Sumit crouched in the shadow of a large tree, his heart pounding in his chest. The Dark Figure had disappeared into the underbrush, leaving an eerie stillness behind. The creature's presence still lingered in the air, oppressive and suffocating. His breath came in shallow, quiet gasps as he waited, senses straining for any sign of danger.
After a long silence, he cautiously emerged from his hiding place. His eyes traced the path where the monster had walked, and what he saw made his stomach twist. Everything the monster had touched—branches, trees, grass—had turned black. It was as if all life had been sucked out, leaving behind only a hollow, brittle shell. Leaves crumbled to dust beneath his feet, the once vibrant green now faded to a lifeless grey. The contrast was stark, unnerving.
Sumit's thoughts spiralled. Did that thing... destroy everything it touched? The idea chilled him to the bone. He couldn't shake the image of the lifeless plants and the deathly stillness that followed in the creature's wake. Instinctively, he looked ahead, toward the direction the monster had gone. A dark trail of devastation stretched before him, leading straight toward the plant-monkey territory.
His mind raced with indecision. What do I do? The urge to flee surged within him—run as far away from this nightmare as possible. Ignore it. Pretend it didn't happen. But deep down, he knew he couldn't. His gut told him something worse was about to happen. The plant-monkeys... that thing is targeting them. I can feel it.
He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms as he tried to steady himself. The weight of a promise pressed heavily on his mind. A promise he had made to the Cat-man. Always be the first to help.
"Cursed your promise, Cat-man," Sumit muttered, biting back frustration. He glanced at his surroundings, feeling the pressure build. He could turn away, ignore the catastrophe ahead, or he could follow that monstrous thing and face whatever horrors lay ahead.
With a deep breath, Sumit steeled himself. His jaw tightened as he started walking toward the plant-monkey territory, cursing himself for being such a fool. I'll save my aura for the battle ahead, he reminded himself. Whatever was coming, he needed to be prepared.
...
After what felt like an eternity of walking, he neared the plant-monkey territory. The dense jungle gave way to open clearings where the monkeys lived among towering trees. But then, the sound he had been dreading reached his ears—the terrified screams of the plant-monkeys. His heart dropped into his stomach.
Panic surged through him as he rushed forward, his legs carrying him as fast as they could. He burst into the clearing, only to be met with a sight that froze him in place.
The plant-monkeys were fleeing in all directions, but half of them were already too late. Their bodies had turned to stone—solid, unmoving statues of terror. The others screamed in fear, trying to escape the Dark Figure, but it was relentless. The monster moved with eerie precision, capturing the fleeing creatures one by one.
Sumit's throat tightened as he saw the monster reach out and grab a plant-monkey by its neck. In seconds, the monkey's body hardened, its expression of fear frozen in stone. At that exact moment, the gem embedded in the monster's chest glowed a sickening blue, pulsating as if drawing energy from the petrified creature.
That gem... it's draining their energy! Sumit realized, his mind spinning with the horrific conclusion. This wasn't just a monster. It was something far worse—something that consumed life itself.
He couldn't stand by any longer.
"HEY!" His shout echoed through the clearing, cutting through the chaos like a blade. He broke into a sprint, his legs pumping hard as he raced toward the Dark Figure, his mind already focused on the battle ahead. Focus your aura on your legs and arms, Sumit. You'll need every bit of strength for this.
The monster's head swivelled toward him, its red eyes locking onto him with a predatory gaze. A low growl rumbled in its chest as it shifted its stance, preparing for Sumit's attack. Up close, the monster was even more monstrous than Sumit had realized. Its body was a hulking mass of muscle, covered in dark, striped fur that bristled with menace. Its face was a grotesque combination of a tiger's snarling maw and a monkey's calculating eyes. And that tail, long and sinewy, flicked behind it with terrifying precision, ready to lash out at any moment.
Sumit closed the distance in a heartbeat, his aura-enhanced legs propelling him forward with blinding speed. He swung his fist toward the monster's head, aiming to strike it hard and fast. But the monster was faster.
With an almost casual motion, it deflected his punch with the back of its hand, sending Sumit stumbling off balance. Damn, it's strong...
Sumit barely had time to recover before the monster was on him. It lashed out with its claws, aiming for his chest. He threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the monster was relentless. It followed up with a flurry of swipes, its claws cutting through the air with deadly precision.
