The cave was darker than I remembered, lit only by the dim, storm-lashed glow filtering through the cracks. Water dripped from the jagged ceiling, sizzling slightly when it hit the stone floor. Every sound echoed: a distant rumble of thunder, the hiss of rain, the soft patter of our own footsteps. And beneath it all—the low, electric hum of the Stormstag.
Duke crouched beside me, one hand on my shoulder. "Not gonna lie, buddy," he said, voice dripping sarcasm, "I always wanted to meet a giant moose with sparks coming out of its head. Just… not up close."
"Great," I muttered, "so you planned this?"
"Planned it? Oh, totally," he said, rolling his eyes. "I thought we'd wander into a thunderstorm, trip over roots, and —voilà! —electrified horror moose. Best first day on Stormcrest ever."
I scowled. The heat inside me began to pulse, the same terrifying surge that had woken the night my mother had been taken. My hands tingled. My muscles screamed. I felt strong, weak yet strong.
The Stormstag snorted, sparks leaping from its antlers, bright enough to make the shadows dance. Its eyes, pale and unblinking, fixed on me. Calculating. Judging. Predatory.
Duke nudged me. "Okay, this is the part where you don't die. Step one: survive. Step two: don't trip. Step three: look intimidating while doing it."
I gritted my teeth. Step three was going to be tricky.
The creature lunged. I rolled to the side, barely dodging the swing of its antlers. Sparks hissed where they grazed the rock behind me. My heart slammed.
"Nice dodge," Duke called, hopping backward with an exaggerated bow. "You're finally doing something useful. I was starting to worry."
I scowled. Useful? I couldn't let him see my fear. My fists tightened around the branch I'd picked up earlier—a flimsy thing, but all I had. I could feel the heat inside me rising, my body responding before my mind had fully caught up.
The Stormstag charged again, faster this time. Duke darted to my side, sliding under a low swing. "Try not to die, half-drowned hero!" he yelled, flicking a rock at the creature. It hit its flank with a dull clink. Sparks arced, illuminating the jagged edges of the cave.
"Keep it busy!" I shouted, gripping the branch tighter.
"You mean 'keep us alive,'" Duke corrected, rolling under a swipe and flipping to his feet behind the creature. "But sure, semantics!"
The Stormstag lunged again. This time, I met it head-on. The heat inside me surged—controlled, precise, terrifying. I sidestepped its hooves and slammed my branch against its foreleg. The creature stumbled but quickly recovered, spinning with a feral grace. Duke leapt, placing a swift kick against its side, sparks flying off the antlers as the force of the strike met the creature's momentum.
"Nice swing!" Duke yelled. "I almost feel like I should be impressed!"
"Focus, Duke!" I shouted, heart hammering.
The Stormstag circled, ears twitching, nostrils flaring. It wasn't attacking mindlessly—it was testing us, sizing up my power, reading my intent. I could feel it probing my mind, sensing my fear, my anger, my control. The heat in me answered with clarity. I wasn't panicking. I wasn't lashing out. I was ready.
Another lunge. I rolled under its antlers, ducking close enough to feel the electric hum ripple across my skin. My branch cracked under the force of impact, but I was already moving again, sliding to Duke's side. He grinned; hair plastered to his face with rain.
"You know," he said, mock-serious, "if we survive this, I want a medal. Or at least a funny story for the tavern."
I didn't respond. I couldn't. Every muscle, every nerve, every instinct was on fire with focus.
The creature leapt once more. I timed my motion perfectly, spinning under its antlers, slamming my forearm against its shoulder. Sparks exploded, lighting the cave like miniature lightning strikes. The Stormstag stumbled, paused, and then—carefully—lowered its head, stepping back.
Duke raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Guess it likes you."
I sank to my knees, shaking. Muscles quivering, lungs burning, but inside—inside—the heat was calm. Controlled. Focused. Not wild. Not destructive. I had harnessed it, even if only barely.
The Stormstag snorted, its antlers crackling one final time, then turned and vanished into the shadows. Outside, the storm softened, though the wind still carried a hum of electric energy.
Duke leaned against the wall, shaking his head. "Congratulations, Daniel. You didn't die. You also didn't break anything—well, besides that branch, but details. You're improving. Slightly."
I gasped for air, the adrenaline slowly draining. "You… weren't kidding when you said this island doesn't care what I hate."
Duke smirked. "Oh, it doesn't. Stormcrest doesn't give a damn about rules, law, or personal grievances. You survive because you're strong—or because you're lucky. Right now? You're both."
Relieved we lived, I swallowed, looking into the shadows where the Stormstag had disappeared. My body still tingled, still burned with heat. My fists itched. My mind reeled.
Stormcrest wasn't finished with us. Not the forest. Not the storms. Not the creatures that lived in the shadows.
But for now, we had survived.
And for the first time, I realized that survival might just make us stronger than we ever imagined.