Larry's body trembled as he lay on the cold, blood-slicked floor. His chest heaved, pain rippling through every inch of him. The beasts tore at him relentlessly, their claws digging into his skin, their teeth gnashing with savage fury. He tried to fight back, but his limbs were heavy, unresponsive. His strength was waning with every passing second.
'I can't move… I can't keep up...'
His thoughts were scattered, flashes of memories and regrets filling his mind. He'd always been seen as weak, and now he was living up to it, failing when it mattered most. The searing pain made his breath shallow, and he could feel the blood pouring from his wounds. His vision, though nonexistent, was fading into nothingness—an odd, cold darkness pressing in on his senses.
"I'm not ready to die. I won't let it end here. I'm not weak… I'm not…" He reassured himself as he managed to grab one of the beast 's necks and push it away instantly.
But even his own defiance was becoming a whisper. His body was betraying him, every inch of his being screaming in agony. He could hear Eldric approaching through the blood and chaos, his heavy steps barely audible over the snarls and roars of the beasts. The beasts weren't interested in Eldric—they cleared a path for him as he moved closer to Larry.
The beasts… they weren't the real threat anymore.
Eldric's burnt, broken form was a sight Larry could not see, but he could feel it—he could feel the weight of Eldric's malevolent presence, the suffocating pressure of his hatred. He was coming for him, intent on ending Larry's life in the most brutal way possible.
Larry struggled to lift his head, but his body wouldn't respond. His leg… he couldn't feel his left leg anymore. The realization dawned slowly, horrifyingly, as his senses caught up with the damage. His leg had been torn clean off, the beasts leaving nothing but blood and mangled flesh where it had once been. The pain was too unbearable but he knew that the worst was yet to come.
'No… no, no…'
His heart raced in panic, terror flooding his mind as he tried to come to terms with it. A searing pain erupted from his right arm, and before he could even react, the limb was gone. He barely had time to scream as Eldric stepped forward, ripping through any beasts that dared cross his path. Their bodies crumpled like paper under his fists, their bones snapping with ease as Eldric moved, unwavering in his pursuit of Larry.
"I thought you'd last longer, but you're just like the others—fragile, worthless…" Eldric's voice was a cold hiss, dripping with venom as he advanced on Larry. "I'll make sure you die painfully."
Larry wanted to speak but he couldn't find his voice, he coughed, blood spurting from his lips, his chest heaving with the effort. His entire right side was drenched in blood. His chest… it was open, exposed to the cold air. His ribs were visible, jagged and broken. He could feel his heart slowing, the blood loss making his head light and his thoughts sluggish. Every breath was a battle, every heartbeat a ticking clock.
'I'm dying. This is it. This is how it ends… I'm going to die blind, weak .. I'm going to die a loser'
Tears welled up in his blind eyes, the blindfold had already loosened. His mind was racing with the memories of the life he'd lived, there's nothing remarkable in it. The loneliness. The rejection. The moments where he'd hoped for something better, for a purpose, for strength.
'Is this all I was meant to be?'
He could feel Eldric towering over him now, his heavy breath filling the air. Larry tried to speak, tried to utter some final words, but his throat was thick with blood. He could feel the life draining from him, his consciousness slipping away. Eldric pulled him with just a hand and slammed him hard on the giant hand that was in the middle of the room. This hand was where Larry had retrieved the blue orb.
"This is your end." Eldric's deep voice resonated in the room as he raised his fist in order to deliver the final blow.
Suddenly, a faint buzzing sound cut through the haze of his agony. At first, Larry barely registered it. But Eldric paused, his cruel smile faltering as the buzz grew louder, more insistent. His hand, raised to deliver the final blow, hesitated as something small and fast zipped around his ear.
"What the…?" Eldric snarled, swatting at the air.
The insect was relentless, darting toward Eldric's face. He tried to smack it down, but it was too quick, weaving in and out of his reach. In his frustration, Eldric raised his hand to crush the tiny thing, but before he could, the insect made a sudden, sharp dive—straight toward Larry.
Larry's fading senses barely caught the movement. The buzzing creature, whatever it was, shot into his open chest, right into his exposed heart.
Eldric froze.
The world seemed to still for a moment. Larry's heartbeat, weak and irregular, suddenly thundered in his chest. Pain, unbearable and electric, surged through his entire body. His vision, the endless blackness he had always known, shifted. He felt… something. A presence, deep within him, awakening. It was like a surge of energy—violent, burning, and ancient.
Then, without warning, a bright yellow light tore from Larry's eyes, cutting through the darkness of the room like a blade.
Eldric stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the light. The beasts growled and retreated into the shadows, their snarls turning into whimpers. Larry's body shook, convulsing with the sheer force of the energy coursing through him. The pain… it was gone. Replaced with something else. Something powerful. Something he couldn't understand.
The light grew brighter, stronger, as Larry's broken, bloodied body began to mend itself in ways that defied logic. His heartbeat roared in his ears, and for the first time in his life, Larry felt truly alive.
And then… the world exploded into light.