Thump... thump... thump...
Heavy breaths pierced through the night's silence. A shadow kept running, tearing through the bone-chilling cold air. Trails of blackened blood followed its increasingly unstable steps.
Trembling legs forced themselves forward, passing through long-abandoned ruins. Scattered glass shards reflected the crimson moonlight, creating illusions of thousands of eyes watching every movement.
Thud!
That body finally surrendered to gravity. Arthur fell with his knees kissing the ground, his wounds long festered - blackened like ink seeping into paper. Three years of endless running had consumed every drop of his strength.
His worn brown cloak fluttered gently, revealing old scars that never fully healed. Behind his tattered clothes, black marks resembling climbing vines crept along his left arm - evidence of his past encounter with a Ghost.
From afar, an oppressive aura began to creep in. Dense red mist swirled into a spiral, as if opening a gateway for a figure slowly emerging from within. The three-meter-tall red figure appeared like a painting of hell taking form. Its gleaming claws under the moonlight seemed capable of slicing through air by their mere presence.
The ground around it froze, creating blood-red ice crystals. Each step left frozen traces that spread like spider webs.
"Three years of waiting... finally ends here, Arthur!" That voice thundered with echoing laughter. "Truly amazing. An ordinary human like you - without a drop of Exorcist's blessing - could survive our chase for so long."
Arthur could only stare blankly at the sky that had long lost its color. The blood-red dome above reminded him of that day - the day his beloved city sank into supernatural fog. The screams of citizens swallowed by darkness still rang clear in his ears. Most became prey to the Ghosts, only a handful managed to escape - including himself.
Memories of three years on the run spun rapidly in his mind. Days hiding in city sewers, sleepless nights, and battles that nearly claimed his life. All to survive, to find a way to save this city sealed within the red mist.
"You know, Arthur?" Claw, the Red Ghost, approached with deliberately slow steps. The red ice beneath his feet cracked with deafening sounds. "This chase... made me feel we have a special bond. Almost like... old friends."
The black horns on his head gleamed under moonlight, creating terrifying shadows dancing on the frozen ground. His glowing red eyes gazed at Arthur with an expression difficult to interpret - a mixture of joy and... sadness?
"Stop your cheap act," Arthur hissed. Blood trickled from his split lip. "You just want to give false hope before execution."
His right hand clutched tightly at the silver locket on his chest - the only remnant from his past. Inside, lay a photo of his long-lost family, swallowed by the red mist.
"Ahaha... sharp as ever. Well then..."
*Slash!*
In the blink of an eye, Arthur's head separated from his body. His remaining consciousness could still see his own lifeless body. The silver locket slipped from his grasp, falling with a clink on the frozen ground.
'If only... if only I were given a second chance...'
The last seven seconds of his life were filled with burning desire for revenge. But without power, everything was just a futile dream. His consciousness began to fade, along with final memories of his beloved city.
"Farewell... my friend." Claw vanished into darkness, leaving a piercing cold trace. For a moment, there was a flash of emotion crossing his red eyes - something akin to... regret?
...
"...ur...thur... ARTHUR!!"
*Thump!*
'W-what is this?! What's happening?!'