The thrall had been moving for hours with its relentless and unceasing speed.
Its grotesque form cut through the forest with terrifying speed, its presence warping the air around it. With every passing moment, it drew closer—closer to Zephyr.
Unbeknownst to him, another figure was also advancing toward the same convergence point.
Aiden Drakonis.
The prodigy moved with unwavering composure, his steps measured yet swift, as though the very terrain bent itself to his will. There was no hesitation in his movements, no trace of caution in his eyes.
The sky above began to darken.
A storm was approaching.
"Plop… plop… plop…"
Raindrops fell hesitantly at first—soft, scattered impacts against the forest floor. Then, without warning, the heavens opened.
Rain poured down like a shattered dam, relentless and heavy, drenching everything in its path. The already dim dusk descended further into obscurity, the thick curtain of rain reducing visibility to near nothingness. Shadows stretched and merged, turning the forest into a suffocating labyrinth of darkness.
Yet Aiden remained unaffected.
He continued forward at his usual pace, unbothered by the violent shift in his surroundings. Rain soaked his clothes, wind howled through the trees, and thunder murmured in the distance—but none of it slowed him.
After all, he had already faced two thralls.
And both had been utterly annihilated without any struggle and resistance.Only complete domination.
"Where is the presence you sensed, Dra?" Aiden asked calmly, his voice steady despite the storm raging around him.
Floating just above his shoulder was his Wisp—a draconic entity, its form shimmering faintly amidst the darkness. At Aiden's question, the Wisp turned its head, its gaze narrowing as it indicated a direction ahead.
Aiden followed its motion and gave a small nod he understood, without another word, he leaned forward and vanished into a sprint.
The ground cracked faintly beneath his steps as his speed surged. This was no longer casual movement. Curiosity had taken hold of him.
For the first time in a long while, his Wisp had reacted with unmistakable seriousness.
Recognition...
That was what made it different.
The Wisp had only ever shown such acknowledgment toward beings of immense power—his father, and a handful of elders he had encountered in the past and now…
Something within this forest had drawn the same reaction. Aiden wanted to see it for himself.
What he did not know...was that the presence he pursued was nothing more than a fragment.
A faint, insignificant trace released by Maw just a mere ripple.
Yet even such a minuscule signal was enough to disturb the balance.
Maw had done it deliberately.
A subtle provocation.
A whisper cast into the void, designed to lure those with sharp instincts and heightened perception.
The thrall had responded.
Unlike ordinary beasts, thralls possessed a distorted form of intelligence. They did not merely act on instinct—they perceived, analyzed, and reacted with terrifying precision. Their senses were far superior, their awareness far deeper.
That was why it moved, drawn toward Zephyr.
Whether it sought to investigate the source of that presence… or to devour it entirely…no one knows
The thrall suddenly halted, its massive frame stood still amidst the downpour, rain cascading off its grotesque armor.
Before it, a lone figure stood a girl.
She held a staff in trembling hands, her body battered and exhausted from previous encounters. Cuts and bruises marked her skin, her breathing uneven as she struggled to remain upright.
Then...she felt it.
A presence, overwhelming one also unavoidable.
Her head snapped toward the source and she saw it.
A towering entity, standing nearly four meters tall, clad entirely in dark, jagged armor. Countless holes riddled its surface, from which writhing vines emerged—alive, pulsating, moving as though they possessed a will of their own.
It stood twenty meters away yet it felt… closer, far too close...
The enormous scythe it wielded gleamed faintly under the dim light, its curved blade exuding a silent promise of death.
Her legs trembled then it gave way.
She collapsed onto her knees, her strength abandoning her in the face of something so far beyond her comprehension.
That was the only word that remained in her mind, even the talisman she carried—her last safeguard—felt meaningless.
The thrall vanished. It's entire frame was gone completely.
Her eyes widened in panic.
She turned her head frantically, scanning left and right, her breath growing erratic. The rain hammered against the ground, masking all sound, suffocating her senses.
But...she could not see it,she could not feel it. Still, her instinct is screaming it was there watching.
Her chest tightened as dread coiled around her heart. At those breif moment everything turned to hell the thrall reappeared. Not in the distance, not approaching.
But directly in front of her....
Its towering form loomed over her, suffocating her with its presence. Before she could react, it extended its arm—slowly, deliberately—as if grasping for something unseen.
Something she could not perceive yet instinct screamed at her.
'That is your only chance.'
Desperation surged within her. With every ounce of strength she had left, she unleashed her power, striking at the thrall in a final, defiant attempt. All of it was meaningless, her attack did nothing not a scratch and not even the slightest mark upon its armor.
The vines continued to writhe, indifferent to her struggle.
Then she saw it.A golden, shimmering rectangular object.Clutched within the thrall's obsidian gauntlet.
Her talisman and only her last hope.
Crushed...With a single motion, the thrall closed its hand.The talisman shattered.
Golden particles scattered into the air, glowing faintly before fading into nothingness.A crushing silence followed.Her mind went blank.
No thoughts and meaningless resistance.
Only the hollow realization that this was the end. In the next instant the scythe moved.
A single, fluid motion...her body was severed.
Clean and Effortless.
There was no scream, no plea,no struggle.
Only silence.
Her remains fell apart, lifeless, as golden motes briefly flickered around her—before disappearing entirely.
She died....Just like that.
As though her existence had never mattered.The thrall's tails shifted they moved with unnatural fluidity, consuming what remained of her body without hesitation.
Then, as if nothing had occurred...it moved again.
Sprinting forward once more.Uncaring to the carnage
It had merely disposed of something insignificant.
Pointless....