The swamp mist hadn't even fully settled before Lucas felt it — a prickle in the back of his mind, like invisible claws scraping against his thoughts. The Orb pulsed in his palm, not in warning this time, but in dread.
It's awake now, the voice murmured. And it will never stop hunting you.
Kaelen leaned heavily against Seris, his ribs obviously broken but his eyes hard. "That… thing. It followed you, not us. Which means it's after the Orb."
Lucas opened his mouth to answer, but the swamp around them changed. The air thickened, colors draining to dull gray. Leaves froze mid-fall, raindrops hanging in the air like glass beads. Time itself had slowed — except for the ripple in the mist, moving toward them.
"That's not possible…" Seris breathed.
"Oh, it's possible," the Orb replied through Lucas's mind. That's how it hunts — in the space between seconds.
From the haze stepped the thing from the whirlpool, but different. Smaller now, almost man-shaped, its horns curved like scythes, and those pale-blue flames in its eyes burned brighter. Each step left behind skeletal footprints in the air before they faded.
It raised its clawed hand, and the world screamed. Not a sound — a feeling — as though every living thing in the swamp knew something ancient and hungry had arrived.
"Run," Lucas said, but the moment they moved, the creature blurred forward.
Kaelen swung his sword in desperation, but the blade met only mist. The monster's claw passed through his chest — not cutting flesh, but pulling something from him. Kaelen screamed and collapsed, eyes wide and unfocused.
"His life force!" the Orb snapped. It feeds on what you are!
Lucas clenched the Orb. Light flared, and in the blink of an eye, they were somewhere else — the swamp replaced by a windswept plateau under a violet sky. Floating islands drifted lazily in the air, and rivers of molten gold snaked between jagged cliffs.
"Where are we?" Seris gasped.
"The Veilways," the Orb replied grimly. A realm between realms. But don't relax — it can follow.
Sure enough, a ripple tore through the sky, and the creature stepped out, bigger again, its form solidifying with every breath.
Lucas's instincts took over. He drew on the Orb's fire affinity, conjuring a spear of molten flame, and hurled it with all his strength. The weapon struck, exploding in a blast that shattered the cliffside. The creature staggered — but it laughed.
"You wield them all, child. Fire, shadow, light… mine, too, will be yours when you are ash."
It swept its arm, unleashing a wave of black energy. Lucas shielded Seris with a barrier of crystalline earth, the blast tearing at the stone until it glowed red-hot.
The Orb's voice was urgent. You cannot fight it as you are — you must anchor its form. Bind it!
Lucas reached into the Orb's chaos — wind, water, lightning, fire, light, shadow — and pulled them together. The magic burned like swallowing the sun. He traced a circle in the air, the elements weaving into a radiant chain, and flung it around the creature.
The chain snapped shut. The monster roared, its form flickering violently between shadow and bone. For a heartbeat, its flaming eyes dimmed.
Then the chain shattered.
The creature grinned. "Better. I like a chase."
With a lurch, time snapped back to normal. The monster vanished in a swirl of shadow, leaving only the echo of its laughter.
Lucas dropped to his knees, sweat pouring down his face. The Orb was quiet for a moment, then finally whispered:
It won't stop, Lucas. And every time it finds you… it will be stronger.