Nightmare

Ryan ran freely across a vast, lush meadow, the soft grass tickling his bare feet. The sky above was a brilliant blue, dotted with a few light clouds lazily floating by. He laughed, his heart light, as he played hide-and-seek with his sister, Rayna. Their laughter echoed through the meadow, carried by a gentle breeze that caressed the surrounding hills.

As he hid behind a large tree, he caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance. On a distant hill, his mother stood, a graceful and reassuring figure. She looked at him with a tender smile, her arms stretched out as if to welcome him into a comforting embrace. Ryan's heart swelled with emotion, and he began to run toward her, arms open wide.

He opened his mouth to call out to her, to shout her name, but no sound came. A strange sensation of suffocation seized him. His throat tightened, as if an invisible hand was preventing him from breathing. His gaze turned to his hands, and he saw, with horror, water floating around him, enveloping his body. He tried to fight, but the water continued to tighten around him like an insidious serpent.

Panic set in. He tried to scream again, but his voice was muffled by the water. His lungs burned, desperately searching for air. The vision of his mother faded, replaced by growing darkness. In a final, desperate effort, he tried to break free, to shatter the suffocating grip.

Suddenly, with a powerful jolt, Ryan woke up, panting and trembling. His heart was pounding in his chest, his body drenched in cold sweat. Before he could reassure himself that it was just a nightmare, he found himself submerged, drowning at the bottom of the ocean. The icy water overwhelmed him, and he was disoriented, not knowing where he was.

The darkness surrounded him, but he could feel the weight of the water crushing him. Every movement became a fierce struggle against the aquatic gravity. He fought with all his might, his arms and legs flailing frantically to reach the surface. Every second felt like an eternity, every held breath an insurmountable challenge.

Finally, after a fierce struggle, Ryan emerged to the surface, gasping for breath. The cold air burned his lungs, but he was alive. He looked around, the moon faintly illuminating the vastness of the ocean. It was still not dawn, and the silence of the night was deafening.

The starry sky above seemed peaceful, but Ryan's mind was in turmoil. He stayed there, floating on the water, slowly regaining his composure, his gaze fixed on the stars. The sensation of suffocation lingered in his mind, a reminder of the fragility of his situation. He now knew that he had to remain vigilant, for this world, though beautiful, was filled with unsuspected dangers.

The calm of the nighttime sea was suddenly broken by a disturbing tremor beneath the water. Ryan, still panting from his struggle against drowning, instinctively turned his head toward the noise, his senses heightened by his survival instincts. The surface of the water churned violently, forming large waves that crashed around him. Then, without warning, three massive figures erupted from the water in a burst of foam and moonlight.

The serpents were gigantic, their bodies stretching out of sight, their scales gleaming like precious stones under the pale moonlight. Their eyes glowed a bright red, locking onto Ryan with an intensity that chilled his blood. Their gaping mouths, filled with sharp fangs, opened to reveal teeth as long as swords. One of the creatures let out a piercing shriek, its body slithering through the air before diving toward Ryan with incredible speed.

Ryan felt a surge of terror, but his fighter's instinct kicked in instantly. He clenched his fists, his gaze hardening as he braced himself to face the three giants heading his way. The tension in the air became almost palpable, each movement of the serpents sending shockwaves through the water, unsettling Ryan's balance.

The first attack came quickly. The lead serpent, the largest and most imposing, lunged directly at him. Its jaws snapped shut with a deafening sound, ready to swallow Ryan in one swift motion. There was no time to think. Jumping backward, he barely dodged the bite that crashed into the water exactly where he had been just a fraction of a second earlier. The force of the impact splashed the water around him, creating powerful waves that nearly destabilized him.

Ryan didn't waste a second. He immediately activated his "Arc of the Heavens" ability, the air around him crackling with energy. His speed surged, and he found himself just behind the serpent's head, avoiding a second attack from the beast. The serpent whipped its head around sharply, its glowing eyes filled with hatred. Ryan had no time to catch his breath. He leapt upward, raising his sword, ready to strike.

"I'll show you what I can do!" he growled between clenched teeth, focused. His eyes glowed crimson as he used his "Scarlet Eye" ability to see through the creature's rapid movements. He felt a surge of concentrated mana in his sword, as if the blade itself wanted to cut through the sky. With deadly precision, he swung the blade, aiming directly for one of the serpent's eyes.

But just as the sword was about to strike, another serpent rose from the depths, its scales glistening in the night. It coiled around Ryan, trapping him in place. Ryan gritted his teeth as the serpent tightened its grip around him. His breath became shallow as he used all his strength to prevent his ribs from breaking under the pressure. The serpents were strong, stronger than anything he had faced before.

"You're not strong enough to beat me!" Ryan shouted, a wave of frustration rising within him. But he couldn't afford to weaken. His eyes filled with renewed determination. He activated his "King's Intuition" ability to sense the serpents' movements before they even acted. His senses sharpened to the point that he could predict the trajectory of each attack.

He rolled forward to escape the serpent's grip, a grimace of pain on his face as the serpent's fangs barely grazed his skin. He landed in a roll, quickly getting back to his feet. Using his "Flash Walk" ability, he propelled himself in a direction, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid another attack. The serpent behind him opened its mouth, ready to swallow Ryan whole.

He had to act immediately.

"I need to finish this now!" he thought. He focused all his mana into his legs and leaped even higher. The serpent tore through the air with its massive jaws, but it was too late. Ryan propelled himself farther than expected and found himself directly above the giant serpent. He twisted his sword in the air, ready to deliver a decisive blow.

The serpent raised its head to try to catch him, but Ryan, with incredible precision and agility, brought his blade down straight into the beast's skull. The impact shook the ground beneath the water, and a muffled explosion sounded. The giant serpent stopped dead in its tracks, its eyes wide in horror before it collapsed in a flood of blood and shattered scales.

But there were still two serpents left to fight.

The serpent on the left, slightly faster, attempted a surprise attack. Ryan, still exhausted from the first fight, felt his strength waning. His reflexes were sharp, but fatigue was starting to set in. The serpent lunged, its body undulating through the water at an astounding speed.

Ryan dodged at the last second, but the serpent's tail grazed him, and he was thrown backward, crashing violently into the water's surface. A sharp pain shot through his back as he struggled to rise. He was almost out of strength, his body beginning to feel heavy.

He grimaced as he got back on his feet, but he knew he couldn't afford to lose. He had to finish this fight.

He focused every last bit of mana into his hands. His palms began to glow with intense light, and he focused on the serpent before him. He yelled sharply and, with a precise motion, released a powerful wave of pure energy. The energy blast struck the serpent head-on, tearing through the water around them. The serpent paused for a moment, dazed, before it collapsed, trembling, under the impact.

The last serpent, the most cunning, moved with astounding speed, attacking with its sharp fangs. Ryan knew he had to end the fight or risk dying. He waited for the perfect moment, sweat beading on his forehead, before leaping one final time, attacking with all the strength he had left. He struck at the serpent's throat, slicing through its scales and flesh with a clean blow.

The serpent collapsed, and everything went silent.

Ryan, exhausted, floated on the surface, looking around at the defeated serpents lying in the water, their massive bodies swaying with the waves. He caught his breath, standing on his legs, feeling as drained as he was victorious. This fight had been more difficult than anything he had faced before, but he had come out alive.

However, he knew he wasn't ready yet. The world he found himself in was far more dangerous than he had imagined.