Roy watched Elisa vanish into the wrong portal, his jaw dropping like a statue mid-glitch."No. No. NO. Not that portal! That's the—ugh!"He scrubbed a hand down his face, snapped his fingers, and split the air with a crack of raw energy. Five shadow-creatures clawed their way out, their joints clicking like broken machinery, low growls trembling through the floorboards.
"Go after her! Quickly! And don't eat anything unless I say so. Especially not the girl!"
The beasts hurled themselves into the portal, disappearing with a whoosh of heat and the smell of scorched metal.
The Forest
The forest was too quiet—unnaturally so. Moonlight dripped through the canopy in silver strands, painting the world in pale ghostlight. Every leaf whispered shhh—shhh in the cold wind.
Steve watched Jack staring at Elisa like he had forgotten how blinking worked. Steve elbowed him with a smirk.
"Ooooh, look at you. Hopeless. Absolutely hopeless."He flung his arms wide. "The moment you see a girl, you turn into Romiyo. Next thing I know, you'll be spouting poetry to impress her."
Jack's cheeks warmed."I'm just making sure she's okay. That's it."
"Sure, buddy. But you were looking at her like the moonlight has a personal contract with her face."
Jack tried to retort, but a sudden CRACK snapped through the trees. He turned instantly, voice tight."Did you hear that?"
"Relax," Steve said. "Probably a squirrel… or the forest ghost. Either way, I vote we don't investigate."
"You're not helping."
"I never said I would."
Moonlight flared again across Elisa's hair and face, and Jack's breath hitched before he wrenched his gaze away. Steve noticed anyway.
"Uh-huh. Romiyo confirmed."
Elisa's whisper brushed the air. "…They found me."
Jack froze. "W-wait—who? What does that mean—?"
She didn't answer.
The trees groaned. Shadows thickened. Something shifted in the dark.
Steve squinted. "I think her 'helper' came. See? Told you—she's a scammer."
He turned back toward the car, but Jack caught his shoulder.
"Steve… I don't think this is a scam."
"Oh, come on, what do you even—"
Steve stopped talking.
A hulking figure stepped from the trees—too tall, limbs stretched wrong, its face a warped smear of shadow and tar. Moonlight clung to it, making the sharp edges more grotesque.
Steve's jaw sagged."…Cool. Her helper looks like it eats people."
The monster snarled, the sound vibrating through the forest floor.
"Take the girl!" Steve shrieked. "Get in the car! Go, go, go!"
The First Monster
They scrambled. The creature closed in—forty meters, then thirty—moving with impossible speed. Steve dove into the car. Jack lifted Elisa with shaking hands, then slammed the door just as claws cracked branches behind him.
Steve stuck an old shotgun through a sliver of rolled-down window."When I fire, you RUN like your life depends on it—because it does! Then grab me and drive!"
Jack nodded, breath sharp.
Steve muttered, "If this thing dents my car, I'm suing the universe…"
Jack climbed into the driver's seat, heart hammering. Steve cocked the shotgun.
"Three… two… one—"
BOOM.
The blast thundered through the forest.
The monster didn't flinch.
Steve gaped."…Seriously? Not even a dent? What is this thing—DLC difficulty mode?!"
It growled, ground trembling.
"Steve, it's getting closer!"
Then Steve saw it—a glint on the ground where Elisa had fallen.
"Jack! Move the car! Back up to that spot!"
"Toward the monster?!"
"It's shiny! Shiny things in forests are magical or dangerous! And I need magical right now!"
Jack didn't argue. He reversed fast.
SKRRR—THUD.
They stopped—just as the monster landed on the hood with a metallic BAM, claws carving shrieks into the windshield.
"HEY! NOT THE CAR!" Steve yelled. "THAT'S A RENTAL!"
Jack's voice cracked. "STEVE, JUST GO!"
