The clash between the guardian and the shadow-beast was like the meeting of two storms. Every strike of claw against claw sent thunder through the air, and each roar shook the mountainside.
Arian's pulse matched the rhythm of the fight. The heat in his veins became unbearable — like molten fire demanding release. His muscles trembled, not from fear, but from the power clawing to get out.
The guardian was strong, but the shadow-beast was stronger. Its body moved like smoke and steel — intangible one second, crushingly solid the next. In a single swipe, it hurled the guardian across the valley, smashing it into the cliffs.
"Arian!" the guardian's voice roared inside his mind. "Control it — or it will control you!"
Too late.
The moment Arian stepped forward, his bones cracked, lengthened. White fur burst from his skin, each strand glowing faintly under the moonlight. His heartbeat roared in his ears until it was indistinguishable from the growl tearing from his throat.
In seconds, the young man from Jambi was gone. In his place stood a massive white tiger, larger than the guardian itself, eyes glowing with a silver fire that made the shadow-beast hesitate.
Instinct took over. He lunged. His jaws clamped around the beast's shoulder, tasting a heat like molten iron. The shadow-beast shrieked — a sound so alien it made the air warp.
The guardian regained its footing, joining Arian in the assault. For the first time in centuries, the shadow-beast found itself on the defensive, forced back step by step.
But in the back of Arian's mind, something darker whispered.More… take more… until nothing stands.
And with every blow he landed, he felt a piece of himself slipping further away.
The battlefield became a blur of claws, fangs, and light. Every impact left craters in the earth, and every roar sent shockwaves rippling through the trees.
The shadow-beast shifted forms — at times a hulking wolf, then a serpent, then something that defied all reason. It struck with speed and precision, but Arian's instincts matched it blow for blow. His body moved like a predator born of the moon, not the man he once was.
The guardian circled to Arian's left, its golden eyes locked on the enemy. "Hold your mind, White Tiger," it urged. "If you give in to the bloodlust now, we will win the battle but lose the war."
But Arian could barely hear it. The pounding of his own heart was deafening. The thrill of the hunt consumed him — the need to tear, to crush, to end.
He pounced. His claws tore through the shadow-beast's chest, ripping out black smoke that sizzled in the night air. The creature howled and tried to dissolve into mist, but Arian's teeth found its neck, anchoring it in place.
For a brief, glorious moment, he felt invincible.
Then the whisper came again, colder this time.Why stop here? There are more to hunt. More to kill.
Arian's grip tightened. He could feel the beast's life-force pouring into him like a river of fire. His fur shone brighter, his muscles swelled — and yet, the human inside him was screaming.
The guardian lunged, knocking Arian away before he could drain the creature entirely."Enough!" it roared. "The curse is taking hold!"
Arian landed hard, panting. The shadow-beast, wounded and fading, vanished into the dark — not defeated, but retreating.
The guardian approached slowly, as if speaking to a wild animal. "You won this night, Arian. But if you do not learn control… next time, the monster you kill will be yourself."
The words sank into him like ice. He could still feel the beast's heat in his veins — and deep down, part of him wanted more.
The night was unnaturally still after the shadow-beast's retreat. Even the crickets and owls seemed to hold their breath. The forest smelled of burnt air and blood — his blood, the beast's blood, and something far older.
Arian staggered to his feet. His tiger form was receding, bones shifting and fur melting away into skin. The process hurt more than he remembered, as if his body was warning him that each transformation would be harder to reverse.
The guardian remained in its tiger form, watching him with a wary gaze."You felt it, didn't you?" it asked quietly.Arian nodded. "The… hunger. It's not just to fight. It's to… take."
"That is the White Tiger's curse," the guardian said. "It is not content with mere victory. It wants dominance. It wants the essence of those it kills."
Arian clenched his fists. "If I fight it, can I win?""You don't fight it," the guardian replied, stepping closer. "You chain it. You give it boundaries. If you let it off its leash even once… it will never want to be chained again."
The words felt heavy, almost prophetic.
Before Arian could respond, a faint metallic scent drifted into the clearing — gun oil. Human scent.The guardian's ears flicked. "We're not alone."
From the shadows beyond the treeline, red dots began to appear, dancing over their chests. Laser sights. Dozens of them.
And then a voice rang out in accented English."Target confirmed. White Tiger host. Engage."
The forest erupted into gunfire.