The last thing Ryan saw before the darkness swallowed him was the creature lunging forward, its claws outstretched. He braced himself for the impact, but the world went black before he could feel it.
When he awoke, his body ached as if he had been trampled. The sound of clashing steel echoed in his ears, and as he forced his eyes open, the scene before him was nothing short of a nightmare.
His father, Roger Duskveil, floated in mid-air, his eyes glowing a brilliant gold, his sword pulsing with raw energy. His every swing sent shockwaves through the earth, cracks forming with each strike. His mother, Helena Duskveil, stood on the ground, her body encased in swirling elements—fire, wind, and water, all orbiting her as she chanted powerful spells. Their combined presence was terrifying, nothing like the parents he knew from home. They were level 4 magisters, but the power they wielded was far beyond anything Ryan had imagined.
Every move they made reshaped the battlefield. The ground heaved, the trees around them were either uprooted or set ablaze, and the air hummed with the sheer intensity of their magic.
What the hell is going on? Ryan thought, barely able to process what he was seeing. Are my parents… some hidden bosses? The power they displayed was so overwhelming, Ryan couldn't help but think, I'm afraid even level 6 magisters would not be their opponent.
Roger's voice cut through the chaos, cold and commanding. "You dare attack my family? You will pay dearly for your insolence!" His sword cleaved through another of the twisted creatures, a shockwave following his strike and splitting the ground beneath it. The monster fell with a guttural cry, its body dissolving into shadowy mist.
Helena was no less fearsome. She raised her hand, and a torrent of fire erupted from the ground, incinerating several creatures at once. "We need to push them back," she said, her voice steady, but filled with urgency. "They're regenerating faster than we can destroy them!"
Despite their overwhelming power, the creatures kept coming. Ryan recognized them now—not just ordinary monsters, but twisted beings once human, transformed by the foul magic of the cult of the Evil Gods. And leading them was a creature unlike any of the others.
Emerging from the fog was a hulking figure, towering over the battlefield. Its skin was blackened, pulsating with dark energy, its eyes glowing with malevolent intent. It moved with a terrifying speed for its size, and even as Ryan's parents unleashed their full strength, the creature seemed unaffected.
"This one's different," Roger muttered, his voice darkening with concern. "Helena, we'll need to work together for this one."
Helena nodded, her eyes narrowing in determination. The two of them moved in perfect unison—Roger's sword cutting through the air with devastating force, while Helena's magic shifted the elements to trap and weaken the creature. But even then, the monster was relentless. It lashed out with claws sharp enough to tear through solid rock, its body regenerating faster than they could damage it.
The ground shook as Roger's sword connected with the monster's arm, severing it clean off. But to their horror, the creature's arm reformed in an instant, and it let out a deafening roar, charging at Helena with blinding speed.
Roger was there in an instant, his sword intercepting the creature's claws. The force of the impact sent a shockwave that rippled through the battlefield, but Roger held firm, his eyes blazing with golden light. "Helena! Now!"
Helena raised both hands, her magic surging as she conjured massive stone pillars from the ground, pinning the creature in place. Fire and wind coalesced around her as she prepared her most powerful spell. "This has to end now!"
But before she could cast it, the creature unleashed a wave of dark energy, shattering the pillars and knocking both of Ryan's parents back. It let out a low, menacing growl, its eyes glowing brighter as it stalked toward them.
Ryan, still struggling to regain his strength, summoned his own magic, forming a rock spear. He hurled it at the creature, but it barely made a dent. Damn it, he thought, frustration boiling inside him. He was no match for a creature like this—not yet.
His parents, too, were starting to show signs of strain. Roger's golden eyes flickered, and Helena's breathing grew heavier as she tried to maintain her spell. For the first time, Ryan saw them truly struggling. This monster was unlike any they had ever faced, and it was growing stronger with every passing second.
Just when it seemed like the battle might be lost, a piercing whistle cut through the air. Ryan looked up to see masked figures emerging from the shadows—knights and magisters, their faces obscured by dark, intricate masks. They moved with precision and deadly efficiency, their weapons and spells glowing with a cold, eerie light.
Without a word, they joined the fray. One of the masked magisters raised his staff, and a beam of pure light shot forth, striking the monster square in the chest. The creature howled in agony as its regeneration faltered, giving Ryan's parents the opening they needed.
"Now!" Roger shouted, his sword blazing with golden energy once more. He and Helena unleashed their final, devastating attack. Roger's sword cleaved through the creature's core while Helena's magic tore through its body. The ground erupted, and the monster let out one final roar before collapsing into a pile of ash and shadow.
The battlefield fell silent.
Ryan stared, wide-eyed, at the devastation around him. His parents stood amidst the rubble, their auras slowly fading. The masked knights and magisters formed up, and in perfect unison, they saluted Roger and Helena with a deep, respectful gesture before retreating back into the shadows.
One of the masked figures, a tall, imposing knight, paused to look at Ryan. "The shadows will rise again, young Duskveil," the figure said, their voice low and ominous. "Your path is only beginning."
Before Ryan could respond, the masked knight disappeared into the mist, leaving him with more questions than answers.
His parents approached him, their expressions unreadable. Roger, his eyes no longer glowing, placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "We'll explain everything when we get home," he said, his voice returning to the calm, reassuring tone Ryan knew so well. "For now, let's leave this place."
Ryan nodded, but inside, his mind was racing. His parents—his ordinary, loving parents—had just fought with a power that defied everything he thought he knew. And those masked figures… who were they? And what did they mean by the shadows rising again?
To be continued...