Chapter 5 - Shattered Bonds

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A/N Notes:

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The beast's roar echoed through the devastated mine, sending waves of terror rippling across the shelter. The air was thick with dust and the acrid stench of blood. Aidan, still pinned beneath the heavy beam, struggled against his restraints, his body trembling with exertion. The sound of crumbling rock and the screams of miners filled his ears, but his mind was singularly focused on one thought: Raine and Cora.

The shelter, which was supposed to be a safe place for the miners, was now a scene of chaos. The Obsidian Ravager, its blood-red eyes burning with unrelenting fury, tore through the structure with a ferocity unmatched. Walls crumbled like paper under its claws, and the once-sturdy beams that supported the shelter snapped and fell, crushing anyone unfortunate enough to be in their path.

Aidan gritted his teeth, his fingers clawing at the ground as he tried to free himself from the beam pinning him. His muscles screamed in protest, but he didn't care. He couldn't afford to stop. Every second spent trapped was another second closer to losing the only family he had left.

With a loud yell, he pushed with all his might. The beam shifted slightly, and he felt a surge of hope. Summoning every ounce of strength he had, he gave one final heave, rolling the beam off his legs. Pain flared up as he stumbled to his feet, but he ignored it. His sister and aunt were waiting for him.

Or so he hoped

...

The path back to the shelter was a nightmare. The ground was littered with debris, the remnants of lives that had been snuffed out in an instant. Aidan walked over broken glass and pieces of wood, his heart pounding in his chest. He kept running, even though his leg hurt. He could hear the cries of the injured and dying people all around him but he couldn't stop to help them. Not yet.

As he neared the shelter, the full extent of the destruction came into view. The once-sturdy structure was now a pile of rubble, its protective walls reduced to nothing more than a memory. Bodies lay scattered across the ground, some crushed beneath fallen beams, others torn apart by the beast's claws. Aidan's stomach churned at the sight, but he forced himself to keep moving.

When Aidan reached his house, a feeling of cold fear came over him. His home, which used to be a warm and safe place, was now completely destroyed. The small house, made from reinforced metal and old wood, was in ruins. The walls were broken, the roof had fallen in, and the front door was hanging on by a thread.

Stepping inside, Aidan felt a pang of despair as he took in the destruction. The living area, where he and Cora had spent countless evenings together, was in shambles. The small table they used for meals was overturned, its legs broken. Shelves that once held Raine's cherished books and trinkets were now a pile of splinters.

He stumbled toward the corner where Cora's hammock had been strung up. It was gone, torn down in the chaos. His eyes caught sight of her beloved stuffed bear, a small, ragged toy she never went anywhere without. It lay half-buried in the rubble, its fabric stained with soot and dirt. Aidan's breath hitched as he picked it up, clutching it tightly.

On the far wall, the family portrait was shattered. He knelt down, picking up a torn piece of the photo. It showed him, Cora, both of his parents, Raine and her husband, their faces bright with laughter. The image was smeared with dirt, but their expressions were still visible, hauntingly vivid against the backdrop of destruction.

Tears blurred his vision as he rose to his feet, the photo fragment clutched in his hand. He couldn't afford to break down. Not now.

"Raine!" he called out, his voice hoarse. "Cora! Where are you?"

He went to the backside of this house and the scene caused a chill to run down his spine. His aunt Raine, the woman who had raised him and Cora after their parents' deaths, lay lifeless beneath a collapsed section of the shelter. Her body ripped apart from the beast's claws. Her face was pale, her eyes staring blankly at the sky.

Aidan dropped to his knees beside her, his breath hitching. "No... no, no, no," he muttered, his hands shaking as he reached out to touch her. Her body was cold, the warmth of life long gone. Aidan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he fought back tears. There was no time to grieve. Not yet.

He pushed himself to his feet and continued searching, his heart hammering in his chest. He refused to believe that Cora was gone. She had to be alive. She had to be.

A faint, labored voice reached his ears. "Aidan...".

His head snapped toward the sound, his eyes widening. "Cora?" he called out, scrambling over the debris. He started digging through the rubble, his hands shaking. He found her pinned beneath a massive slab of rock, her small frame half-crushed beneath its weight. Blood pooled around her, staining the ground a deep crimson.

