Think on your feet

The air was thick and suffocating, heavy with the stench of decay and saltwater. Bram's eyelids fluttered open to a haunting sight: the grotesque, translucent form of a humanoid jellyfish looming above him. Its bulbous, pulsing body glowed faintly in the dim cavern, casting eerie shadows on the slick walls. Its tentacles wriggled and coiled, suspending his crewmates like limp marionettes in the air. Bram's pulse quickened, but something felt strange—his mind was clear. He was awake, not under the creature's spell like the others.

For weeks now, something deep inside Bram had nagged at him. His memories, vivid and detailed, felt…off. He knew he was a slum rat from Raikem City, named by a gypsy. He vividly remembered his struggles and triumphs as he traveled the lands. Yet, something about those memories didn't sit right. It was as though they belonged to someone else. He pushed the thought aside. This wasn't the time.

His body ached from exhaustion, but Bram forced himself to crawl toward Orden. The knight's armor glinted faintly in the dim light, his head hanging lifelessly. "Wake up!" Bram hissed, shaking Orden's shoulder. No response. He moved to Solveig next, slapping her muscular arm, then to Arcia, whose petite frame looked so fragile in the creature's grasp. Still, none of them stirred.

Panting, Bram leaned against the wall, his mind racing. He didn't know about the jellyfish's mind-hexing powers, but he guessed the creature had sedated his crew. His sharp eyes studied the creature, noting how it relied on its tentacles to hold its prey, defend itself, and even balance. It was massive but sluggish, and Bram realized something—it wouldn't be relying on sedation if it were truly strong in a fight.

Hours seemed to pass as Bram calculated, memorizing the creature's movements and thinking of the crew's strengths. Then he saw it—Orden's hand twitched. Solveig let out a faint groan, and Arcia's eyes fluttered open. They were waking up.

"Wake up!" Bram barked, shaking Orden harder.

One by one, the crew stirred, groggy and disoriented. Bram's voice cut through their confusion. "Arcia, the dagger—summon it now!"

Arcia blinked, summoning her blade, its ghostly aura glowing faintly. "The wind magic you used on the ship, can you use it again?" Bram asked urgently.

"Not yet," Arcia said. "The cooldown hasn't ended. , it will take a little more time."

Bram cursed under his breath. He needed a new plan.

Arcia hesitated. " The dagger has 2 more abilites, Cursed Blaze creates fireballs, but it takes time to chant and i need to stand still. Cursed Wall can make a floating barrier. That's it."

"Good," Bram muttered, recalculating.

" The plan got much easier ,We're doing this now."

He quickly explained his plan, detailing each crew member's role. It was dangerous, but there was no other choice.

Arcia summoned her dagger with trembling hands, its ghostly blade materializing in her grip with a faint shimmer of cursed energy. The eerie light it emitted reflected in her determined eyes. "We'll need the Cursed Blaze first," Bram said. "Arcia, focus on that. Solveig, you're the muscle—we'll need your strength to pull this off."

Solveig nodded, her powerful frame already coiled with tension as she waited for her moment. Bram glanced at Orden, who, though sluggish, was starting to come to. "Orden, you'll need to cover us. We're going to hit the ground hard."

"Understood," Orden muttered, adjusting the straps of his armor.

Arcia began chanting the incantation for Cursed Blaze, her voice steady despite the pressure. The dagger's energy flared, and with a swift motion, she hurled a fireball toward the jellyfish. The glowing orb of flames streaked through the air, colliding with one of the creature's tentacles in a burst of searing heat. The creature shrieked, its high-pitched wail echoing through the cavern as it thrashed violently.

The distraction was enough. Arcia used the opening to slice through the tentacle holding her and Solveig, her blade cutting with precision and speed. The gelatinous appendages fell away with a wet splatter, releasing them. Solveig's powerful legs shot out immediately, grabbing onto Bram and Ordens waist , who were still dangling midair.

With her incredible strength, Solveig hoisted arcia toward the men. The effort made her muscles bulge with strain, veins standing out prominently on her forearms as she positioned them for the next move. Arcia, still balanced precariously, turned to cut Bram and Orden free.

"Hold steady!" Bram shouted, his voice laced with urgency.

One by one, the dagger sliced through the remaining tentacles holding Orden and Bram. As they fell, Solveig wrapped one arm around each man, clutching them tightly against her torso. The creature, enraged by its losses, lashed out with its remaining tentacles, narrowly missing them as Solveig made her move.

"Wall!" Bram yelled.

Arcia summoned Cursed Wall, and the spectral platform shimmered into existence beneath them. Bram had planned to use the barrier not as defence but as a landing platform, Solveig leapt down, landing hard on the glowing surface, her knees bending to absorb the impact. The others stumbled as they hit the wall, but Bram managed to stay upright, his mind already working on the next phase.

"We need to move!" he barked. "It's not down yet!"

The jellyfish creature flailed in the distance, its tentacles whipping wildly in frustration. The crew sprinted off the platform as it began to fade, the cursed energy dissipating into the air. The cavern floor was slick and uneven, but they pushed forward, dodging the creature's lashing appendages.

"Split up!" Bram commanded. "Keep it distracted!"

Each of them darted in a different direction, forcing the creature to divide its attention.Bram had calculated that with four tentacles destroyed and two burned to a crisp, it would only have two left to attack. But his plan quickly unraveled.

