BOOOOM!!!
An explosion ripped through the abandoned building. The shockwave shook the fragile foundation, rattling broken glass and throwing bricks across the corridor.
Lioran's head snapped toward the sound, his heart pounding.
"What was that—an explosion?" he muttered, panic lacing his voice.
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the source, boots hammering against the hollow floorboards.
On the terrace, a figure staggered out of a cloud of smoke. Sharin's shoulder was scorched, his clothes torn, a dark line of blood trickling down his arm. He pressed his palm to the wound, wincing.
"Tch… I let my guard down," he growled under his breath. His eyes narrowed into the smoke. "So this is a Narvan…"
The haze parted, and from its depths emerged a nightmare.
At first glance, it looked like a distorted beast born from shadow. Its frame loomed at six feet tall, every inch covered in black, coarse fur. Two jagged horns curled from its skull, its jaw jutted unnaturally forward, and its glowing eyes glared with a malice that could curdle blood. Its claws stretched long and sharp, glinting like blades in the moonlight. A tail, whip-like and unnervingly agile, flicked behind it, restless with hunger.
Sharin's lips twisted.
"A moment ago, it was just a stray cat. Now… this." His voice trembled with disgust. "Shourya, as always, you forget to mention the important details. You forgot to say Narvans can change forms."
Ssssshhhhh—THWIP!
The Narvan's tail suddenly lashed out, extending unnaturally into the building below. Before Sharin could react, it retracted—clutching something.
A dog's severed head.
"What the—?" Sharin's eyes widened.
The creature tilted its head back and opened its grotesque maw.
CRUNCHHH!!!
Bone snapped like dry twigs. Flesh tore. The sound of grinding teeth echoed across the terrace. The Narvan chewed through the dog's skull, swallowing it in grotesque gulps.
Sweat rolled down Sharin's temple as nausea twisted his gut.
"This… this isn't just a monster," he whispered, voice unsteady. "This is something worse. Something that shouldn't exist."
When the beast finished its grisly meal, it turned to him. Its lips peeled back in a grotesque smile, blood glistening between its jagged fangs.
Sharin clenched his fists, forcing his fear down. He slid into a fighting stance, but his legs betrayed him. They shook violently, trembling like reeds in a storm.
"What the—?" he gasped, looking down at his quivering knees.
RROOOAAARRR!!!
The Narvan lunged, claws outstretched. Its shadow loomed large as it soared toward him.
Sharin's lips curled into a faint, nostalgic smile, even as death bore down on him.
"How nostalgic…" he muttered.
Meanwhile, Lioran raced down a dark corridor. His breath came sharp, his body tense.
"I have to reach Sharin before something terrible happens," he panted.
Suddenly, KRRAAASSSHHH!!! The ceiling above him exploded, showering him with debris. Chunks of concrete and shattered wood rained down.
Lioran twisted mid-run, rolling aside just as a massive slab slammed into the spot he had been. Dust engulfed him, but he burst through, coughing.
"Damn it!" he hissed. "Was that Sharin's doing?"
Determined, he darted forward, leaping up broken stairs until he burst through the terrace door.
The sight froze him.
Before him stood the Narvan, its stomach shredded open as black mist hissed from the wound. Sharin stood opposite, his arm outstretched, black vapors curling back into his palm. His face was pale but resolute.
"Sharin!" Lioran called out. "Are you okay? What happened to your shoulder?"
Sharin didn't lower his hand. "I'm fine. And I found the Narvan we came for." His gaze hardened. "So let's finish this."
Lioran's eyes narrowed. He stepped beside his friend. "Yeah. Together."
The beast howled, its cry tearing through the night. ROOOAAARRRR!!! The sound vibrated in their chests, thick with rage and bloodlust.
Both warriors drew in a deep breath.
"Prāṇa Cloak!" they roared.
At once, translucent energy wrapped around them, thin shimmering layers that pulsed with vitality. Their bodies seemed sharper, faster—shadows quivered beneath the glow.
