Levi steadied his breath, willing his muscles to obey, and his focus to hold. He was racking his brain, planning out what little tactics he could, preparing himself mentally for a clash that seemed like it'd bring more pain than victory.

  Out of nowhere, a haze of dark mist slowly crawled out from the bushes around them. slithering across the ground like smoke searching for something to consume.

  “What is it this time…” he muttered under his breath, voice low, laced with weariness. He was already having trouble with what was in front of him, another additional problem was the least thing he needed at the moment.

  His eyes ran accross the bushes, trying to pin down the origin of this dark mist. But at that moment, the mist wasn't the immediate threat to him.

  It was what it distracted him from.

  The air cracked like the sound of cloth slicing through wind. The masked man was already on the move.

  Out of reflex, his head snapped up, but he had already wasted too much time. All he saw was a blurred figure and a hand, pointed like a knife being driven at his chest.

  He twisted sharply to the side, a split-second reaction aided by sheer survival instinct or maybe that new enhancement skill he could now use at will. Luckily, the man's attack merely grazed him, preventing any critical damage.

  Levi staggered backwards, his breath frozen from shock.

  Across from him, the masked figure halted mid-step, with his head tilted slightly in Levi's direction

  And then Levi felt it.

  A soft tear making the fabric across his chest peeled open, a line sliced clean across. A moment later, he felt a warm liquid run down his skin—blood.

  His fingers brushed the cut, shallow but sharp. “He got me…?” Levi whispered, blinking as if trying to understand how. “But I dodged...”

  “If I’d been a second late…”

  His hand trembled slightly as it pulled away from his chest, his fingertips now painted with red liquid. It wasn’t deep, at least not yet. But it had been meant to be.

  Compared to Kyle and Violet, who’d faced down both monsters and men, Levi had only fought against mindless beasts. Never someone trained in martial arts or basic mana manipulation for enhancement, like the man in front of him

  And certainly not alone.

  His opponent hadn’t just been fast, moments ago. He’d aimed to kill with one strike.

  Now, with no sword, no support, no real combat experience, and no hope of someone coming to save him against a foe like this, Levi stood on the edge of yet another terrifying loss.

  His mind began to desperately search through his thoughts and memories. Trying to find something to serve as a solution to his current plight. Maybe a skill or an ability.

  Then it hit him.

  The System. He still had that as an option in his arsenal.

  Hope surged into his chest like a jolt of electricity, clearing the fog of fear for the briefest moment. He didn’t even hesitate.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “System… Heed my call,” Levi muttered, trying to control the urgency in his tone as his heart thunderes in anticipation.

  But nothing happened.

  There was no notification. Usually, a blue screen would've popped up by now, but nothing showed up. It was as though the System had abandoned him. Like it had never been there to begin with.

  Once again, his breath froze. That single second of silence was louder than any scream.

  “What...?” he whispered. “No, no... this can’t—”

  The masked man slightly tilted his head, staring at Levi like the boy was going mad. Then, slowly, he stood fully upright. His posture wasn’t exactly threatening, he didn't strike any special stance either. But for some reason, that made it worse.

  “This can’t be happening,” Levi mumbled, stumbling back a step. “This can’t freaking—”

  Before he could finish, the man vanished into a blur.

  Perhaps it was instinct that saved Levi, or luck, he didn’t know. He was barely able to twist sideways as the kick aimed at him sliced through the air like a hammer, grazing his ribs. The impact alone sent him crashing sideways into the dirt, coughing out dust.

  He felt a searing pain run through his side. He turned his head in time to see a boot following up. Before he knew it, he heard a crack and it looked like everything was spinning. His leg bent the wrong way under the force of the man's leg

  The scream that tried to escape his throat never made it out. It only came out as a strangled wheeze.

  The man didn’t stop or hesitate. His eyes were simply cold and emotionless like a computer obeying it's program.

  Levi’s vision blurred as tears welled from the pain. He scrambled backward, one leg dragging uselessly behind. His fingers closed around something, a stick. It might have seemed pathetic, but in that moment, it felt like salvation.

  He rose shakily, both hands clutching it like a sword.

  He bit down the pain and focused, trying to utilize one of the skills he had learned to channel.

  “Thunder Cleave,” he whispered.

  The stick vibrated and for a moment, it glowed with blue veins of lightning. Then it snapped in half and turned to ash in his hands. It couldn't handle the skill Levi was trying to use it for.

  Levi stared at the charred remains in disbelief. His breathing grew shallow and his arms trembled. It felt like the universe was against him.

  Another hit came in form of a sharp jab to his ribs. He flew back again, landing hard on his shoulder. The crack that followed told him it was dislocated, or maybe worse.

  He tried to move but his body refused to obey him. All his nerves were screaming in pain like they were on fire. The masked man approached slowly now, boots crunching through dried leaves and broken branches.

  Levi tried to crawl away but a hand grabbed his collar and yanked him halfway up, only to slam him back down again with a brutal force sending a fain wave of wind flying around.

  Yet, another bone was broken, and this time in his arm. And this time, Levi did find the voice scream.

  The masked man crouched and stared at him for a second. There was no emotion in his eyes. He just watched like a scientist watching an experiment fail.

  Then he stood and raised his leg, placing it on Levi's second arm.

  Levi’s eyes widened realizing what was about to happen. “Wait—!”

  The man applied force, slowly crushing it.

  Levi could only gasp now. Mouth open, lips trembling, and voice gone. His limbs twisted at wrong angles, nerve endings screaming. Tears ran down his cheeks showing the degree of pain he was experiencing.

  But that wasn't it. The final act came.

  The man slowly placed one foot over Levi’s chest and began to push down. Gradually with no haste, he just applied pressure slowly increasing it.

  Levi’s eyes began to roll back. The weight crushed down on his ribs. His breathing was beginning to fail.

  At this point, It was now a matter of being alive for just a few seconds.

  If only the man knew those few seconds would pave the way for a force of doom beyond his control.

  ***

  Meanwhile, Layla and the others stood locked in a silent standoff with the five figures that had just emerged, each one radiating a presence that twisted the air around them.

  The tension was suffocating, thick enough to choke on.

  Layla’s eyes never left the enemy ahead, her pupils narrow, her stance guarded. Even when she spoke, it came out in a low voice, just above a whisper.

  “Lian… you said you could take that thing down, right?”

  Behind her, Lian didn’t take his eyes off the threats in front of them. She exhaled sharply, wiping a streak of sweat from her brow. It was obvious she was straining herself even in such a situation where they needed the most out of their stamina.

  “Yes," she said. “If I get the time, I can do serious damage. I just need a little longer… I'm almost done.”

  Hearing this, Layla nodded took a breath and raised her voice like the leader of a resistance group about to speak with resolution.

  “Everyone—listen.” She paused, letting her voice sink into their minds. “The mission right now is simple, buy time and protect the students."

  "That’s all. Don’t throw your life away trying to take any of them down.”

  She took a step forward, fists clenched and in another low tone, she spoke, “Just hold them off. I’ve got a plan.”

  As if her words were a signal, the five figures instantly vanished from sight without even leaving a gust of wind behind.

  And just like that, the twisted game had begun.

  An unhinged dance on an Island where no rules applied, and only time would tell who made it out alive.