The creature balanced itself on two tentacles and used the remaining four to strike. Bram cursed as a tentacle lashed toward him. The plan had been miscalculated, he didn't expect the creature to balance itself in two tentacles while attacking all four of them. Its massive body heaved as it shifted, balancing awkwardly on its remaining tentacles. It lashed out at Solveig first, its thick appendage crashing down toward her. Solveig caught it with both hands, her muscles straining as she grappled with its weight. Blood oozed from fresh cuts on her arms, but she held firm, giving the others a critical moment to act.

Orden charged forward, his shield raised. The creature swung at him, but he deflected the blow with a metallic clang. "Over here!" he shouted, drawing its attention.

Meanwhile, Arcia's dagger glowed faintly as she prepared another strike. She moved with precision, her blade carving through one of the creature's tentacles with ease. The gelatinous appendage writhed on the ground, severed and useless.

Bram kept to the periphery, observing the chaos and searching for an opening. He was the weakest physically, but his sharp mind gave him an edge. His gaze fell on the creature's legs—thick, tentacle-like structures that kept it balanced. If they could destabilize it, they might stand a chance.

Originally his position belongs to solveig, but the plans had gone off the rails so he had to do something to open up the path for the creatures demise.

He gritted his teeth, clutching a fist-sized rock he had picked up earlier. His muscles tensed, his back and arms straining as he prepared to throw. Bram had always seemed wiry, but his strength was far beyond what his frame suggested—a fact that even he couldn't fully explain. He waited, watching as Solveig managed to rip another tentacle from the creature.

He darted toward it, narrowly avoiding a lashing tentacle. Gripping the rock tightly, he lined up his shot. Focusing the entirely of whatever strength he had left on his bady, Every muscle in his body tensed as he hurled it with all his might.

The rock struck the creature's leg with a resounding crack, and the force of the throw sent a shockwave through Bram's arm. Pain shot through his shoulder as it dislocated, the joint popping out of place with a sickening sound. Bram stumbled, clutching his limp arm, but his effort wasn't in vain.

The creature staggered, its balance thrown off. It let out a guttural screech, flailing as it struggled to stay upright. "Now!" Bram shouted, his voice hoarse with pain.

Arcia, who had been waiting for this moment, unleashed another Cursed Blaze. The fireball slammed into the creature's body, engulfing it in flames. Its screeches grew louder, then abruptly stopped as its body collapsed in a charred heap.

The crew battered and bloodied but alive. Solveig knelt on the ground, breathing heavily, while Orden leaned against a wall, his armor dented and smeared with ichor. Arcia wiped blood from her face, her dagger still glowing faintly.

Bram, his shoulder hanging uselessly at his side, allowed himself a moment of relief. "We made it," he muttered.

Bram was still reeling, his arm hanging limp and useless after his desperate throw. He could barely stand, pain radiating from his shoulder as he tried to steady himself. The creature's lifeless, burning body slumped into a heap, its tentacles twitching as the last of its energy faded.

For the first time in what felt like hours, the cavern grew eerily quiet. Bram exhaled deeply, his body swaying with exhaustion. The others weren't in much better shape—Solveig collapsed onto one knee, her body covered in cuts and bruises, while Orden leaned heavily on his shield, breathing raggedly. Arcia, pale but determined, stood clutching her dagger, its glow fading as the cursed energy dissipated.

Relief swept over Bram. They had done it. Against all odds, they had survived. He allowed himself a small, tired smile. But just as the tension began to ebb, a piercing, inhuman scream cut through the air.

Bram's heart sank. He turned his head slowly, his instincts screaming danger. The water near the edge of the cavern rippled violently, and something dark and menacing rose from its depths.

Another creature emerged—a smaller, more compact version of the one they had just defeated. Its translucent body shimmered with an eerie glow, and its tentacles thrashed wildly, radiating malice and fury. Unlike its larger counterpart, this one moved with terrifying speed, darting toward Bram like a vengeful shadow.

Bram tried to move, but his body refused to obey. His legs felt like lead, his strength utterly drained. The creature closed the distance in seconds, its tentacles writhing with lethal intent. Panic surged through Bram as he realized he couldn't fight back—not with his dislocated shoulder and battered body.

"Move!" his mind screamed, but his body remained rooted in place. He watched, helpless, as the creature lunged. Its tentacles glistened, tipped with sharp, barbed ends that promised a painful death.

Time seemed to slow. Bram's thoughts raced, but instead of his life flashing before his eyes, there was... nothing. A strange, empty clarity washed over him, as if his mind had accepted the inevitability of death. The creature loomed closer, its gaping maw opening wide, ready to devour him.

And then, in an instant, the deadly tentacles stopped mere inches from his face. There was a sharp, metallic whistle through the air, followed by a sickening squelch. The creature's head snapped back violently, its translucent body quivering as if in shock.

Bram blinked, his dazed mind struggling to comprehend what had happened. His gaze shifted downward, and he saw it—a spectral blade embedded deep in the creature's body. The blade shimmered with cursed energy, its edges glowing faintly as it pulsed with lethal intent.

Arcia stood a few feet away, her arm outstretched and her face set in fierce concentration. She had thrown her dagger with cursed gale, the weapon slicing through the creature's head and severing its core. In the nick of time.

The jellyfish let out a final, guttural wail as its body collapsed into the water. Its tentacles twitched one last time before falling limp, sinking beneath the surface with a soft splash.

Bram staggered, his knees buckling beneath him. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath as the adrenaline drained from his system. " why do i always faint?" Bram thought as he faded to black.