Sirius stirred awake, his head throbbing as if it had been crushed. He groaned, his muscles aching like they'd been torn apart. The overwhelming fatigue tempted him to fall back asleep, but the nagging awareness of their precarious situation kept him alert. He forced himself to sit up, blinking through the haze of pain.
As his vision cleared, he noticed Xander, Emilia, and Aurelia standing nearby, their gazes locked onto him with expressions that carried a mixture of emotions—worry, relief, curiosity, and something he couldn't quite place. Xander was bruised and had taken a hard hit to the head, but beyond the visible injuries, he seemed mostly intact. Emilia, though not awakened, had been knocked out by a tier-2 Soul Weaver, but her injuries were mild, and she was slowly recovering.
Aurelia, however, looked the worst of them all. Her body bore several wounds, including a stab that had nearly done her in. The bleeding had been stopped by her own painful method of cauterizing the wound with her fiery sword, and she had tied it with a rough piece of cloth. Despite the bruises and cuts, her eyes held a burning determination.
But as Sirius focused on their condition, he became aware of the way they were looking at him, like something was off. He frowned, his voice hoarse as he broke the silence. "What is it? Why are you all staring at me like that?"
They didn't answer with words. Instead, in eerie synchronization, they all pointed behind him.
Confused, Sirius turned to look over his shoulder, and his heart nearly stopped. Philo stood there, motionless, his cold eyes staring blankly ahead. Fear spiked through Sirius like ice water. He leaped back, his body reacting on instinct as he put distance between himself and the one who had nearly killed them all.
"What the hell? Why is he here?!" Sirius demanded, panic rising in his voice. "Why are you all just standing there? He tried to kill us!"
The others exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of confusion and something else Sirius couldn't quite decipher. They looked at him as if he had said something absurd.
Xander stepped forward cautiously. "Big bro... that's not Philo."
Sirius blinked, his mind scrambling to make sense of Xander's words. "What do you mean that's not Philo? He looks exactly like him!"
"But it's not him," Xander insisted, his voice firm. "That's an echo."
Sirius froze, his thoughts racing. An echo? He knew what echoes were—solid manifestations of souls, tangible imprints of lives that had passed. A tangible reflection. But Philo's echo? How?
He turned to Aurelia, who nodded, confirming Xander's claim. "It's your echo, Sirius."
"My echo?" Sirius repeated, disbelief lacing his tone. "That's impossible... I didn't kill him... did I?"
He trailed off, doubt creeping into his mind. A faint connection pulsed in the back of his consciousness, something tethered to the figure standing before him. He closed his eyes, ignoring the others as he reached inward, diving into his soul sea.
There, his soul essence was low, barely recovering after the fight. But that wasn't what caught his attention. Standing on the surface of the sea, unmoving and emotionless, was the perfect replica of Philo. He wore the same clothes he had during the battle, the same expression, and yet... his eyes were dead, void of life.
It was true. Philo had died and become an echo.
Sirius's consciousness returned to the real world, his heart heavy as he glanced at the figure behind him. "He's mine... but I didn't kill him, at least not that I remember."
Xander stepped closer, keeping his distance from the echo. "None of us did. We were all either knocked out or unconscious when the fight ended," he said, glancing at Aurelia and Emilia, who nodded in agreement.
Sirius frowned, his mind clouded with uncertainty. "I remember fighting him, but... I got stabbed. Right here." He lifted his hand to one of the injuries Philo had inflicted on his neck, as well as his chest. The wounds were still there, faint but healed enough to keep him alive. "My lungs... they were pierced."
Emilia chimed in softly. "You weren't mortally wounded, though. You were hurt, but not fatally."
"That doesn't make sense," Sirius muttered. "I should've died."
The group fell silent, the gravity of the situation settling over them like a shroud. No one had an explanation for why they were still alive or how Philo had turned into an echo. But one thing was clear—they had survived, however unlikely it seemed.
Emilia, ever the optimist, broke the tension. "Well, we might not understand everything that happened, but at least we're alive, right? That's what matters."
Sirius nodded, agreeing with her logic despite the strange circumstances. "Yeah, she's right. We survived, somehow. Let's focus on what's important—getting out of here."
Xander, always practical, chimed in. "So, what's our next move?"
"We need to scout the area first," Sirius replied, his gaze flickering to the cave walls around them. "Are we in a safe place or not?"
Aurelia spoke up, her tone confident. "I've already scouted the surroundings. We're deep underground in a cave system."
Xander gave her a skeptical look. "You scouted?"
"Yes, shadow boy," she shot back. "It's not like you were doing anything useful."
