After the shot, Karna crossed the fissure. As soon as he passed, it closed behind him, and the last words of the divinity echoed in his mind.
Karna was in the heart of the forest; a few meters ahead, a cave opened like a black crack among the trees. Its rough walls were covered by moss and veins of crystals that reflected a faint greenish light. The place seemed alive with a silent presence — figures moved with almost mechanical exactness around the entrance, as if they had been there for years, watching every shadow and every tree. It was not just an improvised camp; everything indicated that that point had been guarded for a long time. From the interior of the cave, the echo of screams tore the air, loaded with despair, making Karna realize that those who were inside were not mere explorers.
He counted the arrows in his quiver, which could carry up to thirty, and realized that only twenty-four remained. He leaned against a tree, absorbing the weight of the situation, not knowing exactly what awaited him in there. He closed his eyes for three seconds, feeling each breath, each sound of the forest around. When he opened them, he stood up with determination. He wore the assassin outfit of the orphanage, adjusted the quiver on his back, covered himself with the cloak that had accompanied him since the departure from the county and wielded his sword.
He walked toward the cave, step by step, slow and silent. A snap of branch breaking on the ground cut the air. In response, the guards wielded swords and spears, eyes attentive to the origin of the sound. Then, as if time had slowed, the figure of Karna emerged among the shadows, advancing with lethality… and, in an instant, was before them.
Inside the cave, about twenty guards appeared in front of him, spread strategically. Their eyes evaluated each movement, each space between them. With an agile impulse, he advanced, sword cutting the air with surgical precision. One blow knocked down the first, another opened way through the second, and soon they realized that they were facing someone deadly.
But the battle was not easy. One blow scraped his shoulder, another wounded his leg, and he moaned softly with the pain. Between one attack and another, he breathed in short bursts, each wound reminding him that he was not invincible.
"How does Ereon manage to do this…?" he murmured, the voice almost lost among the clangor of the swords. "He was so fast… so deadly…"
Even so, Karna did not falter. Each movement was calculated: a spin of the sword deflected a spear; a quick dodge protected him from an attack from behind. The precision that reminded his confrontation with Ereon was there, but now tested against twenty adversaries simultaneously.
When the last guardian fell, Karna remained standing, panting, covered in blood — both of others and of his own. The sword in hand, he looked into the interior of the cave, aware that that was only the beginning, and that the real challenge still awaited him.
Before entering, he looked around and murmured:
"Ereon… you are really a monster. I tried to recreate your way of fighting of that day, but I see that it is not so easy."
Then he removed the cloak, torn by the brief fight, and walked inside the cave. Ahead, a long staircase extended, illuminated by stones embedded in the walls, casting a cold glow over the stone steps.
While he descended, the sounds that before were distant became clearer: screams of pain, cries of children. The air was impregnated with the smell of blood and of something undefined, more and more nauseating as he advanced. Even so, Karna could not retreat.
At the end of the staircase, a huge door rose in front of him. He breathed deeply before opening it. A vast and dark corridor extended before him; only the sound of some drops of water hitting the ground broke the silence. The screams that before echoed had disappeared.
He stopped for an instant, letting the eyes get used to the penumbra. When he opened them completely, he realized a grotesque figure at the end of the corridor, protecting the door. Around it, bones and lifeless bodies formed a macabre scene. The creature opened the eyes slowly, fixing them on Karna. As it rose, it revealed itself a horrendous mixture of human and beast, imposing and threatening.
The creature began to emit human sounds, disconnected words and full of despair:
"Help me… mommy… I am afraid… please…"
Then, at an absurd speed, it advanced against Karna. He dodged, walking close to the wall, but, when he steadied on the ground and looked back, the beast had disappeared. Silence returned to the corridor.
Karna murmured, with a slight ironic smile:
"I love to play hide-and-seek."
Suddenly, he felt a drop of something hot and fetid fall on his shoulder, slightly burning the skin and spreading an unbearable smell through the air. Slowly, he raised his eyes to the darkness above and, in playful tone, said:
"Well… found."
In an instant, the beast emerged from the shadows, leaping with brutal speed. Karna felt the wind of the attack pass grazing, but reacted with the same precision: he propelled himself backwards, spinning in the air, his body describing a perfect somersault while the sword cut toward the creature. The impact made the beast stagger, releasing a roar through the corridor… but, as if it were a game, it disappeared again in the dark, the eyes shining for an instant before vanishing.
