Kenos was thrown out by the patrolling guards, landing on the cold, hard ground outside the gate. As he regained consciousness, he felt a crushing pain in his chest. He looked up to see a group of outer disciples standing over him, their faces contorted in disgust.
There were five of them in total, their leader, Lysander, a lean, messy-haired young man with gray eyes and a sly grin. Lysander was known for his cunning ambition and cocky demeanor.
One of Lysander's lackeys, a burly, intimidating-looking man, stepped forward and began to kick Kenos in the chest. Kenos groaned in pain, trying to push the lackey away, but his strength was waning.
As Kenos regained his senses, he felt the weight of the lackey's foot pressing down on his chest. "Why is this bastard laying in front of the gate?" the lackey sneered.
Kenos tried to push the foot away, but the lackey kicked him harder, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"This rebellious bitch," the lackey spat, raising his fist to strike Kenos.
Just as the lackey was about to deliver the blow, Lysander shouted, "Enough! We're getting late."
The lackey hesitated, his hand still raised. He glanced at Lysander and nodded impatiently. With a grunt, the lackey turned and ran back to his team, leaving Kenos lying on the ground, bruised and battered.
Kenos struggled to stand up, his body aching. He brushed off the dust from his clothes and began to limp towards his workplace. As he walked, he noticed a young woman running towards the city gate. Her name was Kaia, a friend of Lyra's from the slaughtering sector.
Kaia was a petite girl with long, flowing brown hair and bright green eyes. Her face was pale and drawn, and her clothes were torn and dirty. Blood stained her left arm, and she limped slightly as she ran.
Concerned, Kenos approached her and called out, "Kaia! What happened?"
Kaia stopped, panting heavily. "Don't go to the workplace," she gasped. "A cosmic monster broke in."
Kenos's heart sank. "What about Lyra and the others?" he asked, his voice filled with dread.
Kaia shook her head. "I don't know. I was going to the gate to get help when I saw it."
Kenos's mind raced. He knew that if a cosmic monster had breached , the situation was dire. Even a low-level cosmic monster would pose a significant threat .
Without hesitation, Kenos turned and ran towards his workplace, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew that he was risking his own life, but he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
As Kenos rushed towards the slaughtering sector, he could smell the stench of blood and decay. The air was thick with tension, and the silence was broken only by the occasional groan or whimper.
When he finally reached the sector, he was greeted by a horrifying sight. The floor was covered in blood, and the bodies of workers lay strewn about. The walls were splattered with gore, and a strange, oppressive pressure filled the air.
Kenos's stomach churned as he took in the scene. This was a massacre. He scanned the room, his eyes searching for any sign of Lyra.
Suddenly, he heard a faint moan coming from behind a pile of crates. He rushed over and pulled the crates aside, revealing Lyra lying on the ground, her body covered in wounds.
"Lyra!" Kenos cried out, his voice filled with relief and horror.
Lyra groaned, her eyes fluttering open. She looked at Kenos with a mixture of confusion and pain.
"Are you alright?" Kenos asked, kneeling beside her.
Lyra nodded weakly. "I was attacked," she whispered. "I don't know where everyone else is."
Kenos's heart sank. He stood up and began to search the room, calling out for Lyra's colleagues. There was no response. The slaughtering sector was eerily quiet, save for the occasional drip of blood.
Kenos knew he had to find help. He rushed out of the sector and began to search for survivors. He found a few injured workers scattered throughout the stronghold, but most of them were dead.
As he searched, Kenos couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The atmosphere was tense and oppressive, and he could sense a dark presence lurking in the shadows.
He knew he had to get out of the stronghold, but he couldn't leave Lyra behind. He would have to find a way to rescue her and escape before it was too late.
As Kenos was leading a group of survivors out of the slaughtering sector, he heard a terrifying roar echoing through the stronghold. The sound was unlike anything he had ever heard before, a monstrous growl that sent shivers down his spine.
"Everyone, stay back!" Kenos shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar.
He turned to see a massive, hulking creature . It was a cosmic monster, its body covered in thick, leathery scales and its eyes were filled with bloodlust.
The outer disciples who he met at the gate were fighting the monster, but they were no match for its immense power. 3 of them were already injured or dead, and the monster was slowly but surely overwhelming them.
Kenos watched in horror as the monster ripped apart one of the outer disciple's limb, its claws tearing through the man's flesh like paper. The disciple let out a blood-curdling scream before falling to the ground, lifeless.
"How can there be a cosmic monster here?" He gasped."didn't you said there are only normal monster, Lysander."
The Lysander nodded, his face pale with fear. "We were wrong. This is a disaster."
Kenos knew that they had to escape before the monster found them. He turned to the survivors and shouted, "Follow me!"
The survivors hesitated, their faces filled with terror. But Kenos was determined. He knew that if they stayed, they would all die.
With renewed determination, Kenos led the survivors through sector and headed toward gate.
Kenos's heart sank as monster emerged, its gaze fixed on the fleeing survivor. "No... it can't be. Did they get wiped out?"
Panic set in. Kenos knew he had to act.
"Everyone, head toward the gate! Now!" Kenos ordered, his voice firm.
Lyra protested, "Kenos, we can't leave you!"
He made a split-second decision.
"Go! I'll distract Groteus. You owe me nothing, Lyra."
A surviving disciple, Kaida, grasped Lyra's arm. "Come on, Lyra! We need to get out!"
Lyra hesitated, but Kaida pulled her toward the gate.
Kenos shouted, drawing Monster's attention. "Hey, monster! Over here!"
Monster charged. Kenos dodged its initial attack and led the beast toward Shadowfen.
"Run!" Kenos yelled, as he sprinted into the treacherous terrain.
Groteus followed, its roar echoing through Shadowfen's twisted paths.
"Why... did I do this?" Kenos panted, his legs burning.
"Because Lyra's kindness"
"No regret, " Kenos whispered