Sirius continued navigating through the twisted forest, his body exhausted from the journey. He had been walking for three days, surviving on raw meat, the flesh of Abyssal Shades, and trekking to drink water from a river so black it seemed to swallow light itself, whenever thirst overtook him.
The monotony was stifling. His days blurred together, endless hours of walking, only broken by brief rests or the occasional encounter with an abomination. Strangely, he found himself almost welcoming those terrifying creatures. The eerie silence of the Abyssal Plane was suffocating, and the abominations -though lethal-provided a distraction from his isolation. Yet he knew better than to wish for their company. Each encounter left his life dangling by a thread.
As he neared the river again, thirst clawing at his throat, Sirius stopped. His cracked lips touched the water, but his eyes were darting, scanning the eerie surroundings. He drank quickly, knowing something was wrong. The silence was too deep, too unnatural. It was like the world was holding its breath.
Then, something shifted.
The atmosphere thickened, as if the air itself tensed. His instincts screamed at him, a primal warning that he was being hunted. Sirius leaped to his feet, gripping his weapon tightly. He scanned the trees, his pulse racing, but nothing moved. Minutes passed, and still nothing happened. Yet the sensation lingered-a predator lurking just out of sight. The Abyssal Plane itself seemed to be watching him, hungry.
He backed away from the river, step by cautious step, before breaking into a sprint. His legs burned as he dashed through the forest, dodging twisted branches and dead trees. The oppressive feeling of being hunted only grew, a mounting pressure on his chest. Whatever was out there had made up its mind. It wanted him, and it was closing in fast.
Sirius's heart pounded as he sensed the creature with his soul perception. It was enormous-far beyond anything he had faced before. This was no Tier I shade. He could tell from its immense power bearing down on him like a storm.
He ran faster, his legs burning, lungs on fire, but it didn't matter. The presence was getting closer, tightening around him like a noose. His soul perception screamed out warnings, but they were useless. There was no escaping this thing. It was faster. Stronger. Hungrier.
He could feel the hopelessness sinking in, like a dark pit opening beneath him, ready to swallow him whole. His mind raced, trying to calculate, to plan—but all his thoughts ended the same way. There was no winning this.
He skidded to a stop, eyes wide, breath ragged, as the creature finally revealed itself.
The Shade loomed out of the shadows—a hulking, grotesque mass of muscle and claws. It was massive, towering at least two meters tall, with four arms. The lower two ended in cleaver-like appendages, one of which was cracked and broken, giving the creature a deranged look. Its glowing, green eyes were fixed on him, full of sick, predatory intelligence. This wasn't just another mindless abomination. This one... enjoyed the hunt.
This wasn't like the other Shades.
This one was toying with him. He could feel it. The creature was savoring his fear, drawing closer with every step, feeding off the panic that coursed through him. Sirius's fear was like a drug to the thing—he could feel its perverse pleasure, like the creature was delirious on the scent of his terror.
The more afraid he became, the stronger it grew.
The creature grinned—a twisted, inhuman expression that sent a shudder of disgust down Sirius's spine. His hands shook, white-knuckled around the hilt of his sword. There was no escape.
The creature's grin widened, relishing his fear. It took slow, deliberate steps toward him, its presence a suffocating weight on his shoulders. Sirius knew he couldn't win this fight. But he wasn't ready to die. Not yet.
Tears streamed down his face, unbidden, as he whispered, "I don't want to die... I refuse to die."
He called out into the void, his voice cracking. "Someone, anyone... please, I need help!" But there was no response. No one was coming.
The abomination fed off his despair, its eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. It enjoyed watching him break, basking in his hopelessness. It edged closer, ready to make the kill.
The terror was thick in the air, and the Shade drank it in like it was nectar. Sirius's heart raced, his legs trembling. He was cornered. It knew it. He knew it.
He lifted his sword in a trembling grip, his voice barely a whisper. "I... I won't go down easily..."
The Shade's grin widened at his pitiful display of defiance. It loved this. The creature was savoring every ounce of fear Sirius radiated, basking in the despair that clung to him like a shadow.
Sirius's knees nearly buckled as he realized it—his fear was only making it stronger.
He knew he should run, but he didn't bother. There was no point. Even if he tried, the Shade would catch him. It was faster. It was stronger. It was inevitable.
Taking a deep, with a burst of adrenaline, he charged toward the creature, his feet pounding the ground. He swung his sword with every ounce of strength he could muster, aiming for the creature's chest.
Clang!
His blade came down with all the strength he could muster. But the Shade was faster. So much faster.
The creature caught the blade with one of its claws, effortlessly stopping the attack. Sirius froze, still clutching the hilt, unable to comprehend what had just happened. His strike hadn't even phased it. The abomination grinned, almost mocking him.
In one swift motion, the creature brought down its cleaver, shattering Sirius's make-shifsword into shards of crystal salt and granules that sprayed across the ground.Sirius stared, frozen, his last hope shattered alongside the blade.
Before he could react, the Shade struck.
Its claw slammed into his chest, knocking the breath from his lungs. Sirius flew backward, crashing through the trees like a ragdoll. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud, and pain exploded through him. Pain seared through his chest, his ribs aching with every breath. Blood poured from his nose, ears, and eyes as he lay there, writhing in agony. Blood also spilled from his lips as he coughed, struggling for breath. Everything hurt.
Through blurred vision, he saw the Shade stalking toward him, it's eyes gleaming with the promise of death, slow and deliberate, like it had all the time in the world. Because it did. It knew he couldn't escape. There was no need to rush the kill.
Sirius coughed, blood dribbling down his chin as he gasped for air. His body was broken, his mind a chaotic swirl of fear and regret. He would die here. Alone. Forgotten.
He could almost hear Xander's voice. Ava's laugh. But they were worlds away, unaware he was about to be erased from existence by this monster. They would never know what had happened to him.
The Shade loomed over him now, claws raised high.
This was it.
"No..." Sirius's voice was barely a whisper. "I... refuse..."
The abomination swung its claw down, aiming to crush his skull. But it stopped inches from his face, frozen in place. Confusion flickered in its eyes as it tried to move, but something was holding it back.
A black claw, small but powerful, had gripped its arm.
Sirius' right hand had transformed into something monstrous, his fingers now dragon-like with golden-tipped claws, covered in long but small scales that clustered tightly from his fingertips to his elbow. The scales shimmered with a dark, metallic sheen, their intricate pattern resembling the layered feathers of a predatory bird. Despite their feather-like appearance, the scales were razor-sharp, giving his arm an ominous, lethal quality.
His mind was hazy, instincts taking over. With a guttural roar, he shoved the abomination back, sending it skidding several meters away.
The creature growled in surprise, but Sirius was already standing. He dodged its next swing with a newfound agility, his body moving on its own. Before the abomination could strike again, Sirius lunged forward, his claws tearing into its chest with raw power.
The creature reeled back, black blood spurting from its wounds as it crashed into a line of dead trees.