Shadowy Knight

As Ayush and Rahul moved toward Maya to wake her, the man stepped back, a twisted grin on his face. He removed his shirt, exposing a chest covered in wiry hair, and began sliding his pants down, muttering something indecent under his breath.

But before Ayush or Rahul could touch Maya, an unnatural sizzle ripped through the air.

Both froze, spinning toward the sound. The man, still halfway undressed, stood stiffly. His body was bent awkwardly, his pants half down and his hand still clutching at his pants. But his head gone. His headless body wavered, his headless corpse collapsed to the floor with a sickening thud, blood gushing like a dark fountain, soaking the ground in moments.

Ayush's breath hitched, his voice trembling as he whispered, "What the…?"

Rahul stumbled back, his legs shaking. "Who… what…?" His words faltered, his mind unable to process what had just unfolded.

Before they could react further, a cold, cutting voice emerged from the shadows, slicing through the tension like a blade.

"I told you… she would never know."

Their heads snapped toward the source of the voice. There, at the edge of the open floor, under the dim, flickering light of a distant lamp, stood a figure. Blood streaked his black hoodie, dripping onto the dusty floor beneath him.

As the moon briefly disappeared behind a cloud, Ayush and Rahul recognized him.

It was Akshay.

He stood without his crutch, tall and unyielding, his presence suffocating. In one hand, he held a gleaming, single-edged sword, its surface pulsating with a dark, writhing energy that seemed alive. In the other, he gripped the severed head of the man. Blood dripped from the head, pooling at his feet.

Ayush and Rahul's eyes widened in abject terror as Akshay's gaze met theirs. His once-calm brown eyes had transformed into glowing crimson orbs, burning with an intensity that made the air around him feel heavier, suffused with almost demonic wrath. His dark hair had turned stark white, shimmering faintly like moonlight on a restless sea.

In the heavy silence, Ayush and Rahul exchanged a glance, their eyes wide with fear and understanding. The man standing before them—Akshay—was no longer human. Something primal inside them screamed that underestimating him would mean certain death. Without speaking, they made an unspoken pact—survival at any cost.

Without a word, Akshay released the severed head. It rolled across the floor, stopping inches away from Ayush's feet. The grotesque face stared up at him, eyes opened, frozen in its final moment of terror.

Slowly, deliberately, Akshay lifted the sword. The weapon pulsed with ominous energy, its edges engulfed in dark flames of shadow that licked and flickered with an unnatural life. These shadowy flames danced along the blade, exuding a malevolent hunger, their chaotic movement radiating a sense of impending doom.

As Akshay's blood-red gaze held steady, as if daring them to defy him. Then, as though answering the sword's sinister call, a dark force began to unfurl within Ayush and Rahul.

Pain erupted through their bodies—a searing agony that ignited every nerve. They doubled over, their faces contorted in torment. Muscles spasmed violently, their bones groaning and cracking under unseen forces.

Ayush screamed as his spine arched violently, vertebrae snapping into grotesque shapes that pushed his body into an unnatural contortion. His nails tore free from his fingers, grew out bloody, razor-sharp claws that glistened like freshly honed blades.

Rahul fell to his knees in agony, clutching his head as his skull reshaped beneath his hands. His jaw stretched forward, elongating grotesquely until his human teeth fell off, and were replaced by predatory fangs, sharp and deadly. Slowly, his screams faded into guttural snarls.

Their legs bent and contorted grotesquely, joints snapping as they twisted into powerful hind limbs that no longer resembled anything human. Dark, matted fur erupted from their skin, shredding their clothes as their bodies transformed into monstrous forms. The sickening symphony of bones cracking and sinews tearing filled the air, each sound a horrifying testament to the loss of their humanity.

The grotesque transformation reached its crescendo with the snapping and tearing of bones. Their agonized screams morphed into low, guttural snarls that carried a chilling resonance, echoing through the tense night like the growls of beasts born from the darkest depths. What had once resembled humans was now fully consumed by a primal and menacing presence, they were no longer Ayush and Rahul.

Two hulking monstrous humanoid wolves—stood before Akshay. Their towering forms bristled with raw power, muscles rippling beneath their dark pelts. Glowing amber eyes burned with a mix of hatred and unbridled bloodlust as low, guttural growls rumbled from their throats.

Akshay's grip on his sword tightened, the blade pulsating as though alive, its shadowy energy feeding off the tension. In his mind, a single word resonated: 'Vrikraal.' (Wolf of dread)

(*'Vrik' means wolf in Sanskrit, and 'Kraal' denotes something fearsome or imposing—a predator to be feared.)

The two Danavas threw their heads back in unison, letting out a thunderous howl that pierced the night. "A-WOOOOOOOOO!" Their voices were a savage warning, vibrating with bloodlust and raw power. Drool dripped from their fangs as their heads snapped back down, their glowing eyes locking onto Akshay with feral intent.

The promise in their gaze was unmistakable: his blood would be theirs to claim, and soon.

Akshay remained calm, his sword pulsing with a darkness that seemed almost alive. His fiery red eyes never wavered as he shifted his stance, preparing for the inevitable attack. Every muscle in his body coiled like a predator preparing to strike back, his calm belying the storm of destruction poised to erupt.

The air between them grew taut with menace, each side waiting for the other to make the first move. It was a deadly game of patience and precision, and when the storm finally broke, only one would emerge alive.

