Back in the shadowy void created by Vondak, his laughter echoed sinisterly, wrapping around Miles like a taunt.
"Don't tell me you don't know how to use it?" Vondak's voice rang out, mocking from every direction.
"Shut up, you creep!" Miles shouted, his voice defiant despite the fear clawing at his chest.
Vondak's laughter only deepened, dripping with malice. "Well, Miles, I expected so much more from the boy who killed my father. You've failed to satisfy my pleasures entirely."
"What the—" Miles began, but the words caught in his throat as an invisible force tightened around him. The air grew heavier, and he clawed at his neck, gasping for breath. His legs kicked uselessly as he floated in the void, suffocating. Panic surged through him as his vision blurred. Is this the end?
As darkness threatened to overtake him, an image flashed in his mind—Laurel's face. The memory of her embrace in the Dream Walkers' illusion cut through his fear like a blade, reigniting the fire in his chest. Adrenaline surged through him, and with trembling fingers, he reached into his pocket.
His hand found the compass Crimson had given him. Clutching it tightly, he yanked it out and flung it upward. The compass floated before him, just out of reach. Struggling to breathe, Miles forced himself to speak, his voice barely a rasp. "Al... Alpha Dawn."
Nothing happened.
His heart pounded as the void constricted tighter, stealing what little air he had left. Desperation mounted, and he tried again, his voice cracking. "Alpha... Dawn!"
Still nothing. His vision dimmed, and his body sagged as he fought to stay conscious. With one final burst of effort, he rasped, "Alph...a Da...wn!"
The compass responded instantly, snapping open. A brilliant light exploded from its centre, piercing the suffocating darkness with blinding radiance. The void trembled violently, shadows twisting and writhing as they were consumed by the light.
"No!" Vondak's voice roared, his cries filled with fury and despair as the shadowy realm began to collapse in on itself.
In a flash, the darkness vanished. Miles gasped for air, collapsing into the cool pond. Water splashed around him as he clawed at his neck, coughing violently. His chest heaved with every breath, a victory.
He sat in the shallow water, his trembling hand reaching for the compass that lay nearby. Picking it up, he stared at it for a moment before tucking it safely back into his pocket. His sword and its sheath were half-submerged, and he reached for them, gripping them tightly.
Dazed and unsteady, Miles stumbled to his feet, water dripping from his clothes. He wobbled but steadied himself, looking up at the night sky. The compass's faint light still lingered above, a beacon in the dark.
His lips parted, and he muttered, his voice raw but resolute, "I'll find you, Laurel… no matter what."
With that, Miles took a shaky step forward, his resolve burning brighter than the light that had saved him.
Above him, the compass's beacon glowed steadily, moving as he moved, guiding him through the dark forest. He followed its glow, glancing over his shoulder to ensure Vondak wasn't still lurking. The shadows behind him were still, the oppressive silence broken only by his laboured breaths.
When he turned his attention forward again, his heart leapt.
Vondak lunged from the shadows, slamming into Miles and pinning him to the ground with a force that knocked the air from his lungs. Miles struggled against the weight pressing him down, his eyes widening as he saw Vondak's face.
Burns marred his twisted features, and his skin cracked and blistered from the light of the compass. His clothes hung in tatters, smoke curling off the scorched edges. Vondak's eyes, glowing with fury, locked onto Miles as he leaned in close.
"You did well, boy," Vondak hissed, his voice a venomous growl. "But it's not enough." His mouth curled into a sinister grin. "You need me to get on my knees and beg for you to stop."
Miles' chest heaved, the words igniting a fresh wave of anger in him. Without hesitation, he threw his weight to one side, shoving Vondak off. The effort sent them both sprawling, but Miles scrambled to his feet first, his legs carrying him toward the pond and the safety of the beacon's glow.
The light above him pulsed brighter as he neared the water, but just as he reached the edge of the pond, the air behind him grew cold. A dark, pitch-black hand erupted from the shadows, its long, claw-like fingers grabbing him by the waist.
"Wha—?!" Miles barely had time to react as the hand lifted him effortlessly and hurled him into the air.
The world spun in a dizzying blur of trees and stars as Miles hurtled upward, his sword slipping from his grip. Panic surged through him, but with a desperate motion, he tightened his grasp on the hilt, refusing to let it go.
Before he could steady himself, Vondak materialized before him in a swirl of shadows, his twisted grin gleaming like a predator closing in on its prey.
"Let me help you back down," Vondak sneered.
In a flash, he lashed out, his foot connecting with Miles' chest in a devastating kick. The force sent Miles hurtling backwards, crashing into a tree with a sickening thud. The impact knocked the air from his lungs, and he crumpled to the forest floor, pain radiating through his body.
Vondak landed gracefully a few feet away, the shadows rippling around him as if alive. He dusted off his charred sleeve, his smirk deepening as he stared down at Miles.
"You should have stayed in the light. Your struggle… It's pitiful." Vondak mocked, his voice laced with derision. "That… that satisfied me so much more than this pathetic struggle."