The Ambush

The convoy rumbled forward, its reinforced wheels grinding against the cracked canyon floor. The air was thick with dust, kicked up by the steady march of heavy tires, leaving a bitter, dry taste in Kael's mouth.

He rode near the lead truck, his eyes constantly scanning the horizon, watching, and waiting. The cliffs that loomed over them weren't just stone—they were jagged, uneven sentinels that swallowed the sky in harsh, menacing shadows.

A dull, creeping sensation stirred at the back of his mind. An instinctual warning.

Something was off.

The silence stretched too long. There was no wind. No distant echoes of shifting rock. No fleeting cries of canyon birds above. Just the low hum of engines and the steady crunch of wheels over dirt.

Kael tightened his grip on the vambrace around his forearm.

'Why does it feel like something is waiting for us?'

Drevan's voice crackled over the convoy's radio, sharp and controlled.

"Eyes up. This pass hasn't been cleared in weeks. If there's any trouble, we see it before we hear it."

Kael exhaled sharply, forcing his breath to even out.

No.

'If there's trouble, it's already too late.'

Suddenly, there was a noise.

Soft. Barely there.

A faint scrape against stone. A shift of movement from the ridges above.

Kael's stomach coiled. His instincts screamed before his mind even registered what was wrong.

His eyes flicked upward—just in time to catch it.

Something moved.

Then—dozens of dark shapes peeled away from the canyon walls, their sinewy forms breaking free from the rock like living shadows.

His breath hitched.

'Lesser Hollows. Too many of them.'

Drevan's voice snapped over the comms again.

"Contact!" His tone was clipped, razor-sharp and with urgency. "North side—Lesser Hollows inbound! Stay in formation!"

The moment the order left Drevan's lips, the convoy lurched forward, engines roaring as the drivers pushed their speed. And Kael's knuckles went white around his weapon.

The sun had not yet reached the canyon floor, leaving the Lesser Hollows slithering through long, broken shadows. Their elongated bodies and skeletal frames twisted unnaturally, moving in erratic, unpredictable bursts.

His heartbeat quickened. He tried counting them, but—

'Fuck. There just too many of them.'

The tide of creatures kept pouring down, relentlessly.

"Damn," Rendrik muttered beside him, but instead of fear, there was a grin in his voice. "Took 'em long enough."

Kael flicked him a sharp glance.

"You won't be laughing for long."

To his irritation, Rendrik only smirked.

Kael wished he could share that arrogance.

Then, suddenly—the ground erupted.

Kael barely had time to react before the earth split apart beneath them, something massive bursting from the sand.

Instinct took over.

Kael threw himself back just as a serrated limb tore through the space where he had been walking.

He hit the dirt hard, rolling onto his feet in a crouch. His breath came sharp and uneven, his hands already reaching for his weapon.

Then, he saw it.

Elite Hunters.

Tall, insect-like figures with twisted, jagged exoskeletons. Their elongated limbs ended in gleaming, hooked claws, made for tearing through armor and flesh alike.

Kael's stomach dropped.

He had seen reports on them. Read the casualty lists.

But this was his first time seeing one in the flesh.

The sharp, metallic shriek of the Hunter cut through the canyon like a blade.

But Drevan's voice remained calm, and absolute.

"We can't outrun them now. We hold this position!"

The Chosen leapt from the convoy, forming a defensive line in a single, disciplined motion.

Kael's grip tightened around his weapon.

'We're trapped!'

Drevan turned to them with eyes cold and unreadable.

"Kael. Rendrik. Stay with the convoy. Keep those Lesser Hollows off our backs. The rest of us will handle the Hunters."

Kael's gut clenched.

"Wait—what?"

But Drevan was already moving, leading the charge against the Elite Hunters.

Kael turned back toward the horde of Lesser Hollows, already descending upon them like a wave.

"Oh, hell."

His fingers tightened painfully around his vambrace.

Rendrik cracked his knuckles beside him, his palms flickering with embers.

"Well, rookie. Looks like it's just me and you."

Kael exhaled, steadying himself.

"Just try not to set the convoy on fire this time--like in training."

Rendrik grinned.

"No promises."

The first Hollow lunged.

Kael reacted on instinct, shifting his stance and stepping into the attack—his vambrace catching the creature's snapping jaws just before they reached his throat.

The impact slammed into him like a wrecking ball. His boots skidded backward, the force jarring every bone in his body.

'Too strong.'

His muscles screamed in protest as he twisted, using the Hollow's momentum to hurl it away from him. It hit the ground with a twisted snarl, its claws scraping against the rock.

Kael's vision sharpened.

Above, the sun crested the canyon wall.

Light spilled down, slicing across the battlefield.

And then—

Something stirred inside him.

Heat rushed through his veins, scorching, and searing. But beneath it, something darker, much colder coiled at the edges of his mind.

Kael didn't think.

He reacted.

His hands slammed against the ground.

And the shadows answered.

Darkness poured outward, thick and writhing, consuming the convoy in a vast veil of black.

The approaching Lesser Hollows skidded to a halt.

Confused.

Snarling.

Circling.

They couldn't see.

They couldn't track him.

Kael staggered back, panting. His vision blurred and his hands shook.

"What the hell...?"

Rendrik let out a low whistle.

"Not bad, rookie."

Kael swallowed hard.

"I—what did I just do?"

"Saved our asses, that's what."

Kael stared at his hands.

The darkness was still there, curling at his fingertips, waiting--for him.

The battle raged beyond the veil.

Drevan's sword clashed against exoskeletons. Flames erupted. The ground shook from impacts.

Then—suddenly—it all stopped.

Silence.

Kael's chest tightened.

"Why did everything just stop?"

A civilian from the convoy whispered.

"Where is everyone?"

Another added.

Kael turned, and his heart plummeted.

Beyond the barrier—only blood and wreckage remained.

Then—a shadow moved.

Kael's throat went dry.

Something stepped out.

And his world collapsed.