Roderick's heart raced as he followed closely behind his father, his small hand gripping tightly onto the older man's cloak.
The family's personal guard, a tall and heavily armored man with a stern face, led them through the crowd. The guard's broad shoulders were like a shield against the waves of nobles pushing toward them.
"This way, quickly," the guard muttered, urgency threading through his deep voice as he guided them towards a gilded mirror at the far end of the hall.
The mirror, at first glance, seemed nothing more than an opulent decoration, but as the guard pressed his hand against a hidden mechanism, the glass shimmered and swung open, revealing a secret passageway. The dark corridor yawned before them, its walls lined with flickering torches.
"We must hurry," the guard urged, his tone clipped. Roderick looked back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the ballroom's carnage. The sight burned itself into his mind—blood and bodies littered the marble floor, the once-majestic hall now a grotesque ruin.
But something even more chilling held his gaze. The void creature stood amidst the chaos, its many eyes scanning the room. It had noticed them.
A cold shiver crawled up Roderick's spine as a voice—his voice, but twisted, alien— whispered in the void creature's mind. "Kill them..." The words were sinister, as though plucked from the deepest corners of his fears.
The void creature tilted its head slightly, the command ringing clear in its fractured mind. "As you wish..." it whispered in return, its voice reverberating through the empty air, devoid of emotion.
With unnerving speed, the creature turned its attention back to the scattering nobles and their guards. What followed was nothing short of a massacre. The nobles, despite their wealth and status, were powerless in the face of such an abomination. Screams filled the air as the creature moved with lethal precision, its limbs a blur of destruction.
Guards who had sworn oaths to protect their masters fell one by one, their blades shattering like brittle glass against the creature's impenetrable hide. Blood sprayed across the polished marble floors, mingling with the once-glistening decorations. The nobles' pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears as the void creature cut through them with monstrous efficiency.
Each kill was faster, more brutal than the last, leaving behind bodies mangled beyond recognition. Within moments, the grandeur of the ballroom was replaced with the sickening sight of torn limbs and lifeless forms, their blood pooling in dark red rivers across the floor.
The void creature stepped back, surveying the carnage it had wrought. Blood coated the walls, dripping from chandeliers and tapestries, turning the once-beautiful hall into a grotesque nightmare. The thick, metallic scent of death filled the air. The void creature paid no mind to the crimson that now stained its form. Its eyes, cold and calculating, turned toward the hidden passageway where Roderick and his family had fled.
It moved silently, walking over the bodies of the fallen without so much as a glance.
When it reached the mirror, it grabbed the frame and, with a casual motion, hurled it aside as if it were a mere trinket. The mirror shattered, the glass scattering in glistening fragments that caught the dim light of the ballroom's remaining torches.
Behind it, the entrance to the hidden passage stood open, revealing a narrow set of stone stairs that spiraled downward into the darkness.
The torches lining the walls flickered, casting long, wavering shadows as the creature stepped forward, its form blocking out the faint light from above. Its six glowing eyes focused on the passage ahead. The scent of fear lingered in the air, guiding it deeper into the tunnel.
The void creature's claws clicked against the stone as it began its descent, moving with an eerie calmness, as if it had all the time in the world to hunt its prey.
As they hurried down the dimly lit tunnel, the flickering torches barely provided enough light to see the rough stone path ahead. Roderick's small legs struggled to keep pace with his father's longer strides. His heart raced, fear gnawing at him like a relentless predator, but more than anything, he was haunted by the gruesome images of the ballroom and the void creature that had so effortlessly slaughtered those around him. He gripped his father's hand tightly, as if that connection was the only thing tethering him to safety.
"Will we be safe, father…?" Roderick's voice trembled as he spoke, the weight of the fear in his heart almost choking him. His wide eyes searched his father's face for reassurance, though deep down, he knew the terror he felt was shared by the man beside him.
