Fangs In The Dark

Ezra descended the staircase steadily, each step echoing faintly against the stone walls. Torches lined the staircase at regular intervals, their blackened tips waiting in silence.

As he passed, he instinctively raised his hand, and with a faint flicker of white flame, they ignited one by one, their golden light spreading warmth through the once-dark passage.

The further he descended, the more the air grew dense, thick with an ancient energy that seemed to hum faintly around him.

Shadows danced along the curved walls, the flickering light from the torches illuminating intricate carvings etched into the stone. He tried not to linger too long on them; their shapes and patterns seemed almost alive, shifting subtly when he wasn't looking.

Finally, the staircase opened into a dimly lit chamber. Ezra stepped forward cautiously, his boots scraping against the smooth, cool floor. The room was vast, its domed ceiling disappearing into the faint gloom above. Torches burned faintly along the walls, casting an ethereal glow over the space.

At the center of the room stood a grand altar, its presence dominating the chamber. It was massive, carved from a single block of dark, polished stone and adorned with glyphs that pulsed faintly with a golden light. The glyphs seemed to ripple gently, as though responding to his presence.

Ezra approached it slowly, his gaze locked onto the altar. He felt a strange, familiar pull, the same sensation that had drawn him to the flame and the glyphs above. His breath hitched as he placed a hand on the smooth surface, feeling the faint warmth that radiated from it.

"Do I have to ignite this one too?" Ezra muttered under his breath, his voice breaking the oppressive silence of the chamber.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, faintly, the glyphs on the altar flared brighter, the golden light spreading across its surface like veins of liquid fire. The torches along the walls flared in unison, their light casting sharp, shifting shadows that danced around the chamber. The hum in the air deepened, resonating through Ezra's chest as the room seemed to come alive.

A low growl cut through the thick silence, shattering Ezra's focus. His body tensed instinctively, and the hairs on his arms stood on end. The primal sound resonated deep within him, sending a shiver racing down his spine. Slowly, he turned, his movements cautious, his eyes scanning the dimly lit chamber.

But there was nothing.

The shadows stretched across the room, flickering with the rhythm of the flames, but they revealed no immediate danger. Yet he could feel it—movement, a presence all around him, just beyond the edge of his senses. His pulse quickened as his eyes darted across the space, searching for anything out of place.

The flames on the torches crackled, casting long, distorted shadows on the walls. One shadow stood out—a massive, hulking figure, far too large to belong to him. It loomed behind him, moving as if it were alive, stalking him.

Ezra's breath hitched. His heart pounded in his chest as his gaze darted back to the altar, hoping to use it as a barrier. The growl came again, deeper this time, reverberating through the chamber like the warning of a predator closing in.

Before he could react, something massive collided with him from behind, the force knocking the air from his lungs. Ezra was flung forward, his body twisting in the air before his head struck the edge of the grand altar with a sickening crunch.

White-hot pain exploded in his skull, blinding him momentarily. He crumpled to the ground, a sharp, metallic taste flooding his mouth as his vision blurred. The world spun violently, the once-bright flames dimming into a hazy glow.

Ezra's blood pooled onto the cold marble floor, the deep crimson staining its once-pristine surface. He staggered to his feet, his legs trembling under the weight of his battered body. His head throbbed, the sharp pain from the impact against the altar threatening to overwhelm him.

He glanced around frantically, his lavender eyes darting through the flickering torchlight, but he couldn't see what had attacked him. His breath came in ragged gasps, his heart pounding like a war drum in his chest.

"What the hell…?" he rasped, his voice barely audible over the crackling flames. He staggered forward, his hand clutching his side for balance, blood dripping from his fingertips.

Then, without warning, a searing pain tore through his back. He cried out, his voice echoing through the chamber as claws raked across his flesh, slicing deep into his skin. The force of the blow sent him sprawling to the ground, his hands scrabbling against the marble as he tried to push himself up.

The air felt thick, suffocating, and the sensation of being watched bore down on him like an oppressive weight. His blood smeared across the floor as he struggled, his mind racing, desperate to make sense of the invisible predator stalking him.

A guttural growl echoed through the chamber once more, taunting him. Ezra clenched his teeth, his trembling hands balling into fists as he tried to fight back the overwhelming fear creeping through his veins.

Whatever was attacking him was either too fast or invisible. Ezra lay on the cold marble floor, blood pooling around him as his body grew weaker with each passing second. Pain radiated through him, sharp and unrelenting, but his hazy vision began to focus on something new.

White paws.

They stood directly in front of him, pristine yet smeared with streaks of his blood. His gaze trailed upward, his breathing shallow as he took in the creature looming over him—a sleek, white feline, its fur gleaming faintly even in the dimly lit chamber.

Its sharp, glowing eyes shifted between silver and gold, locking onto him with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine.

Ezra's blood seeped into the floor, snaking along the grooves of the dormant glyphs.

The markings ignited, flaring to life with a sudden, blinding glow. The room was bathed in radiant light, casting eerie, shifting shadows across the chamber walls. The once-silent glyphs pulsed like a heartbeat, their rhythm in perfect sync with the pounding in his chest.

Above him, the creature's maw opened wider, strings of saliva glistening in the golden light. Its sharp teeth hovered dangerously close to his skin, the warmth of its breath brushing against his neck. Ezra's entire body trembled, cold dread coursing through him. His instincts screamed for him to run, to fight, to do something—anything—but his limbs were heavy, his strength drained.

The fangs pressed into his neck, not deep enough to break the skin but close enough for him to feel their jagged edges. The creature's guttural growl vibrated through the air, a deep, resonating sound that sent shivers down his spine. Ezra clenched his fists weakly, his nails digging into his palms in a futile attempt to push through the overwhelming exhaustion.

The light from the glyphs grew brighter, surging upward in waves that seemed to ripple through the entire chamber. A low hum filled the air, steady and resonant, drowning out the creature's growls. Ezra's vision blurred, the light too intense to bear, and his mind spiraled into chaos.

And then—nothing.

The sharp teeth withdrew from his neck as the creature froze, its hulking form illuminated by the radiance emanating from the floor. The light seemed to hold it in place, tendrils of golden energy latching onto its body and keeping it at bay. Ezra felt a fleeting sense of relief before the darkness closed in around him.

His vision dimmed, the pulsing light fading as his body gave in to the overwhelming exhaustion. 

The darkness closed in on him swiftly, cutting off the world around him as he slipped into unconsciousness.