Miles staggered to his feet, gripping his katana in one hand and the sheath in the other. His breath came in ragged gasps as he glared at Vondak, determination blazing in his eyes. "You want satisfaction, Vondak? Stop this lunacy," he growled.
The water enchantment on Miles' sword had faded, but his resolve burned brighter than ever. He didn't need magic to fight—he needed to survive.
Vondak licked his lips, his grin widening like a predator eyeing its prey. "Satisfaction? Let's see what you've got left," he purred, his tone dripping with sadistic glee.
With electrifying speed, Miles dashed forward, his sword slicing through the air in a fierce arc. The blade grazed Vondak's shirt, drawing a thin line of blood across his chest before Vondak retreated with a graceful step.
Vondak's grin widened as he touched the blood on his shirt, smearing it with his fingers. "Not bad," he sneered, but before he could say more, Miles was already leaping into the air, his sword raised for another strike.
The blade came down with devastating force, carving into the ground as Vondak dissolved into shadow just in time to evade the blow. Miles' sword left a deep gash in the earth, but Vondak was gone.
Miles darted his gaze around the forest, his mind racing. I have to get back to the beacon. I can't let him keep toying with me like this.
He turned toward the light in the distance, but as he sprinted toward it, a pitch-black wall erupted from the ground, cutting off his path. Skidding to a stop, Miles held his sword tightly, stepping back cautiously.
Suddenly, dark, clawed hands shot up from his shadow, reaching for him with malevolent intent. Miles gasped, stumbling backward as the hands clawed at his legs, trying to drag him down.
Think, Miles, think!
In a burst of desperation, he leaped into the air, twisting mid-flight. With a sharp swing of his katana, he slashed the shadowy hands cleanly, their forms disintegrating into ash. He landed on one knee, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Vondak!" Miles shouted, his voice hoarse. "Stop with the games and face me head-on!"
Vondak's laughter echoed from the shadows. "Oh? You want a real fight?" His voice oozed mockery. "Careful what you wish for, boy."
From the wall of darkness blocking the beacon, Vondak stepped forward, twin shadowy blades forming in his hands. The dark mist surrounding the weapons seemed to ripple with life as he grinned wickedly. "You asked for this," he said, his tone gleeful.
Miles tightened his grip on his sword and took a deep breath, his focus sharpening.
Vondak lunged, his speed blinding. His twin blades came down in a vicious arc. Miles raised his katana to block, but the shadowy weapons moved like mist, slipping through his defense.
Thinking quickly, Miles swung his sheath instead, the hard scabbard scratching across Vondak's cheek and forcing him to stumble to the side. Without hesitation, Miles struck again with his katana, but it sliced harmlessly through Vondak's misty form.
"What the hell is with this guy?" Miles muttered, stepping back to reassess.
Vondak licked his lips, his grin manic. "More," he demanded, his voice almost delirious.
Miles backed away, his mind racing. How did the sword do that in the void?
As Vondak closed in, Miles shook the blade in his hands, his voice trembling as he exclaimed, "Fire!"
Flames erupted from the katana, engulfing it in a brilliant blaze. The sword burned with an intense orange light, the fire dancing along its length.
Vondak's eyes widened, his grin stretching even further. "Oh, now this will satisfy me!" he drooled, his hunger for chaos palpable.
Miles smirked faintly, gripping the flaming blade tightly. "I figured it out," he said, his voice steady. "But I don't have time for your sick needs."
He swung the fiery sword in a wide arc at the shadowy wall. The blazing slash left a trail of fire in its wake, the flames consuming the darkness and dissolving it into mist. Without hesitation, Miles turned and sprinted toward the beacon of light.
Vondak's voice bellowed behind him. "Where do you think you're going? We're not done!"
"Stop your idiocy!" Miles shouted back, his voice strained as he ran.
Suddenly, Miles' foot caught on a root, and he crashed to the ground, twisting his ankle painfully. "Shit!" he cursed, pushing himself to his feet with a grimace. Limping forward, he overlooked the compass fall from his pocket.
As he stumbled toward the light, he realized something was wrong. The beacon seemed to be hurtling toward him. Ducking instinctively, he watched the light streak overhead and slam into the compass lying on the ground.
"Wait, you madman!" Miles shouted, turning back.
Before he could finish, the compass erupted in a brilliant flash of light, bright as the sun. The explosion rippled through the forest, Vondak's shriek of pain echoing as his body disintegrated into pitch-black blood, splattering across the trees and ground.
Miles, prone on the forest floor, covered his eyes, groaning. "Why the hell didn't Crimson tell me that thing was broken?"
He slowly stood, wiping Vondak's dark blood from his face. Sight and smell overwhelmed him, and he stumbled to a tree, retching.
"This is the third person I've killed since I got here," he muttered, his voice breaking as tears spilled down his cheeks. He leaned heavily against the tree, his body shaking. "Why is this happening to me? Laurel… I hope you're not going through what I am."
He looked up at the sky, his vision blurred with tears. Burns from the compass scorched his back, the pain mixing with the exhaustion and stress that pressed heavily on him. Slowly, his eyes fluttered closed, and his body slumped against the tree, consumed by the weight of everything he had endured.