My Tribrid System.

"Tell me what you want to say, and choose your words carefully. Say the wrong thing, and I'll plunge my dagger right into your heart," Tahir warned as he sat down.

"Ever wondered what my ability is? I mean, apart from the wind?" Dreyfus asked.

"I didn't even know you had two abilities. What does that have to do with this?" Tahir replied, shooting him a dangerous glare while flipping his dagger.

"Patience, lad," Bruce murmured to Tahir.

"Silver lost her parents when she was young, and the organization tried to kill her to secure the throne for themselves. My second ability is farsight, and I can glimpse into the future. No matter how far I looked, I saw Silver dying in this very building, so I called in a favor from an old friend," Dreyfus explained.

"Who's this old friend?" Tahir asked.

"Didn't you say we should focus on the main issue?" Dreyfus smirked.

"Whatever," Tahir said, waving him off.

"I can heal him, but he won't last much longer," Esha said, standing up.

"Don't worry. I've seen the future, and I've made Silver wait long enough. I need to finish this. Don't worry—I won't die until I'm done," Dreyfus assured her.

"You better not," Tahir replied with another glare.

"I called in the leader of Shadow Fang. He was close friends with Silver's father. He made an enemy of the dojo the moment he learned they planned to kill Silver and disrupt world peace."

"Of course, he took Silver in and honed her skills, but that wasn't enough. In a farsight check, I saw you," Dreyfus's tone grew serious.

"Me? You didn't even know me until after she was gone," Tahir replied, trying to convince himself this was all a lie.

"I saw you protecting her on missions. You were the key to cheating death. Death always hesitated around you. I felt relieved when you finally showed up at the dojo; I was happy she'd be safe. Until she left under your protection and came back here to protect you. Maybe if I'd told her that you were her shield against death, she'd still be alive." Dreyfus's voice trembled.

"Trust me, I know how you feel. But that isn't going to change anything. She's gone, and you killed her," Tahir said.

"I didn't kill her—they did. The day I was out hunting, farsight haunted me again. But this time, I didn't see her small and safe. I saw her grown and bloody. She didn't escape death after all. By the time I reached her, she turned to me, a big smile on her face, and said, 'Keep him safe.

I finally found someone who shares my dream, and I'm not ready to let him go.'"

"What did she mean by that?" Tahir asked, struggling to contain his emotions.

"Turns out she had farsight too. Hers could see the outcome of battles and the future. Pretty impressive, right? She saw you dying alongside her if you both came here, so she went alone," Dreyfus said in a calm tone.

"No, that can't be true," Tahir half-yelled.

"It is. She asked me not to tell you, in case you'd seek revenge and end up dying. She used a forbidden technique to bind part of her soul into her sword. That's why the organization wants it."

"So, she used two forbidden techniques, then. One to transfer her Qi to me, and another to bind her soul to her sword. Clever," Tahir said with a hint of pride.

"Protect that sword with everything you have. I also checked the future once more, and the road ahead for you all looks thrilling. Try not to die from excitement. And I saw that if you all attack the organization leaders now, you'd all die," Dreyfus warned.

"I know that," Tahir said, frowning.

"But I checked again. If you hold out a little longer, you might win. The organization has already started to divide the country and rule. If you create your own stronghold, you'll survive and grow stronger. One last favor please bury me close to Silver. I don't want to go looking for her.

I need to resume my place by her side while protecting her," Dreyfus whispered, his breath fading.

"Consider it done," Tahir said, sorrow evident in his tone.

Bending down, Tahir lifted Dreyfus's body and handed it to his contact in the organization. "Take him to the dojo. Don't start the burial until I arrive. Also, you're relieved of duty and will stay with your family in the dojo from now on. Have you gathered everyone from this place?"

"Yes. I'll go now," the contact said, leaving through the portal Tahir had opened.

Walking with his team to the town hall, Tahir was met by a crowd of angry residents. The noise rose until he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Everyone, quiet!" he yelled.

"Will you kill us all and take over this place?" a little girl asked from the crowd.

Crouching down to her level, Tahir responded, "And why would I do that?"

"Because that's what people do when they take over a place, right?" the girl said.

"We're not the bad guys. Nobody here will die as long as you cooperate."

"You'll keep your homes but will share them with some Shadow Fang members. My target is your leaders, not you. I'll station some Shadow Fang members here to protect you. The ruler will be one of you, not one of us. With that said, I hope you all cooperate," Tahir explained.

"That sounds reasonable."

"And what if we don't cooperate?" another voice called out.

"Then I'll kill you all. Only the children will be spared," Tahir replied bluntly.

"Can we have some time to think about it?" a resident asked.

"You have 30 minutes. After that, I'll take matters into my own hands," Tahir said, turning away as the little girl ran up to hold his hand.

"Make it quick. I'll talk to him and see if he'll give you a day," Esha and Zahra said before going to speak with Tahir.