The air crackled with tension as Kazuki's hand hovered over the hilt of his blade. His breath came in ragged gasps, eyes darting through the forest.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
And then, it came.
A low growl rumbled from the darkness.
For a moment, Kazuki saw nothing but black wisps, thin threads twisting and coiling in the air like veins of shadow.
But before he could process it—before he could even react—the wisps vanished.
A rush of air slammed into him like a physical force. He didn't even have time to brace himself as something massive, unseen, barreled into his stomach. The breath was knocked from his lungs in a violent burst, and he was sent flying backwards, his feet skidding through the dirt.
"Dammit," Kazuki muttered through clenched teeth, struggling to regain his footing as he tumbled through the dirt.
It's moving like a shadow.
