The fluxipede screeched, its high-pitched cry reverberating through the decayed structure. The sound clawed at Luke's ears as the massive creature hauled itself upward, its remaining legs gripping the jagged edges of the fractured floorboards. Each chitinous appendage shimmered faintly, veins of advent energy pulsating beneath its armored surface. The air was thick with the acrid stench of age—a smell like rotting wood, dried moss, and time-worn stone—carried on the unnatural currents radiating from the origin room.
Luke's legs quivered beneath him as he knelt on the shaking floor. His hands were pressed against the splintering wood, his knuckles white. The faint binary-green glow of his advent flickered weakly in the dim light, the effort to reshape the collapsing structure draining his dwindling reserves.
The fluxipede lunged again, its mandibles snapping inches from Kuro, who twisted aside in a blur of movement, his speed form narrowly saving him. Eleanor's bowstring sang as she fired another arrow. The shot struck true, piercing one of the beast's antennae and splitting it. The creature thrashed violently, its many legs skittering across the uneven boards in a frenzy.
"Luke, focus!" Eleanor's voice rang clear, sharp and cutting through the chaos.
Luke tried to steady his racing thoughts. The advent surge pulsed nearby, its raw energy a chaotic, suffocating force that seemed to press against his chest. He glanced toward the side of the room where the bedroom lay—the source of the surge. The faint, heatless glow spilled out from the cracked doorframe, casting distorted shadows across the rotting walls.
The bedroom was a graveyard of decay. The bedframe sagged under its own rusted weight, its wooden slats long since reduced to a grayish powder that clung to the air like ash. A wardrobe leaned drunkenly in the corner, its surface warped and blistered as if it had been exposed to centuries of weathering in mere moments. The walls were bare, the plaster stripped away to reveal the crumbling, splintered lath beneath. Even the air seemed aged, thick with an oppressive presence that whispered of inevitable erosion.
Luke tore his gaze away, his stomach twisting. That's what the surge does. It doesn't just age things—it devours them, erases them.
The fluxipede screeched again, dragging his attention back to the present. The creature's mandibles snapped at Eleanor this time, but she nimbly dodged, rolling across the floor and coming up with another arrow already nocked.
"Keep at it!" Kuro shouted, his claws raking across one of the beast's legs. Chitin cracked under the blow, but the fluxipede retaliated immediately, another leg darting out like a spear. It caught Kuro in the side, sending him hurtling across the room. He twisted midair, landing hard against the far wall with a guttural grunt.
Eleanor's arrow flew, striking the joint of one of the fluxipede's middle legs. The limb buckled, and the beast faltered, its movements jerky and uneven for a moment.
Luke clenched his fists, his breath ragged. His gaze darted to the glowing cracks in the floor beneath the fluxipede. His advent still shimmered faintly, though its light was waning. I have to do this. If I don't, we're dead.
He slammed his hands down, forcing his advent to surge brighter. Binary-green light spread outward, snaking across the fractured floor and toward the wall separating them from the bedroom. He could feel the force of the advent surge, its chaotic energy tearing at his body like unseen claws. It wasn't just draining—it was slowly aging him. Fine lines etched themselves across his hands, subtle but unmistakable.
Come on. Just a little more…
The fluxipede's antennae twitched violently, sensing the danger. It reared back, mandibles clicking as it lunged toward Luke.
"Luke, MOVE!" Eleanor's voice cracked like a whip.
He threw himself aside as the creature's mandibles struck the floor where he'd been kneeling. The impact splintered the boards, sending shards of wood flying like shrapnel. He rolled to his feet, gasping for breath, his palms raw and bleeding.
Kuro was already back on his feet, his muscles rippling as he shifted to a larger, sturdier form. He let out a feral roar and leapt onto the fluxipede's back, claws digging into its segmented body. The creature thrashed violently, trying to dislodge him, but Kuro clung tight, his claws ripping into the pulsing advent veins.
"Eleanor, its joints!" Kuro shouted, his voice strained. "Keep hitting them!"
"I'm trying!" Eleanor shot back, loosing another arrow in a fluid motion. The projectile struck one of the fluxipede's hind legs, shattering the joint. The limb crumpled under its own weight, and the creature screeched, its balance thrown off.
Luke seized the opportunity. Dropping to his knees once more, he poured every ounce of his strength into his advent. The binary-green glow surged along the ground, warping the fractured boards and stone as it crept toward the bedroom. The wall trembled as the energy reached it, cracks spiderwebbing across the surface.
The fluxipede sensed the change, its movements growing frantic. It lunged toward Eleanor, its mandibles poised to strike.
She didn't flinch. Her bowstring sang, the arrow piercing the creature's remaining antenna. It reared back in agony, its many legs flailing wildly.
"Luke, hurry!" she shouted.
"I'm working on it!" he yelled, his voice cracking under the strain.
The wall finally gave way, the jagged barrier collapsing into the bedroom with a deafening crash. The fluxipede stumbled, its legs tangling as it tried to adjust to the shifting ground. The advent surge's light flared brighter, spilling into the room like molten gold. The air itself seemed to hum, vibrating with an energy that made Luke's skin crawl.
Kuro roared, driving his claws deeper into the creature's back. "Eleanor, push it toward the surge!"
She nodded, firing a rapid volley of arrows at its legs. The projectiles struck true, each shot further crippling the beast. It screeched, its massive form teetering as it edged closer to the glowing portal of decay.
Luke gritted his teeth, his hands trembling as he pushed his advent to its limits. The ground beneath the fluxipede buckled, the warped boards collapsing into the glowing abyss of the bedroom.
The creature let out one final, deafening screech as it tumbled forward, its massive body crashing into the origin room. The advent surge erupted in a blinding flash, the energy consuming the fluxipede instantly. Its chitinous armor cracked and dissolved, its segmented body disintegrating into nothingness as the surge devoured it.
The light dimmed, the chaos settling into an eerie stillness. The advent surge crackled faintly, its intensity diminished, but its presence still palpable.
Luke collapsed onto his back, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. His entire body ached, every muscle screaming in protest. The faint lines of premature aging on his hands and face were a harsh reminder of the time he just aged, being approximately 4 months.
Eleanor slumped against a nearby wall, her bow resting across her lap. Her hair clung to her face, damp with sweat, but her eyes remained sharp. "It's gone," she said, her voice hoarse.
Kuro shifted back to his base form, his shoulders rising and falling with heavy breaths. "The surge got it. It's not coming back."
Luke stared at the glowing bedroom, his thoughts swirling. We survived.