In an instant, the oppressive darkness dissolved, replaced by the warm embrace of daylight. The world seemed to return to normal, but the pounding in their chests told a different story. Their hearts raced, far from calm, and the eerie stillness around them hinted that nothing would ever be the same.
The hallway they once knew, mundane and safe, was now a nightmare. Shadows slithered unnaturally along the walls, and grotesque, alien creatures prowled the edges of the corridor. The air felt thick, almost alive with tension, every sound magnified in their heightened state of fear.
A sudden blur of motion shattered the silence. A small, agile creature darted from the shadows, its speed unnatural. Its round head bore sharp, pointed ears, and its wiry frame moved with eerie precision. Clutched tightly in its clawed hand was a serrated dagger that gleamed menacingly in the dim light.
"Kiyan!" Kayn's voice cracked, the warning barely escaping his lips before the creature leapt.
Kiyan's instincts kicked in, his shield snapping up just in time. The clang of the dagger striking metal echoed through the hallway, reverberating like a gunshot. The impact drove Kiyan back, his breath hitching in panic. His axe slipped from his grip, hitting the ground with a hollow thud.
"K-Kayn, help!" Kiyan's voice was raw with desperation, his arms trembling as he struggled to keep the relentless creature at bay. The goblin clawed and scraped at his shield, snarling in frustration.
The plea jolted Kayn out of his paralysis. His eyes darted to the scene before him: Kiyan struggling, the goblin pressing its assault, and the abandoned axe lying in the dirt.
Without hesitation, Kayn lunged forward, scooping up the weapon. It felt foreign in his hands—heavy, unwieldy—but it also grounded him, anchoring his spiraling fear.
"Stay still!" Kayn growled, his voice tinged with both fear and determination.
Summoning every ounce of courage, he swung the axe in a wild arc. The blade struck the goblin's side with a sickening crunch. The creature let out a guttural screech, its small body convulsing before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. The only sounds were their ragged breathing and the faint hum of tension dissipating in the air. Then, a glowing hologram materialized before Kayn:
"You killed a Goblin.
EXP +5
Gold +10"
Kayn stared at the floating text, his mind reeling. The weight of the axe in his hands and the bloodied corpse at his feet were too real to dismiss as a hallucination.
He turned to Kiyan, who was still clutching his shield, his face pale and eyes wide. "Kiyan," Kayn muttered, his voice shaking, "What the hell is happening to us?"