"THALIA—!"
But the warning came too late.
The sharp claws of the sprinting skeleton moved towards Thalia's neck.
Time broke.
Not slowed.
Broken.
Shattered into fragments too small to breathe inside.
Frauner saw everything.
The curve of its claws.
The dead glow inside its ribs.
The way Thalia's throat was exposed as she turned, unaware.
The distance between them.
Too far.
Too far.
His legs screamed as he forced more speed from muscles already burning. His lungs tore for air. His vision tunneled.
Move.
MOVE.
His sword was still inches behind the creature.
Not enough.
Never enough,
Thalia turned.
Her eyes widened.
She saw it.
She knew.
She couldn't raise the bow in time.
The skeleton's claws came down.
Then....
CLANG!
Steel screamed.
Leah's blade appeared between them in a violent blur of silver.
The claws struck her sword instead of Thalia's flesh.
The impact exploded through Leah's arms, forcing her down to one knee. The ground cracked beneath her boot as she absorbed the force.
Her teeth clenched.
Her muscles trembled.
But she held.
The skeleton shrieked.
Its claws pushed down harder, grinding against her blade, sparks screaming into the air.
Leah's eyes burned.
"GET BACK!" she shouted.
Thalia stumbled backward, falling hard into the dirt.
The skeleton shrieked.
Its claws pressed harder against Leah's blade, forcing her lower.
Her knee sank deeper into the earth.
Her arms trembled.
Her strength was reaching its limit.
The creature leaned forward, its dead weight crushing down on her, its empty sockets burning with that sick, grey hunger.
Leah gritted her teeth.
Her sword shook.
It was winning.
Behind it,
A small shadow moved.
Fast.
SSSHHKKK!
The dagger plunged straight into the glowing heart.
Then...
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Light erupted.
The skeleton exploded.
Bone fragments blasted outward in every direction.
The force threw the Henry backward as he smiled alittle
Few moments ago...
A small shadow moved.
Fast.
Silent.
Forgotten.
Henry.
His heart hammered so loudly he was sure the monster could hear it.
His fingers tightened around the dagger Leah had given him.
The polished blade caught the firelight.
For a moment;
He hesitated.
This wasn't training.
This wasn't play.
This was death.
Real.
Breathing.
Moving.
Killing.
He swallowed.
His fear screamed at him to stop.
To run.
But he saw Leah.
On her knee.
Losing.
He saw Thalia on the ground.
Helpless.
He saw Frauner still too far.
Too slow.
And something inside him ignited.
Not courage.
Not yet.
Something simpler.
Refusal.
He ran.
His boots barely made a sound.
The skeleton didn't see him.
It didn't care about him.
It only cared about Leah.
Henry jumped.
Not high.
Not graceful.
But enough.
His small body rose behind the creature.
And just as the skeleton suddenly began to turn;
Henry switched the dagger from his right hand to his left mid-air;
The blade spun with him;
....and he drove it forward with everything he had.
SSSHHKKK!
The dagger plunged straight into the glowing heart.
For a heartbeat,
Nothing happened.
Henry's eyes widened.
Then,
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Light erupted.
The skeleton exploded.
Bone fragments blasted outward in every direction.
The force threw Henry backward.
He hit the ground hard.
Rolled.
Stopped.
Silence.
Fragments rained down around him.
Clattering.
Dead.
Leah stared.
Her sword still raised.
Her breath frozen in her chest.
The weight was gone.
The monster was gone.
Her eyes snapped to Henry.
He lay on his back.
Not moving.
"Henry!"
She ran to him instantly, dropping beside him.
Frauner reached them a heartbeat later.
Henry groaned.
"…Did I…"
He winced.
"…Did I get it?"
Leah let out a breath that broke into a laugh and a sob at the same time.
"Yes," she whispered.
"You did."
Henry smiled weakly.
Pride flickered across his face.
Frauner stared at him.
Not as a child.
Not as someone to protect.
But as someone who had just stepped into battle,
And survived.
Behind them,
The mist shifted again.
And the forest was not finished.
Henry smiled weakly.
Pride flickered across his face.
Frauner stared at him,
but the moment did not last.
Because the forest screamed again.
CREEEEEEEEEEEK.
More bones.
More footsteps.
More coming.
Frauner's head snapped up.
"MORE!" he roared.
He didn't wait.
He moved.
He sprinted past Leah and Henry, straight into the mist.
A skeleton burst from the fog ahead of him, ribs glowing, claws reaching;
Frauner's sword came up from low to high in a brutal rising arc.
SSSHHHLAAANG!
The blade tore through its ribcage.
The creature twisted;
Too late.
The tip of his sword pierced the glowing heart.
BOOOOOOM!
The skeleton exploded.
Frauner didn't stop.
He moved through the explosion.
Through the flying bones.
His body turned with the motion.
Another skeleton lunged from his right;
Frauner reversed his grip and slashed horizontally.
SSSSSLING!
The blade cut clean through its ribs.
The glow split.
BOOOOM!
It shattered mid-step.
Behind him;
Mauris stepped forward.
Calm.
Precise.
Deadly.
A skeleton sprinted toward him.
Mauris rotated his spear once;
Then thrust forward.
THHHRRRKK!
The spearhead punched through bone;
Straight into the glowing core.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion pushed against him;
But Mauris held firm.
He ripped the spear free;
Spun;
And slashed with the opposite end like a staff.
CRACK!
The impact knocked another skeleton off balance.
Before it could recover;
Mauris stepped in;
And drove the spear forward again.
BOOOM!
Bone fragments scattered across the ground.
Behind them;
Thalia forced herself up.
Her body still shaking.
Her ears ringing.
But her eyes were clear.
Focused.
Alive.
She grabbed her bow.
Loaded.
Drew.
Released.
TWEEEEEK!
The arrow pierced a glowing chest.
BOOM!
She loaded another.
Fired.
TWEEEEEK!
Another skeleton fell.
She walked forward with each shot.
Closer.
Closer.
Toward Henry.
Protecting him.
Guarding him.
Killing anything that came near.
"GET UP!"
Leah shouted.
Her voice cut through all of them.
Commanding.
Sharp.
Alive.
"FORM CIRCLE!"
Frauner heard her.
He obeyed instantly.
He cut down one more skeleton;
Then retreated.
Mauris followed.
Thalia stepped back, firing one last arrow;
TWEEK!
BOOM.
Then she turned;
And ran to them.
They gathered.
Frauner took front.
Mauris to the right.
Thalia to the left.
Leah behind.
Henry in the center.
Breathing.
Alive.
Together.
Their backs touched.
Their weapons raised.
Their hearts thundered.
Around them,
The mist moved.
Shapes gathered.
Dozens.
Maybe more.
Leah's voice came again.
Quiet.
But unbreakable.
"Together."
Frauner tightened his grip.
Mauris lowered his stance.
Thalia drew another arrow.
Henry held his dagger with both hands.
The forest closed in.
And the five of them stood as one.