The carriage jolted as it neared its destination. The sun was setting, casting an orange hue over the landscape. Inside the carriage, the three of them sat in silence, the tension in the air thick.
Monarch of Life: "I see, what an interesting story. So, what's next? Are you planning on heading back home?"
Zaneff stared out the window, her mind lost in thought. Her fingers twitched nervously at her side. She had been trying to piece together what had happened in her past, but the pieces still didn't quite fit.
Zaneff: "I... don't know."
Shiebe, sensing her uncertainty, glanced at her. He had no idea what kind of turmoil she was going through, but he could tell this wasn't an easy decision for her.
Shiebe: "I wouldn't go back if I were you. Judging by the way you explained things, your mother didn't seem too fond of you. Going back home might only make things worse... but then again, it's your decision. You have to choose what's best for you."
Zaneff nodded quietly, as if weighing his words. There was no rush for her to respond. They both sat in contemplative silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Monarch of Life: "You can call me Eros. The title 'Monarch of Life' is just a formality."
Shiebe: "I've got a question for you."
Eros raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Eros: "Go ahead."
Shiebe: "Back there, you were glaring at me and then you tried to touch me. What was that all about?"
Eros leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh, his gaze turning distant as he stared out the window. For a moment, he was silent, as if searching for the right words.
Eros: "To be honest, I don't really know. It was like I was in some kind of trance... like something was pulling me toward you. It's hard to explain, but... something about you felt... different."
Before Shiebe could respond, the carriage came to an abrupt stop, causing them all to lurch forward slightly.
Eros: "What's going on?"
There was no answer from outside, just an eerie silence.
Eros: "Stay here. I'll check it out."
Eros stepped out of the carriage, and, as instructed, Shiebe and Zaneff remained inside. The quiet was almost unsettling. They weren't worried; after all, they were with a member of the Council of Hope, someone with immense power.
Minutes passed. No sound. No movement. No sign of Eros returning.
Shiebe's unease grew.
Shiebe: "This isn't right. Where is he?"
Zaneff: "Do you think something happened to him?"
Shiebe: "I don't know. I doubt it. Eros is too powerful to be taken down easily."
Still, something felt off. There was no sound from outside, nothing to indicate what was going on. The longer they waited, the more Shiebe's instincts told him they needed to act.
Shiebe: "We can't just sit here. We need to figure out what's happening."
Tap... tap... tap...
The sound of footsteps reached their ears, sharp and deliberate.
Zaneff: "Shiebe... those aren't Eros's footsteps."
Shiebe narrowed his eyes. He had a bad feeling about this.
Shiebe: "I had a feeling. Something's wrong. Get ready."
The footsteps drew closer. The air around them grew heavier, like the calm before a storm. Then, as quickly as it had come, the noise stopped. The silence was deafening.
SLASH!
A sudden force ripped the top of the carriage off, throwing the trio into chaos. The door exploded in a cloud of dust and splinters, and the carriage flipped over from the shockwave. Shiebe and Zaneff were thrown free, landing on the rocky cliffside. They scrambled to their feet, with only a thin line separating them from a steep drop into the waters below.
Shiebe: "We need to move. If it sees us or catches up to us, we'll fight. But for now, we run."
Without hesitation, Zaneff grabbed Shiebe's hand, surprising him. Normally, it was the other way around.
Zaneff: "I'm confident my syreum ability will help us escape. Just hold on tight."
Shiebe nodded, taken aback by her sudden confidence.
Zaneff extended her hand, and slowly, a glowing bridge formed beneath their feet, hovering just above the ground. The bridge stretched out ahead of them, offering them a way forward, but it felt like there was something more than just a path beneath them—an eerie sense of danger loomed.
As the beast charged, its massive form looming over them, the ground trembled with each footstep it took. It was like a force of nature, its eyes gleaming with malice, locked onto the two children.
ROAR!
The beast's screech pierced the air, sending a wave of panic through Shiebe and Zaneff. It was more than just an animal—it was a monster, its very presence making the air feel thick and oppressive. Its sharp claws scraped the ground as it ran, and its teeth, yellow and jagged, were bared in a snarl that promised only violence.
Zaneff's breath hitched. The beast was enormous, a creature of nightmare, and she felt the weight of fear pressing on her chest. She could feel her heart racing, but she refused to let herself freeze. They had no choice but to fight. She grabbed Shiebe's arm tighter, her hand trembling but determined.
Shiebe's eyes narrowed as the beast closed the distance. His mind was racing. They didn't have the luxury of fear right now. Every move needed to be calculated, precise.
Shiebe: "Zaneff, don't lose focus! We have to stay ahead of it—this thing's too fast for us to just brute force it!"
Zaneff: "I know, just... just stay close. We'll do this together!"
Without another word, they sprang into action.
Shiebe raised his hand, his syreum crackling with energy as he lifted his palm to the ground. The beast was just feet away now, and Zaneff's eyes widened in terror as it closed in. She couldn't let it catch them.
Shiebe slammed his hand into the floor of the bridge. BOOM! A shockwave blasted outwards, sending chunks of concrete flying toward the beast. The beast tried to swipe at the projectiles, its claws shredding through the air with brutal force. The debris collided with the beast, but it barely slowed its charge.
ROAR!
