Eryx's entire body screamed in agony. He tried to rise from the blood-streaked ground, but his muscles refused to obey. His hands trembled, slick with blood and dirt. The taste of iron filled his mouth as he gasped for air, his vision blurring, a dull ringing in his ears.
Above him, the villain loomed—a towering figure of raw malice and hatred, its crimson eyes glowing brighter with every passing second. The ground beneath its feet smoldered, the air crackling with deadly red lightning that twisted and coiled around its armored form like snakes. Every breath Eryx took felt like he was inhaling shards of glass.
The villain laughed—a low, guttural sound that sent chills crawling up Eryx's spine. "Look at you," it sneered, stepping closer. "Pathetic. You thought you could challenge me? I have walked this earth for centuries, Eryx. I have seen your kind rise and fall. And you…" The figure's voice dropped, venomous and full of contempt. "…you are nothing."
Eryx tried to summon the power of the Gate, but it was slipping through his fingers. Every ounce of energy he could grasp felt wrong, tainted, as if the Gate itself was recoiling from the overwhelming force of the villain before him. He could barely stand, let alone fight.
The villain raised its hand, and the red lightning intensified, crackling with an otherworldly energy. In an instant, it surged forward, striking Eryx square in the chest. His body convulsed violently as the electricity coursed through him, burning through his nerves like fire. He screamed in agony, his voice barely audible over the sound of the villain's power ripping through him.
The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
Eryx collapsed, twitching, his body spasming uncontrollably. His vision swam, and he could barely register the figure standing over him, laughing softly.
"You're afraid, aren't you?" the villain whispered, kneeling beside him. "You can feel it. The fear, the helplessness, the realization that there is nothing you can do. I want you to remember this moment, Eryx. Remember the fear."
The villain's hand shot out, grabbing Eryx by the hair and yanking his head up so their eyes met. Eryx's vision blurred, the world spinning as his body screamed in protest. Blood dripped from his nose, staining the ground beneath him.
The villain's voice was cold, sharp as a knife. "You will never be a match for me. No human can stand against me. Your kind is weak—fragile. And I will wipe you from this earth like the vermin you are."
It tossed him aside with a flick of its wrist, and Eryx's body hit the ground with a sickening thud. His ribs felt shattered, and he struggled to breathe. Every breath was a fight, every second another battle against the overwhelming pain.
The villain stood tall again, its form silhouetted against the dark sky, red energy swirling around it like a storm. "The gods made a mistake when they created humans," it said, its voice booming across the clearing. "They gave you life, and for what? So you could squander it? So you could kill each other, fight over scraps, and destroy everything in your path?"
The figure's voice grew louder, filled with a deep, primal rage. "I hate you. I hate your existence. I hate your hope, your dreams, your endless stupidity. You are nothing. And soon, I will show the gods what they should have done from the beginning—I will cleanse this world of your filth."
It extended its hand toward Eryx, and red lightning arced from its fingertips, wrapping around Eryx's limbs like chains. The pain was unbearable. Eryx screamed, his voice hoarse, as the energy seared his skin, digging deep into his flesh.
The villain lifted him into the air, its red eyes blazing with fury. "Do you feel it, Eryx? Do you feel the despair? This is your fate. This is all you are—another broken, terrified human on the brink of death."
Eryx's mind raced, but it was drowning in fear. His body refused to respond, paralyzed by the overwhelming force of the villain's power. He could feel it—the end. He was going to die here. Alone. Beaten. Forgotten.
And there was nothing he could do.
The villain pulled him closer, its breath cold against his skin. "I will enjoy watching you break."
With a flick of its hand, it slammed Eryx into the ground. The impact shattered what little strength he had left. He lay there, motionless, his body battered and broken, blood pooling beneath him. Every inch of him throbbed with pain, his mind barely able to process the agony. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each one a struggle.
The villain stood over him, triumphant. "You see, Eryx," it said softly, almost mockingly. "You were never meant to win. This world is mine, and your kind… your kind is destined for extinction."
Eryx's heart pounded in his chest. He wanted to move, wanted to fight, but his body refused. His limbs felt like lead, his mind fogged with fear and exhaustion.
And then, something stirred deep inside him. A spark of the Gate's power—small, but there. It whispered to him, urging him to stand, to fight. But it wasn't enough. The villain was too strong. He could feel it—this was a battle he couldn't win.
But he had to survive.
Gritting his teeth, Eryx reached deep within himself, pulling on every last shred of energy he had left. His body screamed in protest, but he pushed past the pain. Slowly, painfully, he rose to his knees, blood dripping from his mouth, his vision blurred.
The villain's eyes narrowed. "Still fighting? Admirable. But pointless."
Eryx didn't respond. He couldn't. All he could do was focus on one thing—survival.
He clenched his fist, summoning what little power the Gate could offer. A small, flickering shield of blue energy surrounded him—fragile, weak, but it was something. He took a step back, then another, his legs shaking beneath him.
The villain's laughter echoed through the clearing. "Run, Eryx. Run, and remember this day. Remember the fear. The helplessness. The agony. Because the next time we meet, I will not be so merciful."
With a final surge of strength, Eryx turned and fled. His body screamed in protest with every step, but he forced himself to keep moving. The world around him blurred as he stumbled through the forest, blood dripping from his wounds, his mind a haze of pain and terror.
He didn't stop. He couldn't. The villain's presence loomed behind him, a shadow that seemed to follow him even in the darkness.
And as he ran, Eryx realized something that chilled him to his core.
He wasn't afraid of death.
He was afraid of living with the memory of this day. The memory of his fear, his helplessness. The memory of the overwhelming power that had crushed him so completely.
And the knowledge that he had escaped only because the villain had let him.
As he disappeared into the night, Eryx's heart pounded with one terrifying thought.
I'll never be strong enough to face him.