Standing still, I braced for the clash.
Whatever it was, it was heading straight toward me. The tall grass obscured its form, and I couldn't make out its features until it was already too close for comfort. Then, suddenly, it leapt—launching itself into the air, aiming to crash down on top of me.
In that brief instant, I saw it clearly.
Its skin was a dry, ashen gray, devoid of any moisture—like lifeless rock. It stood far taller than any man, with long, sinewy limbs and a slightly hunched spine. Thin tendons stretched over sharp, angular joints. Its face was elongated, oval rather than skull-like, with sunken cheeks and a tightly packed lattice of needle-like teeth. Its eyes burned bright red—
Like a demon pulled straight out of myth, driven by endless hunger.
That split second I took to register its appearance cost me.
I couldn't move out of the way in time.
It crashed into me, slamming me to the ground.
My hands were free, but the rest of my body was pinned beneath its weight. It raised both arms at once, bringing them down in a crushing strike aimed at my skull.
I threw my arms up to block.
The impact was partially absorbed—but its claw-like bones pierced through my hands, stopping just short of the bone. Pain exploded through me.
It hurt like hell.
But I didn't have time to dwell on it.
If the others caught up—its kin, most likely—I was as good as dead.
Not giving it another chance to strike, I grabbed one of its arms and yanked it sideways, rolling at the same time to break free from the pin. In one motion, I slipped behind it and locked my arms around its neck, forcing it into a chokehold.
It thrashed violently, trembling with raw strength as it tried to break free. One of its long arms reached back, raking across my shoulder and tearing into my flesh.
Ignoring the pain, I forced it down to the ground.
Using my legs, I locked its body in place. With my back pressed against the ground, I twisted its arms against their natural range of motion, exploiting the stiffness in its joints. Its elbows weren't as flexible as I had expected—I used that to keep its limbs restrained, limiting its movements.
The struggle turned brutal.
It showed no signs of slowing down.
No signs of suffocation.
Do they even breathe…?
If nothing changed soon, I was going to end up as their next meal.
Blood from the wounds on my arms ran down across my face. My strength was beginning to falter, slowly but surely losing ground against the creature.
"Die… die… die…" I muttered through clenched teeth as the grapple continued.
I poured every ounce of will into one desperate thought—
I wanted this thing gone.
And then… something changed.
A grayish-black, dust-like substance began to seep out from the creature's body—only to be drawn into mine.
It didn't feel like blood.
It felt like… something deeper.
Like its soul.
No—more than that.
Its very existence… as if even the reality that formed it was being pulled apart and absorbed into me.
The creature's low growls twisted into high-pitched screeches of agony.
I didn't understand what was happening.
But I knew one thing—
It was hurting it.
So I focused on that sensation, grasping at it, trying to accelerate whatever this was.
And that's when I felt them.
The others.
Not with my eyes—but something else entirely.
Each one felt like a walking mass of violent, chaotic energy… like embodiments of something dark and primal.
They were close.
Closing in fast.
And there were far too many to count.