Breaking the Illusions

Kael steadied himself, taking a deep breath as the ten wolves lunged toward him. His knuckles were white against the hilt of Ignis, its fiery edge illuminating the area.

His muscles slightly hurt from the earlier exertion, but he forced himself to ignore the pain. There was no room for weakness here.

He'd figured out their trick: only one wolf was real at any time. But knowing it and surviving it were two entirely different things.

'If they can create these beast infinitely then I'd be in trouble.' Kael thought to himself, 'but I doubt they can. So it comes down to a battle of attrition.'

"Alright," Kael muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Let's dance."

The first wolf leapt at him from the right. Kael twisted to dodge, swinging Ignis in a swift arc. Flames roared as the blade sliced clean through the creature's neck. Blood sprayed, staining the ground.

One down.

The remaining wolves faltered for a brief moment, then resumed their assault. Kael realized the real one must have been destroyed. Now the illusionist needed to decide which would replace it.

Two wolves charged from his left. Kael stepped back, swinging Ignis horizontally, the blade cutting through one wolf effortlessly. It evaporated into mist.

"Not you," Kael growled, spinning to face the second. He feinted left, then slashed at its head. The wolf dodged, snarling as its claws swiped for his midsection.

Kael's fragment pulsed in warning. He ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as the claws barely missed him. He retaliated with a precise upward slash. Ignis cleaved through the wolf, and unlike the previous illusions, its body fell to the ground, blood forming a pool beneath it.

The mist stirred again. The illusions adjusted their positions, reforming with a weird synchronization. Seven wolves remained, their glowing eyes locked on Kael.

Kael gritted his teeth, his chest rising and falling heavily. "You're getting predictable."

Another wolf lunged from behind. Kael's fragment flared, his instincts taking over. He twisted mid-step, his blade coming down in a fiery arc. The wolf vanished before it reached him, leaving a smoky trail in its wake.

"Good try," Kael said through gritted teeth. "But not good enough."

Two more wolves attacked in tandem, one from the front and the other from the side. Kael sidestepped the first, his blade spinning to deflect the second. Both wolves disappeared, nothing more than illusions.

The remaining five circled him, their growls were low and menacing. Kael's eyes darted between them, searching for the smallest clue as to which one was real. His fragment pulsed faintly, giving him a nudge toward the wolf on his right.

"Got you," Kael muttered.

He charged, Ignis, covered in a layer of flame, blazed as he brought it down in a diagonal slash. The wolf dodged, but Kael's fragment flared again. He followed through with a second strike, this time landing the blow. Blood sprayed, and the wolf let out a yelp before collapsing.

The illusions wavered for a moment, their forms flickering as if glitching. Then they regrouped, reforming their pack. Kael groaned as six new wolves appeared, all identical, all menacing.

"Does this ever end?" he muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.

One of the wolves charged directly at him, faster and more aggressive than the others had been. Kael's fragment pulsed sharply, warning him. He swung Ignis with all his strength, aiming for the beast's throat.

The blade connected, but there was no resistance. Another illusion.

Kael cursed under his breath, turning just in time to avoid another wolf lunging from his side. This one's claws raked against his arm, tearing his sleeve and grazing his skin. He stumbled back, pain shooting through his arm.

"Focus," he told himself. "It's just a scratch."

The wolves didn't give him time to regroup. Another charged, its fangs bared. Kael raised Ignis, summoning the fragment's power. Flames erupted along the blade as he slashed downward, the fiery arc scorching the earth.

This time, he struck true. The wolf yelped as the flames engulfed it, its body crumpling to the ground. Kael's chest tightened as he noticed the remaining wolves faltering. He'd taken out the real one again.

"Is that all you've got?" he taunted, his confidence returning despite his exhaustion.

The mist began to thicken again, and Kael cursed. He didn't have the luxury of waiting for the next attack. He had to end this, now.

With a deep breath, Kael steadied Ignis and charged the remaining wolves. He swung wildly, flames erupting with each strike. Illusions vanished one by one as his blade passed through them, but none bled. None were real.

Kael stumbled to a halt, his energy draining fast. "Where are you?" he growled, scanning the remaining illusions. His fragment pulsed faintly again, pointing him toward a wolf lingering at the edge of the pack.

"Found you," Kael muttered.

Summoning the last of his strength, he dashed forward, Ignis blazing. The wolf lunged to meet him, its jaws snapping. Kael ducked low, sliding under the beast. As he passed beneath it, he slashed upward with all his might.

The wolf let out a final, blood-curdling howl before collapsing in a heap. The remaining illusions flickered and vanished, leaving the clearing eerily silent.

Kael fell to his knees, Ignis slipping from his grip. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. The mist was gone, replaced by a clear view of the forest around him. The oppressive feeling that had hung in the air was lifted, leaving only the sound of his breathing.

"Is it over?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. For a moment, he allowed himself to hope. But deep down, Kael knew better. In this cursed forest, nothing was ever truly over.

And as expected, as he quickly followed the large footsteps before the returning fog completely covered his view, he heard a loud painful scream come from deeper in the forest in a straight path that he was headed to.

From the sounds of it, it Selina!