The village of Glenhaven lay nestled between the mountains, its thatched-roof cottages clustered together as if for protection. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the distant murmur of a stream, but there was a palpable tension that hung over the place. The villagers moved quickly, their eyes darting nervously toward the surrounding woods, as if expecting danger to leap out at any moment.
Gabriel, Lina, and Kain arrived just before dusk, their journey uneventful but the weight of the upcoming mission heavy on their shoulders. As they approached the village, the headman—a wiry man with graying hair and a face etched with worry—came out to meet them.
"Thank the gods you're here," the headman said, wringing his hands as he spoke. "We've been plagued by attacks for weeks now. Livestock slaughtered, crops destroyed… Some say it's a curse, others that it's a beast from the mountains."
Lina smiled reassuringly, though her eyes betrayed her concern. "We're here to help, Headman. We'll take care of whatever's been troubling you."
Kain nodded in agreement. "We'll need as much information as you can give us. Have you seen this creature? Any idea where it might be hiding?"
The headman shook his head, his brow furrowed in thought. "No one's seen it clearly. Just glimpses—dark fur, glowing eyes, moving through the trees. It comes at night, silent as death. We've lost too many good people trying to hunt it down."
Gabriel listened in silence, his eyes scanning the village, noting the signs of fear and desperation. This was more than just a simple beast. The way the villagers spoke of it—there was something unnatural in their tone, something that hinted at a deeper terror.
"We'll need a place to set up a watch," Gabriel said, his voice cutting through the conversation. "And we'll need to see where the attacks happened."
The headman nodded quickly. "Of course, of course. You can use the old mill at the edge of the village. It's abandoned now, but it's sturdy. From there, you can see the entire village and the forest beyond."
Gabriel nodded. "That'll do. Show us where the attacks took place, then we'll set up for the night."
The headman led them through the village, pointing out the locations where the creature had struck. Each site was marked by destruction—broken fences, claw marks gouged into wood, and the remnants of what once were animals. The sight only deepened the grim resolve in Gabriel's heart.
As they reached the last site, a small pasture on the edge of the village, Lina knelt down to examine the ground. "The tracks are deep. Whatever this is, it's big. And it's not just attacking at random—it's like it's… hunting."
Kain frowned, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "A beast with that kind of intelligence is dangerous. We need to be careful."
Gabriel remained silent, his eyes fixed on the darkening forest beyond the pasture. There was something out there, something that was watching them even now. He could feel it, a prickling at the back of his neck, a faint whisper in the air. The creature was no ordinary animal—there was a malevolence to it, something that spoke to the darker corners of Gabriel's own soul.
"We'll find it," Gabriel said finally, his voice cold and steady. "And we'll end this."
They returned to the mill as night fell, setting up their watch. Gabriel positioned himself near the entrance, his senses on high alert. Kain took up a position near the window, his sword drawn and ready, while Lina set traps around the perimeter, her movements quick and efficient.
The night was quiet, the kind of quiet that pressed in on the ears, amplifying every creak and rustle. The village was still, its residents huddled in their homes, praying for safety. The only light came from the moon, casting long, eerie shadows across the landscape.
Hours passed, the tension building with each ticking moment. Gabriel could feel the weight of the night pressing down on them, the air thick with anticipation. His grip tightened on the hilt of his dagger, his mind running through possible scenarios.
Then, a sound—a low, rumbling growl—broke the silence. It came from the forest, deep and guttural, reverberating through the trees. Gabriel's eyes snapped to the source, his body tensing as the others reacted.
"Did you hear that?" Lina whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kain nodded, his eyes narrowing. "It's close. Get ready."
Gabriel's eyes were locked on the treeline, where he could see movement—a shadow, darker than the night itself, slipping through the trees. The growl came again, closer this time, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.
Suddenly, the creature burst from the woods, a massive, hulking figure covered in dark, matted fur. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and its fangs gleamed in the moonlight as it snarled, its gaze fixed on the trio.
"There it is!" Kain shouted, raising his sword. "Lina, get back!"
Lina scrambled to a safer position as Kain charged forward, his sword slicing through the air. The creature lunged at him with terrifying speed, its claws swiping out in a deadly arc. Kain barely managed to deflect the blow, the force of it sending him stumbling back.
Gabriel moved quickly, his dagger flashing as he struck at the creature's flank. The blade sank into its flesh, but the beast barely flinched, its attention turning to Gabriel with a snarl.
With a swift motion, Gabriel drew on his blood manipulation, his hand glowing with a dark red energy. He forced the blood within the creature's body to slow, to thicken, trying to weaken it from within. The creature roared in pain and fury, lashing out at Gabriel with renewed ferocity.
"Gabriel!" Lina's voice rang out as she launched a barrage of throwing knives, each one aimed at the beast's vulnerable points. The knives struck true, embedding themselves in its thick hide, but the creature only seemed to grow more enraged.
Kain recovered and struck again, his sword biting deep into the creature's side. It howled, staggering back as it tried to fend off the relentless attacks. But even as it bled, even as its movements grew more sluggish, the creature refused to fall.
Gabriel pressed the attack, his blood manipulation forcing the creature's wounds to widen, to bleed faster. But he could feel the strain on his own body—the power was immense, but it came with a cost. He couldn't afford to overextend himself, not now.
"Keep at it!" Kain shouted, his voice filled with determination. "We've almost got it!"
The creature, now desperate, lunged at Gabriel with all its remaining strength. Gabriel barely dodged in time, feeling the rush of air as the claws passed mere inches from his face. He retaliated with a swift slash of his dagger, aiming for the creature's throat.
The blade struck true, slicing through flesh and bone. The creature let out one final, gurgling roar before it collapsed to the ground, its massive body twitching as the life drained from it.
For a moment, there was silence—an eerie stillness as the three of them stood there, catching their breath. The creature lay dead at their feet, its blood pooling around it, the glow in its eyes fading to darkness.
Lina was the first to speak, her voice trembling slightly. "We… we did it. It's over."
Kain nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Yeah. That was… intense. But we made it."
Gabriel said nothing, his eyes still fixed on the creature's lifeless body. There was something unsettling about it, something that nagged at the back of his mind. This wasn't just an ordinary beast—it was something more, something twisted by dark forces.
Lina noticed his expression and stepped closer, concern in her eyes. "Gabriel, are you okay?"
Gabriel finally looked up, his face as unreadable as ever. "I'm fine. But this… whatever it was, it wasn't natural. Someone—or something—sent it here."
Kain frowned, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "You think there's more to this?"
Gabriel nodded slowly. "Yes. And we need to find out who—or what—is behind it."
Lina shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself. "That's… not what I wanted to hear. But you're right. We can't let something like this happen again."
As they stood there, the moonlight casting long shadows across the blood-stained ground, Gabriel knew that this was only the beginning. The creature was dead, but the threat it represented was far from over.
And once again, Gabriel found himself pulled deeper into a world of darkness and violence, a world that refused to let him go, no matter how much he longed for peace.