A barricade with walls of swirling wreckage—glass shards, rubble, splinters of wood—all spinning and shattering within a furious vortex.
And they were trapped at its heart.
Aylin stood on her last drop of life energy. Even Zach, though less wounded, was barely holding on. Two of the group's strongest now faced their worst moment.
But what burned Zach most... was Tahin.
The boy had become a puppet under the phantom's control—and because of him, Billy and Karina had been caught in the chaos.
"Damn it... he should've died yesterday… This is that monster's twisted plan."
The phantom grinned and gazed proudly over the battlefield.
"Ha ha… Time to begin the feast. Who shall I start with…? The tastiest one should go last, to soak in despair's flavor."
It picked up a jagged bone and licked it, eyes glinting.
"First I'll drain your blood until you're half-dead… then snap your bones—crunch crunch... Oh, that heart of yours… delicious... But now, I've found something better."
Its gaze locked onto Karina—intoxicated by her scent.
"Ahh… maddening… You tried to hide this? She belongs to me. Keh keh keh…"
An obsessive hunger rose within the monster.
Zach clenched his teeth, fists so tight they bled.
"Shut up… As long as I'm standing, I won't let you touch a single one of my friends…"
He staggered forward, planting himself before the phantom.
But the monster—now using more than half of its power—unleashed a swirling blast toward him.
Whooosh—
Zach raised his ice shield to block it, but it shattered instantly.
The blast sliced through his body like a blade. Blood erupted. His legs gave out.
A crimson lake formed beneath him as his half-open eyes struggled to focus.
Everyone stared in horror.
Aylin trembled as she crawled toward Zach.
"Please… hold on… You'll be okay…"
Joshua launched himself at the phantom in fury—fists pounding.
But it was like punching air.
Against the phantom's gaze, he looked like a child crying over a stolen toy—powerless and enraged.
The phantom was bored now. It slashed Joshua with jagged claws. A deep wound tore through his body.
He coughed blood. His skin hissed—its claws were venomous like acid.
"Aghhh—It burns… damn… it's burning so bad!"
Only Karina, Billy, and Tahin remained.
Billy trembled, haunted by the blood and screams. He stepped back.
But where could he go? There was no escape.
Voices from his past echoed:
"Pathetic… disgusting… You shouldn't exist… you worthless waste…"
He curled in on himself.
"I'm pathetic… How can I even think of running… when my friends are bleeding to protect me? What do I do…"
He dropped to his knees, eyes flooded with tears. His hazel gaze looked like a crumbling wooden window.
Frozen, defeated—he became a statue buried in fear.
But Karina, the ten-year-old child, stood.
Though shaking, she didn't step back.
The phantom twisted a grin at her defiance.
"Haha… I was right. You really are special."
It glanced at mind-controlled Tahin.
"Tch… unlike that fool of a puppet… you excite me. I won't kill you yet… But your sweet scent makes it hard to resist."
Conflicted, the phantom muttered strange, layered voices.
"Don't eat her yet… Let her suffer longer…"
"No… eat her now before someone steals her…"
"Right—before that filthy mongrel comes sniffing… ha ha… You can't escape now!"
Karina watched in confusion as the phantom grew erratic.
Its behavior compressed the vortex further. The space was shrinking. If they didn't escape soon, they'd be torn apart inside.
Shaking but firm, she shouted:
"Stop… You wanted me, right? I'll allow it. You said I was special… Then if I choose to join you, isn't that better? But I have one condition."
The phantom cocked its head mockingly.
"A condition? Haha… You're full of surprises…"
It edged closer, growling:
"You think you can make demands? I could kill you right now."
Karina felt crawling cold on her neck—like thousands of insects tightening around her throat.
Her small frame quivered, yet her golden hair gleamed in the gloom like a lantern in a storm.
"You should consider it. You said I'm not ready… Every chef knows flavor requires patience before the best bite."
That struck a chord. The phantom paused, intrigued.
"Fine… Tell me. But don't think you can trick me."
The air reeked of rot—Karina struggled to breathe. Her throat burned and her cheeks flushed with fever.
Yet she continued:
"Let the others go. If you do… you get me."
The phantom recoiled. Screams erupted from the souls in its hollow eyes.
"You little worm… Just because I said you're special, you think I'll obey? You try to deceive me… That's unforgivable!"
A dark aura coiled around her like a serpent—slowly attempting to crush her.
But just then… a sound struck the phantom off guard.
Its attention had been absorbed by Karina.
It hadn't sensed Aylin.
Aylin, using her last drop of energy and Billy's stealth, reached the monster's heart.
She shouted:
"Didn't I say… my blade devours your shadow? Goodbye, filth!"
She twisted the sword and stabbed deep.
The core broke—split in two.
A wind howled and the ground shook.
Everyone thought the battle was over…
But nothing happened.
The phantom remained.
Aylin, broken, gasped in pain.
"Why… Why didn't it die… I struck its heart… Why…?"
The phantom relished their despair.
For it kne
w—effort always led to failure.
A graveyard silence fell.
Only one being savored this moment—
The nightmare that refused to die.
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