A village burning to ashes. People screaming. Blood-soaked snow. Children hidden away, crying.
It was a familiar sight for the beast — for it was the one causing the chaos.
A man, clutching an axe, stepped forward through the flames. His wife had been split in half before his very eyes, but he would not falter. Not until he got his revenge.
He raised the axe and swung with all his rage at the creature — a towering silhouette, twice his size. The blade bit into its thigh, barely notching the skin.
From the wound, a thick, dark fluid oozed — too black to be blood.
The monster growled, low and guttural. Then, with a single motion, it raised its arm. The claws caught the moonlight as they came down, tearing through the man's torso like paper.
He screamed, stumbling back — but the creature caught him mid-fall, one claw at his throat, another at his leg. And then it feasted.
The sound of ripping flesh drowned the night. Those who watched could only run, as the man's body was torn apart before their eyes.
***
An old woman, trapped beneath debris, cries for help..
A hand appears, black veins waving under its skin, and pulls her out. She tries to thank her saviour, but he is already walking away, a red bandana covering his eyes and flowing in the wind.
She caught a glimpse of twin daggers at his waist, their blades stained red, just before he turned the corner.
***
The beast howled in contempt. It had feasted good tonight.