The quiet of the night shattered like glass.
Sarive's heart hammered in his chest as the first scream echoed through the narrow streets below. Demon shadows flickered and danced in the torchlight—fast, deadly, and relentless.
"Positions!" Sarive barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
His team spread out, moving like shadows themselves. Diana's eyes glowed with fierce determination as she summoned shimmering blades of light, cutting through the darkness with deadly precision. Kael's fiery aura flared as he launched into battle, each strike sending sparks and flames flying.
From the rooftops, Talia fired bolts of arcane energy, while Jorin's earth-shaking punches shattered the cobblestones beneath their foes.
Mia appeared at Sarive's side, her panther emblem gleaming as she moved fluidly through the fray. "We have to protect the perimeter—Hope must not be found."
Sarive nodded, weaving through the chaos. His hands glowed with raw power, each strike fueled by a fierce determination to keep the child safe.
The demons snarled and clawed, their dark forms writhing like smoke in the moonlight. But the Ascendants stood firm, their combined strength pushing back the tide.
Suddenly, from the shadows, a new threat emerged—the three hunters sent by the Pantheon Council. Clad in celestial armor that shimmered with otherworldly light, they descended like a storm of judgment.
Sarive's breath caught. These were no ordinary foes.
Mia's voice cut through the noise. "We have to buy time—get Hope to safety!"
Diana met Sarive's gaze. "We fight together. No matter what."
The battle intensified, a furious clash of power and will. Sarive felt the weight of generations behind him, the hopes of mortals and gods entwined in this desperate fight.
As the battle raged on, Sarive caught a glimpse of Hope in Mia's arms—her glowing eyes wide but calm. The child was the key to everything, and the Ascendants would stand or fall protecting her.
And in that moment, amidst the chaos and bloodshed, Sarive knew one truth:
This war had only just begun.