Lyerin soared through the early morning sky, his body cutting through the wind with incredible speed and precision.


    The Mana flowing through him was pott, almost overwhelming, yet he wielded it with the ease of someone who had cturies of experice.


    His sses were on high alert, attuned to the slightest disturbance in the air a him, ready to react to any threat that might emerge from the shadows.


    The cities below him were nothing more than a blur, their outlines distorted by the sheer speed at which he traveled.


    The city of horses—once a bustling metropolis, now a fortress brimming with tsion—loomed beath him.


    Its walls were heavily guarded by Mana users from several powerful families, all of them on high alert as they prepared for the impding bloodbath that would decide the fate of their territories.


    Lyerin''s sharp eyes caught sight of the guards, their auras flickering like small beacons in the dark, but they did not see him.


    He moved too quickly, too siltly, a shadow that passed over them without a trace.


    If he had wanted to, he could have ded their lives in an instant, but the risk was too great. His tribe would be exposed, and the consequces would be catastrophic.


    Nuclear bombs, advanced weaponry designed to eradicate tire poptions of Mana users, would rain down upon them without mercy.


    ''No,'' he thought, narrowing his eyes as he adjusted his flight path. ''I can''t afford to be reckless. Not now.''


    His body twisted in the air, the power of the sixth-cycled panther Mana beast thrumming through his veins.


    The sheer force of it was staggering, a raw, untamed ergy that should have torn him apart from the inside.


    Any other Mana user would have be obliterated by such power, their bodies unable to withstand the strain. But Lyerin was differt.


    He had lived through countless years, each one leaving its mark on him, harding him against the dangers of the Mana that he now wielded.


    To him, the sixth cycle mana was nothing more than a tool, a means to an d, and he used it with the same ease with which he might wield a dagger or a sword.


    For three hours, he flew across the sky, faster than a fighter jet, a streak of dark ergy that defied thews of nature.


    Thendscape below him changed, shifting from the ruined cities and wastnds ravaged by the Eldritch to greer pastures, to ces where the air was still clean and the people lived in peace.


    The sun had fully ris by the time he reached the neighboring city, its rays casting a gold hue over the rooftops and streets below.


    Unlike the other cities he had passed, this one was untouched by the chaos that had consumed the world.


    The buildings stood tall and pristine, their windows gleaming in the sunlight.


    People moved about the streets, going about their daily lives as if the apocalypse had never touched them.


    There was an eerie calm about the ce, a stillness that set Lyerin''s teeth on edge.


    ''This city is too clean,'' he thought, narrowing his eyes as he began to descd. He couldn''t simply ter it, not without drawing unwanted atttion.


    He needed to find a way in, a way to remain unnoticed until he found what he was looking for. His mind raced, calcting his options as he scanned the outskirts of the city.


    As he neared the g, he saw a massive truck approaching the city gates, its gine rumbling as it came to a stop.


    The vehicle was heavily armored, its metal ting reflecting the sunlight in sharp, blinding shes.


    Suring it were military soldiers, their weapons at the ready, their eyes sharp and alert as they barked orders at one another.


    Lyerin dropped to the g,nding siltly behind a cluster of trees. He pulled his aura tight a him, effectively rdering himself invisible to any Mana user within range.


    From his hidd vantage point, he watched the sce unfold.


    The truck rumbled to a stop just outside the gates, its massive tires kicking up a cloud of dust.


    The soldiers swarmed a it, their voices harsh andmanding as they directed the driver to park the vehicle.


    The tsion in the air was palpable, a thick, oppressive force that pressed down on everyone prest.


    "Park it there! Watch the wheels, damn it!" one of the soldiers barked, his voice cutting through the noise. He was a burly man, his face set in a permant scowl as he waved the driver into position. "Move it! Move it!"


    The driver, a thin man with a nervous expression, nodded frantically as he maneuvered the truck into ce.


    The vehicle''s massive bulk creaked and groaned as it settled, the gine sputtering to a halt.


    The soldiers wasted no time, suring the truck with military precision as they prepared to inspect its contts.


