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Chapter 22
The growl echoed through the fog like thunder rolling from the pit of the earth. It was deep—so deep it made the air itself vibrate. The group froze, standing back to back, blades drawn. The rain poured harder, hammering against leaves and armor, the ground slick beneath their boots.
A faint flash—bright, crimson—cut through the mist and nearly grazed Darcelle's cheek. She twisted aside with a hiss, her blade drawn and ready. Then another flash came, this time twin streaks of red and gold, hurling toward Paige and Elisha. Paige dove sideways effortlessly, rolling into a crouch. But Elisha wasn't as lucky—his wounded side burned, his movement slower. He narrowly avoided the strike, his boots slipping on wet soil.
More flashes came. Red, green, orange. They zipped through the fog like lightning, searing the air where they passed.
"If we keep dodging like this, we'll never survive!" Darcelle shouted, breathless. Her eyes darted, searching for the source. "We need to find the damn thing and end it before it ends us!"
Nathan's eyes glowed faintly under the dim stormlight. "The flashes… they're not random." His voice was calm, too calm for the chaos surrounding them. "That's an Arc."
Paige frowned, lowering her stance. "Arc?"
"It's a monster's ability—like a witch's craft," Nathan explained quickly. "If that flash touches even your skin, you die instantly."
Xavier's jaw dropped. "That's… comforting."
Elisha gritted his teeth. "Oh great, death by sparkles." He swung his spear, ready for the next light. "Just how I wanted to go out."
Another flash came—red and vicious. He spun his weapon, deflecting it, the impact vibrating up his arms. Pain flared through his side, and he staggered back, clutching his wound.
"Stay close!" Nathan barked. "Don't separate! That's what they want!"
But already, the fog thickened—dark as ink, swallowing the shapes of trees and shadows. The rain fell harder now, and the forest itself seemed to groan beneath the weight of it. Nathan's nostrils flared. He could barely smell past the damp rot. It was deliberate. Whoever—or whatever—these things were, they had set the perfect trap.
Then the next flash came—straight ahead. Nathan didn't hesitate. He slashed through it with his sword and sprinted in that direction, his boots cutting through mud and roots.
"Wait—Nathan!" Paige shouted, but he was already gone.
Elisha groaned. "Oh for crying out loud, didn't he just say don't separate? Genius."
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Nathan moved swiftly through the haze, each breath sharp and cold. His instincts screamed danger from every side. The fog pulsed as though alive, the rain sharper—droplets turning needle-thin, slicing his cloak.
A whisper echoed behind him. Too late—something lunged. Nathan spun, blade up, blocking a swipe of claws that glowed with sickly black light. Sparks flew as metal met shadow. The monster leaped back, barely visible, its form more silhouette than flesh.
"You have good instincts, human," it rasped, voice like gravel dragged across stone. "But instincts can't save you."
Nathan smirked, blood on his lip. "We'll see."
He charged. The two collided—steel and shadow flashing like a storm of knives. Nathan ducked, rolled, sliced upward. The blade cut through mist, meeting nothing. An illusion.
"Damn it—"
The next strike came fast—claws across his chest. Pain exploded, blood splattering across the ground as he hit the mud hard. His sword skidded away.
The creature emerged fully then—tall, thin, its body shrouded in black smoke. Horns curled from its skull, eyes glowing red like coals. Its mouth twisted into something resembling a grin.
Nathan spat blood, staggered up, and rushed for his blade. The thing lunged, claws slashing downward—but Nathan caught the hilt, rolled under it, and turned, slicing through its arm. The shadow burst apart in mist—but reformed almost instantly.
"Coward," Nathan growled. "Hiding behind fog and tricks."
"Not hiding," it whispered from every direction. "Hunting."
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Far off, Darcelle hit the ground with a cry, her Katana slipping from her hand. The force of impact rattled her bones. She pushed herself up, chest heaving, coughing blood.
The thing before her wasn't tall, nor monstrous in size—but wrong in every possible way. Its skin rippled like oil over flesh, its horn cracked and jagged. Its eyes were sunken, gleaming faintly yellow in the rain. When it grinned, its jaw split too wide.
"So tell me," she spat, picking up her blade, tearing off her soaked cloak. "What the hell are you supposed to be?"
The creature said nothing. Then it vanished.
Instinct screamed—Darcelle ducked, spun, and slashed behind her. Steel met flesh; a shriek cut through the storm. But before she could strike again, an invisible force slammed into her chest, throwing her backward against a tree. She hit with a rough thud, her Katana clattering away. Blood trailed from her lip as she struggled to stand.
