Clix clones flickered, and Adrian seized the opportunity, his chains lashing out to bind the assassin. But before he could deliver the final blow, Saria intervened, her scythes slicing through the air.

Adrian jumped back, narrowly avoiding the deadly blades as Crix scrambled to his feet.

"This isn't over," Crix hissed, blood dripping from his lip. "We'll finish this when you're all together."

"Run while you can," Saria added with a smirk, stepping beside him. "The Shadow Court is just getting started."

With that, the two assassins vanished into the shadows, leaving the forest eerily quiet once more.

Adrian exhaled, his fiery chains retracting as he turned to Ava and Medea. "Everyone okay?"

"Barely," Medea muttered, wiping blood from her lip. "Those two are a problem."

"They'll be back," Ava said grimly, her golden eyes scanning the trees. "And next time, they won't play around."

Adrian nodded with a hard expression. "We need to find the others before that happens."

As if on cue, Lilith, Abyss, and Eris emerged from the shadows, their weapons drawn and their expressions tense.

"Finally," Lilith said, her crimson eyes blazing. "What took you so long?"

"Where's Selene?" Adrian asked immediately, his gaze sharp as he scanned the group.

The three women exchanged uneasy glances. "We thought she was with you," Abyss said in a low voice.

Adrian stared at the three goddesses who had emerged from the shadows, their weapons still drawn and their expressions tense.

His jaw tightened as he finally replied. "She's not."

Lilith exhaled sharply, her crimson eyes narrowing. "Great. Now we're playing hide and seek in a cursed forest."

"What happened to you three?" Ava asked, stepping forward with an arched brow. "Got lost while arguing over who gets to pout the loudest?"

Abyss shot her a glare, but Eris chuckled, clearly unbothered. "Oh, darling Ava, if we'd wanted advice on how to be insufferably greedy, we'd have summoned you immediately."

"Focus," Adrian snapped, cutting through their bickering. "What did you encounter?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Lilith replied coolly, coiling her whip back around her arm. "Just mercenaries. Though Eris and Abyss made it harder than it had to be."

Abyss turned her glare on Lilith. "Because you're such a beacon of teamwork?"

"Enough," Adrian said firmly. "We don't have time for this."

"We should try to sense her," Ava suggested in a more serious tone. "She's part of the group. Her presence should resonate with us."

Ava closed her eyes, her golden staff glowing faintly as she focused. The others hesitated but followed her lead, attempting to feel for any trace of Selene.

After a long moment, Ava opened her eyes and frowned. "Nothing," she said quietly. "Just as I suspected, our powers aren't strong enough."

Adrian frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lilith's expression turned guarded, but it was Eris who answered. "We're not at full strength yet since our awakening."

Adrian's frustration mounted. "And when were you planning to tell me this?"

Lilith leaned against a tree, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Now seemed like the perfect time."

"Later," Adrian said curtly. "Right now, Selene is the priority."

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

In a clearing deep within the forest, Crix and Saria leaned against the gnarled remains of a tree while Roxie crouched nearby, absently twirling a glowing orb of energy in his hand.

Selene lay slumped against a boulder, her silver cloak torn and dirtied. She was unconscious but breathing, her head tilted to one side.

"They weren't bad," Saria said, wiping blood from a shallow cut on her cheek. "But the one with the black fire is a problem."

"Not to mention Adrian," Crix added, his mask hiding his frown. "That man's precision with those fiery chains is unnatural."

"And the other one," Saria continued, her tone bitter. "That staff of hers seems to be able to disrupt illusions in a way."

"They'll pay," Roxie said with a shrug, his smirk confident. "But first, what do we do with her?" He tilted his head toward Selene, his crimson eyes gleaming. "She's weak. Bait at best."

"Or dead weight," Saria muttered. "We should just finish her."

"Balance first," Roxie said. "We take care of this mess, then return to the Shadow Court."

Crix tilted his head toward Selene. "She doesn't seem like much. But she's the only one we captured. Maybe that's worth something."

"Maybe," Roxie said absently, tossing the energy orb up and catching it. "Or maybe she's more trouble than she's worth."

Before anyone could respond, Selene stirred. Her eyes blinked open, and she looked around slowly, her face showing a calm, cold, and detached expression. The usual shyness that defined her was absent, replaced by a strange sense of confidence.

"Well, look who's awake," Roxie said with a grin, standing and stretching lazily. He hopped down from the tree he had perched on, his boots crunching on the forest floor as he approached her. "You're surprisingly calm for someone in your position."

"And you're surprisingly talkative for someone about to take a long nap," Selene replied in an icy voice.

Roxie's grin faltered slightly, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. "Huh. You've got some bite all of a sudden. Didn't see that when we fought earlier."

"She's putting on a show," Saria said dismissively, stepping closer with her scythes at her sides. "Behave yourself, girl. You're bait. That's all."

As Saria reached for her, Selene moved. Her hand shot out with blinding speed, gripping Saria's wrist like a vice. The assassin froze, her eyes widening in shock as Selene's grip tightened.

"Bait?" Selene said, her tone mocking. "I think not."

With a sudden surge of strength, Selene twisted and flung Saria across the clearing. The assassin's body sailed through the air before slamming into a tree with a heavy thud. Saria groaned as her body hit ground.

The clearing went still as all eyes turned to Selene. Crix's masked face tilted slightly as if in disbelief, while Roxie stared at her with wide eyes.

"I thought you said she was the easy one," Crix said slowly, his voice tinged with unease.

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