The night air was thick with a foreboding silence as Kael stumbled into the car park, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The place was a graveyard of forgotten vehicles, their rusted frames jutting out of the ground like the bones of ancient beasts. The flickering light of a single streetlamp cast long, eerie shadows that seemed to dance with every movement, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Every step echoed ominously, amplifying his sense of isolation.
He stopped dead in his tracks, his heart pounding in his chest As he heard the words LETS BEGIN!
Then a strange, shimmering interface appeared before his eyes, translucent yet clear as day. It floated just above his line of sight, listing out a series of stats and skills—all of them set at zero.
Vitality: 0
Hunger: 0
Agility: 0
Ghoul Power: 0
Kyenkie: 0
Intimidation: 0
Number of skills locked : 8
A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "What...what the hell is this?" he whispered, panic rising in his chest. But before he could process it, a chorus of low, mocking laughter echoed from the shadows.
" What do we have here...."he heard a voice but couldn't see where it came from.
"Hmmmmm he smells sooooo human, "
"You're in for a rough night, little human," another voice sneered, sending a shiver down his spine.
Kael turned, his heart pounding in his ears. From the darkness emerged a group of six ghouls, each more grotesque and terrifying than the last. Their eyes glowed with a sinister light, and their twisted forms were barely recognizable as once-human.
One ghoul, towering over the others, had a serpentine tail that slithered behind it, its skin a creepy disgusting shade of green. Its back erupted into a writhing mass of sharp, blade-like tendrils that hissed and snapped as it moved.
"Look at him," the ghoul hissed, its voice a deep, grating rumble. "A newborn, fresh meat."
The others cackled, their laughter a grating cacophony that echoed in the empty lot.
Another ghoul, smaller but faster, had elongated limbs that moved with unnerving fluidity. From its back sprouted a pair of spiked, insect-like wings that buzzed ominously. "He's not even worth the effort," it chittered, its voice high-pitched and mocking.
A third ghoul, its skin a sickly grey, had a grotesque maw filled with jagged teeth. From its back emerged four thick, bone-like spikes that dripped with a noxious black substance. It growled, "Let's tear him apart, slowly."
Kael's mind screamed at him to run, but his body refused to move. He was paralyzed, utterly defenseless. The ghouls could sense his fear, and it only fueled their cruel amusement.
The largest ghoul slithered closer, its tendrils snapping at the air. "Weak. Helpless. You don't even know what you are, do you?"
The other ghouls closed in, their claws flexing and their eyes glinting with sadistic glee. "We'll enjoy this," one of them hissed.
Just as they were about to strike, a sharp whistle sliced through the air, stopping the ghouls in their tracks. From the shadows stepped two figures, their presence radiating an overwhelming power that made the ghouls recoil in fear.
"Looks like we got here just in time," the man said, his voice cool and composed. He was tall and lean, his eyes a piercing shade of crimson that glowed faintly in the dark. His hair was dark and tousled, and he carried himself with an effortless confidence. From his back, dark, shadowy tendril so pulsed with a menacing energy, coiling and uncoiling like living snakes.
Beside him, the woman smirked, her gaze fixed on the ghouls with predatory intent. She was slender, with sharp features and eyes that gleamed like molten gold. Her long, silver hair flowed around her like liquid metal, and from her back emerged a pair of dark, feathered wings, each feather edged with a deadly sharpness.
The ghouls bristled, their previous confidence faltering. "You two," the largest ghoul snarled. "You should have stayed out of this."
The woman's smirk widened. "And miss the fun? Not a chance."
In an instant, the battle erupted.
The insect-winged ghoul lunged at the woman, its wings buzzing furiously as it attempted to slash at her with razor-sharp claws. But she was faster. With a graceful leap, she soared into the air, her wings slicing through the darkness like blades. She dived down, her claws glowing with a dark, pulsing energy, and struck the ghoul with such force that its wings shattered, sending it crashing into the ground.
Meanwhile, the man faced off against two ghouls at once. The bone-spiked ghoul roared, unleashing a spray of toxic sludge from its back. The man didn't flinch. He raised a hand, and the shadows around him surged forward, forming a barrier that absorbed the attack. With a swift motion, he directed the shadows to wrap around the ghoul's limbs, immobilizing it before slashing it apart with his tendrils.
The second ghoul, a wiry creature with long, sinewy limbs and a tail that crackled with electricity, tried to strike from the side. The man anticipated the move, his tendrils lashing out to intercept. The tendrils clashed with the ghoul's electrified tail, sparks flying as the two forces collided. With a powerful thrust, the man's tendrils overpowered the ghoul, piercing through its chest with a sickening crunch.
The largest ghoul, enraged by the fall of its comrades, let out a deafening roar. Its blade-like tendrils lashed out wildly, carving deep gashes into the surrounding cars. The woman dodged nimbly, her wings carrying her above the fray. She descended in a blur of motion, her claws tearing into the ghoul's back with deadly precision. The ghoul howled in pain, thrashing in a desperate attempt to shake her off, but she held on, driving her claws deeper until she felt the ghoul's spine snap beneath her grip.
The last two ghouls, now the only ones left standing, exchanged fearful glances. But before they could flee, the man and woman closed in with relentless speed. The man unleashed a barrage of shadow tendrils, each one piercing through the ghouls' bodies with lethal precision. The woman, her hands glowing with a dark, pulsating energy, struck the final ghoul with such force that its head twisted at an unnatural angle, the life draining from its eyes.
As the dust settled, the two stood victorious amidst the carnage, their breathing heavy but controlled. Without a word, they each bent down, ripping the hearts from the ghouls' chests with brutal efficiency. The sound of tearing flesh was sickening, but what came next was even worse.
They raised the hearts to their mouths and bit into them, the blood running down their chins as they consumed the raw, pulsing organs. The sight was too much for Kael, who had watched the entire scene unfold in horror. His stomach churned, and his vision blurred. Before he could react, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
When Kael finally awoke, he was no longer in the car park. His body ached, and his head throbbed as he slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a dimly lit room, the air thick with the scent of incense. Strange symbols adorned the walls, glowing faintly in the darkness. The only sound was the faint crackling of a fire in the corner.
Kael had no idea where he was, but he knew one thing for certain—his life had just spiraled into a terrifying new reality.