"What's this feeling?" Code staggered backward, sweat pouring down his face.
A menacing aura fell upon the group as they watched the man's body slide down the tree with a sickening squelch.
THUD!!
The footsteps were drawing closer.
Ran turned to Kael, his heart pounding loud enough to shake the forest.
"This feeling..." he whispered, gulping repeatedly.
Code shifted his gaze from Ran's fear-stricken face to Tenò, Soudra, and Elara.
"Uh?" Code's eyes widened as they locked onto Elara.
She was shivering.
Code's breath hitched, but strangely, what bugged his mind wasn't the impending doom, it was two other words that shouldn't have been related.
'Four percent!'
'Shit, what the hell's wrong with me?' Code thought, trying to get his mind off the payment.
Then suddenly, Kael cut in.
"Maintain formation!" he shouted, face grim. Even though he tried to hide it, fear was still visible in his eyes.
THUD!!
"Now!" Kael exclaimed, as the group fell into formation. Sword users in front, Elara and Code in the middle, and Ran and Kael leading.
THUD!!!
A massive shockwave shook the ground.
Code chuckled nervously, forcing a smile amidst the dread.
Elara stared at the ground, trembling, while Tenò and Soudra gripped their swords weakly, hands shaking.
When it seemed like everyone would crumble in fear, Kael's voice broke through the terror.
"Everyone! Raise those damn heads of yours, we've got a job to do!"
"Uh?" Code raised a brow.
"I'm not a motivational speaker," Kael continued. "But I know one thing. If we work together, we can get out of this. Alive."
"Only those who survive will get any payment."
Then Kael's expression hardened. His voice trembled slightly, but his eyes were fierce.
"We... we can. We'll survive."
Kael's words cut through their fear, reigniting their spirits.
Code's racing heart slowed. 'Yeah,' he thought, clenching his fists.
'Yes, I can, and will survive!'
'No matter what happens,' he whispered, raising his head. 'I'll survive... and go home with a full wallet!'
He turned to his left, to Elara who stood beside him. Though her face was emotionless, a faint spark of resolve flickered in her eyes.
Tenò and Soudra took their stances, tightening their grip on their swords.
Ran's eyes narrowed, determination burning within.
"That's the spirit," Kael said, scanning their faces.
THUD!!!
The rumbling grew closer.
The trees quaked, the ground trembled.
"Ran..." Kael whispered, bracing himself.
Ran nodded, breathing heavily.
The footsteps drew nearer. Code's breath hitched as he gulped repeatedly, whispering to himself.
"I must survive! I can't die yet, I haven't enjoyed life enough. I have to get my four percent!"
THUD!!!
"It's coming," Code said, his eyes widening.
Out of the dense woods and darkness, it appeared.
A massive foot, the size of a hill, stepped out of the shadows.
Kael and Ran staggered back, but Kael quickly steadied himself, gritting his teeth.
"Now!!!" Kael's voice thundered through the forest.
Shiuuuun!!
Tenò and Soudra exploded forward, blades drawn wide.
But almost immediately...
Swoosh!!
A massive gust of wind tore through the air, followed by...
BOOOOOOM!!!
"Uh?" Code froze.
Something warm and red slid down his face.
"What?!" Ran jumped back, horror written all over his face.
Kael stood frozen.
Code's eyes twitched slowly as he turned toward the tree beside them. On its trunk, sliding down slowly...
...was Tenò.
He didn't even look human anymore. Just a mangled chunk of flesh and blood.
Code's gaze shifted toward the demon, tracing its massive outstretched hand dripping with Tenò's blood.
The creature was the definition of nightmare. A huge mass of flesh with two twisted horns and a grin that dripped malice.
"Ahhh!!!"
A scream snapped everyone's attention.
"What?" Code muttered, turning toward the sound.
Right in the demon's right hand was Soudra, crushed within its grip.
Twitch.
"No! No! It hurts!" Soudra screamed, struggling violently as the demon tightened its hold.
The group stood frozen in horror. No one moved. No one breathed.
Code felt his own lungs burning, his body refusing to obey.
"Help me! Please!" Soudra's cries echoed through the forest.
Then...
BURST!!!
Soudra's body exploded, blood splattering across the trees. His screams were silenced forever.
Code's mouth hung open. "Wh-what the hell?" he whispered.
His legs shook violently, threatening to give out.
The demon turned its gaze toward the group. Its eyes glowed with hunger, and blood-stained saliva dripped from its maw.
Code looked at Elara, and froze.
She had collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably, whispering the same words over and over.
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die..."
Tears streamed down her face.
"Hahaha..." Code chuckled weakly, staring at the monstrosity before them.
Then...
Shiuuuun!!
A sharp sound tore through the air, the sound of steel being drawn.
Code and Elara lifted their heads.
Kael stood upright, though trembling. In his hands were two curved axes that gleamed under the moonlight.
"I refuse to fear," Kael muttered through gritted teeth.
"I refuse to fall."
"I refuse to bend to fear!"
He swung his axes, cutting through several trees in one motion.
A dark blue light burst from his palms, coating the blades.
"I'll finish you!" Kael roared, locking eyes with the demon.
...
"Doom is the path to eternal life..."
—Verse 3:2, The Aethric Tenet.
...
"I'll kill you!!" Kael's voice echoed through the forest.
He twisted his body backward, axes in both hands, as he and the demon locked eyes.
"Ran..." Kael whispered, gaze fixed.
"Uh?" Ran replied, breathing raggedly.
Kael whispered something to him, barely audible to Code or Elara.
Then, suddenly...
Swoosh!!
