The sky above the capital turned a deep shade of purple as night began to fall. The air grew colder, carrying with it a subtle tension, a foreboding that hung over the city like a thick mist. Kieran stood on the outskirts of the capital, his eyes scanning the horizon, while Elara stood beside him, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. She was still uncertain, still worried about the danger Kieran was walking into, but she had made up her mind to follow him. She couldn’t leave him alone to face whatever monstrosity lurked in the shadows.

The King’s instructions had been clear. All citizens were to stay inside their homes, doors locked, and windows barred. The guards would stay hidden, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. But the most crucial part of Kieran’s plan lay in the hands of one man: the Legendary Mage, Roderick Thorn.

"Roderick will be the decoy," Kieran said as he turned to face Elara. His voice was cold, calculating, but there was a fierce determination behind his eyes. "We’ll need him to draw out whatever is causing the chaos. If we get lucky, we can trap the one behind this madness."

Elara nodded slowly. "You’re putting a lot of faith in him."

"I don’t trust him completely," Kieran said, his voice low. "But he’s powerful, and right now, he’s our best chance at luring this demon out."

With a swift motion, Kieran raised his hand, a surge of magic radiating from his body. His eyes glowed faintly as he weaved an invisible barrier around the capital—an intricate web of detection magic that would sense any demonic or evil aura. The barrier spread out, enveloping the city like an invisible shield.

"This should alert me to any movement, any shift in energy," Kieran muttered to himself, his fingers still tracing the air as if weaving the threads of the barrier tighter. "Now, we wait."

As the night deepened, Kieran and Elara found a vantage point on a hill overlooking the capital. The city below them was quiet, eerily so. The streets that had been bustling with life just hours earlier were now deserted, the only sounds being the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind.

Kieran’s mind was focused, analyzing every shift in the air, every subtle change in the flow of magic around him. The barrier he had set up was designed to detect anything unnatural—anything that wasn’t supposed to be there. He knew that whatever this dark force was, it would try to slip in unnoticed, but Kieran was ready.

And then, it came.

A flicker, a sudden pulse of dark energy. It was faint at first, almost imperceptible, but Kieran’s magic caught it instantly. His eyes flashed red for a moment as he locked onto the source of the disturbance.

"They’re here," Kieran muttered, a grim smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "It’s time."

In the distance, he could see the figure of Roderick Thorn moving cautiously toward the edge of the capital. The Legendary Mage had agreed to serve as bait, and Kieran knew it would only be a matter of time before the demon—or whatever it was—showed itself.

"This will be dangerous," Elara said, her voice tight with apprehension. "What if something goes wrong?"

Kieran turned to her, his expression unreadable. "If something goes wrong, I’ll take care of it. You don’t need to worry."

But Elara wasn’t so sure. She had seen firsthand the sheer power Kieran wielded, and yet she knew that even someone as strong as him could be outmatched. The creature they were hunting wasn’t just a powerful demon—it was a puppet master, turning the dead into mindless soldiers. The stakes were higher than anything Kieran had faced before.

The minutes passed in tense silence as they watched the shadows stretch across the city, the faint glow of the barrier pulsating softly beneath the ground. Kieran's eyes never left the figure of Roderick, who was making his way deeper into the empty streets. Then, without warning, the air seemed to shift.

A low, guttural growl echoed from the depths of the city, sending a ripple of unease through the night. Roderick faltered for a moment, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. But then, as if sensing the danger, he continued onward, his pace quickening.

The growl grew louder, accompanied by the sound of something heavy dragging across the ground. And then, out of the darkness, it emerged.

The first of the demonic puppets. It was humanoid in shape, but its skin was a sickly gray, its body contorted in unnatural angles. The eyes glowed with a deep, crimson light, and its movements were jerky, as if it were being controlled by some unseen force. Behind it, another figure appeared, and then another, until the street was filled with the twisted creatures.

Kieran’s eyes narrowed. "It’s time."

With a single motion, he gestured to Elara. "Stay behind me."

As the creatures advanced on Roderick, Kieran’s barrier flared to life. A pulse of magic shot out, slicing through the air like a spear. The first of the puppets crumpled to the ground, its body disintegrating into dust. But more followed, more pouring into the streets from the shadows.

Roderick, sensing the change in the air, turned to face the creatures. His eyes gleamed with power as he raised his staff, the Chain Skill glowing around him. The chains shot out from his body, wrapping around the demonic puppets and holding them in place.

But Kieran wasn’t waiting. He moved with blinding speed, his body a blur as he slammed into the first of the puppets. His fist collided with its chest, and the force of the blow shattered its ribs, sending the creature flying back into a nearby building.

"Elara," Kieran called without looking back, his voice cold. "Stay alert. This is just the beginning."

Elara drew her sword, her grip steady. She wasn’t as powerful as Kieran, but she knew she had to play her part. The battle had only just begun, and Kieran was determined to see it through to the end.

The hunt had started. And the world would never be the same again.