Sylvera stopped mid-step so suddenly her ankle twisted a little.
Sylvera froze, her hand instinctively going to the small crystal charm at her waist before she even knew her hand moved .
Her fingers wrapped around it like it was the only real thing left in the world . The metal was cold. Too cold. The kind of cold that seeps into your bones .
The air had changed.
Not a breeze. Not a draft.
It felt like something had opened a door to winter inside her chest .
She swallowed. Slowly turned her head.
As she saw it.
At the end of the corridor stood a human figure.
Except… not exactly a human.
It was too tall. Too thin. The skin looked stretched tight, pale like candle wax left out too long. His hair hung in uneven strands that moved softly, even though nothing else in the hallway stirred .
And his eyes—
There were no eyes.
Just dark hollows. Empty like caves that had never seen light.
They were staring right at her .
Sylvera sucked in a breath so hard that it hurt. The sound echoed off the walls, making her flinch at her own voice .
The figure didn't move.
Not right away.
The silence stretched until her ears rang . Until she could hear her own heartbeat thudding stupidly loud in her head .
Then—
CRACK.
The chain in its hand snapped up.
"Stay back —!" she shouted, but her voice came out thin and shaking .
The chain slammed into the floor where she'd been standing. Sparks flew. The impact rattled through her legs like she'd been struck herself .
She stumbled backward, heart hammering . "Wh-what are you…?"
Nothing.
No breath. No sound. No blink.
Just that slow tilt of its head, like it was deciding where to bite first.
Then it lunged.
The chain whipped again. Faster. Louder. Closer.
Sylvera dove sideways, shoulder smashing into the wall . Pain shot down her arm and she hissed, clutching it instinctively before forcing her hands up .
Blue light flickered weakly around her fingers.
She threw the spell.
It hit the creature.
And vanished.
Like throwing water into sand.
Her stomach dropped so hard she almost laughed. "Of course," she muttered, voice wobbling. "Of course it doesn't work. Why would anything work today—"
The chain smashed into a pillar. Stone cracked. Dust rained down into her hair, into her mouth. She coughed, choking.
"I didn't come here to fight!" she shouted. "I just wanted—just—"
The creature made a sound.
Low. Hollow. Like rusted iron dragged across bone.
The noise crawled under her skin.
She tried another spell. Her hands shook so badly the magic sputtered, weak and uneven.
The chain struck again.
It grazed her leg.
Pain exploded up her body like lightning .
She fell hard, breath punching out of her lungs . For a second she couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Just stared at the ceiling like an idiot while the world tilted .
Then she heard it walking.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Slow. Calm. Certain.
Chains dragged behind it, scratching black lines into the stone. Its hollow eyes never left her face.
Sylvera scrambled backward, palms scraping raw . Her leg throbbed hot and numb at the same time .
"What are you?" she whispered, voice tiny and useless .
The creature stopped a few feet away .
The air around it warped strangely . The shadows bent wrong. For one horrible second she thought she saw faces moving inside the darkness—twisted mouths, hollow eyes .
One whisper slid out.
"Lyria…"
Sylvera froze.
Her brain refused to understand the word. It just… hung there.
"No," she whispered. "No, that's not—"
"I'm not her—" she tried, pushing herself up.
The creature lunged.
She screamed and threw up her hands. Light burst out, wild and blinding.
The chain cut through it.
Then silence.
When the light faded, the corridor was empty .
Only the faint scrape of chains somewhere deep in the dark remained .
Sylvera leaned against the wall, shaking so badly her teeth chattered. She stared down the hallway.
Nothing.
Just her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Then—
A whisper brushed her ear.
You shouldn't have come here.
She spun around.
No one.
But on the floor where the creature had stood were burned words carved deep into the stone.
LYRIA RETURNS.
Her mouth went dry.
A blast of icy wind tore down the corridor, blowing out the torches one by one. Darkness swallowed everything. Sylvera clutched her charm and limped toward the stairs, biting her lip so hard she tasted blood.
Her breathing wouldn't slow. Her chest hurt. Every shadow looked like it might move.
Maybe it's gone, she told herself. Maybe it wasn't real. Maybe she'd imagined it.
Then—
A chain scraped softly behind her.
She turned.
And froze.
The pale figure stood right there.
So close she could see faint veins under its skin. So close she smelled damp stone and rust.
Her throat locked. She couldn't scream.
The chain snapped forward.
No room to run. No time.
She threw up her arms.
The world slowed—the rush of air, the scream of metal, the tiny flicker of useless magic at her fingertips.
This is it.
The air exploded.
Something slammed into the creature from the side. The chain never hit her.
The pale figure crashed into the wall with a sickening crack. Chains clattered across the floor.
Sylvera blinked, dazed.
Arther stood in front of her.
His face was hard, eyes glowing faint blue. Magic hummed around him like heat lightning before a storm.
"You shouldn't be here," he said quietly.
Sylvera swallowed. "A-Arther… you…"
He cut her off with a look. "Don't move. Stay behind me."
The creature roared, whipping its chain again—but Arther's hands moved fast, tracing glowing runes. A barrier flared between them. The chain smashed into it with a deafening clang.
The floor shook.
Arther stepped forward. "Not another step."
The creature froze.
Its hollow eyes shifted from Sylvera to Arther.
Something changed.
Slowly… it turned away.
The chains slipped from its hands. It retreated into the darkness, silent, watching.
Gone.
Sylvera slid down the wall, shaking, trying not to cry. "Arther… it… it stopped?"
He kept staring into the shadows a long moment before answering.
"For now."
Her hands were still trembling. Her leg still burned. The words still echoed in her head.
"You saved me," she whispered.