The battle exploded into motion.
The demon shot its left arm like a cannon, aiming at Kael.
Code's eyes widened. He wanted to scream, "Get down!!"
But before the words could leave his mouth..
Shiuuuun!!
Kael swung his axe, and as it connected...
Boom!!
The demon's arm burst into rolls of meat.
"Shrieeeekkk!!" it screamed, staggering backward in pain.
"Feel the pain you made us feel, vermin!!" Kael shouted as he shot forward, leaving a ripple of distorted air behind.
The demon swung its other arm, attempting to crush him.
Kael slashed it in two and shot upward instantly.
"Woah!!" Code exclaimed.
Kael appeared mid-air, right above the demon's massive head.
"I'll make you pay!!" he yelled as he dove down at blinding speed.
Code's lips curled into a hopeful smile. We can... we can win this! he thought.
A wave of relief washed over him.
Time seemed to slow.
The group held their collective breath as they watched Kael descend toward the demon's skull.
A glimmer of hope shone in their eyes.
"We will survive!"
The air tore apart as Kael plunged downward, aiming to crush the demon's head.
"Ahhhhhh!!" Kael let out an ear-shattering cry.
But then, the tables turned.
As Kael connected, the demon tilted its head, opened its maw, and...
Plop!
Kael fell straight into its massive mouth.
Before anyone could react...
Crushhh!!!
The demon snapped its jaws shut, crushing Kael's body and silencing his screams.
Only his legs and a few drops of blood remained. The rest was devoured.
"Ahhh!" Code, Elara, and Ran froze in horror.
Munch. Munch.
They could hear it; the chewing, the crunch of bones, the squelch of flesh, the gulp of blood, and...
Kael's wails. His cries. His screams.
It was too much for Ran to take.
Too much for Code's ears. Too much to bear.
"It's over..." Code muttered. Tears didn't come. Sweat didn't pour.
Time seemed to stop.
They were trapped in a moment of doom.
"You bastard!!!"
Code raised his head. Ran was screaming, clutching what was left of Kael; his legs.
"You motherfucker! Curse you! How dare you?!" Ran shouted as blood dripped onto his body.
But the demon's grin only grew wider.
"It's pointless," Code whispered, placing a hand on Ran's shoulder.
"Get those hands off me!" Ran snapped, slapping Code's hand away.
"Don't act like you know me. You don't know anything! You're just a child who's had it easy!" he screamed, tears sliding down his cheeks.
"Kael..." Ran whispered, clutching the remains. "He was more than a friend. He was my brother."
Flashbacks struck Ran's mind.
"Ever since we were kids, Kael always protected me. He was the only one who understood me. Who understood my weakness."
He remembered Kael's final words, the ones only he heard before the end.
"Ran..." Kael had said softly.
"We can't beat it."
"Huh?" Ran had asked, eyes wide.
"But I'll distract it," Kael continued.
"In that time..." his tone had turned grim.
"...Run!"
...
"Why? Why did you have to die?!" Ran screamed.
"I should've been the one."
"Oi!" Code cut in, clutching Ran's shoulder.
Ran turned, his eyes burning with anger and grief.
"This isn't the time to cry. He's gone, but he gave us a chance to escape," Code said, glancing at the demon.
It was busy regenerating its arm.
"We can still make it," Code added.
"You bastard!" Ran yelled, slapping Code's hand away again. "Don't act like you care! You think I don't know? You only care about the profit, don't you?"
"The reason you stayed when others left, you knew you were useless, weak! But you stayed because of the profit, didn't you?"
"Tch." Code gritted his teeth. "And so what?" he yelled back.
"What did you just say?" Ran staggered back.
"Yeah! You heard me!" Code shouted. "I didn't come here to die!"
"You think I'd pay you after this?" Ran sneered.
Code's gaze darkened. "Don't fuck with me," he warned, hand moving toward his dagger.
"Heyy!!"
A scream pierced the air.
"Uh?" Code and Ran turned to Elara.
Her eyes were wide with terror. She slowly raised a trembling finger.
"Hehe..." Code forced a nervous chuckle. "What... what is it?" he stammered.
"Be-behind you..." Elara said, voice shaking.
Sweat trickled down Code's face.
He didn't want to believe it.
He looked at the ground, and saw a massive shadow looming over his own.
Ran froze. Cold air escaped his mouth.
'I have to survive... I have to get my payment... my cut...' Code's mind spun.
'Survive... survive...'
"Survive!!!" he screamed, bolting forward.
I'm not looking back! he thought, just as he was about to take another step...
Smashhhhh!!!
The wet sound made him freeze. His eyes widened.
He looked down. His arms were intact. His legs too. His head still thinking.
It wasn't him.
He turned left.
A wave of blood and gore splashed across his face.
"Ran?" Code's heart skipped.
His gaze dropped to the remains before him.
Elara raised a trembling hand to her mouth.
The sight was unbearable.
Ran's body, from the waist up, was gone.
Even Kael's remains had vanished, reduced to chunks of flesh.
"My... my money?!" Code muttered, shaking as Ran's legs fell to the ground.
His chest pounded violently, threatening to burst.
THUD!!
The demon drew closer, its figure looming.
However...
"I don't want to die! I can't die here. I still have a long life to live!" Code screamed in his head as he sprinted into the woods.
"Run!!" he shouted, dashing past Elara.
"My payment matters, my four percent cut matters, my profit matters..."
"But my life matters more!!"
He kept muttering as he ran into the darkness.
Now he knew.
Life truly mattered.
Death was real. It wasn't a joke.
***
To Be Continued...