Rino's sword was coated in blood, but it didn't feel like enough. No matter how many times he struck, the creature didn't falter. It was an endless, maddening struggle. His body was beginning to feel the toll, muscles trembling, exhaustion creeping in like a slow poison. But none of that mattered now. His friends were lying on the ground, bleeding, broken.
Baldur's massive form had crumpled beneath the serpent's jaws. His hammer was useless now, abandoned on the ground beside him. Mario was barely conscious, blood trickling from the deep gash on his forehead. Kaime, always the calm one, now lay unconscious against the tree, his normally composed expression contorted in pain.
This isn't how it's supposed to be…
Rino's heart twisted, a surge of guilt rising like a tidal wave in his chest. He had led them into this—he was supposed to be the one who could protect them. But all he had done was fail.
The serpent's low hiss brought him back to reality. It was watching him now, its blood-red eyes fixed on his every movement. The creature's tail flicked, sending a spray of dirt and debris into the air. Rino could hear the sound of its scales scraping against the earth, a soft, eerie rustling. The forest was silent, as if holding its breath.
Rino stepped back, his mind racing. His sword was heavy in his hand, his limbs sluggish from the magic that flowed within him, eating at him, suffocating him. It was only a matter of time before it consumed him entirely, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
He glanced at his friends again. Baldur's chest barely rose, and Mario's eyes were barely open. Kaime was still out cold, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
I have to do something.
The words echoed in his mind, but there was nothing left. They were out of time. The serpent's strength was too much. It had already overpowered them. The creature's roar rang through the air, its massive body shifting, readying for another strike.
But then, something unexpected happened.
A strange, rhythmic pulse filled the air. At first, Rino thought it was the beating of his own heart, the adrenaline rushing through him in a last-ditch effort to survive. But it was different. It was deeper, stronger, as if the very ground beneath his feet was vibrating with energy. The magic inside him responded, crackling with newfound intensity. He could feel it, a deep thrum of power that resonated with something ancient.
What the hell is this?
He turned, trying to make sense of it, and saw it—the source of the pulse. There, in the distance, a figure appeared at the edge of the clearing. It was tall, cloaked in shadow, and for a moment, Rino thought his mind had finally broken. His eyes weren't playing tricks on him. There was someone there, standing against the backdrop of the darkened forest.
The figure's eyes glowed faintly, like embers in the night. It wasn't just a person. It was something else. Something far more than human.
"Rino!" The voice was familiar, yet distant. It sounded like a whisper on the wind, a soft call from the depths of his mind. "You must let go."
His breath hitched. What is this?
The figure took a step forward, and the ground seemed to shift beneath its feet, ripples of energy following in its wake. The serpent paused, as if sensing the disturbance. Its eyes narrowed, focusing on the new presence.
Rino felt the power surge again, this time more violently. The voice in his mind grew louder, more urgent.
"Let go." The command was like a drumbeat in his chest. A wave of force rippled through him, and for a moment, he nearly succumbed to it. The darkness. The hunger.
But then, something inside him snapped.
With a violent, involuntary shake, Rino dropped to his knees, his sword slipping from his hand as he clutched his head in agony. The pulse in his mind grew stronger, louder, a cacophony of commands and whispers, urging him to embrace the magic fully, to give in.
"No!" He gritted his teeth, sweat pouring from his brow. "Not yet…"
His vision blurred, a red haze creeping into the edges of his sight. But amidst the chaos, he saw the figure once more, standing tall and unwavering. The power radiated from it like an unshakable storm, and yet, it felt different. It wasn't corrupting. It wasn't consuming.
It was… purifying.
The serpent struck again, its tail sweeping through the air, but this time, the figure raised a hand, and the ground responded. The earth cracked, and from the shattered soil, tendrils of magical energy erupted, twisting and writhing like serpents of their own. The serpent recoiled, its massive body jerking back as it tried to evade the attack.
The figure moved, its cloak swirling around it, and in a flash, it was upon the creature. Its hand—no, its entire being—glowed with an ethereal light, and a wave of power radiated from it in all directions.
Rino couldn't look away. His heart was pounding in his chest, but the world felt like it was slowing down, each heartbeat echoing louder and louder in his ears. He could feel the magic flowing through the air, through his veins, a force unlike anything he had ever experienced.
The serpent roared in fury, but the figure was unfazed. With a single, fluid motion, it raised its hand toward the creature's head. The light around it intensified, and the serpent screamed, its body writhing violently as the power constricted around it.
The creature's massive body began to shrink, its form collapsing in on itself as the energy from the figure pressed in, suffocating it. The serpent's roars turned into whimpers, and then, silence. The body of the creature collapsed into a pile of scales and blood, nothing more than a husk.
Rino couldn't breathe.
He was still on his knees, staring at the fallen creature, his mind reeling from the sheer power he had just witnessed. The figure stood tall, its gaze fixed on him, its eyes gleaming with an almost knowing light.
"Rino…" The voice was clearer now, and he could feel it resonating deep within his chest. "This is not the end. You are only beginning to understand the magic inside you. But you must let go of your fear. Let go of the rage."
Rino's chest heaved as he struggled to stand. His legs were shaky, but the power in his veins was overwhelming. He couldn't even focus his thoughts.
The figure took a step toward him, and for the first time, Rino saw the faintest hint of a smile. It wasn't warm, it wasn't comforting—but it was there, and for some reason, it made his heart sink.
"You are not alone in this," the figure said softly. "But you will have to choose your path, Rino. The path of light… or the one you will become."
Rino didn't respond. He couldn't.
Instead, he closed his eyes and clenched his fists, the words of the figure echoing through his mind. But in the depths of his heart, he couldn't help but wonder…
Could he control the darkness within him, or would it destroy him and everything he cared about?