Chapter 6: The Hunter in the Ruins

[Time Remaining: 61:43:27]

The landscape was dead.

Kaelen moved through the shattered remains of what was once a city. Towering structures, now nothing more than skeletal husks, loomed over him, their glassless windows like empty eye sockets. The wind carried the scent of decay—stale, metallic, wrong.

Elric trailed behind, his breathing uneven. The silence between them was heavy, only broken by the occasional crunch of debris underfoot.

"This place…" Elric whispered. "It feels cursed."

Kaelen didn't respond. It was cursed. This was one of the fallen worlds, a remnant of a civilization wiped out by a catastrophe beyond comprehension. Now, it was nothing more than a stage for their trial.

(If this world died, what chance do we have?)

He pushed the thought away. Irrelevant. What mattered was surviving.

A sharp noise.

Kaelen froze.

Elric tensed. "Did you hear that?"

Kaelen's eyes flickered toward the ruins ahead. Something had shifted. It was small, almost imperceptible, but he caught it. Something was moving.

His grip on his crude weapon tightened. He scanned the area, calculating possible escape routes. The streets were too open. If they were being watched—

A soft rasp.

Kaelen inhaled sharply. Not watched. Hunted.

The realization hit instantly. His mind worked rapidly. They weren't alone.

"Elric," he murmured. "Slow your breathing. Stay close."

Elric nodded, swallowing hard. His knuckles turned white around his rusted pipe.

The air changed. The pressure around them grew heavier. The wind stilled.

Then, a whisper—no, a distortion—passed through the ruins.

Kaelen didn't see it at first. He felt it.

A shape, low to the ground, a ripple in the air itself. It wasn't invisible—just wrong. A being that twisted light, making its form blend seamlessly into the environment.

Then, its eyes flickered. A dull, hungry glow.

(There you are.)

Kaelen didn't move. Fear was death.

Elric, however, took a step back.

The Stalker reacted instantly.

It lunged.

Kaelen barely had time to shove Elric aside before the creature crashed into the space where he had stood a second earlier. Its body was grotesque—half-skeletal, half-fluid, shifting between solid and shadow. Its claws scraped against the ground, leaving behind deep gouges.

Elric scrambled to his feet, panting. "What the hell is that?!"

Kaelen didn't answer. His focus was entirely on the creature.

It was fast. Too fast.

But it hadn't killed them outright. Why?

Then he understood. It was playing with them.

Kaelen's mind raced. (It hesitated before striking. It didn't attack me when I stood still. It only lunged when Elric reacted.)

Fear.

The Stalker was feeding on fear. The more panicked they were, the stronger it became.

A dangerous realization.

"Elric." Kaelen's voice was low, controlled. "Stop panicking."

Elric gaped at him. "Are you insane?! That thing—"

"If you don't control yourself, you die." Kaelen's gaze never left the creature. "Look at it. It wants you to be afraid."

Elric swallowed, his body trembling. "I—"

The Stalker twitched.

Kaelen moved first.

He stepped forward.

The creature hesitated.

Kaelen's lips curled. So it was true.

It wasn't used to its prey stepping toward it.

(Interesting.)

"Elric, get behind me."

Elric didn't argue. His breath was still shaky, but he obeyed.

Kaelen kept his gaze locked onto the Stalker. "We're leaving."

He turned his back.

Elric stiffened. "W-Wait, what—"

Kaelen didn't respond. He simply walked forward.

The Stalker growled. It shifted, as if deciding whether to attack.

Kaelen didn't falter. Didn't hesitate. His heartbeat remained steady.

And then…

The Stalker backed away.

Elric let out a shaky breath. "Holy shit."

Kaelen didn't relax until they were far beyond the ruins. Only then did he exhale.

Elric collapsed onto the ground, still shaking. "What… the hell was that?"

Kaelen looked back. The Stalker had vanished into the ruins, returning to its hunting grounds.

"A predator," he murmured. "One that thrives on fear."

Elric shuddered. "And we're supposed to survive in this place?"

Kaelen didn't answer.

Because deep down, he knew—this was just the beginning.