The forest pulsed with life, faint and scattered, a far cry from the feast it craved.

  The predator crouched in the undergrowth, still as death, its many eyes fixed on the clearing ahead. Prey. Close. Tense.

  Its mandibles clicked softly, tasting the sharp tang of fear on the air.

  The echoes of the violence it had just witnessed lingered like a faint pulse in its mind. Inelegant. Simple.

  It shifted its focus.

  The small one. Quiet. Hidden. Different. A flicker of fire burned in that tiny frame, pulsing faintly as it moved to the broken prey.

  Deliberate. Careful. Marked. It tilted its head, studying.

  The predator’s gaze snapped to the others as they trampled through the brush. Bright. Noisy. Dangerous.

  The unconscious prey was still, the faintest spark of life lingering in her form. Damaged. Useful. It turned its full attention to the armored pair.

  They had moved far enough. The predator’s limbs coiled, the ground beneath its claws trembling as it dug in.

  The sharp taste of vengeance, the primal drive to dominate those who dared hunt it, surged through its core.

  It moved, silent as a shadow, trailing the cruel ones. Their careless footsteps crashed through the undergrowth, unaware of the death that followed.

  The predator’s instincts screamed for release—leap, tear —but it waited, stalking, savoring the moment.

  One of them, the male, laughed—a harsh sound that grated against the predator’s senses. It clicked its mandibles in annoyance, its scythes twitching with anticipation. Audacious. Stupid.

  The predator slipped closer, its form a shifting mass of shadow and chitin. It circled them, it’s stealthiness contrasting with its large form.

  It waited for the right moment, trying to decide on how to best enjoy it.

  The prey stopped, the male gesturing toward the trees with his blade. “Let’s check this area and go back” he said, his voice a sharp note in the predator’s ears.

  The female nodded, her attention briefly turning to her surroundings.

  Now.

  The predator exploded from the shadows, a blur of motion and death. Its scythes flashed in the dim light, striking the male first.

  An explosion threw it back before it could connect with the target. It clicked its mandibles in confusion. Pain. Trap. Recalculating.

  The forest echoed with the dull thrum of the shockwave as Elvara stumbled back, her ears ringing.

  The predator was thrown to the side, its chitinous form skidding across the undergrowth before it twisted and landed on its sharp legs. It hissed, its mandibles flaring wide, as it reoriented itself toward them.

  Elvara’s heart pounded in her chest, but her lips curled into a grin. “Nice one, Calland,” she said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

  She tightened her grip on the enchanted sword, the runes along its edge flickering faintly in the dim light.

  Calland adjusted the amulet around his neck, its faint glow pulsing in time with his breathing. “I told you,” he said with a smirk. “Without Viel holding us back, we can handle this thing ourselves. It’s just a beast.”

  The predator shifted, its many eyes flicking between them. It clicked its mandibles, taking a cautious step forward.

  “Looks like it’s smarter than you gave it credit for,” Elvara muttered, sidestepping to flank the creature. “It’s watching us.”

  Calland scoffed. “Let it watch. It won’t matter when it’s dead.”

  The predator lunged, its scythes a blur. Elvara darted to the side, her blade meeting the creature’s strike with a sharp clang.

  Calland activated the amulet again, the shockwave rippling outward and sending the predator reeling. It shrieked, its mandibles snapping furiously as it regrouped.

  “See?” Calland said, grinning. “We’ve got this.”

  But Elvara was growing less sure with every strike and every passing minute.

  Sure, they scored a few nice hits — but the monster was behaving erratically. It darted forward again, feinting toward Calland before spinning and slashing at her.

  She barely raised her blade in time, the force of the impact sending a jolt up her arm.

  “Damn it!” she snarled, stepping back. “What’s happening?”

  Calland laughed, though there was an edge of tension in his voice. “Just stick with me.”

  The predator lunged at Calland, its scythes aiming for his chest. He activated the amulet, but this time, the creature skidded to a stop just outside the shockwave’s range, its legs digging into the ground.

  Calland followed through, slashing at its body. Shallow cut.

  The predator jumped back, unperturbed by the trickle of blood, before surging forward back again.

