Koryand'r stood in the clearing, his body tense with focus as he drew his bowstring back, aiming at a distant target.
His target was a giant moth that had landed on a tree trunk several yards away. The creature was enormous, its wings covered in iridescent scales that shimmered in the fading light.
Kory narrowed his eyes, steadying his breathing as he focused on the precise point where he wanted his arrow to strike.
As Kory prepared to release the arrow, a light tap on his back broke his concentration.
"Hey, Kory!" Tobias chirped, oblivious to Kory's focus. "I love your arrows, ever thought about shooting them into outer-space? The stars, the planets… Earth must look amazing from up there, right? And all the bugs would be tiny! Wouldn't it be cool to just fly away and—"
Kory recognised him as one of the strangers and didn'trespond, hoping Tobias would take the hint. But Tobias, ever the chatterbox, continued his rambling.
Finally, noticing Kory's silence, Tobias's enthusiasm waned. "Uh, I guess I'll let you get back to it," he mumbled, stepping back awkwardly.
Kory barely acknowledged him, refocusing on the moth ahead. As Tobias left, Kory muttered under his breath, "I knew it from the beginning they were all trouble....." Sighing, he adjusted his grip on the bow and tried to push the annoyance from his mind.
"Okay, last arrow," Kory told himself, drawing another arrow from his quiver. He lined up his shot. The moth remained still, and Kory felt a surge of satisfaction at the thought of hitting his mark. He exhaled slowly, preparing to release.
Just as he was about to let the arrow fly, Tobias came bounding back into the clearing. "Whoa! Is that a butterfly?" he shouted, his voice slicing through the air like a knife.
Kory flinched, and his fingers slipped. The arrow ricocheted off a nearby iron post with a sharp *clang* and rebounded toward him. Instinctively, Kory squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.
He felt a slight tug at his chest but no pain. When he opened his eyes, he was stunned to find his shirt gone. He looked up just in time to see the arrow spiraling away, carrying his shirt with it.
Kory stood there, stunned, anger bubbling up from deep within. With a growl of frustration, he snapped the bow over his knee, the wood splintering with a satisfying crack. Without a word, he tossed the broken pieces to the ground and stormed off.
Tobias stood wide-eyed, watching him go. He hesitated, unsure whether to follow or give Kory space. After a few seconds, he scratched his head. "We're still friends though, right?" he murmured.
---
By noon, Reina is seen hurrying down a narrow alley, colliding with Koryand'r. He glared down at her, his usually calm face twisted in frustration.
"There you are!" Kory barked. "What were you thinking, putting that lunatic in my house?"
Reina was confused and then smirked. "Chill out, Kory. It's just for a little while. You're tough; you can handle it." she punched him slightly and winked.
Reina then scratched her hair and said. "Is that why you're running?!"
"I'm not sure how much longer I can strategically avoid strangling him," Kory muttered darkly. "He's been blasting my ears with talk about space since he moved in. And the worst part?"
Kory leaned closer, lowering his voice. "He cuddles with my candles while he's asleep. It's the creepiest thing I've ever experienced."
Reina tried to suppress her laughter but failed. "Oh man, Tobias? Really? That's actually kind of adorable."
Kory's scowl deepened. "Adorable isn't exactly the word I'd use."
Just then, Kory's eyes widened in panic as he spotted Tobias coming around the corner, his face lighting up with excitement. "Oh, there you are, buddy!" Tobias called out, waving enthusiastically.
Kory didn't waste a second. He turned and bolted in the opposite direction, leaving Reina standing there, still chuckling as Tobias ran after him, calling his name.
Above them, Danny hovered silently over the rugged, rocky terrain on the Hornet, its sleek form casting a shadow on the craggy surface below.
He brought the Hornet down with a deft touch, the aircraft settling onto a bed of soft, earthy moss and lichen.
Danny, clad in a weathered leather jacket and sturdy boots, rummaged through his satchel with ease. His fingers brushed against the metal key.
The key was unlike anything he'd seen before—its twisted form and the strange symbols that danced upon it seemed to pulse with an inner light, hinting at secrets long forgotten.
With a careful, deliberate motion, Danny approached a section of the ground that seemed out of place—an anomaly in the otherwise unremarkable terrain.
He crouched beside it, the hidden slot, barely discernible from the surrounding landscape, was flanked by crumbling stones and overgrown vines. He inserted the key with a gentle twist, and as he did, the earth beneath him began to tremble.
A low rumble resonated through the mountain, the ground shifting with a sense of ancient purpose. The passageway revealed itself slowly, the earth pulling back to unveil a narrow chasm that yawned open.
A rush of cool, musty air surged upward, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and decaying stone.
Danny's eyes narrowed as he peered into the abyss. He glanced back at the Hornet
"Stay put, boy," Danny murmured softly, his voice barely more than a whisper carried by the wind. He reached out a hand to Cupcake "I won't be long."
With a deep, steadying breath, Danny struggled to his feet, candles along the walls flared to life with pale, unnatural blue flames. The tunnel stretched out before him, curving into the distance. At the end of the passage, a large iron cage came into view. Inside, a creature stirred.
It has a shiny black body with long legs which were segmented with a reddish-brown hue.
Its small oval head seems to possess just one red eye, and a white fang. And when it saw Danny, it pressed against the bars, its pincers clicking rhythmically.
"Long time no see, my good friend," the creature rasped, its voice a gravelly whisper. "You know you have to let me out someday, right?"
Danny's expression remained stoic. "Dream on, Scarron" he replied coldly.
Scarron chuckled, a dark, throaty sound that sent a shiver down Danny's spine. "You can't keep me here forever, Danny. One day, you'll realize that."
Danny ignored the taunt, his gaze shifting to the gruesome scene inside the cage—bones picked clean of flesh, clothing torn to shreds, and the unmistakable stench of death. His stomach churned, but he forced himself to stay calm.
"Why do you keep me alive?" Scarron asked, its voice softer now. "You've had plenty of chances to end it. But you haven't. Why?"
Danny hesitated, memories of a time before the betrayal surfacing. His jaw clenched as he fought to keep those memories buried. "Because I miss us," Danny finally admitted, his voice barely more than a whisper.
His eyes flicked up to meet the spiders' eyes, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of something—regret, perhaps, or sorrow. But it vanished, replaced by cold detachment. "But you betrayed me," he added, his voice hardening. "Every betrayal leaves a scar, and I'm not in the mood to heal from that, right now."
With that, Danny turned and strode out of the tunnel, pulling the heavy door shut behind him with a resounding clang. The lock clicked into place, and Danny slid the key back into his pocket.
Inside the cage, Scarron watched him go, noticing something on the ground where Danny had stood. As the last candlelight faded, Scarron's gaze fell on the small, metallic object glinting faintly in the darkness—Danny's spare key.
A slow, sinister grin spread across the creature's face. Scarrons' eyes gleamed with dark delight, and it began to chuckle once more, the sound echoing eerily through the now-silent tunnel.
"Looks like our game isn't over yet," Scarron whispered to itself, the key clutched tightly in its grip. "Not by a long shot."
With that, the candles extinguished, plunging the tunnel into darkness, leaving Scarron to scheme in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.