The night air was thick with fear, tainted by screams and the foul scent of blood. What began as a distant, painful noise quickly escalated into a deafening chaos. Families poured out into the streets, only to freeze in horror. Blood painted the cobblestones, the wails of the dying echoed through crumbled buildings, and desperate cries for salvation filled the air.
It was the beasts. They had come to hunt. Starved and craved, they tore through the town with merciless precision, treating humanity as prey they had been denied for centuries.
Elda's eyes narrowed as she assessed the carnage. Every fiber of her being screamed to act. She darted back into her home, hands deftly adjusting the flare gun she had trained with countless times. In one swift motion, she fired. A crimson flare shot into the night sky with a thunderous boom, a desperate beacon of hope.
"Mother, you must run," Elda commanded, gripping Sylvie's hands tightly. "Take the children to the inner territory. I've sent the signal—help will arrive within the hour. Stay alive. I promise… I'll come back. We'll eat breakfast together. Just—don't panic."
Sylvie's hands shook as she clutched Arav and Kabeer. Her eyes were numb with disbelief and terror, but she forced herself to keep moving. Elda wasn't even her biological daughter, yet she had become something irreplaceable in her life, a bond that went beyond blood.
Before Sylvie could respond, Elda turned and sprinted into the night. Her steps were swift, precise, almost otherworldly. Every movement screamed of a warrior's training, of someone who had sworn an unbreakable oath: to protect the weak, even at the cost of her own life.
A shrill whistle pierced the night. Almost immediately, a dark brown horse galloped into view. Without hesitation, Elda vaulted onto its back, her form perfectly balanced, her silhouette illuminated by the flare. She looked like a battle angel descending upon the world—a single beacon of hope amidst the chaos.
I'm the savior here, she thought, her chest heaving but her resolve unshaken. I need to protect everyone. This is what Varek would do if he were here. Even if I'm weaker than him, I won't let anyone die in front of me.
With a roar that matched the beasts' own fury, she charged into the battlefield. Her blade flashed under the silver moonlight, slicing through any creature foolish enough to cross her path. Each movement was precise, deadly, a perfect mix of speed and grace. Every strike was powered by her will, her unyielding desire to protect the lives that depended on her.
Meanwhile, Sylvie's eyes burned red from unshed tears as she ran through the panic-stricken streets, dragging the children behind her. But Arav had paused. Something tugged at his mind—an instinct he didn't fully understand yet. With a determined frown, he slipped from his mother's grasp.
"Arav! Where are you, my gem?!" Sylvie screamed, her voice breaking, but it was too late. He had already reached their home, his small frame slipping past falling debris.
He began searching frantically. "Where is it? Where's Father's last belonging?" His hands trembled as he rifled through the room, desperate to find the one object that tethered him to the past. He checked the dining hall, overturning chairs and scattered dishes. And finally, he found it—the small, worn book he had shown Minnie that morning. Relief washed over him like a fleeting warmth in the cold, terror-filled night.
But relief was fleeting. The ceiling above groaned ominously before collapsing entirely. Dust and splintered wood filled the room. Arav coughed violently, scraping minor scratches across his arms and face. He raised his eyes—and froze.
Towering over him was a beast unlike anything he had ever seen. Its massive frame stretched twelve meters into the air. Muscles rippled beneath a horrifying humanoid form, but its face—a monstrous bull—was enough to send a chill racing down his spine.
The creature raised its claw, aiming straight for him. Heart hammering, Arav could only step back—but then—
Whoosh!
A sudden strike sliced through the beast's claw. It groaned in rage, turning its monstrous head toward the source.
Elda stood there, barely upright, blood streaking her face, clothes torn and soaked. Fatigue weighed her down, her limbs trembling, but her spirit blazed with unrelenting force. She had come to save them all.
The beast, however, was relentless. Its claw regenerated in a blink. With inhuman strength, it seized Elda in one massive hand, lifting her high into the air. Her body trembled under the pressure.
"Just… run…" she tried to whisper, gasping, her words fading before Arav could hear.
Her eyes closed, her thoughts clinging to Varek, to her family, to everything she swore to protect. She was ready to give her life if it meant saving others.
And then—CRUSH.
The beast's hand closed around her. Blood splattered across the cobblestones and, shockingly, onto Arav's small face. Her lifeless head rolled toward his feet. He stood frozen, paralyzed by horror, shock, and a burning spark of anger flickering in his chest.
The book slipped from his fingers. The beast's gaze turned toward him, claws reaching out…
But a voice cut through the chaos.
"Advance! That bastard killed someone! A girl in our uniform—she must have fired the signal! And there's a kid—he's mine to save! Everyone, take your positions!"
From the shadows, a figure leapt, descending from a horse in a single fluid motion. With one precise strike, he decapitated the beast in a clean, almost effortless blow.
He landed lightly on the cobblestones, his eyes scanning Arav's face. The moonlight glinted off his long black hair, which partially veiled piercing eyes. His features were flawless, commanding, a striking combination of elegance and raw strength. Tall, imposing, his presence alone would make anyone hesitate.
He crouched, gripping Arav's small hands tightly.
"You alright, kiddo?" he asked, voice calm but full of authority.
Arav could only stare, trembling, unsure whether to cry, scream, or collapse. The world he knew had shattered, and yet… this person, this stranger, had appeared like a force of destiny, offering a lifeline.
For the first time that night, amidst the screams, the blood, and the death, a sliver of hope flickered in Arav's chest.
What will happen to Arav next? Who's this person who came to save him? Is this beginning of his new life?
End of chapter 3: to be continued