Chapter Ten: The Bloodlit Passage
The air grew heavier the further they ventured. It was a suffocating weight, pressing down on Kael's shoulders with every step he took. The shadows here no longer just lurked—they watched. The faint flicker of runes along the walls pulsed faster now, like nervous heartbeats.
Kael glanced at Ciaran, whose golden eyes cut through the dark ahead like twin flames. The rogue prince showed no sign of slowing down, moving with his usual confidence. Kael envied it.
"How much further?" Kael asked, his voice low, careful not to disturb the stillness.
"Not far," Ciaran replied. "But I'd get ready if I were you."
Kael frowned. "Ready for what?"
Ciaran stopped abruptly at the mouth of a wide corridor. The walls were different here—slick and black, like obsidian. The runes that lined the floor burned brighter, their crimson glow casting warped reflections onto the glassy stone.
The silence was shattered by a faint clicking sound, rhythmic and sharp, like nails tapping against stone.
Kael's body tensed. "What's that?"
Ciaran exhaled through his nose, unsheathing his blackened blade with a soft whisper of steel. "Hunters."
The word alone sent ice through Kael's veins. "Hunters?"
"You're about to find out."
Before Kael could ask more, the corridor ahead came alive. From the shadows emerged the shapes—at first distant and blurred, but then clear. Creatures skittered into view on unnaturally jointed limbs, their bodies stretched and insectile, their movements inhumanly fluid. Each was covered in dark, chitinous armor, and their faces were smooth and blank save for a cluster of glowing red eyes.
There were at least half a dozen of them.
The largest, nearly eight feet tall, stepped forward, its clawed limbs clicking with each step. It tilted its head as it regarded Kael, its hollow eyes reflecting the runes' glow like pools of blood. Then it screeched—a piercing, bone-rattling sound that reverberated off the walls.
The others answered with their own shrieks before charging, the corridor erupting into chaos.
"Here they come!" Ciaran shouted, already moving.
Kael barely had time to react. The nearest Hunter lunged at him, its claws slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Kael flung himself to the side, the wind of its strike brushing his cheek as it gouged deep scars into the floor.
He rolled to his feet, shadows flaring instinctively around him. The Hunter turned, its movements seamless, and lunged again. This time, Kael met it head-on. He thrust his hand forward, and the shadows exploded outward, slamming into the creature's chest.
It skidded back but didn't stop. Kael's eyes widened as it recovered instantly, its claws scraping against the stone like blades sharpening.
"They're fast," he muttered, his pulse pounding.
"Then be faster!" Ciaran's voice rang out over the din.
Kael's jaw tightened. The shadows writhed at his feet, sensing his frustration. Another Hunter charged from the left, claws raised to tear him apart. Kael spun to face it, his mind racing.
Focus. React.
The creature closed the gap in an instant, its speed unnerving. Kael felt time slow—its limbs slicing through the air like whips, its trajectory clear. He moved without thinking. The shadows surged into his legs, propelling him forward. He ducked beneath the claws with only inches to spare, the sound of its strike carving a whoosh through the air behind him.
He pivoted mid-movement, using the momentum to lash out with his fist. The shadows flowed with him, encasing his arm like an extension of himself. His strike connected, punching into the Hunter's abdomen with an impact that cracked its armor. The creature shrieked, stumbling backward as black ichor sprayed across the stone.
Kael landed hard, his chest heaving. The victory was short-lived. Two more Hunters descended on him, their movements precise and coordinated.
"Not fair," Kael muttered, bracing himself.
They attacked in unison. Kael could barely track their strikes—blurs of motion cutting through the air faster than his eyes could follow. His body moved on instinct, shadows weaving a barrier around him that deflected the worst of the blows. But they were relentless, chipping away at his defenses with every strike.
He gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face. The shadows were fast, but they weren't enough. The Hunters were pushing him, and each strike drained his strength faster than he could recover.
"Think, damn it," he growled.
The moment he said it, he saw it.
The Hunters were fast—terrifyingly fast—but their movements were patterns. Each lunge, each slash, each feint followed a rhythm. They weren't just wild beasts; they were designed.
Kael inhaled sharply, steadying himself. He let the shadows coil tighter around his legs, his arms, his very core. He waited, watching, ignoring the chaos around him.
One of the Hunters lunged. Kael didn't dodge.
At the last second, he moved—not back, but forward. He stepped into the creature's strike, throwing off its rhythm, and drove his fist upward. The shadows around him sharpened, forming a blade of pure black. The punch connected beneath the Hunter's chin, and the shadow-blade pierced through the chitin with a sickening crack.
The creature spasmed violently before collapsing, its body shattering into black mist.
Kael staggered, his vision swimming. The shadows around him flared, roaring in triumph as the other Hunters froze momentarily, their red eyes locked on him.
"That's more like it!" Ciaran called, his voice edged with approval as he cut down one of the remaining creatures with a fluid arc of his blade.
Kael didn't reply. He didn't have the strength. Two Hunters remained, their bodies low and tense as they circled him. Their movements were slower now, more cautious—like predators recognizing a threat.
Kael raised his hand, the shadows coiling around him like a living storm.
"Come on," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "Let's finish this."
The Hunters shrieked and charged.
Kael surged forward, the shadows exploding outward in waves as he met them head-on.