Steve dove out, rolled, and sprinted for the glowing object. It wasn't just shiny—it was a weapon, smooth and alive with power. When he grabbed it, energy jolted through his arm.
"Okay… weird magic stick—don't explode me."
The weapon vibrated. Lifted his arm."HEY—no no no—don't possess—"
WHOOSH—CRACK.
A blade of water erupted, slicing the night open. It tore through the monster, shredding it into mist that evaporated in seconds.
Silence fell. Heavy. Absolute.
Jack stared."Steve… you just water-lasered a demon."
Steve stared at the dimming weapon. "…So now we agree she's not a scammer?"
Jack nodded slowly."…Yeah. I think we're way past scam level."
The Others
The forest held its breath.
Then the shadows moved.
Four figures stepped into the headlights—taller, leaner, flickering like broken static. Their eyes glowed cold, hungry.
One dragged its claws across the asphalt with a SHRRRK. Another tilted its head until its spine cracked—TAK…TAK…TAK.
Steve whispered,"…Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you see them too, or am I hallucinating from stress?"
"I see them. I really wish I didn't."
The nearest monster stepped forward. Steve stepped back. Another step. Steve backed faster.
A long hiss slithered through the night.
"Okay," Steve said faintly. "Quick vote—who thinks we're totally dead?"
Jack flung open the passenger door."Get in the car."
Steve didn't need to be told twice.
The Chase
He sprinted, flailed, practically threw himself into the seat. A monster slammed into the back of the car, claws scraping metal.
Jack floored it.
The forest blurred. Branches whipped the car. Steve looked back—wrong decision.
The monsters were chasing them—on all fours, unnaturally fast, limbs jerking like puppets with lightning strings.
"WHY ARE THEY RUNNING LIKE THEY PAY RENT ON OUR SOULS?!"
"Don't let them climb on the car!"
"Oh, GREAT, JACK—why didn't I think of that—"
Another thud. Claws on the roof. SKRRRTTT.
Steve hugged the water-weapon. "If one of them pops in the window, I'm quitting life."
Jack swerved hard, sending one creature rolling off. Three more persisted.
"Steve… what do we do?"
"We fight," he whispered. "Or we die."
Jack didn't argue.
Elisa Wakes
Branches slapped the windows. Fog swirled like smoke. Then—a hand dropped onto their shoulders.
Both screamed.
"Elisa?!" Steve wheezed. "Why do you wake up like a ghost auditioning for a jump-scare video?!"
"What's happening?" she asked groggily.
"Oh, nothing," Steve snapped. "Just a relaxing midnight drive through Monster Town. Welcome to paradise—the death paradise, Your Royal Panic-Queen."
"This is the scariest night of my life," Jack muttered.
"If nightmares had nightmares," Steve said, "they'd look like this."
Jack, inexplicably inspired, murmured,"This night is like a dark poem written by a drunk thundercloud. A chaos symphony… a horror masterpiece carved into time."
Steve narrowed his eyes."Jack… your poetry makes this scarier."
A faint clacking echoed behind them. Elisa stiffened.
"Guys… something's following us."
Jack checked the mirror.Four silhouettes broke through the fog—crooked-limbed, gaining speed.
"Oh great," Steve whispered. "They run marathons now."
The monsters climbed the cliffside paralleling the road, scaling upward, gaining altitude. Elisa gasped.
"They're… they're getting ahead of us!"
Jack's heart dropped."This road curves along the cliff—if they jump—"
"Fantastic," Steve muttered. "Monsters who understand geometry."
The creatures leapt.
One landed atop a jagged rock. Another perched like gravity was optional. Two more crawled forward until all four stared down at the approaching car.
Jack whispered, "Brake or drive?"
"I don't know—what do we do?" Steve hissed.
Before either could choose, Elisa rose slightly, eyes glowing faintly. Her voice was barely a breath.
"They're not here for us."
The cliff shuddered. Rock dust spilled.Something deeper in the mountain began to move.
Something huge.
Something waking.