The darkness in the ruins wasn't natural. It clung to the walls like a thick fog, turning every corner into a potential threat. Rael kept his breathing shallow, moving silently through the broken structures. His mind was still reeling from the vision, and the cryptic voice that had echoed in his thoughts haunted him.
The city was a graveyard, and he was its only living soul—at least that's how it felt. But that sense of isolation was a lie. Something was lurking in the shadows. Watching. Waiting.
Rael ducked behind a crumbled wall, pressing his back against the cold stone. His ears strained for any sound, but the city remained unnervingly quiet. Too quiet.
Suddenly, a low growl reverberated through the air—a sound that didn't belong to any creature Rael had ever known. His heart leaped into his throat as he peered around the edge of the wall. A flicker of movement caught his eye.
A figure, hunched and unnatural, moved between the broken buildings, its form shrouded in the mist. It moved with purpose, though its gait was slow and deliberate, like a predator savoring the hunt. As it neared, Rael caught a glimpse of its skin—gray, mottled, and stretched tight over bone. Its eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, scanning the area with a hunger that sent a chill down his spine.
Rael's breath stilled. He pressed himself further into the shadows, praying that the creature wouldn't notice him.
His fingers twitched, reaching for the stone in his pocket. It was warm again, pulsing softly, as if reacting to the presence of the creature. Rael's instincts screamed at him to run, but his body refused to move, frozen by the sheer weight of fear.
The creature stopped, turning its head in Rael's direction. Its nostrils flared, and it sniffed the air, the growl in its throat growing louder.
Rael's heart pounded so hard it hurt, his mind racing for a plan. But before he could act, the stone flared to life in his hand, and a surge of energy rippled through his body.
The creature's eyes snapped toward him, locking onto his position. It snarled, crouching low as it prepared to pounce.
Rael's body moved on its own, driven by some instinct he didn't fully understand. His hand shot out, and the air around him shimmered as if reality itself was bending. The creature lunged, but before it could reach him, a sudden force slammed into it, sending it crashing into a nearby wall.
Rael gasped, staring at his hand in disbelief. He had barely moved, barely thought—yet something within him had reacted to the danger, unleashing a power he didn't know he had.
The creature writhed on the ground, dazed but not defeated. It snarled, shaking off the blow as it rose to its feet, eyes burning with rage.
But Rael wasn't the same person he had been moments ago. Something had awakened inside him, and the fear that had gripped him so tightly began to fade.
For the first time, he felt... in control.