The camp fell silent for a moment, the air heavy with the scent of blood and the faint crackle of the dying fire. Then, a guttural scream shattered the stillness.
"Elias!" Roland's voice tore through the night, raw and desperate. He lunged toward Elias's lifeless body, but Garrett grabbed him by the collar of his armor, yanking him down just as another ball of purple light streaked past, narrowly missing them. The attack slammed into a tree behind them, reducing it to splinters in an instant.
Attack after attack flew their way, the air filled with the high-pitched *whir* of the deadly projectiles. But something was off. The balls of light didn't move in straight lines—they zigzagged erratically, as if alive, their trajectories unpredictable. One veered sharply at the last moment, skimming past Klein's shoulder before dissipating harmlessly into the air. Another stopped mid-air, hovering for a heartbeat, then shot off in a completely different direction, as if it were watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The group exchanged uneasy glances. These weren't just attacks; they were tests, probes, as if the creature was gauging their reactions. A slow, high-pitched laugh echoed from somewhere impossibly close, but when they turned, there was nothing there—just the empty darkness of the forest.
"I'm over here," a voice whispered, so faint it seemed to be carrying on the wind.
Klein's grip tightened on his sword. He had fought night creatures before, but never like this. Most were nothing more than mindless beasts, thralls bound to the will of their masters—dangerous, yes, but predictable. They followed orders, acting on instinct or compulsion rather than strategy. But this thing was different. It was thinking. It wasn't attacking out of rage or hunger; it was watching, studying, testing them. Every flicker of movement, every whisper in the dark, felt deliberate, a calculated effort to unnerve them. This wasn't just a predator hunting prey—it was something far worse.
Before the next volley could strike, Lina's hand rose, her expression as calm as ever. The river she had bathed in earlier erupted upward like a geyser, the water freezing mid-air into a solid wall of ice nearly twenty feet tall. The barrier blocked the next volley of attacks, the purple lights slamming into the ice with a series of dull *thuds*.
From the other side of the wall came another laugh—sickening and unnatural. It echoed through the camp, sending shivers down Klein's spine. Then came the sound of something scraping against the ice, moving slowly downward. Two glowing purple eyes appeared at the top of the wall, shifting between the members of the group like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Lina, what do we do?" Klein asked, his voice low but urgent. He kept his eyes on the wall, his grip tightening on Elias's sword. That thing wasn't just trying to kill them—it was toying with them, savoring their fear.
"Form up," Lina said, her tone clipped and commanding. "Klein, Roland—front. We cover you."
The group hesitated, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Roland and Garrett were still crouched beside Elias's body, their faces pale with shock and grief. Moments passed in tense silence before Roland finally rose to his feet, his jaw clenched. The *shink* of a sword being drawn filled the air, but it wasn't his.
"Here," Roland said, his voice breaking as he offered Klein Elias's sword. His hands trembled, but his eyes burned with determination. "Take it."
Klein hesitated for a moment before nodding, accepting the weapon. "Thank you," he said quietly. Roland drew his own sword, the two of them stepping forward to face the ice wall, their grips tightening on the hilts of their blades.
"Range attackers in the back," Lina continued, her voice calm but firm. She stepped back, her movements silent and precise, as Selene and Garrett fell into position behind her. Selene's hands gripped her wand tightly, but her fingers shook, and her breath came in shallow gasps. She started to chant a spell, her voice faltering as she stumbled over the words. "I-I can't—" she whispered, her face pale.
Lina glanced at her, her expression unreadable. "Focus," she said simply. "You wanted night creatures. Now you have them."
Garrett filed in on Lina's other side, his bow drawn and ready. "What's the plan?" he asked, his voice steady despite the tension.
"Klein and Roland hold the front. Astrid—" Lina paused, her brow furrowing slightly as her gaze swept the camp. There was no sign of Astrid.
Garrett joined Lina in looking around, his expression growing more concerned by the second. But Selene's face was turning redder and redder, her frustration boiling over. "Astrid!" she yelled, her voice sharp and piercing.
"WHA—?" A muffled shout came from the back of the carriage, followed by the sound of boxes tumbling to the ground. Astrid shot up, her body tangled in the cloak she had been wearing. She flailed for a moment, trying to free herself, before finally managing to pull the fabric away from her face.
