The clawed hand shoved my window open with a screech that set my teeth on edge.
"Um," I squeaked, pointing. "That's not Amazon Prime delivery."
The creature slithered in—long limbs bent backward like a spider, its skin glowing sickly green with cracks of light crawling under the surface. Its eyes were nothing but molten orbs, fixed directly on me.
Lucian stepped in front of me, shadows rippling off his body like smoke come alive. His expression? Annoyed. Like a man who'd just been interrupted during dinner.
"Pathetic," he muttered, raising one clawed hand.
Chaotic Teamwork
I should've run. I should've screamed. Instead, my brain short-circuited and I grabbed the closest weapon available.
…Which happened to be my broom.
"Stay back!" I yelled, whacking the monster's leg. It screeched, more irritated than hurt.
Lucian gave me a side-eye so sharp it could cut steel. "Truly? A stick?"
"It's a tactical weapon!" I shouted, swinging again.
Before the monster could strike back, Lucian moved—too fast for my eyes. Shadows lashed out like chains, pinning its limbs to the walls. The room darkened as if the night itself bent toward him.
I nearly dropped my broom. "Holy crap."
Lucian's red eyes glowed brighter. "Watch closely, Ayumi. This is how a Final Boss—"
The monster spat glowing sludge straight at his face.
Lucian blinked, momentarily stunned. "Did it just—?"
"Yes," I said. "Yes, it did."
Action + Banter
The sludge sizzled where it hit my floorboards. I shrieked. "That's going to ruin my deposit!"
Lucian, utterly ignoring me, tightened his grip on the shadows. The monster shrieked, but instead of collapsing, it snapped the chains with a burst of light and lunged—straight at me.
"AYUMI!"
I swung the broom on instinct. This time, it cracked against the thing's molten eye. The monster reeled back with a screech.
Lucian stared. "…You actually landed a hit."
"I told you it's tactical!"
He growled something under his breath—then launched forward, his clawed hand slicing through the creature like paper. With a hiss, it shattered into shards of glowing dust, vanishing into nothing.
The Aftermath
Silence. My apartment was wrecked: scorch marks, slime, broken furniture.
I dropped my broom, shaking. "That—THAT—was not in the lease agreement."
Lucian stood amidst the chaos, perfectly composed. "This was a scout."
"A scout? Like… more are coming?!"
His eyes flicked toward the window, crimson gaze sharp. "Word of my summoning has spread faster than I anticipated. The barriers between your world and mine have thinned. Creatures will come for me… and for you."
My stomach dropped. "Me? Why me? I didn't ask for this!"
Lucian's lips curved into a dark smirk. "Because, Ayumi…" His mark and mine glowed in sync, pulsing like a heartbeat. "You are the key to my existence here. And that makes you bait."
Cliffhanger
Before I could even process that horrifying revelation, the glow from the shattered monster didn't fade—it slithered toward the walls, forming strange runes that spread across my apartment like graffiti from hell.
The symbols pulsed once, twice—then a voice echoed, deep and distorted:
"Final Boss… we've found you."
The walls shook.
Lucian's smile vanished. "…This is only the beginning."
⚡ End of Chapter 3Hook: Ayumi realizes the fight isn't a one-off—her world is now officially invaded, and she's tethered to the very reason why.