The moment I hear the message. I turn, but it’s already too late. A shadowed figure hurls itself out of the darkness, slamming into me and dragging me into the pond. Water swallows me whole, crushingly cold, and claws rake across my skin. I feel them digging deep, tearing through flesh.

  A burning agony spreads through my chest, and the need to breathe claws at my throat as I'm pulled deeper.

  However, as much as my body demands it, I don’t give in. Instead, I rely on my spirit and drop the dagger and throw a punch, smashing the creature back and splitting us. My hand finds the dagger again, its edge buzzing with the eager power I fed it. My ugly wounds bleed, and blood seeps into the water, spiraling around me, but I hold firm.

  The creature attacks with its claws. The first slash tears across my ribs. Much as it hurts, it grants me the rare chance to get closer to the creature and prepare to make my first strike. The Trusted Dagger sings. However, before my weapon plunges into it, my friend surprises me with a new power. All I feel is a blast of energy before my body rockets out of the water, cracking against the ceiling before plummeting back into the pond. Pain explodes through me, tearing the strength from my limbs.

  That's not enough to kill me, though. He would have to try much harder than that if he wants me dead.

  I grit my teeth and swallow the pain of swimming with broken bones. I break the surface and drag myself to the edge. My body shakes, every breath shallow and ragged. And behind me, the creature rises from the pond, dripping black water, its claws twitching with the lingering scent of death emanating from it.

  It's making me regret my decision to come here. Fuck. Did I really think I had a chance at beating this thing because of a little Ether in my system?

  ‘How do I kill something like that?’ My eyes stay fixed on the creature. There are not many ways to kill this creature as a Dormant human or Dragon. I need to be smart when fighting, and also be mindful of its telekinetic ability.

  I know it is powerful enough to carry me. Then again, I am small and light. So, to test its strength, I gather my superhuman strength and hurl the dagger in its direction. It spins, a flash of steel, and buries itself deep into the thing’s chest. The sound is wet, jagged. It is also not stopped, let alone blocked by something invisible.

  'It either sees no need to block my weapon or it can't generate telekinetic barriers.' I quickly note down the observations a I hold my breath and clench my fist while the Ether feeds my veins with raw power.

  At the same time, the stones around me tremble and start to rise slowly. The air thickens with pressure, and the chamber groans. The creature growls, summoning the pond upward; water twists unnaturally, floating and writhing. I have seen telekinesis before. This creature has it, but it's not as strong as the one I've seen back in Bloodhaul.

  That's probably why I am not so scared. This ability is a watered-down version of what I'm used to. It's a weak ability, and I think I can bypass it.

  "Ah!" After the energy in my hand is ready, I slam my fist into the ground. The earth convulses, the floor cracks, and the walls tremble at the wake of my strength. The creature falters, its control shattering for an instant. I act quickly and lunge forward, throwing my foot in a roundhouse. My boot smashes into its face with a sharp crack. Tentacles whip from its body, reaching for me, but I ignite ether in a violent burst and leap back seconds before one of the tentacles reaches for me.

  I land on my feet perfectly. My lungs are burning as my body reels from the surge of power coursing through me. The dagger obeys my call, returning to my hand, and I don’t hesitate. Instinct drives me as I rush and slash from the side, blade aimed to sink deep into its ribs.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Ting!

  The strike clangs against a scale. Then, an invisible force erupts outward, hurling me back like a rag doll. The ground skids beneath my feet, and a tentacle lashes out, twisting and growing with unnatural speed. I swing hard, severing it clean before it can coil around me. Black ichor sprays, sizzling against the stone.

  I land near the edge of the pond. My chest heaves. Every breath feels stolen. Ether flickers violently from my body, wild and untamed, draining me faster than I can control it.

  Its eyes glow with a hatred that feels older than death itself.

  I take a single step back, and it vanishes.

  In the blink of an eye, its teeth are snapping at my skull. I jerk back, barely avoiding the maw, the rush of rancid breath washing over my face. Death grazes me by inches. My body almost tips into the pond, but I wrench my balance back and throw a desperate punch. My fist meets nothing. The monster has already melted into the water, leaving only ripples where it once loomed.

  'Just where I wanted you.'