The Narvan lunged at Sharin with terrifying speed.
SWOOSH!
Sharin rolled aside, gritting his teeth as pain seared through his injured shoulder. The creature's claws slashed through stone, carving deep gouges into the terrace floor. Sparks crackled where claw met floor.
Sharin stretched his hand towards narvan and said.
"Prāṇa Sphere!"
Dark energy gathered into his palms, condensing into a glowing orb. He shot it , the projectile shrieking as it tore through space.
FWWOOOMMM!!!
The Narvan twisted, leaping aside. The sphere detonated behind it, shattering part of the terrace wall with a thunderous blast.
The Narvan's lips curled. Mid-leap, it grinned, mocking.
Lioran snarled.
"Prāṇa Swift!"
A glowing circle flared beneath his feet. Suddenly, his body surged upward with explosive force. WHOOSH! He appeared behind the Narvan in an instant.
The creature's eyes widened.
Lioran's fist gleamed with blinding energy.
"Prāṇa Fist!!!"
BAAAMMM!!!
The impact echoed like thunder. His fist smashed into the Narvan's jaw, twisting its head violently. Blood splattered the tiles as the beast was launched downward, crashing into the terrace with bone-cracking force.
KRRRAAASSSHHH!!!
The ground split, tiles and stone scattering in a deadly wave.
The Narvan writhed, its jaw shattered, blood spilling freely. It clawed at the floor, trying to drag itself away, but its legs gave out, snapping under its own weight.
Sharin stepped forward, sweat dripping, his face pale yet determined. "It's finished," he declared.
The Narvan, trembling, lifted its gaze, fear stark in its demonic eyes.
Lioran raised his palm. A golden sphere of radiant Prāṇa began to form, humming with violent energy. The air trembled, and sparks crackled around him.
"Prāṇa Sphere!"
FWWOOOOOOSHHHHH!!!
The orb shot forward like a miniature sun. It engulfed the Narvan entirely.
KAAAAA-THHHHHOOOMMMM!!!
The explosion tore the terrace apart, light searing the night sky. The shockwave echoed across the ruins, silencing every sound for a long, heavy moment.
When the smoke cleared, nothing of the Narvan remained but charred fragments, already dissolving into ash.
Sharin let out a long exhale, his shoulders trembling. "Yeah… we did it."
Lioran stared at his hand, the glow fading from his palm. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Finally," he whispered. "I've fulfilled my promise."
Sharin pulled a small device from his pocket—a stopwatch etched with strange symbols. He pressed the button.
WHRRRRRMMM!!!
A portal spiraled open before them, light swirling into a vortex of shifting colors.
"Let's go, Lioran."
"Yeah."
Together, they stepped into the portal. With a final pulse of light, it closed behind them, leaving the ruined terrace silent once more.
Far away, in a world of endless night, a castle loomed like a wound upon the earth. Its spires pierced the sky, walls dripping with shadows. Within its throne room, the darkness was nearly absolute—save for a faint glow outlining the colossal figure seated upon the throne.
A trembling Narvan knelt before the dais, forehead pressed to the cold stone. Its voice shook as it spoke:
"M-my lord… Bibichi is dead."
The silence that followed was suffocating. The king did not move.
"And the one who killed it is—" the messenger began.
The king's voice cut through, low and thunderous.
"Vaelion."
The word lingered, heavy as doom.
"He is none other than Vaelion's heir."
The Narvan king rose slowly from his throne. His form was vast, cloaked in shadows so dense his body remained obscured. He spread his arms wide, the air itself trembling as his presence thickened.
"Then let us make things… interesting." His lips twisted into a smile, though the darkness concealed it. "Summon Kibida."
The messenger's head shot up in fear. "M-my lord?"
"Now."
The creature scrambled away, vanishing into the shadows.
Alone, the Narvan King sat back upon his throne. His claws tapped against the armrest, echoing in the dark. Slowly, his smile widened into something monstrous.
"The world would soon remember the terror of the Narvans."
TO BE CONTINUED…