The frantic sprint back to Skyhaven was a race against the inevitable mobilization of the Shadow Clan. They moved like ghosts, using back trails and the last traces of Kai’s magical stamina to keep their pace unrelenting. Jin, leaning heavily on his makeshift sling, struggled but never faltered, his soldier's grit refusing to yield.
They knew they had a narrow window. General Zheng's headquarters were in the Eastern border regions, but his Shadow Clan intelligence network in Skyhaven was vast. The surviving assassins would report to their nearest cell within the hour. The local Guild Masters and city patrols, beholden to the powerful Clans, would be notified immediately. They had 2-3 hours before the Shadow Clan mobilized to fully lock down the city.
The Phantom Trio reached the city jus
