The monster’s roar shattered the night, a deep, guttural bellow that clawed through the city and rattled in my chest like an unrelenting drumbeat. It wasn’t just sound—it was a presence, raw and primal, tearing through the narrow streets and rebounding off the dead faces of silent buildings. Beneath my boots, the ground pulsed with each of its massive strides, the tremors snaking up my legs. It felt as though the city itself was trembling, caught in the grip of its terror.
An unnatural silence followed, stretching taut in the wake of the roar. A broken window creaked as it swung lazily on rusted hinges, the screech piercing the quiet like a blade, only to fade and leave an eerie stillness behind. Somewhere nearby, the wind skittered a crumpled paper bag across the cracked pavement, its hollow rustle swallowed by the heavy, oppressive air.
Neon signs buzzed weakly above shuttered storefronts, their sickly green and purple glow flickering like dying stars. The usual hum of life in the shopping district—the chatter of passersby, the rhythmic clink of street vendors—had vanished. In its place was a void, a creeping dread that clung to every shadow and corner.
Zane’s voice broke the tension, low and casual, yet carrying that infuriatingly confident edge he always wore. “Well, isn’t this cozy? Just another night out with my favorite team,” he quipped, his smirk faint but visible even in the dim light. Despite his nonchalance, his sharp eyes swept the shadows, scanning for movement. “Feels like the setup for a bad horror movie, don’t you think?”
I shot him a sideways glance, irritation prickling at the edges of my fear. “You really think now’s the time for jokes?”
“What can I say? Keeps me sharp.” He shrugged, still grinning. “Besides, if that thing jumps out and decides to eat us, I’d rather go down laughing.”
Tessa, leading the group, didn’t even break stride. Her voice came back cold and clipped. “Focus up, Zane. This isn’t a joke, and we don’t have time for your distractions.”
Zane raised his hands in mock surrender, the grin never quite leaving his face. “Relax, Tessa. I’ve got eyes on everything. Scout’s honor.” He tapped his temple with two fingers for emphasis, the momentary levity pulling the tension just taut enough to stay bearable.
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The earpieces crackled suddenly, and Andrei’s voice snapped through the static. “Team, do you copy?” His words were tight with urgency, his breath audible in the background. “You’ve got a confirmed sighting—monster closest to your position. Coordinates incoming. Move fast.”
Before Zane could fire back a witty reply, a high-pitched whirring cut through the air. A sleek, black drone emerged from behind a nearby rooftop, its rotors slicing the stillness with surgical precision. It hovered before us, the screen on its underbelly flickering to life. Coordinates glowed in bright red text beneath a live feed of the creature’s last known location—a crumbled intersection just blocks away.
Zane’s smirk hardened as he examined the image. “Yikes. That’s an ugly one.” exaggerated with casualness. “Alright, people, guess we’re skipping happy hour. Let’s move before this thing redecorates the district.”
Tessa didn’t wait for a cue. She launched forward, her steps precise and swift, the rhythm pulling the rest of us into motion. My heart pounded as our boots clapped against the cracked pavement, the sound echoing faintly through the empty streets. Overhead, the bruised violet sky seemed to deepen, the shadows around us stretching longer, darker, as if the city itself was conspiring to hide the threat.
I sped up, matching Zane’s pace as unease churned in my stomach. “Zane,” I said, my voice low but edged with desperation. “Can I ask you something?”
He glanced at me, his usual smirk softening. “What’s up?”
“My Grace… it won’t activate. I don’t know what’s wrong.” The admission tasted bitter, the vulnerability sharp as I laid it out. “It’s like there’s nothing there, like… I’m cut off from it.”
He studied me for a beat before clapping me lightly on the shoulder. “That’s normal,” he said, his tone lighter than I expected. “Just think back, what’s your activation condition?”
“Activation condition?” The term felt foreign, yet vaguely familiar, as if it had always been on the edge of my awareness.
“Every Grace has one,” he explained, his tone shifting to something more measured, as though he were walking me through the basics. “It’s the trigger that lets you tap into it. Without knowing that, your Grace can stay locked. Just… think about what was happening whenever you managed to call on it. Emotions, circumstances, anything specific that stands out.”
Before I could reply, the ground beneath us trembled violently, stopping us all in our tracks. A roar ripped through the air, louder and more feral than before. The sound seemed to compress the space around me, and my breath hitched as the oppressive weight of the monster’s presence settled over us.
The drone’s feed updated with a flicker, the new image sharp and horrifying. A massive crimson beast stood amid the rubble, its serpentine tail whipping through the air like a scythe. Two smaller monsters flanked it—a hulking brute covered in bone-like armor and a writhing mass of tentacles.
As we watched, the crimson monster lunged, tearing into the others with terrifying efficiency. Its claws ripped through the armored one, absorbing its strength, while its teeth shredded the tentacled beast. With each kill, it grew larger, its form mutating grotesquely as it absorbed their traits.
Tessa’s voice cut through the paralysis. “If it adapts any further, we’re finished. We need to move—now!”
Zane’s grin faded entirely, replaced by a sharp, predatory focus. “Alright, team,” he said, his voice steady but charged. “You heard her. Fast and hard. Let’s remind this thing why it shouldn’t mess with us.”
The weight of what lay ahead pressed down on me like a stormcloud, but I forced my legs to move. We surged forward, shadows closing in as we raced toward the monster—and whatever came next.