The world outside the cave exploded into chaos.
The sound hit first — a deep, shuddering growl that seemed to rattle the very stone beneath Evan's feet. Then came the crash — claws tearing through rock, a body hurled against the cave wall with a sickening crack.
The fire had died completely, leaving only flashes of lightning slicing through the darkness. In each flash, Evan saw silhouettes — massive, wild, and monstrous.
The hyena orcs had met their enemy.
He pressed himself into the wall, shaking uncontrollably. His breath came in shallow, uneven gasps.
"System," he whispered hoarsely. "Wh-what's happening?"
[External hostiles engaging unknown entity.]
[Combat intensity: extreme.]
A scream cut through the night — guttural and sharp.
Evan flinched as a heavy thud shook the ground again.
Through the cave entrance, shadows collided — claws against claws, fur against fur. Roars, growls, and the wet sound of flesh tearing blended into a dreadful rhythm.
He didn't want to look. He had already seen too much death.
But his body wouldn't obey.
He crawled closer, inch by inch, until the cave mouth came into view.
---
Outside, the storm had passed, but the air was still heavy — thick with the scent of blood and smoke. The moon hung low, a pale ghost behind drifting clouds.
And in the clearing below, he stood — a beast unlike anything Evan had ever seen.
A black panther orc.
Sleek fur shimmered under the moonlight, muscles rippling with each breath. His movements were a blur — too fast, too precise, too deliberate. Every strike landed with deadly weight.
He slammed into a hyena orc, claws slicing through its chest like paper. The rogue howled, collapsing in a spray of blood.
Another lunged from behind — but the panther twisted midair, catching its jaw in one clawed hand and snapping it sideways. Bone cracked like dry wood.
Evan's hands flew to his mouth, stifling a cry.
The sheer force, the precision — it wasn't wild rage. It was control. Ruthless, efficient control.
Still, six against one.
The remaining hyenas encircled him, snarling, saliva dripping from sharp fangs.
"Kill him!" one roared.
They lunged together — a blur of brown fur and jagged claws.
The panther ducked low, tail sweeping across the dirt, knocking two off balance. His claws raked upward, catching another across the belly.
Blood splattered the stones.
The fourth leapt on his back, jaws snapping at his throat. The panther roared, twisting violently — grabbing the creature's arm and hurling it into the wall.
The impact shook the cave entrance. Dust rained from the ceiling.
Evan's heart pounded against his ribs. His nails dug into his palms until they bled, but he couldn't tear his eyes away.
The panther's roar wasn't just sound — it vibrated through the earth, through his bones. Deep, primal, commanding.
The hyenas hesitated. For a split second, Evan saw it — fear in their eyes.
The panther lunged again, claws flashing. Two more fell, their bodies twisting unnaturally before hitting the ground.
The last two, bloodied and panting, backed away.
"F-fuck this!" one spat, clutching his torn arm. "He's not worth it!"
They turned and fled into the forest, vanishing into the shadows.
Silence followed.
Only the faint sound of the wind and the drip of blood breaking the stillness.
---
Evan stayed frozen, staring.
Four bodies lay motionless at the edge of the clearing. The black panther stood in the middle, chest heaving, sides streaked with deep wounds. His fur glistened wet with blood — some his, some not.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the cave.
Their eyes met.
Golden — bright, burning gold even in the dark.
Evan's breath caught. He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
That gaze wasn't feral. It was… aware.
Then, the panther staggered.
He stumbled once, twice — then fell to his knees. His claws scraped against the stone, trying to steady himself, but his strength failed.
With a final, heavy exhale, his massive form collapsed.
Evan's body moved before his mind could stop it.
He crawled forward, trembling, inching toward the fallen beast.
The ground outside was slick with blood. His palms slipped on it as he reached the creature's side.
"Are you—?" he started, but the words stuck in his throat.
Before he could finish, the panther's body began to change.
