The night air was cool, a stark contrast to the stale, suffocating atmosphere of the abandoned house. Josh and his siblings walked down the moonlit path, the mansion not far in the distance. There was a sense of quiet relief in the air—like they had made it through a storm and were finally heading home.
But that sense of peace was short-lived.
From behind them, the faint sound of footsteps echoed. Theen's ears twitched, and he froze, sniffing the air. "We're not alone," he growled, his eyes narrowing.
Before anyone could react, a figure stepped out of the shadows, blocking their path. It was the dwarf, his crooked smile even more twisted under the pale light. "Leaving so soon?" he sneered, his voice low and mocking. "I'm afraid I can't let you go just yet."
Acacia stepped forward, her hands sparking with green flames. "What do you want?" she demanded, her eyes blazing with anger. "We're not playing games."
The dwarf chuckled, his beady eyes flicking to Josh. "Oh, but I'm not here for games, little witch. I'm here for him." He pointed a stubby finger at Josh, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt. "I want what he has."
Josh's heart skipped a beat. "What—what do you mean?" he stammered, taking a step back. He didn't understand what the dwarf was talking about, but the way the dwarf's eyes gleamed with greed sent a shiver down his spine.
"You don't even know, do you?" the dwarf said, almost pityingly. "Well, that makes this easier." He snapped his fingers, and from the shadows around them, more figures appeared—small, hunched creatures with sharp, gleaming eyes and crooked grins. Josh's breath caught in his throat as he realized they were surrounded.
Perkus stepped in front of Josh, his eyes glowing red. "I'd reconsider, if I were you," he said, his voice low and threatening. "You're outnumbered."
The dwarf's grin widened. "Am I?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you are."
Theen's lips curled back in a snarl, and he shifted, his claws extending, muscles tensing for a fight. "Then let's change the odds," he growled, his voice rumbling like thunder.
The night erupted into chaos.
Theen lunged at the nearest creature, his claws slashing through the air. Acacia summoned vines from the ground, wrapping them around two of the dwarfs' cronies, pulling them off their feet. Paylah disappeared into the shadows, reappearing behind another attacker, knocking them off balance. Perkus, with a dark, almost gleeful grin, let his eyes blaze red, sending waves of fear through the creatures, making them hesitate and falter.
But for every one they took down, two more seemed to take their place. The dwarf watched from the sidelines, his eyes fixed on Josh, unmoving even as chaos unfolded around him.
Josh stood in the middle of the brawl, his heart pounding, unsure of what to do. He had never been in a fight like this. He felt useless, a burden to his siblings. "Why me?" he thought, his mind racing. "What do they want from me?"
Then, before he could react, two of the creatures lunged at him, grabbing him by the arms. Josh struggled, panic surging through him as he tried to pull away, but their grip was too strong. "No!" he shouted, kicking and thrashing, but it was no use. They were dragging him toward the dwarf, who was watching with a satisfied smirk.
"Stop fighting," the dwarf said, his voice calm, almost gentle. "It'll all be over soon."
A surge of fear and anger roared through Josh. He was tired of being scared, tired of being helpless. He clenched his fists, his hands shaking as the creatures pulled him closer to the dwarf. And then, something snapped.
A strange, electric sensation surged through his arm, and before he knew what he was doing, his right arm detached from his body—shooting out like a bullet, straight at the dwarf's face.
The dwarf's eyes widened in shock, and he barely had time to react before Josh's fist slammed into his jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. The impact was enough to knock the key from his pocket, clattering to the pavement. The creatures holding Josh stumbled back in surprise, and in that brief moment of confusion, Josh yanked his arm back, pulling it to his shoulder where it reattached, as if it had never left.
Josh blinked, staring at his arm, hardly believing what he had just done. "Did I…?" he muttered, but there was no time to think about it.
"Nice shot, zombie boy!" Perkus called, his tone full of admiration even as he dodged a swipe from one of the creatures. "Do it again!"
Josh didn't need to be told twice. He raised his other arm, feeling that same strange energy pulse through him. The creatures saw what was coming this time, and they tried to back away, but Josh was quicker. His left arm shot out, slamming into one of the creatures and knocking it back into two more, sending them tumbling like bowling pins.
Theen took advantage of the distraction, grabbing one of the creatures by the neck and throwing it into another, clearing a path. "Get him out of here!" he shouted to Acacia, who had managed to free herself from a tangle of attackers.
Acacia nodded, rushing to Josh's side. "Can you run?" she asked, her eyes scanning him for injuries.
Josh nodded, his heart still pounding. "Yeah, I—I think so."
"Then let's go," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the fight.
But the dwarf wasn't done yet. "Stop them!" he roared, struggling to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. "I want that zombie!"
Paylah appeared beside him, her ghostly form flickering. "You'll have to go through me first," she said, her voice cold, almost otherworldly. The dwarf hesitated, looking at her, and for a moment, fear flickered in his eyes.
That was all the time Acacia and Josh needed. They sprinted down the path, weaving between the trees, their breath ragged but determined. Theen, Perkus, and Paylah stayed behind, holding off the attackers, buying them time.
When they were far enough away, Acacia slowed, glancing over her shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed. "What you did back there…" she said, her voice breathless but impressed. "That was incredible."
Josh managed a small, shaky smile, still trying to process what had happened. "I didn't know I could do that," he admitted, flexing his arm, half-expecting it to fall off again.
"Well, now you do," Acacia said, grinning. "And so do they."
Josh's smile faded. "But… what do they want from me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why are they after me?"
Acacia's expression darkened. "I don't know," she said softly, "but we're going to find out. And whatever it is, we'll face it together."
As they hurried back to the mansion, the echoes of the battle still ringing in the distance, Josh couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get more dangerous from here. But for the first time, he wasn't running away. He was ready to fight back.