Blood oozed from Kael's body, spreading all around him, where he lay unmoving upon the cold stone floor. Breath came in ragged gasps, each tearing him apart; his chest burned with an agony he could not resist, yet fought for breath. The rift behind him flickered, casting eerie, long shadows down the dungeon walls.
He knew right from the beginning that this mission was a death trap. The warnings were super obvious, but what choice did you have when you are a hunter with no other options? The lame rewards of the guild would hardly pay the rent for a month, and an E-Rank hunter like him needed every penny. Honestly, though, no amount of cash was worth this.
The rift pulsed again, its blue light growing brighter. In the distance, Kael could hear the beast moving around, claws scraping against the stone, and then a low growl that gave him chills down his spine.
He couldn't shake the thought—maybe he should've just stayed home. Should've totally ignored the guild's frantic shout for hunters. But honestly, what else was he supposed to do? Rent wasn't gonna pay itself, and being E-Rank meant he didn't really get the easy gigs.
"Kael, you'll just slow us down."
His team leader's words kept bouncing around in his head, way louder than usual. He'd heard them a million times, but this time they really stuck with him.
And now? His teammates were gone. Their screams had been swallowed by the beast, one by one. The leader was the last to fall, and just before he died, he said, "You shouldn't have come this time," with a smile. After that, there was nothing—only the beast's growl and the sound of Kael's shallow breathing.
Kael gritted his teeth and hoisted himself to his knees. His legs shook like crazy, barely holding him up, and the ground felt like it was moving under him. His body screamed at him to quit: just lay down and let this pathetic life fade away. He couldn't do that. Not yet.
The growl grew louder and clearer, the beast's glowing eyes zeroing in on him. It was definitely coming for him. Kael felt like a deer in the headlights, realizing his time was running out.
"This can't be it," Kael whispered to himself, his voice shaking with fear. His hands clenched into fists, his blood dripping from his palms. He thought about all the insults, the mockery, the endless humiliation. Every day, he felt worthless. He thought of the empty house he went home to every night, the silence that greeted him. Was this really how it was going to end?
Then the beast lunged.
Kael stood, preparation blended with despair, since it was apparent he was not going to be able to stop it. But just as the claws of the beast were there, a bright light burst forth from the rift, so bright as nearly to blind him.
Time stood still. The beast, suspended in mid-lunge, hung poised in the air.
And then, a voice.
"Do you want power?
The words weren't just a question—they were more like a command, you know? Kael's heart was racing in his chest, and it felt like his body was about to be torn apart, pushed to the edge.
"Yeah," he breathed out, struggling to get air. "I… I really don't want to die."
There was no answer, only an increasing luminosity from the tear. And it seemed to burn, to scorch him from inside out, but instead of the pain, Kael felt something else.
Fear, weakness, pain-all of them receded.
Then, suddenly, it stopped. Everything went silent.
Kael opened his eyes, feeling. different. Powerful. The pain was all gone and replaced by a power he could not grasp.
The beast had stopped in its tracks, trembling. Kael stared into its eyes and saw something he'd never expected—fear.
Without thinking, Kael reached out. A weapon appeared in his hand—a blade like nothing he'd ever seen before, pulsing with energy, almost alive. He stepped forward, and the beast whimpered, backing away, its claws scraping against the stone as it ran toward the rift.
Kael's voice was steady as he spoke for the first time since all this madness started.
"For once," he said coldly, "I'm not the one running."
And with a single strike, he ended it.