"That... That's a B-rank..."
Violet whispered, her voice trembling and barely audible over the pounding in Ryder's ears.
Her eyes were wide, glued to the massive figure emerging from the dust. "What's it doing here? There's something wrong with this. What's a B-rank doing here?"
Ryder noticing the sudden terror in Violet's eyes followed her gaze in confusion. She said she could handle whatever monster came out, so what was the reason behind the current look in her eyes.
His breath hitched as he set his eyes on the towering figure rising from the cloud of dust.
He had only seen it in the fantasy books he read. Its single, blazing yellow eye glared at them with malevolence vivid in it.
The beast's leathery, grayish skin stretched tight over bulging muscles, and rough scars crisscrossed its torso, as if it had survived countless battles.
It stood as tall as a tree casting a shadow that swallowed them whole. It was a creature straight out of a nightmare-a Cyclops.
The air seemed to grow heavier, thick with the creature's rancid, earthy stench.
Violet's face drained of color as she ruffled her head with her hands trying to make sense of the situation. "That's definitely it. A Cyclops."
She shook her head, as if trying to wake herself from a bad dream. "I've only heard descriptions... but never seen one in person."
Her voice dropped lower, almost to herself. "This is a terrible situation. How am I supposed to handle this? If I were alone I could probably manage a narrow escape, but Ryder..."
Ryder tore his gaze from the monster long enough to organize his demeanor. "Uhm... Violet... you keep mentioning these letters-A-rank, B-rank. What are they for?"
A part of him had an idea of what they meant, but denial was to only way to maintain the little pieces of sanity he had left at the moment.
Violet's eyes snapped to him, disbelief flashing across her face. "Are you serious right now?" She let out a shaky breath and gave a bitter chuckle. "You know what, I'm not even surprised at this point."
But the humor was short-lived. "Forget the letters. Just know things have gotten out of hand
She pointed at the Cyclops, her hand trembling slightly. "That, right now is a major problem."
"We have to find a way to—"
Before she could finish, a beam of searing light shot through the air with a crackling hiss. She immediately covered her mouth with her hands, fighting back the scream that threatened to burst out.
Ryder, on the other hand, barely registered it before he felt a white-hot pain explode through his right arm.
He swallowed hard, sweat beginning to run down his head. Slowly, he lifted his hand-or what was left of it. The lower half of his arm was gone, severed cleanly at the elbow.
His eyes widened with terror, his mind refused to process it. But then, the agony rushed in like a tidal wave.
His scream echoed as he collapsed to his knees, clutching at the bleeding stump. The warmth of his own blood drenched his side, soaking into his clothes.
The world blurred at the edges, and his ears rang. All he could hear was his own uneven breathing mixed with Violet's frantic voice.
Violet dropped beside Ryder, her voice soft but urgent. "It's okay. It's okay. I know it hurts, but we'll die if we stay here. Please, you have to move!"
She gripped his uninjured arm, trying to pull him to his feet, but Ryder was too far gone, his body was overwhelmed and his mind was lost in a haze of pain and fear.
The Cyclops took slow steps forward, the ground vibrating with each thunderous footfall. It moved as if it had all the time in the world. Like it was telling them that they couldn't escape from it.
Its single eye glowed brighter, almost gleaming with satisfaction at the sight of Ryder's suffering. The beast's breath came in heavy, rancid gusts, like rotting meat left too long in the sun.
A sudden gust of wind blasted past them, and Violet's breathing stopped. She snapped her head up just in time to see the Cyclops vanish from sight.
"What the hell..."
The next thing she felt was a crushing pain in her arms. The Cyclops had reappeared right in front of her, its massive leg swinging toward her like a wrecking ball.
She barely managed to raise her arms in defense, absorbing the brunt of the monstrous kick.
The impact, effortlessly, sent her flying, her body slamming into the ground with a bone-jarring thud far from where Ryder knelt.
"VIOLET!" Ryder let out a frantic scream, his vision swaying as he tried to locate her in the swirling dust.
But his body was at its limits. He was paralyzed by the blinding pain and the petrifying terror crawling up his spine.
He felt a presence loom over him. He quivered, forcing his head up slowly locking his with the beast, now just inches from his face.
The creature's foul breath washed over him, hot and suffocating.
He tried to speak, but his lips trembled. His voice could only come out in a hoarse, broken whisper.
"S-Somebody... please..." He turned his head slowly to see Violet's body laying unconscious.
"Anybody..." His vision blurred, tears mixing with sweat and blood. "Please... help..."
***
The room was large, filled with an oppressive darkness made it feel suffocating. It was illuminated by nothing more than a flickering, dim light from an unseen source, casting long, distorted shadows against the walls.
Two female figures stood apart, their features obscured by the darkness, but their tense postures and sharp voices pierced the heavy silence like blades.
"Disappeared?!" one snapped, her voice laced with disbelief. "What do you fucking mean his presence suddenly disappeared?!"
"I told you I was going to the Realm of Shards! I needed all my attention there. That's why I left it in your care!"
"I was... I was paying attention!" The second figure shot back, her voice overwhelmed with frustration.
"I freaking was." The second figure added, her voice overwhelmed with frustration. "But then... his energy signature... It just suddenly vanished. "I searched that entire universe for it. But it was gone without a trace. I couldn't find anything."
"This really can't be happening..." the first woman sighed, her silhouette shifting, perhaps pacing, perhaps shaking with rage.
Suddenly, a tense pause filled the room, thick and suffocating as if a wave of realization suddenly washed over them.
Then in a hesitant tone, the second figure muttered, "Wait... that universe..." She trailed off, as if afraid to finish the thought.
The first figure's voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible over the sound of their shallow breathing. "What if... No... It can't be..."
Suddenly, the door creaked open, seizing their attention. The sound cut through the tension like a blade.
A pale light spilled into the room, outlining a tall figure in the doorway. Their face was hidden in shadow.
However there was something else, a smaller figure laying unconscious on his shoulder, blood dripping slowly, painting the white tiles with a dark crimson pigment
"It seems we hesitated far too much." the newcomer said, their tone low with a sense of urgency, but calm like a wave of cool breeze. "They've finally made their move after all these years."
***
"Somebody!" Ryder's eyes snapped open, his chest heaving as he sucked in lungfuls of air.
"It's ok, it's ok," he felt a warm touch on his back.
He raised his head sharply, and his gaze fell upon a woman.
She was wearing a white gown, adorned with delicate silver and gold accents, which seemed to glow, alongside her long brown hair, in the gentle light filtering through the balcony of the room he was in.
The woman looked at him with a calm, steady gaze, her eyes filled with intrigue.
His eyes darted around scanning the unfamiliar room. He was in a luxurious bedroom, the walls a soft shade of blue and the furnitures were elegant but simple. The room wasn't overly large, but it gave an air of comfort and luxury.
"I'm alive?" He ran his hands all over his body in disbelief.
His head snapped up in urgency, "Violet... where is she? Where's Violet?" He shifted his eyes back to the woman who was currently trying to comfort him, his confusion deepening.
Where was he this time, he thought. Moments ago he was in a forest with a girl named Violet. He was still trying to wrap his mind around it all, and now this.
Was this all some cruel nightmare?
His mind was overwhelmed with thoughts, racing as he tried to piece it all together. Perhaps he was right, maybe he really was in a hospital somewhere, on the verge, if not already deeply entrenched in realm of insanity.
But he had to set them aside. For now this was his reality, be it in his favor or not. He had only two major worries at the moment; What happened to Violet? And what was this new room he found himself in.