The black fur rippled, melting away like liquid shadow. His limbs contorted, shrinking, bones realigning with soft cracks. The glow in his eyes dimmed, and the monstrous shape dissolved into something terrifyingly human.
Where the beast had fallen, now lay a man.
---
He was tall, his body lean and powerful even through torn clothing. His skin was tanned from sun and battle, streaked with blood and dirt. But it was his face that made Evan freeze — sharp, proud features framed by dark, sweat-damp hair.
And those eyes… still faintly gold beneath the lashes.
Evan's breath trembled. "You're…"
He staggered back a step, heart pounding. He wanted to run — he should run — but his legs refused to move.
The man groaned, shifting slightly. His hand pressed to a deep wound in his side. Blood seeped between his fingers.
When he spoke, his voice was rough, low, and strangely calm.
"Don't… run."
Evan froze.
"I won't hurt you."
His tone carried no threat — only exhaustion.
Evan's lips parted, but no sound came out. He could hear his heartbeat hammering in his ears.
The man opened his eyes again, the faint gold glinting through the darkness.
"You're safe now," he murmured, a ghost of a smile flickering across his face before he winced in pain. "At least… for a while."
He tried to rise, but his body gave out. He collapsed again, coughing hard, blood staining his lips.
"Stop moving!" The words burst out of Evan before he could think. He crawled closer on instinct, hands hovering helplessly. "You're hurt— you'll make it worse."
The man laughed weakly. "Too late for that."
Evan's chest ached. He looked toward the forest, half-expecting the rogues to come back. "They'll— they'll return. You have to—"
"If they come back," the man interrupted, voice faint but steady, "I'll kill them again."
He smiled faintly — a tired, almost amused expression — before his eyelids began to droop.
"Wait—!" Evan's hand shot out, catching his wrist before he could stop himself.
The man's skin was warm — too warm — and his pulse weak beneath his touch.
"Don't sleep," Evan whispered. "You'll die."
For a long moment, the panther said nothing. His breathing slowed, but his hand shifted slightly, fingers curling weakly around Evan's.
"Run," he whispered at last. "If they come back… don't stay."
Evan's throat tightened. His vision blurred with tears he didn't notice falling.
"But you— you saved me…"
"Doesn't matter." His voice faded to a whisper. "Go."
Then his hand went limp. His head turned to the side, the faint light of his eyes fading into stillness.
---
Evan sat there for what felt like forever.
He didn't know if the man was alive or dead. The world outside was silent again — too silent.
His System flickered softly in the air beside him.
[Warning: Unknown entity. Threat level—unstable.]
[Recommendation: Evacuate immediately.]
Evan wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. His voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "He's not a threat. He saved me."
[Affirmative. But survival probability decreases with proximity.]
He stared down at the man again. The moonlight caught on his skin, pale against the dark earth.
Evan didn't know his name. Didn't know what he was. But leaving him here, bleeding and alone, felt wrong.
He looked at the cave entrance, at the silent forest beyond. Every instinct screamed to run.
Instead, he tore off a strip of his ragged sleeve and pressed it gently to one of the man's wounds.
The man didn't stir.
Evan exhaled shakily. "You said… not to run." His voice cracked. "So I won't."
He dragged a discarded cloak from one of the corpses, shaking the blood from it, and carefully covered the man's body.
Then he sat beside him, back against the wall, arms around his knees.
The metallic scent of blood still hung in the air, but the silence was almost peaceful now.
He kept glancing at the man — watching the faint rise and fall of his chest, terrified it might stop.
"Who are you…" he whispered.
Outside, the wind stirred the leaves.
The storm had passed, but the night remained heavy.
Evan's eyes grew heavy too, exhaustion finally dragging him down.
The last thing he saw before drifting into uneasy sleep was the faint shimmer of gold beneath the stranger's closed eyelids — proof that he was still alive.
---
Suddenly Evan was startled awake from his sleep due to...