It appeared before her again, slower this time, stepping closer. The ground trembled beneath its weight.
"Cute," Darcelle said hoarsely, raising her sword again. "But you'll need more than that to kill me."
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Meanwhile, Paige and Xavier faced something far worse.
The fog in front of them parted to reveal a massive bear-like creature. Only, this was no bear—it was shadow made flesh, towering three times their height. Its fur was pitch-black and slick like tar. Horns twisted from its skull, its claws long and hooked, dripping with molten light. Its mouth gaped open, revealing rows of serrated fangs, and when it roared, the sound shook the trees.
Paige gripped her sword tight. "What in the goddess's name is that?"
"Death with claws," Xavier said, forcing a grin that quickly fell when the creature's eyes turned toward him.
It charged. The ground shattered beneath its steps.
They dodged, the air burning from another blast of light. Paige rolled to her knees, slashing upward. Her blade barely scratched its hide. The monster howled, furious, and swung a massive paw—she blocked it, but the force sent her flying, crashing to the ground with a painful cry.
"Paige!" Xavier rushed to her side, hauling her up as another streak of red light came screaming toward them. He raised his sword and deflected it, the impact rattling his arm to the bone.
"Are you okay?"
She coughed, nodded weakly. "I've had better mornings."
The monster roared again—this time louder, the air trembling. Its rage pulsed in waves. Xavier dropped to one knee, clutching his ears. Paige fell too, eyes wide as the pressure pushed down on them both.
---
Elsewhere, Elisha stirred. His vision was hazy. Pain coursed through him like fire. He could barely breathe, his body heavy, his wounds throbbing.
Then something cold coiled around him—tightening. It squeezed, crushing the air from his lungs.
He gasped, struggling to move. The thing's grip was iron, its touch burning. He forced his eyes open—and wished he hadn't.
The creature loomed over him, grotesque and formless. Its skin was slick gray, covered in moving veins of black light. Its mouth split vertically, teeth jagged and uneven. Where its eyes should have been, there were hollow sockets glowing faintly white.
It was hideous—and somehow, it was smiling.
Elisha's vision blurred. He thought bitterly, Is this how I die? Crushed by a slimy overgrown worm? Perfect.
The creature's grip tightened. Blood dripped from his lips. But then, somewhere deep in his mind, he heard a voice—a woman's voice, faint but familiar. "You still owe me, Elisha. Don't you dare die yet."
He gritted his teeth, forcing his trembling hands to grip the spear. With a roar, he slashed upward, cutting through the thing's arm. Black liquid splattered across him. The monster screeched, its severed limb falling—only to regenerate before his eyes.
Elisha stumbled back, chest heaving, soaked in rain and blood. His wound screamed in pain, but his eyes burned with fury.
"Alright, ugly," he muttered. "Round two."
The creature lunged again. He dodged—barely—and slammed his spear into its gut. It wailed, black mist bursting from the wound. But even as it staggered, it didn't fall. It was stronger, faster—and relentless.
Elisha's grip faltered. His vision darkened. He sank to one knee. "Guess… this is it then…"
The creature raised its arm to strike.
But then—the world flashed.
A sound like thunder cracked from the heavens above. A blinding white light ripped through the clouds, cutting across the rain, slicing the darkness apart. The monsters shrieked—every last one of them. The shadow demons twisted, their forms burning away in the divine glow. The bear howled, thrashing before collapsing into mist. The grotesque creature recoiled, dissolving into ash.
Elisha dropped to the ground, gasping for air.
The fog lifted slowly, the forest glowing faintly gold under the parting clouds. Rain softened into drizzle. The storm was over.
Paige, Darcelle, and Xavier regrouped, all panting, bruised, bleeding—but alive. Nathan staggered into view, drenched, his blade dragging behind him.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Only the rain. Only the echo of what had been.
Then Elisha groaned from where he lay, "So… anyone wanna tell me what the hell that was? 'Cause I'm not buying 'friendly weather.'"
Nathan smirked faintly. "No idea. But whatever it was… it saved us."
Darcelle looked at the sky, eyes reflecting the fading light. "Maybe not saved," she murmured. "Maybe just… spared."
No one answered.
The forest was quiet again. But in that silence, something unseen stirred far above—watching. Waiting.
And for the first time in a long while, Nathan felt it:
They weren't alone on this journey anymore.
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