The night pressed heavy upon the world, swallowing light and warmth alike. A lonely forest sprawled in every direction, its trees tall and crooked like blackened spears clawing at the sky. Their branches rattled with the hiss of wind, whispering secrets no man should hear. In the heart of this wilderness stood a building—abandoned, and cracked like a corpse's skull. Its walls bore the stains of centuries, moss creeping through every fissure, while broken windows glared like hollow eyes.
The silence was thick.
Crrrch…
Leaves shifted as a stray dog wandered hesitantly into view. Its ribs jutted through its skin, and its eyes flickered nervously toward the ruin. It sniffed the ground, whined low, and padded toward the building.
The dog's claws scraped stone as it crossed the threshold.
From behind, another presence stirred.
Two glinting eyes shone in the dark. A black cat slithered from the shadows, its fur sleek and rippling like liquid night. The moment the dog sensed it, it froze, ears sharp.
"Grrrhh… bark! Bark!"
That dog growled and snapped, but its legs betrayed its fear, trembling as the cat only stared—unblinking, unyielding. Those eyes glowed like two drops of poisoned flame.
The dog whimpered, retreating a step.
Then—
"Meooowww…"
The cat's cry cut through the silence, warped and twisted, not the voice of a mere beast but something darker. With a sudden leap, it launched itself forward, claws slashing.
Thud! Scrrrch!
The silence that followed was deeper than death.
Minutes later, light cracked reality open.
A swirling portal spiraled into existence before the ruined building, shimmering with hues of blue and gold. Out stepped Lioran and Sharin, their boots crunching upon damp soil. The air rippled once, then the portal snapped shut behind them.
Fwsshh!
The forest fell silent again.
Lioran stretched his arms and frowned. "So… how do we get back? That portal's gone."
Sharin, already fumbling in his pocket, held up a strange silver stopwatch with a crystal embedded in its surface. "Don't worry. If I press this button, the others will sense the signal and reopen the gate."
"Good." Lioran's eyes sharpened as he turned toward the ruin. "Then let's finish this and head back."
But Sharin's gaze lingered on the abandoned building. A cold shiver ran down his back.
"Do we… really have to go inside that haunted place?" Sharin muttered.
Lioran smirked. "What, you scared?"
Sharin squared his shoulders, trying to mask the tremor in his voice. "No. Of course not. Let's just… get this over with."
Together, they crossed the threshold.
The air inside was stale, heavy with mold and dust.
"Stay sharp," Lioran whispered.
Sharin nodded, clutching the hilt of his short blade though his sweaty palms betrayed his unease.
Their footsteps tapped rhythmically—
Tap… tap… tap…
Then Sharin broke the silence. "Do you remember what Shourya told us before sending us here?"
Lioran's mind drifted back instantly.
[Flashback – The Ashram]
"Today," Shourya said, "I am assigning you both a mission. There is a Narvan located about one hundred and fifty kilometers from here. You must exterminate it."
Lioran and Sharin exchanged uncertain glances.
"Are you sure?" Lioran asked. "What if it's stronger than the ones we fought earlier?"
Shourya's lips curved in faint amusement. "Oh, don't worry. Its Varg is only four hundred and fifty."
Both boys blinked.
"Uh… Varg?" Lioran muttered.
Mukhi, standing by the wall, cleared his throat. "Master… I think you forgot to explain the meaning of Varg to them."
Shourya's eyes widened. "Ah. Did I? My apologies."
"Like always," both of them thought, exasperated.
"Listen carefully," Shourya continued. "Varg is the scale we use to measure a Narvan's power level. The ones you fought earlier had levels between three thousand and four thousand. This one is far weaker. Consider it your chance to test real combat without overwhelming risk."
[Flashback End]
Sharin forced a shaky laugh. "If it's only Varg 450, this shouldn't be that bad, right?"
"Don't underestimate anything," Lioran said. "Weak enemies often hide sharp fangs.
They wandered deeper into the building, peering through half-collapsed rooms and stairwells swallowed by darkness. Hours seemed to stretch.
"It'll take all night to find it," Lioran finally said. "We should split up and cover more ground."
Sharin's eyes widened. "Split? What if—what if some ghost comes after us?"
Lioran rolled his eyes. "Seriously? There are no ghosts."
"I know, but…" Sharin's voice trailed off.
"Oh, I see. You are scared." Lioran teased him.
"I am not!"
Before Lioran could tease him further, a sharp sound echoed behind them.
Crrrchhh!
"AHHHH!" Sharin yelped, nearly jumping out of his skin.
They spun around. Out of the shadows padded a black cat, its tail swishing lazily.
"Oh. Just a cat." Lioran exhaled.
"Y-Yeah. A n-normal… black cat." Sharin's voice trembled.
"Meow." The cat slunk past, vanishing into the dark.
Lioran smirked. "Alright, we split here. Stay alert."
"O-Okay," Sharin whispered, his throat dry.
After splitting, Sharin trudged down a narrow corridor alone, each step heavier than the last. His breath fogged in the cold air.
"No, Sharin. There are no ghosts. Just focus. This is training. You're fine."
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that the walls themselves were watching.
Then something caught his eye.
The stone wall ahead was marred by long, jagged scratches. He crouched, running his fingers along them.
"Scratches? Small… but so sharp and deep." His brows furrowed. "No ordinary animal could make these."
His pulse quickened. He followed the trail, turning a corner—
And froze.
"What the hell…"
On the ground lay a severed dog's head, eyes glassy, tongue lolling from its slack jaw. Blood pooled black around it.
Sharin staggered back, stomach churning. The air seemed to thicken, pressing on his chest.
Then—
Step.
A soft sound behind him.
He spun around.
The black cat sat there looking strangely.
Except… it was changing.
"Meow…"
Its voice twisted, deeper, layered with a resonance that scraped bone.
Sharin's breath caught.
Before his eyes, the cat's body contorted. Its fur bristled, doubling, tripling in length as its frame stretched upward. Bones cracked, limbs twisted, claws unfurled like crimson daggers, dripping with fresh blood. Its jaw split unnaturally wide, teeth jagged and gleaming wet.
Crack… snap… crunch!
The corridor quaked with the sound of shifting flesh.
"What… are you…?" Sharin whispered, frozen in horror.
Its eyes glowed like twin suns drowning in tar.
"This isn't good. I need to tell Lioran." Sharin's thoughts scrambled. He turned to run—
"Meoooowww…"
It lunged.
SSSHHHKK!
Blood sprayed across the wall in a violent arc.
The ruin swallowed the sound.
TO BE CONTINUED…