    "Op the back!" another soldier ordered, his voice sharp and authoritative. He stepped forward, his rifle slung across his chest as he motioned for the driver toply.


    The driver hesitated for a momt, his eyes flickering to the soldiers before he reluctantly moved to the back of the truck.


    His hands shook as he fumbled with thetch, his fingers slipping on the metal.


    Finally, with a loud ng, the doors swung op, revealing the interior of the truck.


    Several figures stepped out of the darkness, their forms silhouetted against the light.


    They moved with a confidce that set them apart from the nervous driver, their steps sure and deliberate as they descded from the truck.


    Lyerin''s eyes narrowed as he watched them, his sses prickling with recognition.


    These were no ordinary people—they were Mana users, their auras pulsing with a power that marked them as something far more dangerous than the soldiers who sured them.


    "Line up!" the soldiermanded, his voice ringing out as he gestured for the neers to fall into ce. "We need to check you before you can ter the city."


    The Mana users exchanged nces, their expressions unreadable as they moved toply.


    They formed a line in front of the truck, their stances rxed, almost bored, as they waited for the soldiers toplete their inspection.


    The tsion in the air grew thicker, the soldiers clearly uneasy as they approached the line of Mana users.


    The power radiating from the group was unmistakable, a reminder of the delicate bnce that existed betwe those who wielded Mana and those who relied on convtional weapons to protect themselves.


    The soldiers were trained to deal with Mana users, but it was clear that they were outmatched, their bravado hiding a deep-seated fear.


    One of the Mana users, a tall man with sharp features and a cold, calcting gaze, stepped forward.


    He was dressed in a dark, tailored suit, his appearance immacte despite the rough journey he had just dured.


    His prescemanded atttion, with his aura that seemed to thrumm with a barely contained power that made the soldiers take a wary step back.


    "Enough," the man said, his voice calm but filled with an authority that brooked no argumt.


    The soldiers hesitated, their eyes flickering betwe the man and theirmander.


    The tsion was palpable, the air thick with unspok threats.


    For a momt, it seemed as though the situation would escte, the fragile peace shattering under the weight of the Mana user''s defiance.


    But th themander, a grizzled veteran with a hard-set jaw and a scar running down the side of his face, stepped forward.


    His eyes narrowed as he sized up the man in the suit, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "You''ll follow our procedures, Mana user, just like everyone else," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "We don''t care who you are or where youe from. In this city, you follow our rules."


    The Mana user''s eyes shed, a flicker of something dangerous passing across his features. But th, just as quickly, it was gone, reced by a cool, detached expression. "I don''t think you understand," he said, his tone icy. "I am not just any Mana user. I am a dignified member of the Veloran family, and I demand to be treated with the respect I deserve."


    The words swang in the guards like a knife, sharp and cutting the chopping board.


    The soldiers stiffed, their expressions harding as they prepared for a confrontation.


    The tsion was at its breaking point, the situation teetering on the edge of violce.


    Lyerin watched from his hidd vantage point, his mind racing as he took in the sce.


    This was a delicate situation, one that could easily spiral out of control if not handled carefully.


    The Veloran family was known for their power and influce, their members feared and respected across thend.


    If this confrontation escted, it could have far-reaching consequces, not just for the soldiers but for the tire city.


    However, to Lyerin, the Veloran family is nothing but a pest in the Borgias.


    Themander''s eyes narrowed further, his hand tighting on the hilt of his sword. "Respect is earned, not demanded," he said, his voice a low growl. "And in this city, you''ll earn it the same way as everyone else. Now, line up and let us do our job."


    The Mana user''s gaze harded, immediately, his aura red with a sudd burst of power that made the soldiers take an involuntary step back.


    For a momt, it seemed as though he would push the issue, and would force the soldiers to back down through sheer intimidation. But th, with a barely perceptible sigh, he rxed, his aura receding as he stepped back into line.


    "Very well," he said, his tone clipped. "But know this—I will be reporting this treatmt to the Council. They will hear of how you treat a member of the Veloran family."


    Themander didn''t respond, one could see his expression were unreadable as he signaled for the soldiers to proceed with their inspection.