The darkness in the narrow corridor seemed thicker than usual, swallowing all sound. Kai crouched on the broken ladder, his body tense. The smell of fresh blood from the bait below made him nauseous, but also sharpened his senses.
A faint noise. Then the sound of a dragging, scraping step on the concrete. From within the darkness, two red points of light appeared. The young Ravener stepped into view, its injured hind leg clearly limping. It sniffed frantically, but instinct made it hesitate.
Then, hunger won. It lunged.
SNAP!
The snare trap tightened around its front leg, sending it tumbling with an angry roar. At that exact moment, Kai dropped from above. He put his entire weight behind the iron knife, aiming straight for the tendon on the monster's hind leg.
But it was too fast!
As it fell, the creature thrashed. Its sharp claws swept sideways, tearing a deep gash into Kai's forearm. A piercing pain shot through him, nearly making him drop the knife. He cried out, staggering back, warm blood streaming from the wound.
The Ravener, though injured, was now enraged by pain and fury. It growled, its red eyes glaring at Kai, preparing for a final lunge. Its gaze said clearly: it would tear apart the one who had hurt it.
Kai fell forward, clutching his wound. The old fear rushed back. "I'm dead... I'm going to die here..." That thought cut deeper than the gash on his arm.
But at that moment, from the depths of his soul, a surge of power rose within him—the belief that a friend trusted he wasn't weak. This caused the Essence Celeste held to blaze with a red light, like a part of Ember's will, something Celeste had infused into his essence.
It wasn't physical strength, but the iron will of someone with nothing left to lose. Images of his parents, the promise to Celeste, and even Lom's contempt flashed through his mind. He COULD NOT die here. Not like this.
"NO!"
A roar erupted from Kai's throat, full of fury and determination. The pain seemed burned away by the fire of his will. Despite the wound, he pushed himself up with his hands. The fear in his eyes was now replaced by the cold, merciless gaze of a hunter.
The creature seemed to sense this deadly change. It hesitated for a second.
That second was all it took.
Kai, with a speed he didn't know he possessed, charged. He didn't dodge, but went straight for it. As the beast raised its claws, he ducked low, evading the attack. Then, with a decisive motion, he plunged the dull but deadly iron knife into its throat, pressing hard and twisting.
"Guh... urk..."
The Ravener let out a choked sound. Its body twitched weakly, then fell still. The red in its eyes faded, the light within them gone.
Kai stood there, panting, the knife still embedded in his prey's throat. Blood from the wound on his arm mixed with the monster's blood. He trembled, but not from fear. It was the tremor of pushing past his own limits.
He looked down at the creature's corpse, then at his own bloodied hands. He had just killed a part of the fear inside himself. The first lesson in survival had been paid for in blood. And Kai finally understood: in this world, to live, you sometimes have to become a monster more terrifying than the rest.
He had done it. He had survived. And he had won.
Without further hesitation, Kai retrieved his knife, quickly cut away the usable meat, and stuffed it into his bag. He also took the sharp fangs and the gall bladder. Then he quickly left the scene, leaving behind the corpse and the smell of blood that would soon attract other predators.
This time, Kai's footsteps were no longer hurried and panicked. They were more solid. He was no longer the prey. He had officially entered the fight for survival as a hunter. And the next enemy he would face, he knew, would not be a monster.