Life could be really strange and messed up sometimes.
It's not every day you find yourself facing a creature that could gut you, tear you apart, or literally sing you to death—while the best you could manage was just… exist in its presence.
Most people weren't stupid enough to even think about fighting something like that. Trying would only count as one thing—pure, reckless madness.
The smart move was obvious. Run. Hide. Maybe even lose control of your bladder while you were at it.
Elias remembered going on and on to Elyndra about how he'd rip the monster's eyes out. Saying stuff like that had been the easy part—the "cool" part.
Because, really, a guy had to maintain some kind of image in front of a girl. At least act confident, or his pride would take a serious hit—and that was a no for his pristine reputation.
Now that things had come to the hard part, though, Elias could feel the sweat building under his skin. He was already sprinting straight at the Echoform, and the way it looked at him—like he didn't matter at all—made it painfully clear just how bad this was.
The thing hadn't even taken a single step.
Not one.
The only movement it made was a slight tilt of its head, its warped form barely shifting as it leaned to the side—like it was openly mocking him.
Still, Elias didn't stop.
Didn't even consider it.
There was just something about that face—something so irritating—that made you want to punch it until it stopped existing.
Elias wasn't stupid either. Wanting to kill something didn't mean you actually could—especially not a monster you couldn't even touch unless it allowed it, let alone hurt.
So that brought up the real problem;
How was he supposed to win this?
His thoughts sped up, his heart pounding hard against his chest. He was getting close now—too close—and every second that passed made the tension crawl higher.
Could he drag the fight out? Maybe wear the Echoform down, push it until it couldn't switch its frequency so easily?
Yeah… no. That already sounded like nonsense. A better question was whether he could even survive long enough to try.
At this rate, it wouldn't even be shocking if he got one-shotted by this thing—but damn, that would be embarrassing. Especially after the whole speech he just gave.
No, that couldn't happen. There was no way he was going out like that. His prideful ass would never rest if he died after barely lasting a single exchange. And the look on Elyndra's face if that happened?
Yeah… that alone might finish him off first.
Elias clenched his teeth, eyes narrowing as he fixed his gaze on the monster. It was still standing there, unmoving, its lips slowly curling the closer he got.
Two steps away.
His injured foot dragged slightly, pain shooting up his leg, but he forced himself forward anyway.
One step.
His fists tightened as he closed the last bit of distance.
He threw a punch straight at its chest.
Or at least, he tried to.
The Echoform flickered in and out of existence, like something slipping intangible, and his hand passed straight through it like he had just punched empty air.
Elias had expected that much, so he was already pulling back the moment his fist missed.
The Echoform had other plans.
That was when it finally moved. One of its shriveled, sore-infested hands shot forward and clamped around his neck, lifting him clean off the ground.
Elias kicked helplessly in the air, his face reddening as his breath caught. The Echoform just stared at him, silent, almost amused by the way he struggled, before it slowly pulled its head back.
Then it sang.
Its voice came in dizzying waves, warped and broken like something that shouldn't exist.
[SSCREEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!]
Elias's face drained of color, the sensation hitting him all at once—like countless needles dragging across his mind, over and over without pause.
Before he could even react, the Echoform tossed him upward and drove the head of its femur straight into his stomach, like a bat meeting a ball.
Elias barely got out a sound before he was sent flying, his body slamming into the hard, compact ground with brutal force.
BOOM!
Dust and stones burst upward from the impact, swallowing everything in a thick, sandy haze. The force alone would've killed a normal person several times over, but Elias wasn't normal anymore.
He was awakened.
Even though it felt like most of his bones had just been crushed and rearranged, he was still alive.
Alive—and in blinding, unforgiving pain.
Elias bit down hard, trying to hold it in as much as he could. He forced himself upright, every movement dragging a sharp reaction from his body.
Around him, dust blurred everything, even the monster.
But he could still hear it.
Soft, warped giggles echoing from every direction—twisted, distorted… and very clearly mocking him.
Elias gritted his teeth, the words running through his head on repeat.
Survive… survive… survive…
Survive… survive… survive…
Even with his body screaming like it was being torn apart, his mind refused to slow down.
The most obvious way to win this fight was to sense his Harmonic Core, but he had already given up on that. Thinking he'd suddenly figure it out in the middle of all this would take a level of confidence he simply didn't have.
There was another way, though. Problem was, the chances of it working were painfully small—unless luck decided to finally stop messing with him.
Which, yeah… unlikely. If luck was a stat, his would be deep in the negatives.
Elyndra appeared in front of him in a swirl of purple sparks, her expression tight. "Behind you—"
Elias had already moved. A thick, rod-like bone slammed into the spot he'd been standing in just a second ago, then slipped back into the haze like it had never been there.
The monster's warped laughter followed right after, cutting through the night—loud, sharp, and way too close.
Elias barely steadied himself before it came at him again, and this time, it didn't bother hiding its twisted face behind the dust.
Almost like it was already getting bored of him.
The femur in its hand came crashing down with brutal force, its mouth stretching wide as it drew in breath—ready to unleash another one of those vile Songs straight at him.