"Shadow boy?" Xander scowled, about to retort, but Sirius cut in.
"Enough," he said, his voice tired. "We can't stay here for long. The shade is still out there, and this cave won't protect us forever."
Aurelia nodded. "Exactly. Hiding here is a death sentence. That thing is still hunting us."
"True," Sirius conceded, "but if we leave now, we could walk right into its path."
The group fell silent, weighing their options. Finally, Sirius made a decision. "We'll rest for a bit, regain our strength, and then we move. No point in getting caught while we're still half-dead."
Everyone nodded in agreement, settling down to rest, though the air remained tense with the threat of the shade looming over them.
---
In another part of the dead forest, where the four kids had miraculously survived their encounter with Philo, a shadow moved silently through the trees. It was the same Abyssal Shade that had been relentlessly chasing them since their first day in the Abyssal Plane. As it stepped into the clearing, the scene of its prey's battle, the Shade's unnatural form was hard to miss. It was mangled, its body torn and scarred, much of its black, sinewy flesh missing in large chunks, as though a swarm of smaller creatures had gnawed on it with ravenous hunger.
The Shade's long arms, which ended in cleaver-like hands, dragged slightly on the ground, dripping with a thick, dark ichor that oozed from its open wounds. Its chest was riddled with gashes, exposing what should have been its core, but instead revealed little more than decaying flesh. The beast's once sleek and terrifying form was now twisted and grotesque, each movement accompanied by the sickening sound of flesh tearing and bones grinding against each other.
Its hollow, glowing eyes swept over the ground, taking in the lifeless body of Philo. The man's chest was gaping open, his heart ripped out, the bloody cavity a stark reminder of what the creature sought. Even in death, Philo wore a twisted smile, his face frozen in defiance. Sirius's handiwork was unmistakable; the Shade recognized it.
For a brief moment, the Shade lingered over the corpse, the corners of its monstrous mouth twitching into what could only be described as a distorted grin. Its gaze never wavered as it stepped on Philo's body, crushing the brittle remains beneath its massive foot. The sounds of bones snapping echoed through the trees, but the Shade did not stop. It moved forward, intent on its quarry.
Though its body was in tatters, barely held together by a dark, pulsating energy, its hunt was not over. The scent it sought, the faint trace of life that had eluded it before, was still fresh in the air. It paused, sniffing with a grotesque, guttural sound, and once it caught the scent again, the creature straightened. Its lips curled into a grotesque mockery of a smile, baring jagged, uneven teeth slick with dark ichor.
Despite the torment it had suffered, the fury in its glowing eyes was unmistakable. It would not be denied again. No matter how battered or broken it had become, the Shade was determined. The next time it found the children, there would be no escape. Its prey had been lucky once, but their luck had run out.
With a low, rumbling growl, the Shade picked up its pace, its movements growing faster, more desperate. The hunt would end soon and when it did, the children wouldn't be spared its wrath.
---
On the other side of the dark river, Ava and her crew were making their way through the Abyssal Plane, having crossed the treacherous waters teeming with bloodthirsty shades. They had been searching for days, and some of the soldiers were beginning to lose hope.
"Ma'am, we've found nothing. Maybe we should retreat before we meet something worse," one of the soldiers suggested hesitantly.
Ava shot him a cold look, her armor glinting in the pale light. "If you want to go back, you're welcome to. But I'm not leaving until I find them."
The soldier gulped and quickly backed down, muttering an apology.
Suddenly, Roy called out. "Boss, over here! I've got a trail."
Ava's eyes narrowed as Roy's words sank in. She instinctively tensed, a chill running down her spine as she walked towards his position.
"People have been here no more than a day or two. They must have moved in this direction," Roy said, his voice steady but tinged with caution.
Ava nodded, her focus sharpening. "Alright, we'll take the lead. Change tactics, we're heading this way." She looked over her shoulder, ensuring the soldiers were following her command.
But then Roy hesitated, glancing at the ground again, his brow furrowing as though something troubled him.
"More?" Ava asked, her voice growing more urgent.
Roy met her gaze, his expression grim. "I think... they're being trailed, by a shade. And it might be above tier 1."
Ava's heart skipped a beat. Her usually calm exterior faltered for a brief moment. "Double our speed. We're running." she ordered sharply.
The soldiers echoed her commands and began to adjust their formation.
Ava's mind raced. A tier-1 shade was dangerous, but one that could track them? This wasn't just a chase—it was a hunt. She quickly moved forward, her eyes scanning the shadows, every muscle coiled in readiness. Please be safe, she prayed silently, hoping her children were still alive.