His father, Perceval, glanced down at his son, his usually stern and composed features now marred by the unmistakable strain of fear. He managed to conjure a shaky but reassuring smile, a mask for the dread tightening his chest. "Do not worry, Roderick," he began, his voice unsteady but filled with forced confidence. "As long as Sabrina and Luka are with us, not even a monster like that can harm us. They've sworn to protect us, and they're the best there are. Plus, I'm sure the knights back there have already taken care of it." His words tumbled out quickly, each one meant to convince not just his son, but himself as well. "This is just an extra precaution!"
Roderick nodded, but his father's strained voice wasn't enough to soothe the dread that gnawed at his gut. The monster they had seen was no ordinary creature—it was something beyond their understanding. Something far more dangerous.
Suddenly, the faint sound of wind whirring violently behind them grew louder, approaching faster than they could imagine. The air seemed to thrum with a malicious energy, and before anyone could react, Sabrina, the stoic and vigilant guard of the Fairbourne family, whipped around. Her movements were fluid, but urgent, her body moving instinctively.
Sabrina's tall, imposing frame, adorned in polished silver armor, became a bulwark between the void creature and Roderick. Her steel-gray eyes locked on the incoming threat with deadly precision, and in one swift motion, she unsheathed her longsword, enveloping it in a crackling blue aura. The energy around the blade shimmered, humming with power as she braced for the attack.
There was a flash of claws—razor-sharp talons extending from the void creature's middle right hand—hurtling towards Roderick. In a heartbeat, Sabrina's sword met the creature's strike, the clash reverberating through the narrow tunnel with a loud, metallic screech. Sparks flew from the impact, briefly lighting the corridor in a harsh, blue glow.
"….Strong…." the void creature uttered in its distorted, broken voice, its many eyes narrowing as it regarded Sabrina. The force of its attack had pushed against her blade, but she held her ground, not flinching in the face of the terrifying abomination. Sabrina's jaw clenched, her muscles tensing as she pushed back, forcing the creature to withdraw its talons and regain its stance a few paces away.
"Take them away, now!" Sabrina's voice cut through the tension, authoritative and unwavering. She didn't take her eyes off the void creature as she barked the order to Luka, the other guard, who quickly ushered Roderick and his family further into the tunnel.
Luka, a seasoned warrior with a scarred face and sharp, alert eyes, wasted no time. He grabbed Roderick's father by the arm, urging him forward. "Come on! We have to move!" Luka's voice was tense, his grip firm as he led them deeper into the passage. Roderick stumbled as he was pulled away, his eyes wide with terror as he looked back over his shoulder.
"Sabrina!!!" Roderick's voice cracked as he cried out, watching the lone warrior stand against the void creature. It was a sight that would forever burn itself into his mind—Sabrina, standing tall and unyielding, her sword glowing in the dim light of the tunnel as she faced down a creature that seemed invincible.
He felt the sting of tears pricking his eyes, not just from fear, but from the overwhelming guilt that gnawed at his insides. He was being protected, shielded, while Sabrina—a warrior—was risking her life to save him. All he could do was run, like a coward. Tears spilled down his cheeks, the shame and sadness washing over him as he and his family were hurried away into the darkness.
Behind them, the clash of steel and claws echoed through the narrow tunnel, the sound growing fainter as they fled. The sharp ringing of blades meeting, the grunts of exertion from Sabrina as she fought valiantly against the void creature—Roderick could hear it all, the sounds mixing with his own rapid breathing and pounding heart.
But as they ran deeper, the sounds of battle began to fade, replaced by an eerie silence. The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly before them, its walls closing in as the tension built with every step. Luka led the way, glancing back occasionally to ensure the family was still behind him. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to defend them at a moment's notice.
"Sir Perceval, hurry, please!" Luka urged, his voice tight with urgency. His eyes darted to the darkness behind them, fearing what might emerge from it.
Just as they neared the end of the tunnel, a faint voice broke through the silence, chilling the air around them.