The corridor had become a furnace. Flames crept up the walls, licking at the cracked paint. Black smoke coiled toward the ceiling, swallowing the flickering emergency lights that fought to stay alive.
Eliel tightened his grip on the Greatsword of the Fallen Dawn, its blade reflecting the chaotic orange glow. His breathing was ragged, the air thick with dust and ash. Beside him, Patoa leaned on the wall, clutching his ribs with one hand while the other trembled slightly — ready to mark, to detonate, to fight.
Through the haze, the boss stood at the far end of the ruined hallway, its body now leaner, faster — veins pulsing an electric azure blue that illuminated its skin like molten glass. Its eyes had shifted from raw hunger to something sharper, crueler. It remembered them.
A low, rhythmic hum vibrated through the floorboards. The monster's claws dragged against the wall as it advanced, each step echoing like a war drum.
Eliel exhaled slowly, lowering into a stance. "You take the left. Don't blow me up this time."
"Mi try, mi try," Patoa muttered with a shaky grin. "No promise."
Then the world moved.
The creature exploded forward in a streak of blue light, faster than before. Eliel barely raised his sword in time — steel clanged against claw, the impact sending a tremor through his arms. Sparks and blood flew.
He twisted, slashing in a wide arc. The greatsword's edge carved a shallow wound across the creature's torso, but the beast didn't even flinch — it grinned, blood dripping from its teeth.
Eliel's muscles screamed as he dodged another swing, the claws slicing a hair's breadth from his face. A single strand of his messy black hair fell across his blue eyes.
"Patoa!" he shouted.
"I deh pon it!"
Patoa dashed to the side, his shoes slipping on debris, hand brushing the wall as he ran. Every step left behind invisible marks — a trail of death waiting for his signal.
The monster turned, leaping toward him.
Eliel moved before he could think — pure instinct. He sprinted forward and slammed his shoulder into the beast's midsection. The two crashed through a fallen door, tumbling into what used to be a dorm kitchen.
The smell of burnt metal and rot filled the air. Pots, pans, and shattered glass littered the floor.
Eliel rolled, raising his sword just as the creature lunged again. The impact sent a shock up his arm; his knees buckled under the force. He felt something warm trickle down his temple — blood.
The monster hissed and swiped, sending the sword flying. Eliel ducked under its claws, rolled across the tiles, and grabbed a broken chair leg. He jabbed it upward into the creature's neck — but it barely pierced the skin.
With a growl, the beast grabbed him by the collar and hurled him through a counter. Wood shattered beneath him as he landed hard, gasping for air.
The world blurred.
"Eli!"
Patoa's voice cut through the ringing in his ears.
The Jamaican sprinted through the doorway, dragging his leg but moving fast. "Duck, mi boss!"
Eliel dropped his head just as Patoa raised his hand.
"BOOM!"
The entire kitchen wall erupted, the explosion swallowing the creature in fire and debris. The shockwave sent Eliel skidding backward, glass raining down on him like silver dust.
When the smoke cleared, the boss was half-buried in rubble, its flesh seared black. It twitched — then stood up again.
"Mi bloodclaat…" Patoa breathed, voice full of disbelief.
The monster's wounds glowed brighter, veins pulsing violently as blue energy began to surge outward. The fire around it died instantly, replaced by a shimmering wave of pressure.
"It's absorbing… the heat?" Eliel realized aloud.
The temperature in the room plummeted. Frost began forming on the edges of the counters, spreading fast. Their breaths turned visible.
Patoa's teeth chattered. "Nah, nah, dis ting cold now? What kinda sci-fi boss dis?"
Eliel didn't answer. He reached for his sword, the hilt freezing to the touch. "Stay behind me."
The creature crouched low, claws extended — and then it vanished.
A gust of wind slammed into Eliel from behind. He turned too late; claws raked across his back, tearing his shirt and flesh. He cried out, spinning with his sword in a desperate counter. The blade grazed the creature's thigh, leaving a faint cut — not enough.
The monster's laughter, distorted and metallic, echoed through the icy kitchen. It darted around them in circles, a blur of light and frost.
Patoa gritted his teeth, pressing his bleeding side. "Yuh tink yuh fast, eh?"
He slammed his palm against the floor, spreading a series of marks in a circular radius.
"Come on, come closer…" he muttered. "Yuh love rush, rush? Come rush dis."
The monster lunged — straight into the trap.
"BOOM!"
The explosion was deafening. Tiles shattered, metal warped, and the shockwave blew open every cabinet door. The creature's arm flew off, spinning across the room.
But the blast hit Patoa too, flinging him backward into a counter. He groaned, vision swimming.
"Eliel…" he croaked.
Eliel rose, clutching his side, blood dripping from his arm. His sword's glow flickered weakly. "Still alive?"
"Barely, mi boss. But mi tink…" He coughed, blood on his lips. "Mi tink mi talent… grow."
Before Eliel could respond, the creature let out a piercing shriek. Its remaining arm stretched grotesquely, regenerating into something longer, bladed, and crystalline. It looked like a sword made of frozen lightning.
Eliel's eyes narrowed. "It's evolving again."
The beast's eyes burned with awareness. It remembered every move they'd used — the angles of their strikes, the timing of their explosions.
"This thing's learning from us," Eliel said grimly.
"Den wi teach it fear."
Patoa staggered to his feet, aura faintly shimmering around his hands. The marks on his skin glowed faintly — like tiny constellations.
The creature tilted its head, curious.
"Yuh want learn, demon?" Patoa said through clenched teeth, his grin crooked but wild. "Den watch dis."
He slammed his fists together. The air trembled.
A sudden pressure filled the room — invisible, heavy, alive.
Eliel turned to look, eyes wide. "Patoa—what did you—"
A system chime cut through the chaos.
[ Talent Unlocked: ??? ]
[ Skill Acquired: Martial Arts – Level 1 ]
The world froze for a heartbeat. The glow around Patoa's hands solidified, his veins shimmering red-gold beneath his dark skin.
"Mi tink…" he said softly, smiling despite the blood on his teeth, "...mi find mi rhythm."
The creature crouched, ready to strike.
Eliel raised his sword, stance low.
Fire and frost crackled together in the ruined kitchen.
And then — silence.
A moment before the storm.
---
End of Chapter 8 – "Blood, Dust, and Fire