Yūshin was no longer asleep. He felt it even before opening his eyes: something was watching him.

  In the dark, he took a slow breath. The air was heavy, humid, almost solid. Then, he saw it. A silent mass, blacker than the night itself.

  "Oh shit…"

  His bow, lying beside him, suddenly felt out of reach. He stared at the shifting shape as cavernous growls rose from the gloom. A beast. Ready to pounce. Its gaze was icy: two yellow eyes glowing in the darkness, staring without ever blinking.

  Yūshin froze.

  Don't move.

  Blood began to pound in his temples. He hadn't survived; he had only delayed his appointment with death.

  Suddenly, a bolt of lightning split the sky, violently striking the ground outside. Thunder exploded into the night, and Yūshin flinched. The atmosphere, previously dry and scorching, gave way to an endless deluge. Yet, despite the racket, he didn't waver. The creature stared back with an almost human indecency, a silent arrogance.

  Then, behind him, under the torrential rain… another sound. A different presence. Heavier. A hybrid monstrosity slithered into the cave.

  "No way… How…"

  An enemy in front. Another behind. The trap was closing.

  "Together... it's over."

  Yūshin tried to draw his bow, but his fingers refused to cooperate. The string slipped—too wet, too heavy. His breathing hitched, short and jagged. He immediately thought of his new skill. Maybe… maybe this was the moment.

  Nothing. No signal. No response. Only the void.

  An icy chill raced up his spine. Paralyzed, his body no longer responded. A flash crossed his mind: Reiboku. Emerging to save him from this dead end, a blurred silhouette took shape before him.

  "Reiboku, is that you?"

  A memory? A lie born of his mind? Impossible to tell. But the silhouette was there, motionless, its gaze hard.

  “Dammit… I’m going to die here.”

  After everything he’d been through.

  "If only this damn skill would activate…"

  Yūshin slowly turned his head. The monster advanced, gliding out of the shadows and gradually revealing its full horror: a raptor's head covered in dark, greasy feathers, a hooked beak bristling with razor-sharp teeth. And that body…

  He swallowed hard, feeling a lump like lead in his throat.

  It was an abominable assembly, a mixture of serpent and bird. A thing that should never have existed.

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Twisted muscles, scaly skin, a trail of black drool hitting the ground. Smoke rose from it, eating away at the stone piece by piece. The smell of molten rock stung his nostrils. The stench was unbearable.

  A serpent's tail. It was impossible to ignore. A breath shook the cave, a near-deathly howl.

  A Cockatrice.

  "It’s blocked the only way out."

  He took a deep breath, his heart ready to burst from his chest. Yūshin slowly armed his bow. His fingers trembled despite himself. The monster advanced, and each step made the ground vibrate. Not loudly, just enough to make his knees buckle.

  "Two uses. No more. It won't be enough."

  A bead of sweat slid down his temple. His muscles refused to move. His body refused to go forward. He hadn't just understood it with his head, but with his core: he had never faced such a thing. Even hitting twice, even hitting true, he didn't stand a chance. Cornered. Trapped.

  Behind him, the other danger drew closer. A slow, heavy friction. The air changed. Two presences. Two breaths. Two predators. And him, in the middle.

  "Which one moves first…?"

  A low growl at ground level. His eyes darted from one to the other, too fast, unable to fix a target.

  “Dammit… don’t move…”

  The assault was launched. Not a leap, but a projection. The mass surged from the shadow and tore through the air. Unstoppable.

  Caught in a pincer move, in a final reflex, he squeezed his wrist with all his might. Kneeling, eyes closed, jaws clenched, his entire body was gripped by fear, by rage, by the instinct to survive.

  He screamed: "ACTIVATE!!!"

  Nothing. No light. No power. Just the abyss.

  Then something gave way, as if the air itself had cracked. In a deafening crash, both monsters leapt at the same time. The force of the impact sent rubble and dust flying. A stone was ejected toward Yūshin. He had no time to scream, no time to understand.

  Just a shock. Violent. Brutal. Inevitable. Straight to the chest.

  A trickle of blood leaked from his mouth. The world folded. A dull thud echoed in his ribcage, then nothing. No more sound. No more air. His feet left the ground and his back hit the stone. White light exploded behind his eyes.

  And the black swallowed everything.

  Time stopped. The blackness wasn't that of an ordinary night. It was a thick, compact matter, as if he had been buried alive in tar.

  A beat. Then another.

  Something was pounding in his chest—a heavy, irregular rhythm, like an engine refusing to start. Then the air rushed in all at once. Brutal. An acid burn that tore through his lungs.

  Reiboku opened his eyes.

  A high-pitched ringing pierced his eardrums. The pain didn't rise; it exploded. One pulse after another, as if a hammer were striking from inside his bones. His right arm was nothing but a trail of fire, a crushing heat that seemed to want to liquefy his skin.

  He tried to move the other side. Nothing. Not even a tingle, not even the memory of a muscle. Absolute vacuum. As if the entire left side of his existence had been erased.

  Icy drops crawled over his drenched skin. His gaze was two empty slits, extinguished, yet inhabited by a remnant of life.

  He slowly raised his right fist toward the invisible vault. A symbol was carved into it. A number. A mark that seemed to throb.

  He turned his head to the left. The void. A dry, definitive abyss. Something had been torn from his soul; he felt it, but his brain refused to name the lack. A spark, tiny, rose along his spine. Just enough hate to force him upright. His legs shook, nearly giving way, but he stood tall. Wavering, but standing.

  He scanned the darkness. Nothing. No one. Only the metallic scent of dried blood and a tomb-like silence.

  Why am I underground?

  Alone…

  Am I dead?

  He stumbled toward the exit, clawing at the stone to keep from falling. Under the cadaverous moon, he drew a breath of cutting air. Real. He threw his head back and screamed until his vocal cords frayed. The rain battered his face, drowning out the sound. It wasn't a cry for help.

  It was a challenge.

  "HAAAAARGH!!!"

  His eyes ignited. No more thought, no more fear, just raw breath. The air around him began to vibrate, saturated by his intent. Drenched, emptied, mutilated.

  But alive.

  He crushed the void with his clenched fist. His hand trembled with pure rage. Something uncontrolled had just awakened.

  "I am alive."