  Calland immediately used the amulet again, but the beast stopped further back this time.

  It wound up for a long slash, spacing the explosion.

  It circled around, reaching the peak of its momentum just after the next shockwave expired.

  It slammed a scythe into Calland’s shoulder. His armor absorbed the blow, but he staggered, cursing loudly. This is getting bad.

  “Shit! Elvara, cover me!” he barked, clutching at the dented metal.

  Elvara darted in, her blade slicing through the air, but she had to keep her distance.

  The shockwave would hit her all the same.

  The predator twisted, its movements fluid as it evaded her strikes.

  Its scythes lashed out, nicking her arm and tearing through the leather beneath her armor.

  She gritted her teeth against the pain, her focus narrowing on the creature.

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  They traded blows, the predator’s strikes growing more precise with each clash.

  It was much slower than during the long night, but that didn’t mean slow.

  And with the monster dancing around the shockwaves, Elvara could feel the tide turning against them in full.

  Her breaths came in sharp bursts, her muscles burning with exertion. Calland, too, was faltering, his reliance on the amulet becoming more desperate.

  If only I knew enhancement spells. She cursed herself.

  Neither of them finished their academy studies beyond learning to channel through artifacts. And now there they were. Too slow, too weak and out of tricks.

  “Use it again!” Elvara shouted, her voice raw.

  “I am!” Calland snapped, activating the amulet once more.

  The predator leapt back, its retreat was measured, calculated – but instead of a strike, it circled them, no longer acting on every single opening.

  Its many eyes gleaming with something almost like amusement.

  Elvara’s stomach twisted as she realized the truth: they weren’t locked in a deadly battle anymore.

  They were being toyed with.

  The predator struck again, a blur of motion that forced her and Calland to split apart. It focused on her this time, its scythes slicing through the air with terrifying speed.

  She parried one strike, then another, but her movements were slowing. And the beast was relentless.

  “Elvara!” Calland’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding. She turned her head for a split second—just long enough to see him step back, his expression calculating.

  The realization hit her like a physical blow. He wasn’t coming to her aid. He was waiting—waiting for an opening.

  Her blade met the predator’s scythe once more, but the force of the impact knocked her off balance. She stumbled and slipped on some upturned grass, her back hitting a tree.

  The predator loomed over her, its mandibles clicking as it raised a scythe for the killing blow.

  “Calland!” she screamed, her voice a mix of fury and desperation.

  But he didn’t move. Instead, his eyes gleamed with cold intent as he raised his blade. “Hold it there,” he muttered, his tone devoid of sympathy.

  Elvara’s breath hitched as she realized what he meant to do. She barely had time to react before the predator lunged.

  The forest was eerily quiet, save for the faint rustling of leaves and the occasional groan from the girl beside him.

  David knelt in the undergrowth, his hands trembling as he adjusted the makeshift splint around her fractured leg. Her breathing was shallow but steady, and he whispered reassurances she likely couldn’t hear.

  The applied tincture should have started healing her broken bone, but the process wasn’t fast by any means. It was also painful and quite exhausting – he knew that firsthand. He’d used it liberally if his experiments failed.

  Then the sound came. A deep, resounding thud that rippled through the air, followed by another and another. It was distant but unmistakable. Shockwaves.

  Shit. The girl was still unconscious, and mana or not, he wouldn’t be able to drag her away if monsters suddenly jumped out of the bushes.

  David froze, his pulse quickening. Flashes of what could be happening out there went through his mind. Should he turn tail and run? But he’d leave Sophie behind… He decided to check it out at the source.

  “I’ll be back,” he muttered to the unconscious girl, his voice tight. He hesitated, checking her breathing one last time. Stable enough.

  He pushed himself to his feet, brushing dirt from his hands as he moved toward the source of the noise.

  It wasn’t far, but it was still… deeper.

  The clearing came into view, and David slowed, crouching low behind a thicket.

  The scene before him made his breath catch as he cursed his idiocy.

  Curiosity killed the cat. Of course it would be there.

  Elvara lay on the ground, her regal armor dented and smeared with blood. Her body dragged a weak trail through the dirt as she clawed away, gasping with effort.

