THE GUY WITH THE MASK

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Aarav's body ached with exhaustion, his head throbbing with pain. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he struggled to remain standing. The battle had drained him, and the sight before him only deepened his desperation. The guardian, an unstoppable force clad in dark, gleaming armor, stood motionless, its mask an expressionless void.

They needed a miracle—something, anything, to turn the tide against this invincible being. Aarav clenched his fists, his mind racing. There had to be a way. Somewhere deep within, he felt the stirrings of a power he had barely tapped into, a force he hardly understood but somehow knew was there.

Gritting his teeth, he focused. He reached out, grasping at the intangible threads of that power, willing it to surface. It was a risk—he had never used it in this strange world. He didn't even know if he could control it. But there was no other choice.

His lips parted, and in a whisper barely audible, he spoke the words.

"Shadow Ghoul."

The effect was immediate—and terrifying.

The guardian, who had stood silently observing them with its usual eerie calm, suddenly screamed. It wasn't a roar of anger. It wasn't a cry of pain. It was a scream of sheer, unfiltered terror.

A sound so unnatural it sent chills down William and Leon's spines.

The guardian's mask, normally an unfeeling visage of stone, seemed to twist in horror. Then, as if possessed by an unseen nightmare, it began slashing wildly at the empty air. Its movements, once precise and disciplined, turned erratic and chaotic. The once-perfect warrior now resembled a madman, swinging at phantoms only it could see.

It spun in circles, hacking and slashing, its blade slicing through the empty space with reckless abandon. The sight was as horrifying as it was perplexing. A warrior of such power—reduced to this?

Aarav barely had time to process the guardian's reaction before his own body collapsed under the strain. His vision blurred, and his legs gave way. The power he had summoned had taken its toll. His body, already battered, had no reserves left. His limbs felt like lead, his mind a haze of exhaustion.

He lay on the cold stone floor, gasping, unable to move. His consciousness flickered on the edge of oblivion. He didn't know what Shadow Ghoul had done to the guardian, but it had worked. That was all that mattered.

Seeing their chance, William reacted instantly. He turned to Leon, eyes flashing with urgency.

"Now!" he shouted.

Without hesitation, the two rushed to Aarav's side. They grabbed his arms, hauling him to his feet. He groaned in pain, his body barely responsive, but there was no time to be gentle. Half-dragging, half-carrying him, they stumbled toward the only path left—a dark opening in the cave wall.

They didn't run toward the temple. They ran away from it.

Away from the raging guardian.

Away, toward survival.

Escape into the Unknown

Their feet pounded against the rough stone as they pushed forward into the winding passages of a smaller cave system. Every breath burned in their lungs. The tunnel twisted unpredictably, narrowing in places, forcing them to maneuver awkwardly.

Leon, his strong arms holding up most of Aarav's weight, grunted with effort. "Damn, he's heavy."

William, slightly ahead, barely turned as he spoke. "Less talking. More running." His voice was tight with urgency.

The echoes of their hurried footsteps filled the tunnels, but beneath it—fainter, yet unmistakable—was another sound. A sound that made William's blood run cold.

The rhythmic, methodical steps of pursuit.

He didn't need to turn around to know what it was.

He already knew.

His voice trembled as he gasped out, "Oh no, no, no… he's coming. He's coming!"

Leon glanced back, his heart nearly stopping.

There, at the far end of the tunnel, was the guardian.

The wild, frantic flailing was gone. The fear, the madness—it had burned away.

Now, there was only focus.

Purpose.

The guardian moved with terrifying speed, its glowing sword held high, illuminating the darkness with an eerie light. Its pursuit was relentless, unstoppable. It wasn't just hunting them. It was executing them.

Leon gritted his teeth and adjusted his grip on Aarav. "We're dead if we don't move faster."

William swore under his breath and pushed himself harder, even as exhaustion gnawed at his body. But he knew, deep down, they weren't going to outrun this thing.

And then—

Aarav stirred.

Aarav's Journey Through the Void

Inside his mind, Aarav found himself floating.

Darkness.

An endless, suffocating void.

He turned, searching for something—anything—but there was only emptiness. No sky. No ground. No horizon. Just… nothing.

"What the hell…?" he muttered. His voice echoed strangely, as if the void itself was listening.

Then, a flicker.

A small light, distant, hesitant.

It grew, stretching outward, illuminating the nothingness around him.

And then, a voice.

Ancient. Weary. But filled with a strange amusement.

"So… you are the one."

Aarav spun toward the sound. And there, in the middle of the void, sitting on a chair that hadn't been there a second ago—was an old man.

Thin. Weathered skin. Barefoot. Dressed in only simple white undergarments. His eyes, however, gleamed with mischief.

Aarav stared at him, confused.

"Who the hell are you?"

The old man chuckled, a dry, rattling sound.

"Too much time… too much time has passed," he said, shaking his head. "I was kinda bored. Good thing you chose that."

Aarav's frustration spiked. "Chose what?" he demanded.

The old man stood, stepping toward him.

Before Aarav could react, the man placed a hand on his forehead.

And everything changed.

The Final Stand

Back in the tunnels, Aarav's eyes snapped open.

A surge of raw, untamed energy coursed through him.

Leon gasped as Aarav suddenly moved, pushing himself off his back.

"Aarav—?"

Aarav didn't answer. His eyes locked onto the guardian. His breathing steadied. His hands curled into fists.

The guardian charged.

Aarav stood his ground.

Then, he whispered the words again.

"Shadow Ghoul."

The guardian's reaction was instant. It screamed.

A primal, ear-splitting howl of torment. Its body convulsed, its movements turned erratic once more. It staggered, clawing at its own mask as if trying to rip away an unseen horror.

Aarav, his strength fading, forced himself to move. With the last of his power, he unleashed a fiery onslaught—striking the guardian's mask again and again.

The cracks spread.

And then—

BOOM.

The mask shattered.

A burst of fire erupted from within, engulfing the guardian in an inferno. Its body began to dissolve, breaking apart into glowing embers. The dark armor faded into nothingness.

And then—silence.

A notification flashed in Aarav's mind.

Temple Guardian has been slain.

You have obtained a Legendary Grade 3 Eternal Canvas and the Guardian's Mask.

Aarav exhaled.

And collapsed into darkness once more.