The Reaping

Chapter 8: Swallowed by Darkness

Mikey looked at me, his face filled with fear and hesitation. I could tell he knew we didn’t have a choice, but he was terrified. What if Zeus took control again? What if, in the process, he lost himself completely, or worse, what if he killed me while he was unconscious?

I could see the panic in his eyes. He didn’t want to risk it, didn’t want to let go of control again. And I understood. I felt that same fear deep down. But I also knew what had to be done.

Then, something clicked in my mind, like an instinct I couldn’t ignore. Remembering the map and inventory displays, I muttered, “Skills.”

Mikey looked at me, confused. He saw me scanning the air, looking for something—anything. I could feel the system humming in the back of my mind, the sense of something hidden, waiting to be unlocked. My eyes quickly scanned the unlocked skills. I had to act fast.

I couldn’t risk Zeus catching on to what I was planning. The plan had to stay hidden, at least until Mikey was in control.

I turned back to Mikey, forcing a smile, hoping it would reassure him. “Let him possess you,” I said, my voice calm even though my heart was pounding. “Trust me. We’ll get out of this dungeon alive. I promise.”

Mikey smiled weakly, though his eyes still held a flicker of doubt. “I trust you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Then, he closed his eyes, and his body slowly lifted off the ground.

I didn’t wait. The moment his feet left the earth, I sprinted.

A deafening crack of lightning tore through the air behind me. I risked a glance back. Mikey—no, Zeus—was there, now clad in a traditional Greek tunic, his presence crackling with raw energy. My heart pounded, but I didn’t stop.

I rounded a corner and nearly skidded to a halt. A group of goblins—five in total. Two wielding twin axes, one gripping a small sword, and two perched on a thick tree branch, bows drawn and ready. I barely had time to assess them before a voice like thunder boomed through the dungeon.

“You think you can hide from me, mortal?” Zeus’s voice sent chills down my spine.

Panic surged through me. I hadn’t even figured out how to use my skill yet. I’d been so caught up in the rush of forming a plan that I hadn’t considered how to execute it. I felt like an i***t.

But as I stood there, my instincts sharpened. It was a faint, fleeting sensation, but I understood just enough.

Three goblins were charging me, their weapons raised. Behind me, Zeus—inhabiting my best friend’s body—was already preparing another attack. I was caught between them.

I muttered under my breath, “Inventory.”

A familiar weight settled into my hands—my twin daggers.

I focused on the shadow of one of the goblins perched on the branch, its bow drawn, arrow aimed. The dim light of the dungeon stretched its shadow behind the trunk of the tree.

I didn’t hesitate. Just as a lightning bolt roared toward me, I melted into my own shadow.

Darkness swallowed me whole, and in the blink of an eye, I reappeared—materializing from the goblin’s shadow on the tree trunk. It didn’t even have time to react before I drove my dagger into its back.

Below, the lightning struck, incinerating the three melee goblins in an instant.

One left.

I didn’t give it time to react. My body moved instinctively. Again, I slipped into the void of the shadows, emerging behind the final goblin before it could release its arrow. Another quick stab, and it collapsed without a sound.

I landed lightly on the branch, heart pounding. I could feel it now—inside my skill interface, the glowing text stood out:

Unique Skill: Shadow Step.