SOUL

  Time was running out.

  Vierd felt the ground shaking violently beneath his feet. The cracked walls of the Forgotten City began to crumble, and the towering ruins collapsed like falling dominoes. Everything around him was disintegrating—as if this world itself was dying.

  He tightened his grip on the stone he had taken from the guardian’s core. It pulsed with an unusual warmth against his palm, but now was not the time to examine it.

  The only thing that mattered was escaping before he was buried alive.

  But he wasn’t alone.

  A moment before, he had seen a human silhouette moving between the ruins—not a monster, not a shadow, but a person. Someone else had survived.

  But in a moment like this, there was no time for hesitation.

  "If you stay here, you’ll die."

  Those were the only words he spoke before rushing forward, dodging falling debris and collapsing pillars.

  He didn’t look back to see if the person followed.

  Anyone who wanted to live… would make the choice themselves.

  The city was falling apart at an alarming rate, making it impossible to find an exit. The Gate he had entered through had disappeared, as if the tear in space had sealed itself.

  There had to be another way out.

  Then, Vierd felt it—a strange pressure in the air, a gravitational pull drawing everything toward a single point.

  When he looked up, he saw a black vortex forming in the sky, swallowing the last remnants of this world.

  "Is this the Gate's way of erasing itself after destruction?"

  If there was an escape route—that had to be it.

  But getting there alive… would be the real challenge.

  As he raced toward the center of the city, a new threat emerged.

  A stone archway stood in his path. But it was alive.

  Eyes—black, glowing, and shifting—covered its surface, watching everything.

  Suddenly, the arch opened.

  And from within—creatures unlike anything Vierd had ever seen emerged.

  "Tch…"

  They were tall, thin, entirely black, their limbs ending in razor-sharp claws.

  These weren’t beasts from the real world—they were nightmares given form.

  And they stood between him and his only exit.

  One of the creatures lunged at him, its movements unnaturally fast, like a shadow tearing through the wind.

  But Vierd wasn't about to stop now.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  He raised his sword, and as the claws slashed toward him, he swung with full force.

  The blade cut through the air—

  —but hit nothing.

  "What?!"

  The creature’s body moved like liquid, bending and shifting to avoid the strike.

  Then, before Vierd could react, its arm transformed into a black spear—

  —and pierced his side.

  Pain surged through his body.

  He looked down, seeing dark blood seeping from the wound.

  But he didn’t scream.

  Pain was a part of survival.

  And he didn’t have time to waste.

  He tightened his grip on his sword—

  And unleashed his power.

  In an instant—shadows erupted from his body.

  The air trembled, dark energy crackled around him.

  This time, there was no hesitation.

  He moved.

  Faster.

  When the creature tried to evade again, Vierd shifted his angle mid-strike—

  "You won’t escape this time."

  His blade sliced through the creature.

  But it had no real body.

  It was a void.

  But Vierd had learned.

  "If you have no body… I'll tear apart your soul."

  His sword glowed with black energy, and with one final swing—

  A shockwave of dark power erupted.

  The creature let out a piercing screech—

  Then disintegrated into nothing.

  But there was no time to rest.

  Three more creatures emerged.

  This battle couldn’t be won through brute force.

  Then, his gaze shifted—toward the archway.

  It was still open—and the eyes covering it had not yet closed.

  "If these creatures are coming from the portal… destroying it should stop them."

  Without hesitation, Vierd rushed toward the arch, ignoring the monsters chasing him.

  Before they could stop him—

  He jumped, raised his sword high—

  And struck.

  His blade sank into the stone.

  It didn’t sound like metal on rock—

  It sounded like reality itself being torn apart.

  In a single instant, the black eyes dimmed, the swirling energy faded—

  And then, without warning—

  The arch collapsed.

  The creatures froze, as if their existence had been severed.

  Then, like shadows under sunlight, they vanished.

  Vierd exhaled heavily, his body aching from exhaustion.

  But he had no time to stop.

  Lifting his head, he looked toward the black vortex in the sky.

  This was his only way out.

  If he didn’t jump now…

  He would never escape.

  He ran.

  Full speed.

  The ground crumbled beneath him, the world falling apart.

  The vortex was high, almost too far—

  But he had no choice.

  At the very last second—when he was about to fall into the collapsing ruins—

  A hand grabbed his wrist.

  "Got you!"

  It was the silver-haired man.

  The same person he had seen earlier.

  Together—they leapt into the vortex.

  And then—

  Everything went dark.

  The air had changed.

  A moment ago, Vierd had been in a dying world, surrounded by horrors that should not exist.

  Now—

  He was lying on hot sand.

  Opening his eyes slowly, the harsh sunlight burned against his vision. His body ached, and his limbs felt heavy, but the feeling of warmth was… familiar.

  He had made it back.

  The desert.

  But he wasn’t alone.

  A few feet away, the silver-haired man sat silently, his blood-red eyes studying Vierd. His long, pale hair drifted in the wind, and his torn clothing hinted at a past not of this world.

  "So… I didn’t escape alone."

  Vierd didn’t move, but he kept his hand close to his sword.

  His wounds were still fresh, and trust wasn’t something he gave freely.

  "Who are you?"

  The silver-haired man didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly—as if examining Vierd.

  Then, in a calm, but cold voice, he finally spoke.

  "The real question is… what am I?"

  Vierd narrowed his eyes.

  "Great. One of those cryptic types."

  Slowly, he stood up, ignoring the pain in his body.

  Their gazes met—gold against red.

  For a long moment, neither spoke.

  But this wasn’t hostility.

  It was a test.

  A silent exchange between two survivors of certain death.

  And as Vierd watched the stranger, one thought lingered in his mind.

  "This man… might be my first real clue in this journey."