Jake ran. No plan, no thoughts. Just pure terror pushing him forward with a single goal: escape. If his rational mind were awake, he probably would have noticed the unnatural swirling of pink mist, the way it coalesced and thickened around him. But all that mattered to him was getting away. The outline of the real world was less than a blur. His soundless footsteps pounded the earth as he fled. His heartbeat hammered in his ears like a war drum.
By the time he finally slowed, he was outside the town. Or at least, he thought so. The mist made it difficult to tell. His breath rattled in his chest as he tried to fight the oxygen debt that fleeing had caused him. His legs burned, muscles screaming for relief. Staggering to a halt, he scanned his surroundings. Silhouettes of trees emerged through the mist, their twisted limbs clawing through the silence.
Lost. I'm completely lost.
His body trembled as he collapsed against a blurry tree, gasping for air, lungs burning. At least things can't get worse. Closing his eyes, he forced his breath to slow, wrestling the survival instinct back into its cage. His fingers curled around the burning heat of the stone in his pocket. He tried to trigger it, to force his way back to the real world. But nothing happened… Escape was impossible for now. He had experienced this before in the ruins. When emotions ran too high, the jewel refused to obey. I'll just have to wait it out. Even if the silence and the crisp cold were uncomfortable. At least the mist seemed to offer him protection. No one could find him here. A perfect place for a thief.
That was close. I've been hunted before, but never like this. His thoughts drifted, trying to piece everything together. The college… the girls… the one who sensed him. The figure casting a spell…
A tremor ran through the ground, a low vibration. The mist felt it too. It churned, restless. Then, Jake felt pressure on his eardrums. A deep humming slashed the silence. His blood ran cold. Someone found me. A towering figure emerged from the mist. Massive, at least a head taller than Jake. The fog clung to its form like armor. Its fists were unnaturally large, two swirling orbs of condensed fog pulsing like living things.
Jake didn't need an explanation. This was a fight, and a serious one. And he knew fights. Bring it on! Instinct took over. The thief sprang to his feet. Pain screamed through his body, but he ignored it. He was barely standing when his opponents started throwing fists. The first punch came fast. He managed to block it, but the force sent him staggering back. Two more steps gave him some distance. Ouch… better not get hit…
The giant continued his assault, unrelenting. His arms were a barrage of attacks, almost too fast to follow. Jab, jab, cross, hook. Jake stayed on the defensive, dodging, keeping his arms tight to his body. Several blows hammered his guard. He winced at the noise. This was going to hurt. His feet shuffled back, losing ground. More and more punches found their mark.
SMACK—his ribs. VLAM—his temple. CRUNCH—his nose. Damage piled up, each hit slowing him down. I need to do something… He squinted, searching for a pattern in the never-ending onslaught.
Now! After his jab, the giant overcommitted on his cross, leaving an opening for Jake to strike. He rolled under the punch, pivoted on his right, and threw all he had on the counter. The mist seemed eager to accompany his movement, swirling around his arm, giving it a faint pink glow. The giant stepped back in time, avoiding the empowered attack… and vanished.
Jake stumbled, unable to keep his balance from his all-in attack. He kept his guard up, scanning his surroundings. Where did he go? The mist shifted on his right, like a warning. Pretending he didn't know where the attacker was, Jake tried to say, "Can you please be a bit more gentle? I bruise like a peach." But no sound came out. The eerie world swallowed each word.
From the corner of his eye, the mist stirred, announcing the ambush. Jake ducked, narrowly dodging a devastating hook aimed at his head. He rolled under it, feeling the wind of the blow stir his hair. Locking onto his opponent again, his mind sharpened. I'm not done. Your turn to feel pain!
The giant took a step forward, most of his face hidden in the mist, blue eyes gazed at Jake. He slowly brought his guard up. Jake noticed the mist clogging around the fists, which looked like crafted gauntlets. When the attacks resumed, Jake thought he was ready. He had caught his breath, and the pain in his body was reduced to a dull throb.
The giant went for his head, and Jake wrapped his arms around it to protect himself. Did he get faster? As the massive punch got closer, he fell wholeheartedly for the feint, bracing for impact. I can do this, was his last thought before pain exploded in his liver, as a body blow had found its mark. Jake felt like his insides had been shredded to a pulp in seconds. His arms fell to his sides. The punches came for his head, each of them connecting in a symphony of bruised flesh. When the giant stopped, Jake's body went limp like a rag doll. He tried to stay up, but it was the end. His knees buckled like a discarded puppet.
Above him, a massive fist came hurtling down toward his head. Jake saw it coming in slow motion, but he couldn't move. The gauntlet smashed into his jaw, sending pain and light exploding in his head. A wave of dizziness crashed over him. The mist flickered briefly, then faded in thin swirling pink ribbons.
Trees came into focus, real trees, from his own world. He was out of the mist. He was standing again, but his feet didn't touch the ground. What's happening? Jake's vision swam as he tried to focus on the blurred figure before him. His legs wobbled, but something kept him upright.
SMACK.
A burst of pain blinded Jake as his head lolled to the side. His head was buzzing. He said, "Wait..."
SMACK.
The backswing landed, and blood dripped from his gaping mouth. Jake wanted to puke. He felt like he couldn't take any other hit. But none came. Is it over? Did I win? He tried to laugh at his own joke, but the effort sent a jolt of agony through his chest.
His vision slowly returned, hazy at first, and then the blur of a muscular arm clenching his shirt, lifting him up. His aggressor's face remained a shifting shadow, like a double image in his vision. The ringing in his ear faded away. Jake sighed as hope was fading away. I wish I had found more compelling last words… The air felt heavier. Jake's skin prickled, the hairs on his neck standing up.
Then he heard it—a deep voice growling, rough as gravel.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE SO CARELESS WITH THE RULES!"