"How many more battles... how many more times do I have to wield this damn blade…
"And for what? This world doesn't even deserve to be rescued."
Edran moved forward through smoke, flame, and the crumbling ruins of the village as chaos unraveled around him. From a distance, he could hear guttural roars and a grotesque, wet clipping sound, like flesh being torn apart.
He sighed as he trudged on, each step heavy with the years of weight he carried.
When he finally reached the source of the sounds, he saw the creature, black and shadowy, with writhing tendrils sprouting from its back, as it devoured the remains of poor souls crushed beneath its massive claws.
"What a foul creature," he whispered.
He unsheathed his blade with a sharp, hissing sound. He barely felt its weight anymore; it had become part of him by now.
With a roar, he charged, swinging his sword upward in a clean arc. The edge caught the beast beneath its jaw, sending out a spray of glistening sparks as it recoiled.
But the beast moved with a defiant roar, black tendrils whipping above its back, its red eyes shining with hunger.
"Still not enough?... Alright then."
The creature came down hard, claws carving through the earth, and Edran narrowed his eyes.
He held his sword and, with a flick of his wrist, it shimmered as Ether spores flickered around it. The sword expanded, flattening into a broad, flowing shield.
In a heartbeat, the beast's claw crashed down.
But Edran met it head-on, shield raised high, embracing the colossal force that rocked through his entire body as his knees ground into the dirt.
Suddenly, a towering figure appeared, slamming into the beast's ribs and pushing it aside. A loud crack echoed as the beast screamed in agony.
The figure stepped beside Edran—axe in hand, bare-chested, his muscular body covered in markings, sweat trailing down his frame.
"Ha! Not bad for a man pushing fifty," the figure grinned.
"Where the hell have you been, Grock?" Edran spat.
Grock had no time to answer. Another tendril lashed out, but he caught it with his axe, gripping it in both hands.
"Oh, come on, gramps. You really thought I'd let you keep all the fun for yourself?"
The beast lunged, and Grock did too. They clashed violently, Grock's axe caught between the creature's jaws as one of its horns scraped across his cheek.
"COME ON, GROCK! PUSH IT OUT OF THE VILLAGE!"
Grock groaned with effort, shouting between gritted teeth.
"UGH! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK—
I'M TRYING—
TO DO!!!"
But the beast's strength overwhelmed him. It lifted Grock and hurled him past Edran, crashing into a grain tower.
"Ugh. Blockhead," Edran muttered.
Edran scanned the field through the smoke and chaos, Houses collapsing, Farms burning in tall flames, and screams in the distance could be heard, but his team was nowhere to be found.
"Look at this mess. Can't even hold back a single Shadow. Of course they screwed it up."
"Toff is probably hiding like a rodent. Flint's flashing around, acting like an idiot. And Ellowyn's probably trying to do more than she can handle."
"Kids," he thought, letting out a long sigh. "All of them."
"Why do I keep letting children drag me into this mess...?"
A loud crack sounded behind him. He turned just in time to glimpse the grain tower collapsing toward him.
His instincts kicked in. He planted his feet and raised his shield to meet the debris head-on.
Above, a falcon streaked down and landed beside him, swiftly transforming into a green-skinned figure. Arms and legs formed from feathers, revealing a small frame with long, messy purple hair and leaves tangled in it.
She slammed the earth with both palms, vines erupting from the ground and catching the collapsing structure.
"Hehe! Gotcha! That was close!" she grinned, giving a thumbs-up.
"Thanks. About time you showed up, Toff," Edran said, looking around.
"Mmm... hey... where are the other two?!"
But the beast didn't give them time to breathe. It lunged with claws wide.
Edran swung his shield, shifting it back into a blade and meeting the claws. The strike raked across his forearm, tearing skin and drawing blood.
"Arg... just like old times," he muttered.
He twisted his sword again, turning it back into a shield, and slammed it into the beast's skull, pushing it back.
From behind, a shout echoed:
"CRYO ~ SHARDS!"
In a flash, Ellowyn surged into view, riding a wave of water, her robes trailing ash and steam. Her hands swept outward with graceful precision, casting shards of ice toward the creature.
Above her, Flint spun downward with electric talons and flashing daggers, descending to strike the beast head-on.
"Sorry, old man! We were a bit busy, but don't worry, we'll take it from here," Flint smirked, then chanted:
"RAIKO-TAHAL!"
Ellowyn joined in:
"GLACE~LANCE!"
"Ellowyn! Flint! WAIT!" Edran shouted, reaching out—but they had already rushed in.
The two moved in sync like a storm. Flint struck in unison with Ellowyn's ice spear, sending a surge of electricity into the beast's chest.
But the creature moved faster, slashing through both of them with a tendril. Their attempt scattered like dust.
Flint was hurled backward, crashing through the smoke with a groan, but Ellowyn slammed against a scorched wall, hitting her head and falling unconscious.
"Ugh... I knew they'd screw up. All flash. No brains," Edran muttered, covering his face in frustration.
Flint woke up gasping for air, he then moved closer to Ellowyn, crawling through the mud with one arm, dragging as he reached her. He lifted her gently, brushing the hair from her face.
"Hey... Ellie... are you alright?... Come on... please!... wake up..."
She didn't move.
But she did not move. In a brief moment, a fox darted toward them and shifted back into Toff.
The beast pressed forward to attack them, and Edran stepped in to meet it again with his shield.
"TOFF! GET THEM OUT OF HERE!" he shouted without looking back.
"But... but what about—"
"NOW!"
Toff froze, then nodded. She shifted into a large badger and carefully lifted them, vanishing into the smoke.
"Mhm... atta girl," Edran said, glancing back.
"Just us now, huh?" He locked eyes with the creature.
The beast snarled and slammed him to the ground, its tendrils lashing around them, throwing sparks into the air.
"Fine. Let's finish this."
He roared as Etherlight erupted from his shield, expanding it threefold in size, glowing like molten gold. He dug his boots into the mud and hurled the beast sideways through a burning house.
Flames burst outward. Tendrils flailed. Stone collapsed in a rain of ash and fury.
Then
A scream.
A small, fragile voice.
...A child.
Edran froze.
"Uh?... CRAP! No no NO! Not again!"
His muscles moved before thought. He sprinted toward the sound, into the burning wreckage.
Inside, the house was a collapsing furnace, walls writhing with shadow and fire. The heat closed in, suffocating.
Then— A lullaby.
"What the...? Why now? Why that damn song?"
The structure above him groaned. He tried to dodge, but he was too slow.
A massive beam crashed onto his back, slamming him to the ground. His limbs refused to move.
Somewhere through the haze, voices shouted:
"EDRAN!"
"E—(cough)—DRAN!—(cough cough) COME OUT!"
Edran laid there listening to the shouts.
"Was that Flint? That feather-brained has never called me by my name."
Another voice, panicked:
"PLEASE! SOMEONE! I NEED HELP WITH THE FIRE! HE'S UNDER HERE!"
"Yep, that was definitely Toff."
Edran tried to answer, but only coughed as blood covered his mouth. The smoke thickened, curling into his lungs.
The smoke thickened, curling into his lungs.
"Dammit... I knew it. Should've stayed in my chair. Why did I listen to them?"
His eyes drifted to his hat beside him. Then forward, his sword, just out of reach but able to glance the name carved into the hilt for a moment.
A bitter smile touched his lips.
"I should be finishing my brew right about now... not chasing ghosts."
The lullaby played on once more.
"Can that cursed song just end?"
His vision swam, blurring at the edges.
But the voices stayed.
"Edran... Edran..."
His eyes closed slowly as darkness came
"I should have died that night…"