A small man was tied on the basement floor, his body ensnared by bloody rope.
A door swung open, hitting a wall with a deafening bang.
Stairs made out of synthetic wood began to creak as two figures descended into the room.
Screams of despair reverberated through the chamber.
"Please! Please don't kill me! I'll do anything, please!"
The taller man looked at his accomplice.
"I have seventeen minutes left before the punishment. As soon as I'm done, dispose of the corpse."
The person spoken to grinned widely.
"Ah, I can't wait!"
The tall man walked slowly, each step equally firm and deliberate.
Screams and wails left the terrified man, each one clawing at the man's conscience. Nonetheless, a cleaver braided itself into reality in a spectacle of light, settling into the hunter's hand.
The towering figure raised its weapon, ready to execute. The blade fell down.
"Wait! Please! I have a daughter!"
This one sentence was enough to give the tall man pause, the armament stopping as his hand froze mid swing.
Its sharp edge was mere millimeters from the captive's skin.
The tied up man seized this short moment of hesitation.
The ropes burned as electric charge built up between his palms. His hands shot out, along with a bolt of lightning. It soared through the air at an unreasonable speed, colliding with the figure.
The hunter was sent flying, slamming into a wall. His body shook with electric tremors, sliding down onto the floor.
An extremely revolting smell, that of burning polyester, filled the suffocating atmosphere.
"Stay down! I beg you, for your sake, just stay down!"
Yelled the freed man, building more static charge between his hands.
The short man pointed at his accomplice, laughing loudly and wildly.
"He rocked you so hard, Jani! Should've seen your face, it was incredible!"
The tall man, Jani, pulled himself up, dusting off his clothing. His features twisted into a scowl.
The shorter man spoke:
"Well, guess I'll help, Jani."
At the claim, the taller man showed the first emotion that wasn't reluctant execution of his duty.
"Stop it, Jax! If I don't get the kill, I'll die too!"
As they were arguing, the man that had been trapped searched for a way out, but found none. All around him was a smooth, metal wall.
He was trembling in fear, but continued to build up electric energy.
As Jaxon continued to walk toward Jani's prey, an animalistic shout echoed through the room.
"Stand down, now, Jaxon!"
At his name, he turned around, then walked back and sat back against the entrance, cutting the only escape route.
"Fine. But I get to blow up the corpse."
Jani didn't mind the remark.
He walked towards the whimpering man. Pure galvanic energy flowed between his palms.
"I'm warning you! I'm not afraid to shoot!"
Jani's expression was one of pity. He couldn't even look the man in the eyes.
With a reluctant gasp, he let out a sentence, almost silently:
"And I'm sorry."
The prey moved his hand, a thunderbolt escaping his hold, soaring towards Jani.
Unfortunately, the hunter was too capable.
He weaved through the attack with practiced timing, closing the gap between them in mere instants. The cleaver sang as it divided the air, meeting no resistance as its blade passed through the prey's delicate neck.
He caught the man's corpse, slowly lowering it onto the floor. Then, he carefully closed his eyes.
"Rest, please."
Taking a deep sigh, Jani turned around, shouting.
"Jax! Your part."
"Oh my concepts, finally!"
Jaxon walked over and put his hand on the corpse. It shined brightly, as if energy was gathering within it, then exploded in a burst of incandescence and smoke.
On his face, a smile unfit for the situation grew as he spoke, the corpse left as nothing but soot.
"That was so good! Did you see how he burst-"
From the fire, a black shadow emerged, cutting the explosion-loving man's question short. It was faceless but somehow seemed deeply satisfied.
"You have hunted this month's prey! The avatar of lightning, Kirom, has been felled!"
Turning to where the corpse was, as if seeing it, the shadow asked:
"I wasn't watching, child. Was the hunt marvelous? I expect no less from my avatar."
Jani loosened the battle braid holding back his long black hair. It fell down in waves, coating his shoulders.
The man stared at the shadow with a glare. His voice cracked at first, but grew stable as he spoke:
"Hunt? More like a slaughter."
The shadow let out a quiet "tsk."
"Well, that's a shame. Anyways, your reward, Jani!"
Jani felt cold metal brush against his skin, tying around his arm like a bracelet. The shadow seemed content, its formless body fading with one last sentence:
"I'll be announcing your next prey in a few minutes."
Jaxon had just finished his ramble, turning around to address Jani.
"Did you get a good reward?"
Jani went to the stairs, his body numb from mental strain, expecting his friend to follow.
"No reward is worth it."
Jax followed energetically, circling his friend on the staircase, ending up in front of him. Walking backwards, he asked:
"Is it cool, at least?"
Jani followed as Jax opened the door for them, and they stepped into his apartment.
"Jax. I'm not in the mood."
Jax used a small explosion to jump to the front entrance, leaving a soot mark on the living room's floor.
"Fine, fine. I'm leaving. Although you have to call me for a beer sometime!"
Jax shouted as the door closed behind him.
The tall man dropped onto the couch, fishing through the small desk's compartment to grab a canteen full of cheap, synthetic liquor.
Then, shadows pooled around him, and a figure stepped out.
"Greetings, my avatar! Now, are you prepared for your prey to be revealed?"
Jani rubbed his temples, sighing out between large swigs of the canteen.
"Just get it over with, Hunt."
The figure acted mock offended.
"Please address me as the Benevolent Lord Concept of Hunting, thank you. Now, as always, the time limit shall be three months. The punishment for failure is no less than your death. The reward for a successful hunt is an item mimicking the prey's ability."
Jani rolled his eyes as he downed the strong liquor. This monologue was repeated to him every time he received a new target.
He ignored the bitter, burning heat spreading through his throat.
"Your target is one of the three heroes of the corporate war, the man who has singlehandedly kept the order within your city for decades…"
Jani's eyes widened in terror as he coughed up the alcohol, bile spilling all over him along with the liquid.
"…Your father's old colleague, the myth, the general, the man whose very being commands respect, Reginald Spectre!"
Cleaning himself up, Jani shouted out in response:
"There's no way, I can't hunt him! I'll die for sure!"
By the time his protests were audible, the shadow was gone, faded into nothing.
His face grew into a shocked grimace, then turned into a blank expression.
The man's facial muscles twitched, forcing his lips into a wide, crazy smile.
Creaking of metal echoed through the room, the canteen bending under his grip.
'First mom and dad, now uncle? What a sick joke.'
Looking at the empty space Hunt had been occupying, Jani got up and walked to the kitchen. Glass clinked as he pulled out a bottle, untwisting its cork with his bare hands.
'Too cruel. This is all just too cruel.'
The bottle's bottom held the mercy that he wouldn't find anywhere else.