At the heart of the forest, the trees thinned out, revealing an impossibility—a colossal castle rising from the earth like a forgotten god's monument. Its towers pierced the sky like giant fists, and its walls pulsed with an ancient, suffocating menace.
A hush fell over the group.
"What... the hell is a castle doing here?" Ran muttered, eyes wide. His voice was thin, brittle, swallowed by the silence pressing around them.
Code stepped forward, heart pounding. The structure seemed unreal, like it had no right to exist. Yet it loomed, cold and absolute, casting long shadows over their fear.
"We have a job to do," Ran said, scanning the area. "The demon's here. I can feel it."
"You're out of your mind!" a sorcerer near Dane snapped, panic warping his features. "We're not ready for this! That thing—it's beyond us!"
"We can't back down now," Ran growled, his grip tightening on his blade. "We knew the risks."
But the sorcerer's face twisted in horror. "Our lives are worth more than this suicidal mission!"
He turned to run.
The air cracked.
Dark energy flared, warping reality around the fleeing man. His scream choked mid-breath as his body convulsed—bones bending, skin tearing—and then burst, his head detonating in a spray of blood and shattered bone.
Screams erupted.
The group staggered back in terror, faces pale with shock. Ran's breath caught in his throat.
"What... was that?" Elara whispered, voice shaking.
Before anyone could answer, the shadows congealed. A towering figure stepped forward from the gloom, its presence so vile it made the air taste like ash.
"We're trapped," Dane whispered, his voice hollow.
The demon stood before them—a grotesque parody of man, with curved horns jutting from its skull and burning eyes that sliced through the darkness. Its grin stretched too wide, gleaming with cruelty.
Ran's hand trembled, but his voice held steady. "We fight."
Teno and Soudra moved first—silent, synchronized. Their swords shimmered through the gloom, one aiming for the neck, the other the chest. The demon met their attack with casual power, swiping away blades with monstrous strength.
Elara conjured a veil of illusions, spiraling around the demon's head like smoke. Lyra raised a glowing barrier, recharging the group's energy, while the others circled for position.
Except Code.
He stood frozen, gripped by fear. His element refused to obey him. His breath came shallow and fast.
"Code!" Ran barked. "Focus!"
Code blinked, his body numb.
"Keep pressure on it!" Ran shouted.
For a moment, they had momentum—the demon staggered, confused by the illusions, pushed back by the relentless blades. Hope flared.
But it didn't last.
With a howl of fury, the demon lunged. Its fist blurred forward—too fast. Kael turned, barely raising his arms before the blow landed.
Crunch.
Kael flew back. Blood fountained from his abdomen, soaking the grass. His body hit the ground hard, limbs twitching.
"Kael!" Ran cried, racing to his side.
Kael's mouth moved. "...I'm sorry..." he gasped.
His eyes went still.
Ran screamed, anguish breaking through like a storm. His sword lit up with raw energy as he charged. "You bastard!" His strike carved through the air, a wild arc of fury.
The group held their breath as he leapt overt the demon, aiming to land a spinning slash from behind, but the demon was faster.
It twisted and slammed its fist into Ran's chest.
Ran didn't scream.
His body detonated into a mist of red, limbs scattering like broken glass. His sword hit the ground with a mournful clang.
The battlefield went still.
Code stumbled back, choking on disbelief. Ran was gone. Kael too. The world tilted.
One by one, the others fell.
The demon cut through them like grass—Dane, crushed underfoot; Lyra, torn apart mid-sob; Soudra, impaled mid-strike. Each death more brutal than the last.
Elara stood paralyzed, her illusions gone, eyes empty. Lyra's screams had faded into silence. Only four remained—then three—then two.
Then Code screamed.
The demon's blow missed his chest, but not his hand. His left arm tore away, blood gushing like a fountain. He dropped to the ground, shrieking.
Then—crack—the demon's foot slammed down, pinning his legs. Bones snapped.
Code's world dissolved into agony. He looked to Elara, who stared back, tears carving lines through the dirt on her face.
He wanted to speak. To say goodbye.
But the demon loomed.
Its massive foot lifted for the final stomp.
And then—
A voice rang out. Sharp, clear, defiant.
"Don't give up!"
Code's eyes widened, as his head jerked toward the source.
And then his jaw dropped.
A man stood beside him.
He wore a black hoodie, its hood pulled low. A silver-white ponytail spilled out from beneath it, tied in a neat knot. A mask covered the lower half of his face, hiding everything but a pair of piercing eyes that glinted with calm defiance.
But that wasn't the shocking part.
He had caught the demon's foot.
***
T.B.C