Chapter 4: ​Shattered Timelines

The monster roared, its dozen skeletal arms swinging rusted blades and heavy chains in a terrifying arc that shattered the floor.

"Reyes, Gable! Fall back!" Joshua barked, his face strained with raw desperation as he raised his energy shield to block a massive broadsword. The impact sent a shockwave through his arms, forcing him down onto one knee.

A chain whipped through the air, catching Private Gable across the chest and launching him into a pile of rubble. Before the creature could drive three rusted spears into Gable's exposed back, Mei moved.

Pop.

She folded space, reappearing directly over Gable. With a fierce, protective growl, she deflected two spears with a lightning-fast crossed-blade block and sliced clean through the third. She grabbed Gable by his tactical vest and hurled him backward toward cover just as a heavy axe slammed into the concrete where he had been lying.

"Get up!" Mei ordered, her eyes burning with lethal intensity.

Gable scrambled back, hyperventilating in sheer awe and terror. "She... she saved me?"

The rest of Team Blaze didn't share his gratitude. Corporal Vance racked his rifle, his face twisted in bitter distrust and hostility as he glared at her vest. "What the hell is Shadow Squad doing here? They're probably trying to steal the Core Fragment!"

"Or waiting for us to die so they can scavenge our gear," Private Reyes spat, her voice dripping with venom despite bleeding profusely from her shoulder. "Ethan's whole unit is built on backstabbing cowards. Don't trust a single thing she does!"

"Shut your mouths and shoot!" Joshua roared, his voice echoing with absolute command as he fired another grenade into the monster's main eye cluster, staggering it.

Mei ignored the venom. She knew Shadow Squad's reputation—their willingness to sacrifice allies for mission efficiency was infamous, and the hatred Team Blaze harbored for them was completely earned. If only they knew I hate Shadow Squad more than they do.

The monstrosity thrashing in front of them unleashed a deafening screech, its central mass opening to reveal a swirling vortex of shadow energy.

"It's charging a wipe mechanic!" Joshua yelled, his amber eyes wide with panicked realization. "Shields up!"

"Your shields won't hold that!" Mei called out.

Ignoring their glares, Mei surged forward into the center of the squad. She drove both of her daggers deep into the stone floor, pouring her spatial ether directly into the ground beneath their feet. Silver light fractured the air, forming a shimmering, dome-shaped spatial barrier right over Team Blaze.

The monster released its wave of dark annihilation. The blast tore through the cavern, disintegrating giant boulders and melting the surrounding steel structures. But as the dark wave hit Mei's spatial dome, the energy was instantly folded and redirected around them, blasting harmlessly into the cavern walls behind them.

Mei dropped to one knee, panting heavily as sweat poured down her face, her body shaking from the massive mana drain.

The dust settled. Team Blaze stood unharmed in the center of total devastation.

Reyes lowered her shotgun, her jaw slack with utter disbelief and a surge of creeping guilt. "She... she just tanked an apex blast for us."

Vance stared at Mei, his hostile demeanor completely crumbling into stunned silence. "A Shadow Squad assassin just saved the entire unit... Why?"

Joshua stepped past his frozen squad, walking straight up to Mei. He offered her a steady hand, his expression filled with deep, unwavering respect and profound gratitude.

"Because she's not Shadow Squad," Joshua said softly, his voice firm enough for the entire team to hear. "She's the reason we're still breathing."

Mei looked at his outstretched hand, a strange, warm sense of relief melting the icy guard around her heart. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet.

"Next time," Mei said, her lip curling into a sharp smirk, "listen to me when I tell you a tunnel is a trap."