The sun had reached its zenith, bathing the training field in bright, warm light. I stood up, feeling my body trembling slightly. Despite the fatigue, I felt a renewed determination burning inside me.


    Anastasia''s smile was radiant when she asked: —Ready for another round?


    ?Another round? Are you a machine??


    However, before I could accept, something changed. The air became heavy, charged with an energy that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The sky, previously clear and bright, began to darken as if a storm was forming.


    ?What was happening? This didn''t feel normal. Something was wrong, very wrong.?


    I saw Atlas and Adelaide become alert immediately. Fear took hold of me when I heard my mother shout: —Children, come here!


    Anastasia and I ran towards our parents. I could feel the fear growing in my chest, threatening to drown me. —What''s happening, mom? —I heard Anastasia ask, her voice trembling slightly.


    ?Oh no. If even Anastasia was scared, this must be really bad.?


    Before Adelaide could respond, I saw how the air in front of us began to distort. A shiver ran down my spine.


    ?What is that? It looks like... No, it can''t be. Please, don''t let it be what I think it is.?


    Suddenly, the air shuddered with a deafening roar that made the foundations of our mansion tremble. I froze in place, feeling how terror paralyzed me. My eyes opened wide, unable to process what I was seeing.


    In the distance, on the horizon, a colossal and grotesque figure rose against the sky. It was enormous, bigger than anything I had seen before. Its body was an amalgamation of putrid flesh and twisted bones that rose above the tallest trees in the forest.


    ?How can something like this exist? How can we even fight against that?? Multiple eyes of different sizes covered its body, all blinking and moving independently. From what appeared to be its mouth emanated a nauseating stench that I could smell even at this distance. Viscous and putrid tentacles writhed around it, knocking down century-old trees as if they were mere twigs.


    I wanted to vomit. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide. But I couldn''t move. I was paralyzed by fear.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The creature emanated an aura of evil so intense that I felt my stomach turn. Never before had I felt such fear.


    —A Contaminant —I heard Atlas mutter, raising his eyebrows slightly—. And a powerful one. Nightmare Level, Emperor grade.


    My father''s words resonated in my mind. I remembered the lessons about Contaminants: how they were born as Digesters, their baby form, to then become Contaminants and these evolve into Nightmares. Many believed that Nightmares were comparable to B-grade Ascendants, but at that moment, seeing that monstrosity, I knew they were enormously wrong.


    But then, in the midst of my panic, I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. It was Atlas, my father. His face was serious, but there was no fear in his eyes, that gave me a glimmer of hope.


    —Arceus, Anastasia, I want you to listen carefully. What you''re seeing is an Emperor-grade Nightmare. It''s a formidable enemy, but it''s not invincible.


    Adelaide approached us, her face showed a calmness that contrasted with the chaos around us. —Children —she said softly with a smile—, I know you''re scared. It''s natural to be afraid in front of an enemy like this. But remember: fear is just an emotion. Don''t let it paralyze you.


    Her words penetrated the fog of terror that clouded my mind. I breathed deeply, trying to calm my racing heart. They were right, I couldn''t let fear control me. —Atlas, take the children to the mansion. I''ll handle this.


    Dad nodded, taking me and Anastasia in his arms. —Be careful.


    Mom smiled, a smile that seemed out of place in the current situation. —I always am, —she responded, before turning towards the contaminant.


    While dad flew towards the mansion with us, I couldn''t take my eyes off mom. I saw her advance towards the Nightmare carelessly. As she moved away from the mansion, I felt how the air around us began to charge with energy.


    ?What was mom going to do? I had never seen her like this.? The Nightmare, sensing mom''s presence, let out another roar that made the earth tremble. Its tentacles thrashed violently, ripping trees from their roots and throwing them through the air as if they were toys. One of these trees flew directly towards our mansion.


    Dad extended his hands and a barrier of golden energy materialized in front of us. The tree disintegrated on contact, turning into a shower of splinters that fell harmlessly to the ground. —Stay close, —dad said in a grave voice.


    Meanwhile, mom had stopped about a hundred meters from the Nightmare. She looked small in front of that monster that measured more than 20 meters, but there was something in her posture that could only betray an unshakeable confidence.


    ?Mom... You''ll be alright, won''t you??


    The Nightmare roared, a sound that made the earth itself tremble. It extended its tentacles toward mom, each one as thick as the trunk of a century-old tree. My heart was beating hard, while my lips trembled with fear.


    Mom didn''t even blink. With a fluid movement of her hand, she created a barrier of pure energy in front of her. The tentacles crashed against the barrier with enough force to split mountains, but the barrier didn''t even shake.


    Suddenly, the air around mom changed. An immense pressure fell over the area, as if gravity itself had multiplied by a hundred. I felt it was hard to breathe, even at the distance where I was.


    ?What was happening? Was this my mother''s power??


    [Domain Expansion: Requiem of Stars (S)]