William's hands trembled as he leaned against the tree , the short sword slipping from his grip for the third time that hour. Sweat stung his eyes, mixing with the dust kicked up by the massive, boar like beast with horn that had effortlessly dodged his clumsy thurst. The boar snorted, a sound like grinding stones, and charged—not at him, but past him, vanishing into the thick forest with mocking ease. Laughter, sharp and brittle, echoed from the treeline where the other hunters watched. Tomas, broad-shouldered and scarred guy, spat on the ground. "Go home, William. Tend your garden. Leave the hunting to men." William's face burned hotter than the midday sun. He'd failed. Again.
He trudged back to town Kasha as dusk bled into violet twilight, the weight of his empty game bag heavier than any quarry. His cottage, small and moss-roofed on the town's western edge, offered no solace. He ate a stale crust of bread, the taste like ash, and collapsed onto his narrow cot, exhaustion dragging him into a fitful sleep haunted by snorting boars and Tomas's scornful eyes.
He was deep in a dream of running through endless, misty hallway when the world shattered.
**CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!**
The Night Bell. Not the normal gentle chime for curfew, but the frantic one the emergency alarm. William jolted upright, heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. Outside, chaos erupted. Shouts, screams, the panicked whinny of horses. He stumbled to his window, throwing open the shutters.
Panic threatened to paralyze William. "Run", a voice hissed in his head. "Hide in the town's bunker. They'll never find you."
But then he saw Mrs. Elara's bakery across the square, her terrified face pressed against the glass, clutching her two young children. He saw Old Man Hemlock, barely able to walk, fumbling with his door latch.He saw Tomas running past his window giving him a mocking smile.
Kasha wasn't just Tomas's town; it was also"his" home,since graduating from millitary academy he was living here. And the hunters… they were already gathering.
Gritting his teeth, William moved. Not with the confident stride of Tomas, but with a desperate, clumsy urgency. He grabbed his only real weapon: the old Short sword, its tip nicked and dull. He snatched his worn leather jerkin, patched a dozen times. Useless against a horde, but better than nothing. He ran.
Outside the eastern wall , usually dark, was lit with an unnatural, pulsing crimson glow.Not fire but eyes . Hundreds of them, low to the ground, swarming like angry embers over the Searoot Hills. The ground trembled faintly, a deep, rhythmic thudding that vibrated up through the floorboards. Tier three beast Horde. The words were ice in hunters veins from a small town like kasha. Razorclaws. Stoneplates. Maybe even a Plowhorn alpha. Creatures that tore through seasoned hunter squads like parchment.
The town square was a maelstrom of organized fear. Mayor Li , face grim under a torch's flickering light, barked orders. "Barricade the east gate! Archers to the rooftops! Hunters, form the front line!" William saw Tomas, already armored in boiled leather and steel plates, rallying a group of veterans near the main gate. Their eyes swept the square, assessing, commanding. They didn't see William skulking at the edge, short sword clutched like a lifeline.
Outside the wall-
"William?" A hesitant voice. Young Karl, barely twelve, stood shivering, holding a hunting knife with white-knuckled hands. His father, a hunter, lay feverish in bed. "They… they said anyone who can hold a weapon…"
William looked at Karl's terrified face, then back at the crimson glow swelling on the horizon. The thudding was louder now, accompanied by guttural roars and the splintering crash of trees being felled. He thought of the today's boar, of his failure. But this wasn't about hunting. This was about staying alive.
"Stay behind , karl," William said, his voice rough but steady. He stepped forward, towards the forming line. Tomas spotted him, his expression hardening. "You? Go home, boy. You'll get us all killed."
"I live here too, Tomas," William shot back, forcing his spine straight. "My sword's sharp enough for killing ." He didn't mention it wasn't. He just planted his feet beside a burly tanner who'd grabbed a blacksmith's hammer. The tanner gave him a curt nod.
Mayor Li's voice cut through the din. "They're at the outer fields! Archers, loose on my mark! Hunters, hold the gate! For Kasha! For glory!"
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