Damon's pulse quickened as the creature emerged from the shadows. It was massive, easily twice his height, with a thick, jagged exoskeleton that seemed to absorb the faint glow of the chamber's walls. Its glowing eyes scanned the group, and when its maw opened, rows of serrated teeth gleamed menacingly.
"Alright, new plan,"
Damon said, backing up slowly.
"Maybe we're not ready to fight… that."
The group around him was frozen in terror. Julie clutched his arm tightly, her knuckles white, while the guy in the hoodie whispered,
"This can't be real. This can't be real,"
over and over again.
The creature's guttural growl reverberated through the room as it took a heavy step forward, its claws scraping against the polished floor. Damon's eyes darted to the glowing orb atop the pedestal. It was pulsing now, each flash synchronized with the creature's movements. He didn't need to be a genius to figure out the connection.
"We need to move,"
he hissed, his voice low but firm.
"Now! Everyone, out of the room!"
"Move where?"
the man in the leather jacket snapped.
"Back into that creepy tunnel? We're sitting ducks either way!"
"Better than being monster chow,"
Damon shot back. He gestured toward the passageway they'd come through.
"Go! I'll—"
Before he could finish, the creature lunged, its claws slicing through the air where Damon had been standing a moment earlier. He dove to the side, landing hard on his shoulder with a grunt.
"Change of plans! Everyone scatter!"
Damon shouted, scrambling to his feet.
The group broke into chaos, people darting in all directions. The man in the leather jacket grabbed a loose chunk of stone from the ground and hurled it at the creature. It hit its armored hide with a dull thud, doing nothing to slow it down.
"Magical,"
Damon muttered, eyeing the pedestal again. The orb's pulsing light was growing more intense, almost hypnotic.
"Damon! What are you doing?"
Julie called, her voice panicked. She was crouched behind a chunk of broken wall, her eyes wide with fear.
"Figuring it out as I go!"
he shouted back, making a beeline for the pedestal. The creature roared, swinging its massive claws toward another member of the group. The young man in the hoodie yelped and dove out of the way just in time.
Damon reached the base of the pedestal, the glowing orb now so bright it hurt to look at directly.
'If this thing's important to Big Ugly, then it's important to me,'
he thought. Without hesitating, he reached up and grabbed it.
The moment his fingers touched the orb, a surge of energy coursed through his body. It was like touching lightning, his vision blurred, his muscles tensed, and for a moment, he thought he might pass out. Then, just as suddenly, the sensation faded, and the orb dimmed.
The creature froze mid-step, its glowing eyes narrowing. Damon opened his eyes, panting heavily, and realized the glowing mark on his chest was now brighter than ever. He looked down at his hands and saw faint tendrils of light swirling around his fingers.
"Damon, behind you!"
Julie screamed.
He spun just in time to see the creature barreling toward him. Instinctively, he raised his hands, and the swirling light around his fingers solidified into a translucent barrier. The creature's claws slammed into it, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the glowing shield but stopping it cold.
"Okay,"
Damon muttered, his voice shaking.
"That's new."
The barrier shattered under the creature's next blow, but the force sent it stumbling backward. Damon seized the opportunity and bolted back toward the group, who were now huddled near the far wall of the chamber.
"Everyone okay?"
he asked, his voice tight.
"Define okay,"
the man in the leather jacket said, glaring at him.
"What was that? How did you do that?"
"No idea,"
Damon admitted, glancing at his glowing mark.
"But I'm guessing it has something to do with these."
He gestured to the mark, which was still pulsing faintly.
"You think these marks… give us powers?"
Julie asked, her voice tentative.
"Looks like it,"
Damon said.
"And I'm guessing we're going to need them if we want to get out of here."
A loud rumble interrupted their conversation, and Damon turned to see the creature recovering. It was angrier now, its movements more aggressive as it charged again. Damon's mind raced. They couldn't keep running forever, and the orb was no longer glowing. Whatever it had done, it was up to him now.
"Damon,"
Julie said, gripping his arm.
"There's got to be another way out. Look!"
She pointed to a faint glow on the opposite wall, where another passageway had opened. Damon nodded.
"Alright. New plan: we keep it busy while the rest of you get through that door."
"You're insane,"
the man in the leather jacket said.
"Probably,"
Damon said with a faint grin.
"But it's the best shot we've got. Now go!"
Julie hesitated, her eyes locking with Damon's.
"You'd better come with us."
"I will,"
he said, though he wasn't entirely sure how he was going to pull that off.
The group began to move toward the glowing passage, but Damon stayed put, facing the creature. The tendrils of light swirled around his hands again, this time forming into something more solid — a weapon. He gripped the glowing blade tightly, feeling its weight as though it had always been there.
"Alright, big guy,"
Damon said, stepping forward.
"Let's dance."
The creature roared, charging at him with renewed fury. Damon swung the blade, its light slicing through the air. The weapon met the creature's claws with a clash that sent sparks flying. He gritted his teeth, pushing back with everything he had.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the others disappearing into the passageway. Good. That was one less thing to worry about. Now, it was just him and the monster.
The fight was brutal, every swing and counter leaving Damon's arms aching. But with each blow, he began to understand the rhythm of the creature's movements, the patterns in its attacks. He wasn't just surviving anymore — he was fighting back.
With a final, desperate strike, Damon drove the glowing blade into the creature's chest. It let out a deafening roar, its body convulsing as cracks spread across its armor. Then, with a blinding flash, it exploded into fragments of light.
Damon fell to his knees, gasping for breath. The blade in his hand flickered, then vanished, leaving him alone in the silent chamber. He glanced at the pedestal, now empty, and then at the glowing passageway where the others had gone.
"Guess that's my cue,"
he muttered, pushing himself to his feet.
He stumbled toward the passage, his legs shaky but his determination stronger than ever. Whatever the Maze had in store for them next, Damon knew one thing for certain:
He wasn't going down without a fight.