Eryx barely had time to catch his breath before the sound of cracking branches echoed through the forest. His heart froze. He could feel it—the overwhelming, suffocating presence of the villain approaching.
Lira stood by his side, her sword already drawn, her stance ready for battle. But Eryx… he could hardly move. The terror of their last encounter still weighed heavily on his mind, and his body refused to cooperate.
"Lira..." His voice was hoarse, strained. "He's coming."
Lira tightened her grip on her sword, her eyes scanning the shadows. "Then we fight."
Before Eryx could protest, a gust of wind swept through the clearing, the air growing thick with an unnatural energy. The trees bent under the force, the sky darkening as if night had fallen all over again.
And then, from the darkness, he emerged.
The villain stepped forward, his figure barely visible under his tattered, dark robes. His face was obscured by shadows, but the glowing, red eyes were unmistakable. Power radiated off him in waves, distorting the very air around him.
"You thought you could run, Eryx?" the villain's voice was a deep, hollow growl. "Did you really think you could escape me?"
Eryx's entire body shook with fear, but Lira didn't flinch. She stepped in front of him, raising her sword defiantly. "I don't care who or what you are. You'll have to go through me first."
The villain's eyes flickered toward her, a slow, mocking smile spreading across his face. "Ah, the loyal friend. So eager to die. How pathetic."
Lira lunged forward, her blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. But before she could even reach him, the villain raised a single hand, and an invisible force slammed into her, sending her flying backward into a tree. She hit the trunk with a sickening thud, her sword clattering to the ground.
"Lira!" Eryx screamed, trying to move, but his legs felt like lead.
The villain turned his gaze back to Eryx, his smile widening. "Look at you, Eryx. Paralyzed by fear, again. Do you still not understand? This isn't a battle you can win."
Lira groaned, forcing herself to her feet, blood dripping from her forehead. She spat onto the ground, picking up her sword once more. "I'm not done yet."
With a roar, she charged the villain again, her blade flashing as she unleashed a flurry of attacks. Each swing was precise, lethal, but every strike was met with an effortless deflection, as though the villain wasn't even trying.He laughed, a cold, cruel sound that echoed through the clearing. "Humans... always so eager to fight, no matter how hopeless it is."
Lira gritted her teeth, pressing the attack harder, her movements becoming more desperate. But the villain merely waved a hand, and a wave of red lightning shot out, slamming into her chest. She cried out in pain, dropping to her knees, her body convulsing as the energy tore through her.
"Lira!" Eryx's voice cracked, panic surging through him. He forced himself to move, stumbling forward, but it was too late.
The villain stood over Lira, his hand crackling with energy as he looked down at her with disgust. "You fight so hard for someone who is nothing."
Lira, struggling to breathe, looked up at him, defiance still burning in her eyes. "I fight... because I believe in him."
The villain's eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with contempt. "And that belief will be your undoing."
Without hesitation, the villain reached down, grabbing Lira by the throat and lifting her into the air. She gasped, her hands clawing at his grip, but she couldn't break free.
Eryx staggered forward, his heart hammering in his chest. "No! Stop! Leave her alone!"
But the villain ignored him. He raised his free hand, and with a sharp movement, plunged his fingers into Lira's chest. Her scream pierced the air, her body convulsing violently as the villain's power ripped through her.
Eryx's world went white with horror. "NO!"
The villain turned his head slowly toward Eryx, his fingers still buried in Lira's chest. "Do you see now, Eryx? Do you understand how meaningless your existence is? You couldn't save her. You couldn't even save yourself."
With a savage twist of his hand, the villain pulled, and Eryx watched in helpless terror as Lira's body went limp. The light left her eyes, her sword falling from her grip as the life drained from her.
Eryx fell to his knees, his hands trembling violently. "Lira… no…"
The villain tossed her lifeless body to the ground, wiping his bloodstained hand on his cloak. He took a step toward Eryx, his red eyes burning with sadistic satisfaction. "This is what happens to those who stand against me, Eryx. They die, and you—"
He bent down, grabbing Eryx by the collar and lifting him effortlessly into the air, their faces inches apart. "—you are left broken, alone, powerless."
Eryx struggled weakly, his mind numb with shock and grief. The image of Lira's body, lifeless on the ground, burned into his mind. He couldn't process it. He couldn't accept it. This couldn't be real.
The villain leaned in close, his voice a venomous whisper. "I hate humans. I despise everything about your pathetic race. Your weakness. Your arrogance. The way you cling to hope, even when you know you're doomed. The gods gave me the power to think, but they also cursed me. I was trapped in a prison of nothingness, watching as your kind walked freely in the world, feeling the sun on their skin, breathing the air, laughing, loving…"
His grip tightened on Eryx's collar, his voice growing more venomous. "But I was nothing. No body. No senses. No life. I was in Hell, watching Heaven. I hated you for it, all of you. And now, I will tear your world apart, piece by piece, until there's nothing left."
He let Eryx drop to the ground, stepping over him as if he were nothing more than a piece of trash. Eryx gasped for air, his vision blurring from the pain and overwhelming grief.
The villain paused as he walked away, turning his head slightly. "Remember this moment, Eryx. Remember the feeling of helplessness. Remember the hatred burning inside you, because it will be the only thing left when I come for you again."
He began to fade into the shadows, his red eyes still gleaming. As the darkness swallowed him, his voice echoed one last time.
"My name is Vekros. And you will learn to fear it."
With that, Vekros disappeared, leaving Eryx alone in the blood-soaked clearing.
Eryx lay there, staring at the body of his closest friend, his chest heaving with sobs that he could no longer contain. The pain, the fear, the anger—it all boiled inside him until there was nothing left but a hollow, seething rage.
He had lost everything. And now, the seed of vengeance had taken root.
The next time they met, he would kill Vekros, no matter the cost.