The night was alive with fear.
Levi's breath came heavy, each gasp a sharp cut of cold air. Around him, the forest was no longer peaceful. The shadows writhed with red-eyed demons, small but vicious, swarming like angry fire.
Levi gripped his wooden staff, knuckles white, muscles trembling. His heart thundered so loud he could barely hear the growls around him.
"Stay close! Don't let them surround us!" Mira's voice was urgent, but Levi felt panic tightening like a noose.
Suddenly, claws tore through the air.
A demon leapt at Levi, its razor-sharp claws slashing across his arm. Pain exploded — burning and sharp. He staggered back, nearly losing his footing.
"Levi, watch out!" Gami called out, his rival's voice cold but fierce. Gami moved with terrifying grace, cutting down demons like they were nothing. Levi's chest ached with jealousy and fear. How could he ever keep up?
Demons pressed in from all sides, snarling and snapping.
Levi swung wildly, blocking one attack but failing another. A sharp claw grazed his cheek, burning cold as blood dripped down.
His breath came faster, muscles screaming for rest.
Levi stumbled backward, clutching his bleeding side. The forest was chaos—shouts and screams echoed through the trees, but his teammates were nowhere near him. They fought demons on another side of the clearing, separated by shadows and distance.
His vision blurred. Pain burned deep inside him, hotter than anything he'd ever known. Each breath was a razor slicing through his lungs.
He collapsed to his knees, gasping. The demons closed in fast, snarling, hungry for the kill.
Darkness clawed at the edges of his mind.
Then, from the depths of his fading consciousness, came a voice—soft, cold, and terrible.
"You will die here alone... or give me your soul, and I will make you strong."
Levi's heart slammed wildly. The voice wasn't just a sound; it was a claw sinking deep into his mind, twisting his thoughts.
He wanted to scream. Wanted to fight. But the pain was crushing, his body failing.
The voice came again, stronger, more urgent.
Desperation swallowed him whole.
Without thinking, without understanding, Levi nodded.
The earth beneath him cracked open with a violent roar.
From the jagged fissure burst a thick, purple-black mist, alive and hungry.
It curled around him like a serpent, cold and sharp, burning through his skin and sinking into his veins.
Pain exploded through his body, tearing him apart and remaking him all at once.
Levi's scream pierced the night—raw and broken.
When the mist finally withdrew, the demons were gone.
Levi lay panting, trembling, changed.
The fight was far from over
Minutes later
Levi's breath was shaky, but he forced himself up. His body screamed in protest—burning muscles, aching wounds—but he couldn't stay down. Not now.
The purple-black power pulsed faintly beneath his skin, strange and unfamiliar, but it gave him a thread of strength.
Through the trees, he heard the clash of battle—Mira's fierce shouts, the crack of magic, and the guttural growls of demons.
With gritted teeth, Levi stumbled forward, every step a fight against his own body.
A demon lunged from the shadows, but Levi swung his staff with new speed and power, sending it crashing into a tree.
He felt eyes on him—Gami's. The rival's scowl softened into surprise.
"You're back," Gami muttered, stepping forward.
Levi didn't answer. There was no time.
The remaining demons charged.
Together, Levi and his teammates fought—flashes of magic, roaring shouts, and crashing blows filling the night.
Levi still didn't understand the strange power inside him, but as he stood with his friends, fighting side by side
After alot of fights and lights sparking and also screaming
The fight was over.
Levi's body throbbed with pain, but relief washed over him. They had survived.
Around him, the forest was silent, the demons driven back — at least for now.
His teammates gathered, breaths heavy, wounds fresh, but hearts still burning with determination.
They didn't speak much on the walk back, each lost in thought.
At the edge of the village, the Guild Hall stood tall — a symbol of hope and a new beginning.
This fight had been more than just survival. It was the first test, the real filter.
Only those who lived through it could join the guild.
Levi's hand brushed against the small token in his pocket — a reminder of the dark power now inside him.
He wasn't sure what it meant yet.
But one thing was clear: the real challenge was just beginning.
Tomorrow, the guild exam would start.
And this time, the fight was different.
And Levi knew, with a certainty that chilled him, that whatever had claimed him tonight… wasn't done.
"We will speak again," the voice whispered.
Levi froze.
It was still there.
Watching.
Waiting.