around him started to distort as he began to lose control, and the patrons of the tavern fled for safety, all apart from Grace who held him.

Seconds turned to a minute before the front door was nearly shattered as Mender and Jamie barged in.

"What happened?" Mender demanded as he rushed over.

James felt gentle energy wash through his body, calming his soul as he noticed Jamie holding Grace by the throat and pushing her against the wall.

"Stop!" he croaked as he started to sit up. Mender helped him, worry flooding from his soul. Rubbing his eyes, James patted Jamie's leg and she promptly let Grace go.

"What happened?" Mender asked calmly.

"I don't know." Spreading out his soul, James started to check on everyone. First, he found Luna and Amber rushing toward him. Linda stayed behind, standing in the air and he assumed on a building. Next, he searched for the Elson brothers and touched Bronson who was filled with fear, his soul pulsing. A second later, he found Brakin, and the man was terrified and in so much pain that James jumped up. A moment later, his soul disappeared and James felt another tearing in his body.

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Collapsing to the ground again, he was caught by Mender who's distorted voice was trying to ask what was happening. The spread of his soul caught the moment that Linda started fighting, fear filling her soul as Bronson retreated.

"They're dead," James muttered.

"Who's dead? What's happening?" Mender asked.

Forcing his way back to his feet, he had barely rested against the table when Luna and Amber burst into the tavern, shattering the rest of the door.

"What's going on?" Luna demanded.

James met her gaze, his breathing uneven as the pain started to fade. "They're dead…"

Pushing Mender out of the way, Luna held him. "Who's dead, James?"

"Boris and Brakin. They're gone…"

Gasping, Luna held him tight.

"Bronson is in pain," he continued. "Linda is fighting something."

He could feel his companions souls tense as they started spreading out their souls or at least the ones that could did.

"The souls that were under the compound…" Jamie muttered.

James nodded and focused. Dozens of souls were surrounding Bronson but they felt strange and foreign. He could also feel Bronson's soul being torn apart as the man kept fighting.

"We have to reach him! Now!" James nearly shouted.

Amber changed her legs into her feline forms before racing out of the building. Luna was right behind her, dropping into her wolf form as James turned to Mender and Jamie.

"Secure Bunny and Grace," he ordered. "Zenaria will be back shortly and is a cultivator. She can help you."

Jamie nodded, but Mender didn't.

"I can heal," Mender argued.

"Not this, you can't," James stated. "I need you to flood the area with Consecration for whatever is coming this way."

Finally nodding, Mender turned to his sister. "Find Bunny and get her over here."

Jamie took off at a run as James stood straighter. Keeping his attention on Bronson, he was just in time to feel the man's soul flicker out and Linda's anguish as she kept fighting. The tearing in his soul was less this time as he adjusted, but the dozens of foreign souls started to scatter throughout the slums.

"They are spreading," James muttered. "Bronson's dead…"

Mender snarled.

Patting the man on the shoulder, James moved to the door. "Don't hold back, Mender. If you are threatened, burn the fuck out of everything."

"I will," the man growled.

Before James could step out of the building, Jamie pushed past him, carrying Bunny who was screaming in fear. With one last glance back, he could see Grace crying as she huddled next to Mender.

Turning his attention to the slums, James started running.

***

Luna sped through the demi-human district and into the slums as she felt souls wink out. Her senses were as spread out as they could be as Amber ran by her side, the nekorian's face set in a grimace.

The odd souls of their enemies were scattered throughout the slums, sucking down souls as the Qi in the air stirred. Before they made it into the slums, Luna watched a rock the size of a grown man shoot into the air before crashing down, taking a house with it.

What is going on? Why can't I feel Bronson anymore?

Panic started to fill her heart as she located Linda and found three of the odd souls climbing her building. The woman was terrified as her soul pulsed and some of it leaked out, absorbed by the other three.

Amber must of sensed the same thing as the cat was on all fours, her claws extended as she tore up the ground. Luna changed into her Soul Form and blurred through the slums, leaping onto the top of the buildings and raced to their companion.

Just as the three souls reached Linda, Luna arrived. Three children that couldn't be more than ten or twelve surrounded the elf. Black as midnight, with matching hair, they started absorbing Linda's soul while sending blades of wind and streams of water at her.

The elf was dancing around, pulling on their souls in turn while trying to launch bolts at them. Whenever she struck, the child would be knocked back a few feet before the wound started to heal rapidly.

What the hell…

Luna didn't pause longer than a moment before she landed on the first child. Ripping into it with her sharp teeth, she pulled it apart and flung the dead body over the edge of the building. Amber arrived a moment later and tore into another, shredded the boy with all four of her limbs before stepping in front of Linda to take the last girl's attention.

Linda steadied her aim and stepped to the side as a rock the size of her head bounced off Amber's shoulder, cracking bone and nearly taking her with it.

Firing her crossbow, Linda struck the child in the head, ending her life as she fell off the building. Amber's shoulder popped as she groaned and it shifted back into place.

"Where's Bronson?" Amber asked as Luna stepped up to their side.

"Dead…" Linda's whispered voice filled both Luna and Amber with dread. They were supposed to be able to come back from death, but they couldn't feel the Elson brothers at all.

Luna started to feel her curse take control and she quickly shut down her Soul Form. Transforming back into her human form, she shook both of the women. "We have to fight together! There's more of those monsters in the city."

Linda nodded numbly. "I'll stay up top and provide support."

Amber dismissed her claws as her face twisted in anger. "I'll lead. Luna, take the ones that will surround us."

Nodding, Luna jumped off the building with Amber. Spreading out her senses, she found a duo of the children attacking a group of souls, sucking them dry one by one. "We have to hurry!"

Amber dropped onto all fours and sprinted away. Changing back into her wolf form, she followed. In the distance, she could feel James making contact with another of the odd souls as it was quickly snuffed out.

Thank god you are here, James.

Reaching the group of souls, Luna transformed back into her Soul Form and found the children laughing as they sucked down souls. The demi-humans and humans of the slums were scrambling to get away when Amber made contact and slashed through one of the children. A bolt connected with the head of the second and Luna slashed through the boy's body, ripping it apart.

There's still so many…

All around the slums and the entrance to the demi-human district, souls were winking out. The children were attacking and Luna could hear buildings collapsing as Qi attacks wrecked the area.

She only had a moment to check on the people they just saved and the corpses scattered over the area. Limbs still leaked blood as shredded bodies painted the ground crimson.

"Keep moving!" Linda shouted. "We have a trio to the north!"

Dropping her Soul Form, Luna started running. Whatever the children were, they were taking pleasure in ripping people apart, body and soul.

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