Just as Akshay steeled himself for the fight, he tightened his grip, a sharp, searing pain tore through his right arm. His grip on the sword faltered, and his fingers went limp. His fiery red gaze flicked downward in frustration, only to see the blade—once the extension of his very being pulsing with shadow and power moments ago—cracks spread like spiderwebs across its surface before it shattered entirely, scattering into countless fragments that dissolved into the darkness, leaving him empty-handed.

The fire in his crimson eyes flickered with frustration and disbelief.

"Why now?" he muttered through clenched teeth, realizing that the sword's manifestation, the dark power he had barely begun to control, had slipped beyond his grasp once more, abandoning him in his moment of need. His right arm hung uselessly at his side, numbed by the pain and drained of strength.

Across from him, the Vrikraals' feral eyes gleamed with malicious glee, their snarling mouths curling into twisted, predatory grins. They could smell his vulnerability, taste the weakness radiating from his limp arm. The predator's instinct surged through them—this was their moment. Without the sword, Akshay was nothing more than prey.

With a guttural growl, the two Vrikraals charged, claws extended, their massive frames closing the distance in a heartbeat. The ground seemed to tremble beneath their savage momentum, their speed a blur of deadly precision.

But Akshay stood unyielding, his left fist tightening, knuckles cracking like the forewarning of a storm. His blood-red eyes burned with an unrelenting defiance, daring them to come closer. If he had to fight with one arm, he would make it count.

Just as the Vrikraals reached him, a streak of motion erupted from the shadows near the open edge of the floor. Out of nowhere, another Vrikraal entered the fray. Its fur, a pristine white that gleamed in the dim light, stood in stark contrast to the carnage unfolding around it. With an ear-splitting roar, it collided with Rahul mid-charge, its claws slashing in a brutal arc. The impact sent Rahul flying, his massive body crashing into a pile of debris, scattering shards of concrete and wood.

The white Vrikraal wasted no time. Moving with preternatural grace, it spun toward Ayush, evading his retaliatory swipe as though it had anticipated the move. It leaped sideways, widening the gap between, before launching itself forward in a blur of white fury. Its claws carved through the air in a devastating strike. Ayush twisted at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the blow and slipping behind his opponent, his glowing eyes blazing with feral intent.

Now prepared to counter, Ayush lunged at the white Vrikraal, his claws aiming to rend flesh. But his attack met only empty air, as the white Vrikraal moved with blinding agility. Before Ayush could recover, the white Vrikraal retaliated, pivoting with terrifying speed. Its jaws clamped down on Ayush's forearm with a bone-crushing grip, driving its fangs deep into flesh and sinew.

Ayush howled in agony, thrashing wildly, his claws raking at the air in a desperate attempt to break free. But the white Vrikraal only bite down harder. The sickening crunch of bone echoed through the space before the beast wrenched its head to the side in a single savage motion.

Blood sprayed across the floor in a crimson arc as Ayush's arm was torn clean off. The mangled limb fell to the ground with a wet thud. Ayush collapsed, clutching the gushing stump where his arm had been, his screams echoing like a dirge through the empty floors.

Meanwhile, Rahul staggered to his feet, shaking off the impact of the earlier strike. His eyes darted between Ayush's brutal struggle and Akshay, who was still grappling with the lingering numbness in his arm. Spotting an opportunity, Rahul growled low and charged toward Akshay, claws poised for a decisive blow.

Akshay steadied himself, his piercing red eyes locked onto the incoming attack. As Rahul's claws descended in a wide arc, Akshay raised his uninjured arm and caught the strike mid-swing. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, but Akshay's raw, inhuman strength held firm.

Rahul's eyes widened in disbelief as his clawed arm was frozen in place by Akshay's iron grip. Before he could retaliate with his other arm, sensation returned to Akshay's previously numb hand. With a sharp, defiant glare, Akshay clenched his now-recovered fist and delivered a devastating punch to Rahul's chest. The blow connected with unrelenting force, sending Rahul hurtling backwards. He crashed into a wall with such force that it shattered, bricks crumbling and tumbling to the ground, the sound of falling debris echoed through the chaotic space.

But Rahul wasn't ready to give up. He staggered to his feet, regaining his balance. With a feral growl, he surged again, toward Akshay. Leaping high into the air, he aimed to strike Akshay, a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand. Just as he was about to strike, his body froze mid-air, as though seized by an invisible force. He struggled and snarled, but every muscle refused to obey.

Akshay exhaled, a smirk tugging at his lips as his gaze shifted toward the entrance. A figure in a black hoodie stepped into view, her arm outstretched, fingers splayed. Her glowing purple eyes pierced the dim space, radiating an aura of control. With unseen power, she held Rahul suspended, utterly helpless.

Meanwhile, the white Vrikraal had overpowered Ayush, pinning him to the ground. Blood poured relentlessly from Ayush's severed arm, pooling beneath him. The predator's growl reverberated through the air as it bit down on Ayush's neck, its fangs sinking deep into the flesh. Ayush struggled in agony, thrashing to break free, but the white Vrikraal's sheer strength was overwhelming. With a savage jerk, the white Vrikraal tore through his neck, severing his head from his body in one brutal motion. Blood sprayed in violent arcs, staining the once-pristine white fur crimson.

At that exact moment, the girl clenched her fist, her eyes narrowing with focused intent. Rahul, still trapped mid-air, twisted and contorted unnaturally. His screams were cut short as his body was compressed into a grotesque, compact mass of shattered bone and flesh. When she finally lowered her hand, the mangled remains of Rahul fell to the ground with a wet, sickening thud, scattering blood and gore across the floor.