  Her helmet was gone, revealing a face contorted in pain and desperation.

  Just beyond her, Calland staggered, his left arm hanging useless at his side, a gaping wound oozing blood.

  His sword was still in his hand, but his swings were weak and wild, desperation stripping him of any finesse.

  The predator circled him, its movements almost playful. It leapt, darted back, and hopped to the side, its scythes flashing, passing him by centimeters but never connecting.

  It was toying with him, David realized. Mocking him. Showing him the difference in their capabilities.

  Calland stumbled and slashed at empty air, his voice hoarse as he screamed, “Fight me! You wretched thing, fight me properly!” He grasped his amulet, releasing a powerful shockwave around him, but achieving nothing.

  The predator stopped, its head tilting. Then, impossibly, it laughed.

  The sound sent a shiver down David’s spine. It wasn’t a natural sound—it was an imitation, scratchy and guttural, but unmistakably mimicking Calland’s earlier laughter.

  The mockery was deliberate, its intent chillingly clear. Serves him right.

  The predator’s gaze shifted, locking onto David, as if smelling his disdain for Calland.

  His breath hitched, and he instinctively pressed himself lower into the bushes.

  But it had seen him. There was no mistaking it.

  It paused, as if trying to choose the best way to amuse itself. It clicked its mandibles and resumed mocking.

  The predator leapt, but at least few of its eyes never left David.

  It landed on Elvara’s back with a sickening crunch.

  Her body jerked once before going still, her desperate crawl ending in an instant. Good.

  The beast turned its head toward David again, its mandibles clicking in rhythm with the rasping mockery of laughter.

  It was playing, taunting.

  It didn’t move toward him, though. Instead, it sprang back to Calland, striking with blinding speed.

  One scythe stabbed clean through his shoulder, pinning him to the ground. Calland screamed, his sword falling from his grasp as he writhed in agony.

  Deserved in full.

  After every move it made, it turned more of its attention to David, amused.

  He was sure of it now; it was watching his reactions. And it liked what it saw.

  David’s heart pounded in his chest as the predator withdrew its scythe and took a step back. It turned its head to the side, staring at him once more.

  Was it inviting him? Daring him to fight back? Like he ever had a chance.

  The creature tilted its head again, the grotesque parody of laughter growing louder before it turned and disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

  The clearing fell silent, save for Calland’s ragged breathing and the faint rustle of disturbed leaves.

  David stayed frozen, his body trembling as he stared at the broken scene before him.

  His mind screamed at him to run, to flee back to safety, but there was no point.

  It was just like with the giant fox.

  If the creature wanted him dead, he would never make it back.

  But it didn’t kill him. Neither of them did.

  The predator even left Calland alive. Deliberately?

  David’s legs felt like lead as he stared at where the monster was just seconds ago.

  The clearing seemed to stretch and twist in his mind, every shadow a reminder of the beast’s presence. He swallowed hard, his breath coming in shallow bursts.

  What could he do against a creature that toyed with two knights like they were insects?

  But then his gaze fell on Calland, the man who violated Sophie and whose actions resulted in Aura’s torment.

  That same man was now reduced to a broken, wheezing shell. Anger surged, sharp and hot, cutting through his fear. David was sure of one thing—if the predator lacked any trait, it was mercy.

  Leaving Calland alive must have been calculated.

  Maybe he’s too wounded to survive?

  Or maybe it knew David would finish the job.

  He was sick of looking helplessly as people abused their strength, sick of the endless cycle of cruelty and survival.

  And what did it matter if they were all dead anyway?

  This was something he could do—something he would do to make himself feel better before the end came with a flash of a scythe.

  His whole body shook.

  He took an uncertain step forward, then another, until the underbrush gave way to the clearing.

  In the shadows, a dark mind surely watched, with that alien satisfaction and bottomless insectile eyes.

  A story he had read wriggled its way into David’s mind.

  ‘Mindless monsters’ Good one.

  People assumed that beasts couldn’t comprehend emotions or see the complexities of the human heart.

  They were wrong.

  Between the fox and the predator, clearly, some of them enjoyed toying with both minds and bodies, savoring the chaos left in their wake.