Lane landed softly on the ground, the headless body of the beast collapsing behind him with a dull thud.
The others let out a collective breath, the tension bleeding out of their bodies as they sank to the earth.
Percy stared at the corpse, chest rising and falling.
'So that's what a real fight in the Nightmare Realm feels like…'
He glanced down at his wristbracelet.
'I've grown stronger. I just have to keep killing things stronger than me.'
[You have gained a skill from your trademark: Flames of Darkness]
A faint smile tugged at his lips. Even if the trademark wasn't truly his, he was evolving. That was all that mattered.
"Good work, everyone," Lane said, wiping the blood from his blade. "Let's get out of here."
They gathered their things in weary silence. The exhaustion was almost pleasant now the kind that came after surviving.
"Rain, that ability of yours was insane," Percy said, half-grinning. "Didn't know you could summon monsters like that."
Rain's cheeks flushed pink. "You practically pissed yourself when you saw it."
Ruko burst into laughter. "Afraid, huh, short stuff?"
Percy scowled. 'That's it. I'm never complimenting anyone in this Sovereign again.'
He stomped ahead, muttering under his breath but the irritation evaporated in an instant.
A scream tore through the mist.
It was Luna's.
"Hey! What's wrong?" Lane shouted, already sprinting toward her.
She stood frozen, face drained of color. Her trembling eyes were locked on the ground where Zero's severed head rolled slowly across the dirt.
Percy's mind went blank.
'When… when did this happen?'
Zero had been right behind them. The second strongest in the Sovereign.
Fear clawed up his throat as his gaze darted through the trees, searching for the thing that could do this.
A shadow flickered between branches too fast, too deliberate.
Then came the sound.
That haunting, high-pitched melody that seemed to bleed into his skull.
Lane unleashed a storm of wind, tearing through the trees. Wood splintered, mist scattered.
And from the wreckage, it emerged.
The Bird of Forgotten Songs.
Its wings stretched like curtains of shadow, eyes glimmering with an intelligence too cruel to be beastly.
Percy's chest tightened. His breath stopped.
It was the monster from his nightmare the one that had marked his death in the rebirth trial.
The others didn't hesitate. They charged.
In seconds, they were gone.
The Bird sliced through them as if they were made of mist. Flesh ripped, bones cracked, and the ground was painted red.
Lane met the creature head-on, winds swirling around him but even he was crushed beneath its talons.
Percy watched, paralyzed, tears cutting streaks through the grime on his face.
Then he ran.
He didn't think. He didn't plan. His body just moved crashing through the underbrush, ducking low, every muscle screaming for silence.
A sharp pain exploded through his leg. He fell, a broken branch impaling his thigh.
He bit down hard, stifling a scream.
Wings brushed the treetops. The Bird's shadow fell over him like a shroud.
It struck.
Percy rolled, barely avoiding the talons, and scrambled to his feet only to collapse again.
He turned, breath trembling.
His leg was gone.
Ripped clean off.
The pain hit him like a wave. His scream tore through the night, raw and endless.
"Please… Iridescent Memory… Lord of Darkness… help me!"
He screamed out but...
No answer came. Only the sound of feathers cutting air.
No. I refuse to die like this!
He gripped his blade with shaking hands, dragging himself upright.
He began to shout not in despair this time, but defiance.
"Come on! I killed you before! Even if it wasn't really me I'll do it again!"
The Bird descended.
Its beak collided with his blade, the impact rattling his bones.
Then pain unbearable, burning, endless as the beak pierced through his chest, tearing him apart like paper.
Darkness swallowed everything.
[You have died.]
Percy jolted awake, gasping. Sweat drenched his skin. His heart hammered like a drum in his throat.
"Good job, Percy." Lane's voice cut through the haze.
"Hey… you alright?" Ruko asked, kneeling beside him. The others were watching, alive and unharmed.
Percy blinked rapidly, eyes wide.
Was that… a dream? What the hell just happened?
He curled up slightly, trying to steady his breathing. His mind was racing.
It felt real. Too real.
But he forced himself to smile weakly. "I'm fine, guys. Sorry. Just… zoned out."
"Don't lose focus," Zero said sharply. "We've got company."
Zero turned her head toward the forest. Her expression was unreadable.
Percy followed her gaze.
Something massive was moving among the trees. Each step crushed roots and stones. The earth vibrated.
Around it, a swarm followed smaller beasts, moving in sync like an army of shadows.
No… it can't be. That was just a dream. Just a coincidence.
But then he saw it the same silhouette, the same blue glow in the dark.
"Luna! Kiyo! Now!" Lane shouted.
Bolts of lightning exploded from the mages' hands, slicing through the night. The forest lit up in flashes of blue and white.
The stench of burnt flesh filled the air.
And then the leader emerged crashing down from the treetops, massive and armored, shaking the ground beneath its weight.
Not a beast.
A titan.
Its muscles coiled beneath black plates. Pale blue eyes burned in its skull.
Lane met its charge, blade clashing with a metallic roar. The shockwave sent snow and dirt flying.
The titan's kick threw him back.
Rain raised her hands, summoning fire from below.
The ground split, and a creature of molten stone climbed out, magma dripping from its frame.
Percy watched, breath caught in his throat. He couldn't even move.
That… that wasn't a dream. It really happened.
Lane blurred forward again, cutting through the titan's arm.
Zero followed, frost spreading across the ground, freezing its legs solid before cleaving through the second limb.
Percy still stood motionless, trapped between disbelief and dread.
Then Lane appeared before the titan and with one clean slash, took its head.
The body fell, shaking the forest.
Percy exhaled slowly, eyes darting between the corpses and the mist.
He forced his trembling hands to still.
Whatever this was vision, dream, or fate it wasn't over yet.