The night deepened, thick and suffocating. Marcus wandered through the outskirts of the village, the black metal piece warm against his palm, a heartbeat of its own. The air reeked of decay and iron, and shadows seemed to move independently, stretching and writhing like living things.
A sudden rustle tore through the silence. Marcus froze, ears straining. From the darkness, a new figure emerged—a creature taller than any man, wrapped in sinew and black fur, its head crowned with jagged horns. Its eyes glowed crimson, piercing the darkness with malice.
Marcus instinctively reached for the metal piece. It vibrated violently, as though screaming at him to awaken something buried deep within.
The creature growled, a sound that shook the very ground beneath him. Its claws gouged the earth as it stalked forward. This was no ordinary monster. This was the kind that feasted on fear itself.
Marcus: This… this is what Duncan warned me about… the true monsters.
A primal instinct surged through him—something wild, uncontrollable, hungry. The black piece flared, and Marcus felt it channel strength into his veins, sharpening his senses, sharpening his resolve.
The creature lunged. Marcus dodged, rolling across the ground, claws raking mere inches from his face. Pain seared his shoulder, but adrenaline and the strange power coursing through him kept him upright.
Marcus's voice trembled, but it was no longer entirely his own:
Marcus: "I… I will not be devoured!"
The air thickened around them. Marcus swung a broken branch he had picked up, striking the creature. The impact resonated like a thunderclap. It snarled, recoiling, but its eyes—crimson, merciless—locked onto him with recognition.
The black piece pulsed again, sending waves of energy into Marcus's body. He felt the beast inside stirring, claws and fangs yearning to take control, yet he resisted, biting back the darkness.
Marcus charged. He ran straight at the creature, screaming—not in fear, but in fury. They collided with a violent force, flesh and metal, shadow and bone, clashing in a frenzy that would have terrified any ordinary man.
The creature lashed, but Marcus ducked, rolling, striking again. Blood splattered across his face, some his, some… not entirely his. Pain and exhilaration blended into a single, intoxicating clarity.
The monster reeled, hissing, then froze, sensing the awakening within Marcus. The black piece glowed brighter, almost alive, as if acknowledging its master.
Marcus stood over the creature, panting, body trembling, eyes burning with a feral light. The monster retreated into the shadows, leaving a trail of unease and death behind.
Marcus whispered, voice low but resolute:
Marcus: "If this is the path… if I am to walk it… I will not surrender to the darkness. I will master it."
Above, the upside-down castle loomed silently, shadows shifting as if watching. Somewhere deep within, whispers stirred—the game had begun, and Marcus had survived his first true trial.
The legend of the Lord of Monster was awakening, and the world would soon learn the price of such power.
—To be continued.