Eliot pushed harder against the rough bark of the oak tree, gasping for air. (DISTANCE: 20M… 15M… 10M…) The System screamed warnings in his vision. The unseen hum was louder now, a low, unsettling vibration in his chest. It was close. Too close.
Panic threatened to take over, but a cold, desperate clear thought began to form. Running wasn't enough. He couldn't outrun something he couldn't see, something faster and better than him. He had to do something.
He remembered his Basic Telekinesis ability. He could move things. Could he… could he fight this unseen threat? The System had said "direct confrontation not advisable" because his energy was low, but what other choices did he have? Wait to be caught?
He scanned his surroundings wildly, looking for anything, anything he could use. His eyes landed on a loose, heavy branch that had fallen from the oak tree. It was thick, twisted, and as long as his arm.
He focused, pushing through his fear. The blue light around his hand flared, stronger than before, powered by pure desperation. He pictured the branch. "Lift!" he commanded in his mind.
Nothing.
He gritted his teeth. His Energy Reserves (Host) were critically low, he remembered. The System's earlier warning. He was pushing himself to the limit.
(WARNING: HOST ENERGY CRITICAL. SUSTAINED ABILITY USE WILL RESULT IN SYSTEM SHUTDOWN.)
No! Not now! He needed this. He focused harder, pouring every bit of his fading strength, every flicker of his will, into the command. "LIFT!" he roared, though no sound came out.
This time, the branch trembled. Slowly, painfully, it began to rise, scraping against the ground with a harsh sound. It rose higher, swinging awkwardly, until it hovered about shoulder height. It felt incredibly heavy, a huge drain on his energy. He could feel his body shaking, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
(DISTANCE: 5M… 3M… )
It was almost on him. He could almost feel a presence right in front of him, a chill in the air where nothing should be. The shimmer in his vision was directly ahead now, a distortion of the very air.
He swung the branch, not knowing what he was hitting, just aiming for the shimmer, for the felt presence. He put all his remaining strength into the desperate, wild swing.
The heavy branch hit something. There was no sound of wood hitting wood, or flesh, or metal. Instead, there was a sickening, high-pitched whine, like tortured electronics, followed by a faint, metallic clang. The air shimmered violently where the branch had struck, and for a split second, he thought he saw a ripple, like heat haze, outlining something tall and somewhat human-shaped before it vanished.
The blow vibrated through his arms, sending a jolt of pain up to his shoulders. The branch slipped from his telekinetic grip, clattering loudly to the ground. His entire body screamed in protest, every muscle burning, every nerve screaming.
THREAT ENGAGED. TARGET IMPACTED. STATUS: RETREATING.
HOST ENERGY RESERVES: CRITICAL.
SYSTEM STABILIZING.
RECOMMENDATION: IMMEDIATE REST AND RECOVERY.
Eliot stumbled backward, collapsing against the tree, sliding to the ground. He took huge, gulping breaths, his lungs burning. The blue glow around him flickered, then dimmed, almost to nothing. The hum inside him quieted, a barely noticeable vibration.
It was gone. He had done it. He had hit it. Whatever it was. And it was leaving.
A wave of exhaustion, deep and complete, washed over him. His eyelids felt impossibly heavy. The adrenaline faded, leaving him weak and trembling. He had used the last of his strength, and then some. The hunger gnawed at him, now a dull, constant ache.
He stared at the spot where the invisible threat had been, then at the fallen branch. He had survived. But just barely. He was safe, for now. But the "System Signature Detected" message echoed in his mind. He wasn't just being hunted; he was being hunted by something similar to him, something that would likely come back.
He had no idea what he had started, or what new, dangerous game he was now a part of. All he knew was that his life, or what was left of it, had just changed forever. He closed his eyes, darkness threatening to swallow him whole.