"Huh?" She blinked, disoriented, as she looked around the camp, still half asleep. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice groggy. She tried to take a step forward, but her foot caught on the edge of the carriage.
*THUD!*
Astrid tumbled to the ground, landing face-first in the dirt. She let out a groan as she rolled onto her back, the cloak falling away to reveal her face. Her eyes scanned the camp, finally landing on Lina and Selene. "Yes?" she asked, her tone far too casual for the situation.
Selene's face turned an even darker shade of red, but before she could explode, Lina spoke up. "Middle position. You're our main attacker."
At those words, a sharp smile spread across Astrid's face, her pointed teeth gleaming in the firelight. In an instant, she rose to her feet, her movements fluid and almost unnaturally graceful—so effortless that it clashed with the laid-back, brash attitude she carried herself with.
Tossing her cloak aside, Klein got his first proper look at her. Astrid's armor was minimalist, crafted for speed and precision rather than brute force. Dark leather hugged her frame, reinforced with small metal plates at her shoulders, forearms, and shins—just enough protection to deflect glancing blows without slowing her down. The material was worn but well-maintained, every strap and buckle secured in a way that spoke of experience rather than vanity.
Her body was built for movement—lean and honed, every muscle defined not by bulk but by efficiency. There was no excess weight, no wasted strength. Her form was sculpted for agility, with toned limbs and a tight core that allowed for explosive speed and rapid strikes.
Twin curved daggers, each a foot long, rested in sheaths at her lower back, their hilts angled perfectly for a quick draw. The blades were wickedly curved, made for swift, deadly strikes rather than drawn-out fights. With each step she took, the weapons shifted ever so slightly, a subtle reminder of their lethal purpose.
Her stance was relaxed, almost lazy, but Klein could see the readiness in her eyes as she took her position in the middle of the group—sharp, predatory, and utterly focused. Astrid wasn't just a fighter. She was a hunter.
"Everyone ready?" Lina asked, raising her hand. After glancing around the group and receiving a quick nod from everyone, she spoke again. "I'm dropping the ice wall."
The wall melted in an instant, the water cascading back into the river below. Everyone's gaze snapped to the two glowing purple orbs that had been watching them from above. For a moment, they hung in the air, unmoving.
Then Klein's stomach twisted. They weren't eyes.
What he had assumed were pupils staring through the dark had no shape, no lids, no depth—just shifting spheres of light, pulsing with an unnatural glow. Then, without warning, they shot toward the group.
Klein and Roland stepped forward, their blades raised. The first ball of light flew toward Klein, its trajectory erratic. Shifting his weight, he parried the attack, the force of the impact reverberating through his arms as the ball glanced off his blade and shot into the woods, obliterating a tree on impact.
The second ball weaved through the air like it had a mind of its own, darting around the two men as it shot toward Astrid. She raised her daggers, crossing them in front of herself to parry the attack, but the ball dissipated into nothingness just before reaching her.
"He! He! He!"
Three high-pitched laughs echoed from three different directions, each one more unnerving than the last.
"Close in!" Lina ordered. Roland and Klein stepped back carefully, forming a tight circle with the rest of the group. The mages and Garrett took positions at the center, while Klein, Roland, and Astrid each faced outward, their weapons ready.
Selene's voice trembled as she whispered, "Is there more than one?"
Garrett's jaw tightened as he muttered, "I don't know, they seem to be everywhere."
Lina exhaled slowly. "Stay sharp," she said, her voice low but firm.
"Everyone, keep your eyes open," Klein said, his voice steady. Outside of Lina, he likely had the most experience fighting night creatures, but even he felt a wave of unease as the forest around them began to light up.
"W-what the hell…" Klein muttered, his voice trailing off as dozens—no, hundreds—of purple lights appeared in every direction, surrounding the group completely. The air filled with that same sickening laugh, echoing from all sides.
"He! He! He!"
The lights pulsed in unison, their eerie glow casting long shadows across the camp. The group stood back-to-back, their breaths shallow, their hearts pounding. The hunt had begun—and they were the prey.