The atmosphere became almost impossible to endure; the family crumbled in fear as the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, mixing with a strange, crazy smell that seemed to come from nowhere around the house.
Eriolth forced himself to steady his nerves and peeked through the window. His eyes widened in terror, and Mirabel and Akirion, drained of strength, stared as Eriolth's gaze locked onto something unseen—like he had seen a ghost. Mirabel was speechless, and Akirion's cleverness seemed to vanish in the face of this nightmare.
"Dad...?" little Akirion called out, trembling. "Wh—what is it?"
Eriolth slowly turned his head, like a chameleon sensing danger, and fixed his eyes on Akirion's face. Gathering all his remaining strength, he managed to rasp out:
"Go and f-fetch me my sword!"
Mirabel didn't have time to ask what was happening; instead, the brave little Akirion ran toward their parents' bedroom.
Meanwhile,
Mika broke free from the Underground Walls and headed straight for Elysen, the nearby village, determined to start her investigation. She pushed through the bushes near Elysian, searching for clues about the hero's heir.
Suddenly, a robotic, human-like voice echoed outside Eriolth's house. "*Sniffs in enjoyment* Pfffff haaaaaa, do you smell that? Some fresh dinner. It's time for our supper, boys." A grotesque, green, humanoid monster grinned with its mouth stretched from ear to ear, eager for human flesh.
Akirion and his family trembled with fear, desperately searching their hearts for help, but found nothing. Eriolth tried to stay calm, unaware that the monsters had already slipped inside. These creatures were ones they'd only heard about in rumors—goblins, elves, twisted and bloodthirsty.
Suddenly, Akirion heard glass shatter in the kitchen. His heart pounded like it was about to leap out of his chest. The monsters started to break through, their horrifying forms appearing before Akirion could even reach for his sword. With his short legs, he ran as fast as he could toward his father.
"Here!" Akirion shouted, thrusting the sword into Eriolth's hands. Eriolth looked at his son with a faint smile, a flicker of gratitude amid the chaos.
"Mirabel, do me a favor," Eriolth gasped.
"Wha—what?" she finally managed to say.
"TAKE AKIRION TO THE TUNNEL. GO TO OUR BEDROOM—there's a red rope. Pull it, and you'll find a tunnel. Escape through that. Run!" Eriolth commanded, fighting off the small goblin-like monsters that swarmed him. He shielded Mirabel, who was trying to breathe through the foul smell filling the air.
"Mirabel, Akie, RUN!" he yelled as he fought.
"Dad, look out!" Akirion shouted, but it was already too late. Eriolth was scratched deeply on his back. Mirabel gasped in fear, her heart pounding as she tried to help.
"Mirabel, take Akirion NOW!" Eriolth urged, grimacing from the pain.
Mirabel seized her chance and sprinted with all her might toward the tunnel. She and Akirion reached the entrance just as the monsters began to surge forward, their footsteps pounding ominously around the room.
"Go, go, go!" Mirabel urged, pushing Akirion inside.
Once inside, Akirion looked back and saw his mother hesitating at the entrance. His voice echoed in the darkness: "Mom! Come on!" But she was already fading into the shadows. Heartbroken, he called her name, but only the silence answered him.
Finally outside, Akirion emerged into the yard, breathless. The house was ablaze, screams echoing as the monsters destroyed everything. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at the burning home, desperately searching for his parents.
Suddenly, a sinister voice cut through the chaos.
"Oh, a little survivor? He's mine to finish. You've killed some inside, right? Well, I didn't — so he's mine," sneered the green-aurad monster, its foul breath steaming as it lunged toward the crying boy.
The roof collapsed in a fiery explosion, lighting up the night. Akirion froze, anger and sadness filling his eyes. The monster advanced, but then it hesitated, trembling.
"What's going on here?" it muttered, confused by its own hesitation. "Why am I not moving? I should kill this lowly human now."
Akirion's tears started again, but then something inside him ignited. He screamed—louder than ever—and a burst of energy erupted from his body, unleashing a devastating explosion that shattered the surroundings.
A powerful gust of wind swept through the area, knocking Mika off her feet as she approached to check on Eriolth. She ducked behind trees, narrowly avoiding being blown away.
Meanwhile, the green aura monster was thrown back, crashing into the broken walls of the house. Most of its minions were killed instantly, leaving only the boss monster gasping for breath. Akirion's body moved on its own, driven by a fierce new resolve. Without hesitation, he charged forward and delivered a final, brutal punch to the monster, ending its life.
Exhausted, Akirion collapsed face-first into the dirt, his body trembling from the effort.
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