The rift's swirling edge snapped shut behind them, leaving nothing but a faint shimmer of mana on the air. Reynar, Liora, and Sylvie stood at the forest's edge, sweat-drenched and dust-covered, hearts still pounding from their battle within the sanctum.
But they weren't alone.
A slow, deliberate clapping broke the silence.
From the shadows beneath the trees stepped a tall man cloaked in black, his eyes like frozen glass. His smile didn't reach them. At his back stood two silent enforcers, void-branded slaves with blank stares and collars like the one Sylvie once wore.
"Well done, Sylvie," the man said. "But I didn't authorize this… partnership."
Sylvie froze.
Her master.
The air turned colder.
"You disobeyed orders," he continued, voice like silk drawn over a dagger. "Not only did you fail to clear the rift alone, but you consorted with strangers. You let them into the sanctum. You risked exposure."
"I…" Sylvie's voice caught in her throat. Her claws trembled at her sides.
Liora stepped forward. "Who is this?"
Sylvie didn't answer.
The man chuckled. "I'm the one who made her useful. Who turned a frightened, worthless beastkin into something that could survive."
"Shut up," Reynar growled.
"Did she tell you?" the man asked, stepping forward. "About the raids? The dungeons she cleared? The brands she earned? Or how I fed her, trained her, beat the weakness out of her?"
"Stop it," Sylvie whispered, clutching her head. "Stop…"
Reynar drew his blade. "She's not your property."
"Oh, child," the man sneered. "Everything she is—her strength, her instincts, her skills—they're mine. I own her scars."
"No," Sylvie said, louder this time.
"You belong to me," he said, raising his hand. A shimmer of runes lit up around his wrist. The old collar spell—still partially linked to her soul.
Sylvie gasped, her knees buckling as phantom pain seized her chest. Her claws dug into the dirt.
"You were mine the moment we found you crying in the snow."
"I SAID STOP!"
Void energy burst outward from Sylvie's body in a sudden shockwave, shattering the remnants of the spell's grip. The runes flickered—then cracked.
Her eyes glowed gold with fury.
Reynar stepped beside her. "We've got your back."
Liora flanked the other side. "This ends now."
The man's smile faded. "Then die with her."
[System Alert]Boss Encounter: Enslaver of Chains – Rank: ???Threat Level: Catastrophic
He moved like a shadow, his cane drawing arcs of void magic in the air. Chains of cursed steel erupted from the earth, wrapping toward Sylvie.
But she leapt over them, roaring, slashing them apart midair.
Liora's knives followed, cutting through his defenses with sharp gusts of wind.
Reynar clashed blades with him head-on, holding his ground even as the man sneered and met each strike with terrifying precision.
"I taught her everything," the man hissed. "You can't win without her—and she can't win without me!"
"She doesn't need you anymore!" Reynar shouted.
Sylvie was silent.
Then… she closed her eyes.
And she remembered it all—the chains, the screaming, the bloodied hands of other slaves. The first time she killed. The first time she begged to live.
And now… the first time someone ever stood beside her.
She opened her eyes—and they were burning.
Not with hatred.
With freedom.
"No more."
She vanished in a blur of motion, her claws shining with void-light—purified, focused. Her master turned just in time to raise his cane.
But it wasn't enough.
Sylvie's strike cleaved straight through his guard, through his chest.
And with a final scream—she slashed her master in half.
The air was still.
His body collapsed in two pieces, unmoving.
Sylvie stood there, panting, her shoulders trembling—not from fear.
But from release.
[System Notification]Boss Defeated: Enslaver of ChainsAchievement Unlocked: Breaker of FatesSylvie's Class Awakening: Rogue → Voidclaw LiberatorAffinity with Sylvie has increased to 45%
Reynar stepped forward slowly.
"Sylvie…"
"I'm okay," she said hoarsely. "I think… for the first time in my life, I'm okay."
Liora gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
And Sylvie didn't flinch.