The ruined fort shuddered as the growl deepened, echoing through the cracked walls. Dust fell from the ceiling. The fire sputtered violently, shadows stretching tall and wild against the stone.
Dax cursed under his breath. "Tell me that's not what I think it is."
Ruin tightened his grip on his sword. "Pray it is. At least then we'll die fighting instead of starving."
Kael's voice was calm, disturbingly calm. "No. This isn't prey. This is something that hunts even hunters.
The air shifted. It was heavy—so heavy that every breath felt like dragging stone into the lungs. Selene clutched Ragnar's cloak tighter, her chains glowing faintly as if warning her of the danger ahead.
The ground split with a thunderous crack. From the shattered archway, a beast crawled into the light of the fire.
Its body was long, covered in armored scales darker than night. Six legs scraped against the floor, each ending in claws sharp enough to dig trenches into stone. Its head was a twisted mockery of a wolf, but its mouth split too wide, filled with teeth glowing faint blue.
And its eyes—its eyes burned with a hunger that recognized them not as enemies… but as prey.
Dax staggered back. "What the hell is that thing?!"
Ruin's blade hummed as he poured his Law into it. "Doesn't matter. Keep talking and it'll eat your face first."
Ragnar didn't move. His crimson-black gaze locked onto the creature, shadow flickering violently at his feet. He could feel it—the Law that lived inside this monster. Powerful. Twisted. Ancient.
The shadow whispered, a thousand voices layered into one. Devour it. Tear it apart. Take its strength. Make it yours.
The beast let out a deafening roar, shaking the walls. The fire nearly went out, leaving only faint, flickering light.
Kael stepped forward, eyes sharp, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Ragnar. You lead. We follow."
Ragnar's jaw clenched. For a moment, he looked at them—Dax shaking but standing ready, Ruin smirking like madness itself, Kael steady as stone, and Selene clutching her chains but refusing to hide.
He raised his hand, shadows coiling around his arm like serpents.
"Stay alive," he said coldly. "And don't get in my way."
The beast lunged.
Its massive body blurred as if the shadows carried it. In an instant, it was in front of Ragnar, claws slashing down with enough force to split the earth.
Ragnar's shadow surged upward, forming a jagged wall. The impact shook the fort, cracks ripping through the stone.
Dax darted in, twin daggers flashing, striking the beast's flank. Sparks flew—his blades barely scratched its scales. "Oh, that's just fantastic—its hide's harder than a damn fortress!"
Ruin swung his Law-infused blade at the creature's leg. This time, it cut deeper, blood hissing as it hit the ground. The beast howled, spinning to slam its tail into him. Ruin blocked, but the impact threw him across the chamber, slamming him into the wall.
Kael didn't move immediately. He studied the monster's movements with sharp, calculating eyes. Then he finally struck—a single precise slash that barely missed the beast's throat. His voice was cold. "The joints. That's where it bleeds easiest."
Selene raised her chained hand, threads of silver light weaving out like fragile strings. They wrapped around the beast's claw mid-swing, slowing it just enough for Ragnar to dive in.
Ragnar's fist, wrapped in shadow, crashed into the beast's chest. The impact sent shockwaves through the ruins, the fire blowing out completely. Darkness swallowed the room.
But in the dark, Ragnar's eyes burned like coals.
The beast shrieked, snapping its jaws toward Selene. She stumbled back, her chains sparking with strain as she tried to hold it off.
Ragnar moved before he thought. His shadow lashed out, wrapping around the beast's neck, yanking it back.
For a brief second, their gazes met—Selene's silver eyes wide, Ragnar's crimson ones unyielding.
"Move!" he barked.
She obeyed, rolling to the side as the beast slammed into the spot where she stood. Stone shattered.
Dax appeared on the creature's back, stabbing down over and over, each strike barely piercing. "Any time you feel like killing it, Ragnar, that'd be great!"
Ruin roared, charging back into the fight with reckless fury. His blade carved through one of the beast's legs, ichor spraying the floor. "Ha! Not so untouchable now!"
The beast shrieked, its tail whipping toward him again. But this time, Ragnar's shadow caught it, binding it like chains.
The whispers in his mind grew louder. Devour it. Devour it now.
He could feel the power pulsing inside the beast, like a storm begging to be stolen. His hands trembled as the hunger clawed at him.
But then—Selene's voice cut through the roar of battle.
"Ragnar! Don't lose yourself!"
Her words struck deeper than claws. For the first time, Ragnar's shadow hesitated.
The beast roared, breaking free from his grip. Its massive body reared back, blue flames flickering between its fangs.
Kael's eyes widened. "It's going to burn the entire ruin—!"
Ragnar moved. Faster than he thought possible. He leapt forward, shadow exploding from his body, wrapping around the beast's open jaws.
The flames detonated inside its throat.
The explosion tore through its body, scales cracking, blood boiling. With one final, monstrous scream, the beast collapsed, shaking the ground beneath them.
The chamber went still.
Smoke filled the air. The group stood in silence, chests heaving, eyes locked on Ragnar.
He stood in the wreckage, covered in blood and shadows, his breath harsh. The beast's corpse twitched once, then lay still.
Ragnar's shadow pulsed violently, devouring the last flickers of the monster's Law. His body shuddered with the force of it. For a terrifying moment, it looked like he would be consumed too.
But then… he straightened. His crimson-black eyes glowed brighter than ever.
"I told you," Ragnar said, his voice like iron. "Monsters draw monsters. And I kill them before they kill me."
The others didn't cheer. They just stared at him—some with awe, some with fear.
Selene's silver eyes softened, but her lips trembled. She whispered, almost too quietly to hear:
"How long until you're the monster we'll have to kill?"
Ragnar didn't answer. He turned away, his shadow swallowing the last traces of the beast's light.
And in the silence that followed, a distant horn echoed in the night.
Not a beast this time.
Hunters.
They were already coming.