Karna fell on the ground, panting, feeling the dense and heavy air of the corridor. With a mixture of frustration and amusement, he took the bow and spoke, ironically:
"Really… it seems that this corridor is getting more and more wide."
He advanced a few steps, attentive to any movement, each muscle prepared. The creature could be anywhere, but Karna knew that, despite its speed, he had the advantage of focus. Each sound, each shadow, each breath became a clue in his mortal "game". The dark corridor had transformed into a board, and he was decided to find his prey.
The environment was plunged in shadows, the air dense with the smell of blood and sweat. Karna advanced, bow in hands, eyes fixed on each movement of the creature. The beast appeared and disappeared like a living shadow, its sharp claws shining like blades capable of cutting any carelessness. Each charge was a test of reflexes, each attack a real threat.
The first arrow shot with exactness, hitting the shoulder of the beast. But, before he could retreat, it disappeared and reappeared above him, the claws cutting the air with overhuman speed. Karna rolled on the ground, dodging by millimeters, feeling the blade scrape his leg and tear the clothes.
Without hesitating, he began to shoot arrow after arrow, twenty in total, each one calculated to hit the beast or force it to retreat. It disappeared and reappeared in any direction: behind, beside, even above him. One claw scraped his arm, another cut his shoulder, another wounded his leg. The blood ran, but he did not retreat; each cut only increased his concentration and determination.
The beast roared and attacked without ceasing, vanishing and reappearing repeatedly. The corridor seemed to transform into a labyrinth of shadows, attacks and trails of blood. Karna rolled, jumped and leaned on the walls, shooting arrow after arrow, each movement accurate, each dodge vital. His body hurt, but his eyes never left the creature.
When the twentieth arrow flew, he realized a pattern: the beast always disappeared after attacks in straight line. Taking advantage of the distraction, Karna shot the last arrow with mortal rigor, hitting the creature in the chest. A guttural scream echoed through the corridor while it fell, immobile, its claws still shining in the shadows.
Karna fell on his knees, panting, covered in cuts and bruises. Each dodge, each wound, each arrow shot had been conquered with effort. He had won, alone with his bow, proving his skill, cunning and unshakable determination.
For an instant, the silence of the corridor seemed to weigh more than the fight itself. If that creature was only a guardian, what could be beyond that door?
With that thought burning in his mind, Karna rose, exhausted, and walked to the end of the corridor. On it, there were inscriptions in a language he did not know. He pushed the door, and what formed before him was a horrible scene.
In the center, a circle was engraved on the ground, and from it the blood flowed constantly, filling the grooves of the ancient runes. Above, suspended by chains, men, women and children hung like living sacrifices. Some no longer had life, inert bodies swinging slowly, while others still struggled in despair, breathing with difficulty. The terror in their eyes was indescribable.
On the ground, among the marks of blood, a name stood out, written in an ancient language: "An——guçu". The letters were fragmented, incomplete, but still carried a suffocating weight. Even without totally understanding the language, it was impossible to ignore the dark omen that that name transmitted.
At each tip of the circle, five figures of black cloaks recited a chant in an archaic language. Behind them, women and children trembled in cages, trapped like animals, unable to move. Karna approached in silence; they did not even notice his presence, completely immersed in the trance.
Without thinking twice, he shot four arrows, hitting four of the chanters and partially breaking the chant. But the last one, furious, intoned a final prayer with such force that it threw Karna against the wall. Fallen on the ground, he felt the blood run from the ears, eyes and nose, the pain throbbing in each nerve.
Determined to save the prisoners, he used all the strength that remained, took the dagger stuck in his boot and threw it toward the last chanter, shouting:
"Nagastra!"
The dagger flew with perfection and hit the man's head, knocking him down. Exhausted to the limit, Karna walked to one of the cages and freed one of the girls before fainting on the ground.
The hall plunged in silence. The blood flowed slowly through the grooves of the circle, and the suspended prisoners swung on the chains. The heavy breathing of Karna was the last thing to echo before darkness took him.
Meanwhile, in the castle of the county...Brianna was regaining consciousness. Her heavy eyes opened slowly.