Shadows That Shouldn't be There
799 Words
The darkness felt… wrong.
Too heavy.
Too quiet.
Like the forest itself was holding its breath.
“…No,” I whispered.
Don’t move.
But my body was already reacting.
Slowly, carefully—
I stepped forward.
The camp was just behind me.
I could still hear faint breathing.
They were there.
Safe.
But whatever was in front of me—
Wasn’t.
A branch snapped.
Closer this time.
My pulse quickened.
“…Who’s there?” I called out, trying to keep my voice steady.
No answer.
That’s not a good sign.
The air shifted.
A faint scent reached me.
Metal.
Blood.
My stomach dropped.
“…This is bad,” I muttered.
You should go back.
“I know.”
But my feet didn’t move.
Because something told me—
If I turned my back now—
I wouldn’t make it back.
A shadow flickered between the trees.
Then another.
“…Not alone,” I whispered.
And then—
They stepped into the dim light.
Three of them.
Beastmen.
But not like the others.
Their eyes were dull.
Empty.
Their movements—
Jerky.
Unnatural.
“…Rogue beasts,” I breathed.
Run.
Too late.
One of them lunged.
“—!”
I barely dodged, stumbling backward as claws sliced through the air where I had been standing.
MOVE!
My body reacted on instinct.
I turned—
But another one was already behind me.
“…Crap.”
It swung.
I raised my arm—
Too slow—
A sharp force slammed into the ground between us.
CRACK—
The earth split violently, forcing the beast back.
I froze.
“…I did that.”
You did.
But there was no time to think.
The third one charged.
“STOP!”
The ground surged upward again—
But this time—
It didn’t just rise.
It exploded.
Chunks of earth shot forward, slamming into the beast and throwing it back.
My breathing turned uneven.
“…I didn’t mean to do that.”
You don’t have control.
“I noticed!”
The first beast recovered quickly.
Too quickly.
It rushed me again—
“Luna!”
Taika.
He appeared in front of me just in time, his arm slamming into the beast and sending it flying.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he snapped.
“I didn’t plan this!”
“Stay behind me.”
“…Not happening.”
The ground beneath my feet trembled again.
Taika glanced back at me.
“…You’re doing it again.”
“I know!”
Stop it.
“I’m trying!”
The second beast lunged—
Taika met it head-on, his movements sharp and controlled.
The ground shifted with him—
No.
It shifted with me.
“…Wait,” I whispered.
Every step he took—
The earth responded.
“…That’s not him.”
Taika noticed too.
“…Luna.”
“I think I’m amplifying it,” I said, panic rising in my chest.
That’s not good.
“Not good?!”
The third beast recovered and charged again—
I reacted without thinking.
A pulse of green light burst from my body.
Warm.
Gentle.
But powerful.
It spread outward—
The beasts froze.
For a split second—
Their movements slowed.
“…What did you just do?” Taika asked.
“I don’t know!”
But I felt it.
That same connection.
The same one from before.
Only stronger now.
“…This is getting worse,” I muttered.
The beasts shook off the effect quickly.
Too quickly.
“They’re not normal,” Taika said.
“I can see that!”
Another presence landed beside us.
A gust of wind—
Aeris.
“…You two always attract trouble,” he said lightly, though his eyes were sharp.
“Now’s not the time,” Taika snapped.
“Relax. I’ve got it.”
Aeris moved fast.
Too fast.
He darted forward, striking one of the beasts with precise, calculated movements.
Clean.
Efficient.
The beast dropped.
“…One down,” he muttered.
But the others—
Didn’t retreat.
They kept coming.
Relentless.
“…They don’t feel pain,” I whispered"
“That’s because they’ve lost themselves,” a calm voice said behind us.
Eryndor.
Of course.
“…Then how do we stop them?” I asked.
“…We don’t hold back,” Taika replied.
The ground shook again.
Stronger this time.
More unstable.
You’re losing control.
“I know!”
The pressure inside me surged—
Too much.
Too fast.
“…Luna, stop!” Taika warned.
“I can’t!”
The earth around us began to distort wildly—
Cracking.
Shifting.
Unstable.
Everything felt like it was about to collapse.
And for a terrifying moment—
I realized something.
This wasn’t just power.
This was a problem.
And if I didn’t get it under control—
I might end up hurting them.
- Writer