  My hand dives into my pocket. Fingers curl around a jagged crystal, the crystal I stole from Nico. Overcharge it, and it becomes a miniature bomb. It's a weapon too unstable for anyone sane to use--perfect. If it kills me, then so be it. I’ll drag this thing to hell with me.

  The pond erupts. The beast bursts forth, tail whipping, tentacles thrashing. I slide beneath its hulking form, the tail missing me by a hair. The air screams as it slices past. It lands heavily, crouched on all fours, its tendrils writhing like serpents in agony and rage. It glares at me with burning intent, its voice unspoken but crawling inside my skull:

  [The Dark Species, King-Class Demon, wants to kill you. The Ability Whispers of Agony has been used on you]

  [The Ability "Whispers of Agony" has been blocked by Silver Child]

  A laugh scrapes its way out of my throat, raw and bitter. “Heh… so you do have a mind.”

  The air chills, heavy with unseen eyes. Then, an annoying message appears.

  [The Constellations are watching]

  Who invited them? Those vultures wouldn’t help me even if I begged. And now they sit above, watching, waiting, and savoring whether I die or drag this demon down with me. They're probably enjoying the scene of a human clone fighting for her life.

  You know what? Let them watch. Let them watch me conquer the stars with the same power they've given me.

  The silence stretches, predator and prey circling in thought. But I am the predator in this situation. I will get what I want and kill Nico. I don't care how many times I have to kill it to win. As long as I come out victorious in the end.

  The demon breaks first. It charges with a screech that could rupture eardrums, a sound so sharp it rattles my skull. I clamp down on my breath, unleashing ether until my body burns, every vein screaming as power pours through me. This time, however, I let my entire pool run amok. Time fractures. It slows, bends, and I press the crystal tight, forcing energy into it.

  Then, Crack!

  Its teeth sink into my arm. My bones snap like dry twigs. Agony screams through me, but I swallow it, choking on silence instead of letting the scream escape. The demon thrashes, dragging me back into the pond.

  Its tail lashes around my limbs, pinning me, crushing me. Blood blooms like black clouds, my vision drowning. Consciousness frays, but I cling to it with stubborn fury.

  The bite deepens, bone grinding, ready to tear my arm away. Tentacles coil around my skull, tightening like iron bands. Pressure builds, white-hot, unbearable—as my head threatens to cave in. My vision floods red, blood vessels bursting one after the other with wet pops.

  No! I refuse. I will not let go. Not of my breath. Not of this fight. Not of this wretched existence. It doesn’t matter if I can regress. I will not die here!

  The crystal flares, searing electric blue, trembling in my hand as the ether awakens it fully. A heartbeat away from catastrophe. Five minutes, maybe less, before everything goes to hell.

  So, with my ruined arm, I ram the crystal into its maw, forcing it between jagged teeth and slick, bloodied gums. Then I drive the Trusted Dagger upward, plunging it beneath its jaw with all the fury I can muster. The blade carves open flesh, and the pressure on my skull slackens. Tentacles tear away from my face. For one fleeting instant, I breathe freedom.

  This gives me the chance to slam my head into its thick skull, forcing it back and breaking us apart. I thrash upward, clawing through the murk until I burst from the surface and gulp down a ragged, desperate lungful of air.

  My chest heaves, but relief doesn’t come—my wounds knit sluggishly, each pulse of pain dragging me closer to weakness than recovery. The pond clings to me like rot, as if it refuses to let me heal, its dark water soaking into my flesh, dragging the process down to a crawl. Every breath tastes like blood and iron.

  However, despite the hell tearing through my body, a smirk carves its way onto my face. I am happy—no, thrilled. The pain, the blood, the suffocating pressure—it all fades beneath the sheer exhilaration of what’s about to happen. My mental clock ticks down, steady and merciless. The three hundred seconds are nearly spent.

  “Three… two… one…”

  Boom! The pond erupts, the crystal shattering with a violence that seems to tear reality itself apart. Ether explodes outward in a cataclysmic burst, a shockwave ripping through the water and blasting me clear off the ground. My body slams into the wall with bone-jarring force. I hear my ribs creaking, my vision fractures into white as all I can hear is the ringing noise in my ears.

  And in that final heartbeat, as the world collapses in fire and light, my consciousness flickers out like a dying flame.

  [You have slain the Demon Horus]