The air reeked of burning metal and scorched asphalt, the acrid tang mixing with ash that swirled like restless spirits in the flickering twilight. Zane pressed his back against the fractured wall of a collapsed building, the jagged concrete biting through his jacket. His chest rose and fell in steady, deliberate breaths, though the pounding of his heart thundered in his ears, a thin veil of calm over the chaos closing in.


    He peered around the corner, every muscle tight, every sense heightened.


    The monster stood at the heart of the wreckage—a grotesque abomination of sinew and bone, pulsating with an eerie green glow. The very air seemed to distort around it, the cracked asphalt beneath its gnarled feet seeping an otherworldly light. Its talons—obsidian blades—gleamed in the fiery glow, reflecting the chaos of its surroundings, while scattered remnants of its last victim—tattered cloth and shattered bone—lay strewn across the ground like grim markers of its power.


    "Eyes on target," Zane’s voice crackled through his earpiece, steady and controlled. His pulse was anything but. "It’s feeding again. We’re running out of time.”


    A flicker of movement caught his eye. Tessa crouched a few feet away, her face set with grim resolve. The orange glow from a burning car flickered over her, casting eerie shadows along the faint cracks in her great sword’s surface. Her fingers gripped the hilt, pressing so hard the knuckles turned white, as if drawing courage from the cold steel.


    “Think it knows we’re here?” Her voice barely rose above the snap of flames and the groan of twisting metal.


    “Not yet.” Zane’s gaze remained fixed on the beast, calculating. His jaw tightened as he noticed its growing mutations. “But it will. It’s adapting too fast.” He nodded toward its elongated claws. “Those weren’t there earlier.”


    Tessa’s eyes narrowed. She studied the creature, taking in the ominous talons. “If it keeps absorbing... we’re screwed. We need to hit it now, before it gets any worse.”


    “Agreed.” Zane’s mind raced, scanning the battlefield. Shattered concrete. Twisted metal. The collapsed husk of a bus creating a crude choke point. "But we need a plan. A misstep, and—”


    “It’s over,” Tessa interrupted, her lips thinning into a tight line. “How long until reinforcements?”


    Zane exhaled sharply. “Not soon enough.”


    A low, guttural growl vibrated through the ground, making the hairs on Zane’s neck stand on end. The monster’s massive form shifted, casting grotesque shadows as one blood-red eye swept over the debris with unnerving precision.


    Tessa’s breath hitched, her grip tightening on her weapon.


    Zane leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low growl. “No backup. We distract it now.”


    Her jaw tightened, and she met his gaze, sharp and biting. “Distraction’s one thing. Suicide’s another.” Despite the edge in her words, her eyes held the same determination as his.


    The ground shook as the creature turned, its claws screeching against the asphalt. A crash echoed through the ruins—the twisted metal of a beam collapsing under its weight. The monster’s head snapped toward the sound, its snarl reverberating through the air.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Zane tapped his earpiece. “Andrei, tell me you’ve got my delivery.”


    Static crackled, then Andrei’s calm voice came through. “Already inbound. Don’t break it.”


    A sharp *whistle* sliced through the air, followed by the deafening *boom* of impact. Dust and debris exploded outward as a pod slammed into the ground, glowing faintly from the heat of reentry.


    Zane stepped forward, the heat of the impact licking at his boots. As the pod hissed open, a weapon emerged—a sleek, black electric guitar, its edges shimmering with purple highlights. Razor-sharp blades protruded from the body, and a blaster barrel hummed faintly along the neck, resonating with the energy it contained.


    Tessa blinked, her disbelief barely concealed. “An electric guitar? Seriously?”


    Zane grinned, slinging the hybrid weapon over his shoulder. His fingers brushed the strings with reverence. “What can I say, Tess? I like to make an impression.”


    Tessa rolled her eyes, but the ghost of a smirk tugged at her lips. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me that?”


    “Tess sounds better than Tessa,” he teased, his tone light, but his eyes never leaving the monster. “Has a nice ring to it.”


    Her amusement faded as quickly as it came, her focus snapping back to the looming threat.


    The guitar hummed with barely contained power, a promise of destruction. Zane took a step forward, his voice a low growl. “Time to dance.”


    The beast’s unblinking eye locked onto him, its snarl escalating into a roar that made the ground tremble.


    Without hesitation, Zane and Tessa lunged forward, splitting off in opposite directions. The monster’s many eyes darted between them, confusion settling in.


    “Can’t decide, huh?” Zane taunted, skidding to a halt. He aimed the guitar’s neck at the creature and strummed a power chord. A burst of purple energy shot out, striking the Cyclops square in its eye. The creature reeled back, its body convulsing as sparks danced along its sinewy frame.


    “Tess, now!” Zane barked.


    Tessa didn’t hesitate. Her boots slammed against the ground as she sprang into motion, leaping onto a chunk of rubble. Using it as a springboard, she soared through the air, her great sword gleaming with an ethereal glow.


    [Sacred Arts: First Form—Shatterstrike]


    She swung with everything she had, the blade splitting mid-arc into glowing shards. Each fragment shot forward, embedding itself into the Cyclops’s shoulder with explosive force. The impact detonated in a burst of energy, shockwaves radiating outward, leaving jagged cracks in the earth.


    The monster howled, its roar blending with the violent crash of destruction. The weight of the attack shifted its stance, the loss of its shoulder causing it to stagger, but the wound began to regenerate almost instantly.


    Zane cursed, watching the creature’s arm reform. "Great. Knew it wasn’t gonna be that easy.” His voice was thick with frustration as sweat trickled down his cheek, his gaze locked on the beast.


    “Well, guess we just keep trying, then.” Tessa’s voice was cool, steady despite the chaos.


    Zane’s fingers danced across the guitar strings, purple electricity surging through his body, feeding into the instrument. The power built, charging up for a finishing blow.


    The Cyclops, its jaw hanging open, began to form a glowing orb of blue energy. Zane’s eyes widened.


    “Tess! Watch out!” Zane shouted, but she was already moving.


    In a blur of motion, Tessa sprinted toward him, her eyes wide with alarm.


    But the Cyclops didn’t fire at them. Instead, it hurled the orb straight into the sky.


    Whoosh—Boom!


    The orb detonated high above, a shockwave rippling outward with a deafening roar. Neon lights along the market district flickered and then died, plunging the area into sudden darkness.


    Tessa stood, frozen in confusion. “What the hell?”


    Zane’s voice broke the silence, low and strained. “Hey, Tess, something’s wrong.”


    She turned toward him, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “What is it?”


    “My grace,” Zane muttered, his voice a whisper of disbelief. Her brow furrowed. “What about it?”


    “I can’t access it.”


    Her eyes widened. “What?”


    Zane’s fingers flexed around the guitar, a sinking feeling crawling through him. He couldn’t feel it—the surge of power, the connection—it was gone.


    [End of Chapter]