The ground trembled again.
But this time it wasn't collapsing.
It was approaching.
Kai felt it before he saw it. A pressure in the air—heavy, suffocating, wrong.
"…what is that…?" he whispered.
Riven didn't answer immediately. His gaze shifted toward the far end of the ruined street.
"…something you're not ready for."
"That doesn't help."
"…a Devourer."
The word felt unfamiliar. Dangerous.
"…what does that mean?"
Riven's expression hardened slightly.
"…it means if you don't move right now, you die."
That was enough.
"Move!"
Riven grabbed Kai's arm and pulled him back just as the ground ahead exploded outward.
Something landed.
Hard.
The impact cracked the pavement. Dust burst into the air, swallowing the street in a cloud of grey.
Kai stumbled, barely keeping his balance.
"…what the hell—"
Then he saw it.
A figure.
At first glance, it looked human.
But the longer he stared, the more wrong it became.
Its body was twisted unnaturally, like something had reshaped it without understanding how a human should move. Veins glowed faintly beneath pale, cracked skin. Its limbs bent at angles that didn't feel natural.
And its eyes—
Completely black.
Empty.
Like something had erased everything that once existed inside them.
Around it, fragments floated.
Small, broken pieces of light drifted through the air like shattered glass caught in slow motion.
"…Echoes…" Riven muttered.
The creature's head tilted slowly, as if noticing them for the first time.
Then—
It smiled.
The expression stretched too far, too wide, like it didn't quite understand how smiles were supposed to look.
"…I can smell it…" it whispered.
Its voice was distorted, layered with something unnatural.
"…fresh…"
Kai's body went cold.
"…what is it talking about…?"
"…you," Riven said calmly.
The creature's gaze locked onto Kai instantly.
"…you've awakened…"
Before Kai could react—
It moved.
There was no warning.
No buildup.
One moment it stood still.
The next—
It was in front of him.
Kai's mind froze.
His body refused to respond.
"Move!" Riven snapped.
Too late.
The creature's hand shot forward—
And wrapped around Kai's throat.
His breath vanished instantly.
Kai's eyes widened as his feet left the ground.
"…weak…" the creature whispered, lifting him effortlessly.
"…but full…"
Kai grabbed its wrist, trying to pull it away, but it didn't budge.
It was like trying to move steel.
"…let—go…!"
The creature leaned closer, its hollow eyes staring directly into his.
"…your Echo…"
"…it's strong…"
Kai's chest tightened in panic.
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
For a split second
He thought he was going to die.
Just like all the other times.
But this time
There would be no reset.
No second chance.
No Lina waiting at the beginning.
Just
The end.
Riven moved.
Fast.
He appeared beside them in an instant, his expression unchanged.
He raised his hand
And drove it forward.
A sharp burst of blue energy erupted from his palm, slamming into the creature's side.
The impact forced it back, releasing Kai instantly.
Kai dropped to the ground, gasping violently, air rushing painfully back into his lungs.
"…cough—!"
"Get up," Riven said coldly.
Kai struggled, pushing himself up on shaking arms.
"…what… is that thing…?"
"…a Devourer," Riven replied.
His eyes never left the creature.
"…it consumes Echoes to grow stronger."
Kai's breath hitched.
"…and mine…?"
"…is very appealing to it."
The creature stood again.
Unharmed.
Still smiling.
"…yes…"
"…yours…"
It took a step forward.
Then another.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Like it was enjoying the moment.
"…you've seen death…"
"…again and again…"
Kai's chest tightened.
"…that power…"
"…I want it…"
Before Kai could react
It lunged again.
Faster than before.
Kai's body froze.
Fear locked him in place.
But then
That feeling returned.
That same pressure.
That same pull deep inside him.
"…stop…"
The world shifted.
Not fully.
Not completely.
But just enough.
The creature's movement slowed slightly.
Kai's eyes widened.
"…I can… see it…"
For the first time
He understood.
Even if just a little.
The movement.
The pattern.
The attack.
It wasn't new.
He had seen it before.
Somewhere.
Somehow.
His body moved.
Just barely.
The creature's hand missed him by inches.
Kai stumbled back, breathing hard.
"…I… dodged it…"
The creature paused.
Then tilted its head again.
"…interesting…"
Its smile widened.
"…even better…"
Kai's heart pounded.
Because this time
It wasn't just hunting him.
It was excited.
And for the first time
Kai realized something worse than fear.
He wasn't just prey.
He was something valuable.
Something worth taking.
The creature crouched slightly.
Preparing.
"…run…" Riven said quietly.
Kai didn't move.
He couldn't.
Because deep down
He knew.
Running wouldn't save him.
Not anymore.
The creature's body tensed
Then it disappeared.
Kai's eyes widened.
"…where"
A presence appeared behind him.
Too fast.
Too close.
Too late.
A cold hand reached for his chest