"Cora!" Aidan cried, dropping to his knees beside her. He tried to lift the rock, but it wouldn't budge. Panic set in as he realized the extent of her injuries. Her breaths were shallow, her face pale and slick with sweat.

"Aidan," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You... you made it."

"Don't talk like that," he said, his voice cracking.

"I'm going to get you out of here. Just hold on, okay?"

She shook her head weakly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "It's... too late for me. You have to go."

"No!" Aidan shouted, his hands trembling as he tried to lift the rock again. "I'm not leaving you!"

Tears streamed down his face as he realized the truth. The rock was too heavy, and even if he could move it, her injuries were too severe. She wouldn't survive. Cora reached up, her hand brushing against his cheek.

"You have to be strong," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Promise me... promise me you'll take care of yourself."

"I promise," Aidan choked out, his vision blurred by tears. "I promise."

Her hand fell limp, and her eyes fluttered closed. Aidan let out a guttural scream.

"AAHHHHHHHH" the sound echoing across the ruins. His chest heaved as he sobbed, his grief threatening to consume him.

But then, a low growl snapped him out of his despair. He turned to see the Obsidian Ravager stalking toward him, its crimson eyes locked onto him, as if mocking his helplessness. The beast was injured, its hide marred by cuts and burns from its battle with Orlan, yet it remained terrifyingly powerful.

Aidan's grief turned to rage. This creature had taken everything from him—his family, his home, his future. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he rose to his feet. He didn't care that he was outmatched. He didn't care that he would likely die. All that mattered was making the beast pay.

Aidan charged at the beast with reckless abandon, his movements fueled by anger and desperation. But before he could strike, the beast swiped at him with blinding speed, sending him flying. He hit the ground hard, his vision blurred from the impact. When he opened his eyes, the beast loomed over him, its massive jaws opening wide to deliver the killing blow.

In that moment, as he lay under the beast, Aidan suddenly remembered the information he had seen on the system's screen when he first encountered the creature. As if responding to his thoughts, the interface appeared again before his eyes.

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[Name: Obsidian Ravager]

[Strengths: High durability, powerful melee attacks, subterranean mobility.]

[Weaknesses: Sensitive to light, vulnerable underbelly.]

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The realization struck him like lightning. Grabbing a jagged piece of metal from the debris, Aidan let out a roar of defiance and drove the shard into the beast's underbelly. He didn't know if it would work, but he poured every ounce of his rage and grief into the strike.

Caught off-guard, The Ravager roared in pain, its claws swiping wildly. Aidan barely managed to dodge, the force of the attack sending him sprawling across the rubble. Blood dripped from a gash on his arm, but he ignored the pain, scrambling to his feet and charging again.

But before he struck another blow, The Ravager's Qi flared, and it lashed out with a powerful swipe, hurling Aidan through the air. He crashed into the ground, his body screaming in agony as his vision blurred.

The beast, now enraged, charged at him, its massive frame barreling forward to end the fight. Aidan, barely conscious, lay there, his body too broken to move. His mind filled with a single thought: 

Sorry, Sis. Aunt Raine. I wasn't able to avenge you.

The Ravager closed in, its claws raised for the final strike. Aidan closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable.

But the end didn't come.

A flash of light illuminated the ruins, followed by a deafening roar. Aidan opened his eyes to see the elder standing before him, his Qi-infused blade glowing with a blinding radiance. With a single, precise strike, the elder brought the blade down on the Ravager, severing its neck with effortless grace.

The beast let out one final, pitiful cry before collapsing to the ground, its massive body lifeless. The elder turned to Aidan, his expression unreadable.

"You're lucky I arrived when I did," the elder said, his tone cold but steady. "This beast was far beyond your capabilities."

Aidan didn't respond. He was too consumed by grief and exhaustion to care. He stared at the Ravager's lifeless body, his mind replaying the events of the past few hours. His family was gone, and he was left with nothing but the hollow ache of loss.

The elder's gaze lingered on Aidan for a moment before he turned and walked away, leaving Aidan alone amidst the ruins of his life. Aidan, battered and bloodied, tried to stand up, but his legs gave out beneath him. The adrenaline that had kept him going drained away, leaving only pain and exhaustion in its wake.

His vision blurred, and the world around him seemed to spin. He felt himself getting weaker and weaker, and then he fell to the ground and passed out. He was lying in the ruins of his home, unconscious.