Sumit dodged as best he could, rolling and ducking to avoid the strikes, but he was already tiring. The monster's movements were almost impossible to predict, and every missed attack was followed by another faster and more precise. Each dodge left him a step behind, his body screaming in protest from the effort.
In desperation, Sumit channeled more aura into his legs, hoping to increase his speed. He launched himself at the monster again, this time aiming low for its ribs. His fist connected, but it was like punching a wall of steel. The monster barely flinched. It swatted him away again, this time harder. Sumit's body hit the ground with a painful thud, the impact jarring his bones.
This... this isn't working.
As Sumit struggled to get back on his feet, he saw movement from the corner of his eye. The plant-monkeys—those who had not yet turned to stone—were watching him. Then, in a sudden rush, they charged toward the monster, leaping from trees and rocks to attack it from all sides.
For a brief moment, Sumit felt a flicker of hope. Maybe together we can...
But the monster was a force of nature.
It moved like a whirlwind, striking down the plant-monkeys with brutal efficiency. Its hands shot out, grabbing monkeys by the throat and turning them to stone almost instantly. The more it absorbed, the brighter the gem in its chest glowed, pulsing with sickening energy.
Sumit's mind raced. I can't keep this up. Even with the plant-monkeys' help, we're just getting picked off one by one. We're going to lose...
His eyes darted to the gem. That cursed, glowing gem. That's the key. I have to destroy it.
Summit took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his ears. He shouted as loud as he could, hoping the plant-monkeys would understand him. "MONKEYS! ATTACK THE GEM!" he shouted desperately, pointing toward the glowing crystal embedded in the monster's chest. But the plant-monkeys didn't understand. They looked at him in confusion.
"THE GEM! GET THAT GEM!" Sumit yelled again, frustration boiling over. But instead of attacking, the plant-monkeys scattered, retreating into the trees, leaving Sumit alone.
His heart sank as the monster turned its full attention toward him. The creature's glowing eyes bore into him, and it began to move, stalking toward him like a predator closing in on its prey.
I messed up... I'm alone. Sumit's chest tightened with fear. He tried to move, but the monster was faster. In an instant, its clawed hand wrapped around his neck, lifting him off the ground with ease. Sumit gasped for air as his body began to harden, the petrification creeping over his skin. His arms and legs felt heavy, unmoving. Stone.
No... I can't...
His thoughts spiraled, panic rising as he felt his body succumb to the stone curse. His eyes darted around desperately, searching for anything—any chance to escape. But there was none. The monster's grip tightened, and Sumit felt his strength fading. His vision blurred as the stone crept over his shoulders.
This is it... He cursed the plant-monkeys in his mind, wondering why he ever thought he could save them. The Cat-man's promise felt like a bitter joke now.
Just as the darkness began to close in, a voice cut through the haze.
"AHHHHHHHH!" A plant-monkey's voice, high-pitched and frantic.
Sumit's gaze shifted just in time to see one of the plant-monkeys rushing toward him, clutching something familiar. His staff.
The monkey threw the staff with all its might, and with the last ounce of strength left in his body, Sumit reached out. His hand—still unpetrified—caught the staff mid-air.
This is my only chance.
Summoning every last drop of aura, Sumit channeled it into the staff, feeling the familiar surge of power pulse through the wood. His muscles screamed in protest as he raised the staff, aiming straight for the glowing gem in the monster's chest.
With a final, desperate cry, Sumit thrust the staff forward, driving it directly into the gem.
The impact was immediate.
The gem shattered with a deafening crack, and in that moment, the entire clearing was engulfed in a blinding flash of light. Energy poured out of the broken crystal, rushing through the air like a tidal wave. The plant-monkeys, frozen in stone, began to return to flesh, their bodies softening, their faces regaining life.
As for the monster, the moment the gem broke, its body began to disintegrate, crumbling into dust. The dark aura faded, and the once terrifying creature was reduced to nothing but ash, swept away by the wind.
Sumit collapsed to the ground, the staff slipping from his hand. His body was exhausted, every muscle screaming in agony. But the petrification had stopped. He was alive.
The last thing he saw before his eyes fluttered shut was the swirling dust of the monster, carried away by the wind.
Then, everything went black.