The beast was unfazed, its flesh a massive wall of muscle and fury. It swiped through the stone debris as if it were nothing. And then, in a blink, it was upon them.
Shiebe: "It's too fast! We have to do something—NOW!"
The beast lunged, its enormous jaws snapping open, aiming directly for Zaneff. With a shout, Shiebe shoved her out of the way, just in time for the creature's jaws to miss by inches. But the sheer force of the near miss sent them both stumbling backward.
Zaneff's heart pounded in her chest as she scrambled to her feet, panic rising in her throat. This thing was pure destruction. The power it exuded was overwhelming, and every instinct in her screamed to run. But she couldn't.
Zaneff: "Shiebe! We can't outrun it! We need to outsmart it!"
Shiebe nodded sharply. He could see the strategy unfolding in his mind. But he also knew it wasn't going to be easy. The beast wasn't just fast—it was smart. It wasn't mindlessly charging; it was adapting, learning their movements.
The beast circled them now, its eyes calculating, waiting for the perfect opening. It growled low, a deep, guttural sound that vibrated through their bones.
Shiebe: "Zaneff, you've got to create a distraction. I'll go for the attack when you have its attention!"
Zaneff swallowed hard but didn't hesitate. She closed her eyes for just a moment, focusing on her syreum. Her fingers began to glow with a fiery intensity, and small sparks of flame ignited around her. She extended her hands, and spheres of fire and ice began to form around her.
Zaneff: "Begone!"
With a forceful flick of her wrist, the spheres shot toward the beast. The fire exploded in bursts, and the ice collided with the beast's thick hide. The creature howled in pain, but it only staggered for a moment before it retaliated.
The beast's massive claw swiped at the attack, deflecting the ice with a violent force and shattering the fireballs with a snap of its claws. It barely flinched from the hits, though the smoke and ice left a small burn across its fur.
Shiebe, realizing they had to hit harder, acted fast. He concentrated energy into his palms, his fingers glowing bright red, pulling power from the very air around them. He slammed his hand down onto the ground again, but this time, instead of just debris, he ripped a massive chunk of the bridge up from the ground.
Shiebe: "Zaneff, now!"
The beast turned to face Shiebe, its eyes locking onto him with a terrifying hunger. It wasn't looking at Zaneff anymore. Perfect.
With a yell, Shiebe threw the massive chunk of bridge directly at the beast. It moved to swipe at it, but Zaneff was already on the move. She summoned a huge sphere of fire and ice, compressing it to a dangerous point before she hurled it straight into the creature's face.
The beast was too slow to react. The explosion of flame and ice collided with its face with a deafening roar, sending the beast reeling back, its claws scraping against the floor. It was momentarily stunned, its vision obscured by the smoke and fire.
Zaneff: "Now, Shiebe!"
Shiebe didn't hesitate. He leapt into the air, his red and purple eyes glowing like fire in the darkening sky. He charged a powerful energy blast with both hands, aiming directly for the beast's head.
BOOM!
The energy blast hit the creature squarely in the face, blasting it backward with such force that the ground beneath it cracked. The beast screeched in fury, but the explosion had left it staggered, and for a moment, it seemed dazed.
Zaneff: "It's not down yet—keep going!"
The beast, though severely injured, rose to its feet, its monstrous body covered in bruises, burns, and frost. It growled again, more ferociously than before. Its eyes were bloodshot with rage, and it wasn't backing down.
Shiebe's breath was ragged. He was tired, but they couldn't stop now. Zaneff was standing beside him, her body trembling but her resolve unshaken. They had to finish this.
The beast charged once again, faster this time, its claws extended, teeth bared, ready to tear them apart. This time, however, they had no more room for mistakes. It was all or nothing.
As it closed the gap, Shiebe gritted his teeth and took a deep breath.
Shiebe: "Zaneff, on my mark!"
They were out of options now, and there was only one way to end this.
Zaneff: "Ready!"
When the beast lunged, Shiebe stepped forward and slammed his hands to the ground one final time. This time, the ground cracked open, and from the rift came a torrent of energy that spiraled into a massive, swirling vortex of light and power. Zaneff threw a sphere of fire directly into the center, igniting the vortex in a blaze.
The beast was engulfed in the explosion of energy, but it wasn't enough to stop its charge. With a final roar, it leapt toward them.
But before it could reach them, a powerful beam of crimson-red energy shot from above, striking the beast square in the chest.
BOOM!
The force of the blast sent the beast hurtling backward, its body crumpling to the ground with a sickening thud. It twitched once, then lay still, the smoke of battle slowly dissipating around it.
Shiebe and Zaneff were panting, both covered in sweat, their bodies aching from the intensity of the fight. The beast was down, but they knew the danger wasn't over yet.
Just as they steadied themselves, a figure landed softly beside them, catching them off guard.
Eros: "Impressive. You two did well. That was a hell of a fight."
Shiebe and Zaneff turned to face him, their hearts still racing.
Shiebe: "Eros! Where the hell were you?"
Eros just smiled, his crimson eyes glinting with amusement.
Eros: "Look around. We've moved."
Shiebe's eyes widened in confusion as he took in their new surroundings. The once rugged cliffside had transformed into a strange and unfamiliar city.
Eros: "I am Eros, Monarch of Life. With my powers, I can bring anyone I've fought in the past back to life. You just witnessed it. And you two—well, you've earned your place in this world."