Shrouded In Mist

The abomination's massive hooves crushed the earth beneath them with every step, sending faint tremors through the ground. Its grotesque, towering form loomed overhead, blotting out the faint moonlight.

Ezra could see every nauseating detail—the cracked, tar-coated skin stretched over sinewy muscles, the mismatched limbs, and the grotesque way its elongated neck craned downward as it sniffed the air.

Beside him, Shirley's grip on Ezra's arm was iron-tight, trembling with tension. The older man's wheezing breaths were shallow and uneven, his gaze locked on the monster before them.

Ezra had bigger problems to deal with. The abomination was so close now that he could see the oily texture of its sickly amber eyes, glowing faintly in the dark. Its wide, bat-like ears twitched slightly as it tilted its monstrous head, locking eyes with Ezra.

For a split second, Ezra's breath stopped. His chest felt tight, his skin slick with cold sweat. The creature was looking right at him—or at least, it seemed like it was.

'Why isn't it attacking?'

The silence was suffocating. The creature's breath, thick and heavy with the stench of decay, washed over them. Its clawed, ape-like hand extended slowly, fingers stretching outward as if reaching for something unseen.

Ezra flinched but didn't move, frozen in place like a cornered animal. The grotesque talons hovered mere centimeters from his face, close enough for him to see faint cracks in the creature's claws, stained with ichor and dirt.

But then… it hesitated.

Its sickly amber eyes flickered briefly, as though confused, before it retracted its hand. With a final, sharp exhale through its wide nostrils, it let out a deep growl that reverberated through Ezra's chest.

Ezra could hear the faint wheeze in Shirley's breath, the shallow gasps as if he were suffocating. Shirley's gray eyes were wide, his jaw clenched, and thin streams of blood began to drip from his nose and the corners of his mouth.

Then Ezra noticed it—a faint, inky black mist clinging to Shirley's skin, curling and twisting like smoke. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he stared at the eerie tendrils, their movement deliberate and almost sentient.

It wasn't just clinging—it was alive. The mist coiled tighter around Shirley's form, shrouding him like a second skin, the dark tendrils pulsating faintly as if in tune with his shallow breaths.

Ezra's lavender eyes widened as he realized what it was doing. The mist wasn't just suffocating them with its oppressive weight—it was cloaking them. Shielding them. The monstrous abomination, so close that its breath stirred the air around them, couldn't see them. Couldn't sense them.

The realization hit Ezra like a lightning bolt. His gaze snapped back to his own body, and he watched as faint tendrils of the same black mist began curling toward him, brushing against his skin. A wave of cold rippled through him, making his hairs stand on end.

Ezra hesitated for a moment before his instincts took over. Carefully, he moved his hands through the mist, encouraging it to spread over his body.

The tendrils responded immediately, curling and weaving around him like living threads. The sensation was unsettling—cold, weighty, and invasive—but as the mist fully enveloped him, he felt the oppressive presence of the abomination fade slightly.

The towering creature let out another guttural growl, its bat-like ears twitching as it sniffed the air again. Its massive, amber eyes scanned the darkness, moving over their position without pausing. The mist was working—it was hiding them.

Ezra's breath hitched, but he forced himself to stay still. His trembling hands clenched into fists as he locked eyes with Shirley. The older man's steel-gray eyes were dull, but there was a faint glimmer of awareness.

Despite the mist's suffocating embrace, Shirley managed a weak nod, his expression a mix of pain and grim determination.

The abomination let out a deep, gravelly exhale, the sound rattling through the ground beneath them. After what felt like an eternity, it finally began to lumber away, its hulking form disappearing into the darkness with heavy, thunderous steps.

Ezra's chest tightened as he watched Shirley crumble before him, his mentor's strength slipping away in real time.

The faint glow of moonlight cast sharp shadows across Shirley's pale face, highlighting the thin streams of blood trickling from his nose and mouth. His body convulsed slightly, his breaths coming in short, sharp gasps.

Shirley's grip on Ezra's arm slackened entirely, his arm falling to his side with a heavy thud. His steel-gray eyes, normally sharp and unyielding, were bloodshot and glassy. His mouth opened slightly, and he let out a guttural cough, spewing crimson droplets onto the frost-covered earth.

Ezra stepped forward, reaching out instinctively.

But Shirley flinched back, his weakened body jerking as he raised a trembling hand to stop Ezra from coming any closer. His breathing was ragged, his shoulders shaking with each shallow inhale.

"I'm fine…" Shirley rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. It was strained, hollow, as if each word cost him something. His hand clutched at his shoulder, his fingers digging into the fabric of his coat as though he were trying to hold himself together.

A faint, bitter smile ghosted across Shirley's pale lips, though it was twisted with pain. His bloodshot eyes flickered briefly toward Ezra.

"Hah… I knew it would hurt like a bitch," he said, his voice cracking as he let out a weak, humorless chuckle before coughing again, more crimson staining his chin.

Ezra didn't laugh. His eyes stayed locked on Shirley, concern etched deeply in his expression.

Shirley straightened slightly, wincing as he adjusted his coat. "Never mind," he said, his voice rough but steady enough to carry weight. "Let's get going. Who knows when those two demons decide to come back."

Ezra hesitated for a moment, his hands still faintly glowing with residual energy. But Shirley's piercing gaze left no room for argument.

"Alright," Ezra said softly, pushing himself to his feet. He offered Shirley his arm, though the older man stubbornly brushed it aside and took a shaky step forward on his own.

The night was still heavy with an oppressive silence, the air sharp and cold against their skin. Ezra cast one last glance toward the disturbed earth where the creatures had been, his jaw tight.