The sky above them had darkened to an oppressive shade of crimson, the kind of red that made the air itself feel heavier. Damian and Elara trudged through the thick, blood-soaked earth, neither speaking for some time. The silence stretched, broken only by the occasional rustle of the twisted foliage around them.
As Damian glanced at his companion, he finally took a moment to assess her. Elara was striking in a way that caught him off guard. Her auburn hair, though disheveled, shimmered faintly in the crimson light, cascading down to her shoulders in uneven waves. Her pale skin was marred with dirt and smudges of blood, but her emerald green eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity that belied her fragile frame. She was small, barely reaching Damian's chest, but there was a defiance in the way she carried herself, her jaw set and her makeshift dagger clutched tightly at her side.
Damian, on the other hand, had changed in ways he hadn't fully grasped yet. His body, now lean and muscular, was a far cry from the weak, malnourished frame he remembered. His black hair, once unruly and dull, now fell in thick, messy strands around his sharp, angular face. His gray eyes, once cold and lifeless, now glowed faintly with a crimson hue when his emotions flared. He was taller, too—perhaps 6'2"—with broad shoulders and arms that carried a strength he was still learning to wield.
Elara broke the silence first. "So… Damian, is it?"
"Yeah," he said, his voice calm but distant.
She hesitated, chewing her lip. "You don't… look like you're from around here. Are you?"
Damian stopped walking and turned to face her. "What gave it away?"
Elara shrugged. "Your clothes, for one. That shirt and those jeans don't exactly scream survivalist." Her eyes flicked down to his bloodstained sneakers. "And you're… different."
"Different how?"
She paused, searching for the right words. "You killed those scavengers like it was nothing. Most people hesitate their first time. You didn't."
Damian frowned, the memory of the fight still fresh. He remembered the way his body moved, as if guided by instinct. The system had whispered in his mind, urging him forward, and he hadn't resisted.
"I didn't have a choice," he said finally.
Elara's expression softened. "None of us do. Not in this world."
They resumed walking, the weight of her words hanging between them.
As they pressed on, Damian's newly unlocked Blood Sense pulsed faintly in the back of his mind, scanning the area for potential threats. Most of the lifeforms around them were small and harmless, but there was something further ahead—a faint, erratic presence that made his skin crawl.
"Elara," Damian said, his tone sharp. "What's out there?"
She stopped, her face growing pale. "Out where?"
"About fifty meters ahead. Something's moving."
Elara's grip on her dagger tightened. "It could be another scavenger… or worse."
"Worse?" Damian arched a brow.
She hesitated, her voice dropping to a whisper. "A Blood Wraith."
The name sent a chill down Damian's spine. "What's a Blood Wraith?"
Elara swallowed hard. "They're… people, or at least they were. Over time, the blood they absorb twists them into something else. Mindless monsters, consumed by hunger. If you see one, you run. You don't fight a Blood Wraith unless you want to die."
Damian's jaw tightened. "Running isn't exactly my style."
Elara glanced at him, her emerald eyes narrowing. "If it's really a Wraith, we won't have a choice."
The presence grew stronger as they approached, the faint pulse of life turning into a violent thrum. The air felt colder, heavier, as if the very world were holding its breath.
Finally, they reached a small clearing. At its center stood a figure, hunched and twitching. Its skin was ashen, stretched tight over jagged bones, and its eyes glowed a sickly yellow. The creature's arms were long and clawed, its fingers stained with dried blood. It let out a low, guttural growl, its head snapping toward them.
[System Alert!]
Enemy Detected: Blood Wraith
Threat Level: High
Damian tensed, his fists clenching. "Well, that's not good."
"Damian, we have to go," Elara hissed, backing away. "Now!"
The Wraith let out an ear-piercing shriek and lunged.
Damian reacted on instinct, dodging to the side as the creature's claws sliced through the air where he'd just been. He grabbed a fallen branch, wielding it like a club, and swung it at the Wraith's head. The creature staggered but didn't fall, its glowing eyes locking onto him with a predatory focus.
"Damian, what are you doing?!" Elara shouted.
"Buying us time!" he snapped.
The Wraith lunged again, faster this time. Damian ducked under its claws and drove the branch into its chest, but the creature didn't even flinch. Instead, it grabbed the branch, snapping it in half with a sickening crack.
"Use your Blood Frenzy," the system's voice urged. "You cannot win otherwise."
Damian hesitated. The skill's description had been clear—it would boost his strength but at the cost of control.
The Wraith lunged again, its claws grazing his shoulder. Pain seared through him, and blood dripped onto the ground.
"Damian!" Elara screamed, panic in her voice.
"Fine," he growled. "Let's do this."
[Blood Frenzy Activated!]
A surge of power exploded through Damian's body, and his vision turned crimson. His muscles tensed, his movements became faster, and his strength doubled. With a roar, he charged at the Wraith, slamming his fist into its face.
The impact sent the creature flying, crashing into a nearby tree. Before it could recover, Damian was on it, raining down blows with inhuman speed and precision. Each strike sent shockwaves through the air, and the Wraith's shrieks grew weaker.
But Damian's vision blurred, and his thoughts grew hazy. He could feel the system pulling at his mind, urging him to keep going, to destroy, to kill.
"Damian, stop!" Elara's voice cut through the haze.
He froze, his fist inches from the Wraith's broken body. The creature was barely moving, its glowing eyes dim.
With a deep breath, Damian forced himself to step back.
[Blood Frenzy Deactivated.]
The Wraith let out one final gasp before collapsing, its body disintegrating into particles of red light.
[Enemy Defeated!]
Blood Points Gained: 50
Damian staggered, his breathing ragged. Elara rushed to his side, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe.
"Are you okay?" she asked, gripping his arm.
He nodded, though his head throbbed and his body felt like it was on fire. "Yeah. I'm fine."
Elara stared at him, her voice trembling. "That… wasn't normal. What are you, Damian?"
He met her gaze, his gray eyes still tinged with crimson. "I don't know," he admitted. "But whatever I am, I'm not going down without a fight."
As the crimson sky loomed above them, Damian and Elara continued their journey, knowing that the path ahead would only grow darker.