The Unseen path

My eyes widened at the sight of Edric's inhuman strength. That attack wasn't something anyone could block — not without being reduced to a smear on the ground.

Damn... I knew he was strong, but this? I didn't expect this. And yet, I couldn't shake the bitter thought: he still lost to the game's hero.

No. I couldn't let myself get distracted.

I snapped my gaze back at the king statue. This thing was tough — no, brutal — but not unbeatable. If Knights keep on fighting they would break it eventually. My focus shifted to the massive wall behind it.

That's where I need to go.

Beyond that wall... that's where everything I've fought for leads. But how the hell am I supposed to get through? I'm not the hero. I can't just cut through solid stone like it's wet paper.

And I sure as hell couldn't ask for help — not with what's hidden back there. It's too good to be true, too dangerous to share.

No options left. I'd have to risk everything.

I turned back to the statue. Its sword was free from Edric's grasp now, and its stone face still twisted into that unnerving, toothy grin.

SWOOSH!

Another bone-chilling whoosh cut through the air. The statue swung its sword down at Edric again — faster this time.

Edric gritted his teeth, drawing his sword from his waist in one fluid motion. He caught the strike, but the ground beneath him wasn't as lucky. The earth shattered, his feet driving two feet deep into the stone floor.

BAMM!!

"Everyone, focus your attention on the King statue!" Commander Ryker's voice thundered, shaking the knights out of their fear-stricken daze.

By now, most of the soldier statues were nothing but rubble. Evan broke off from the remaining ones, his sword already in motion.

He didn't hesitate.

In the blink of an eye, he swung his blade — not once, but several times in rapid succession. Each strike compressed the air, sending slicing waves straight into the king statue's chest.

No damage. Not even a scratch.

The statue's grin widened. Its head turned unnaturally, locking eyes with Evan.

"Shit..."

Evan didn't wait around. He bolted toward the group.

SLAM!

The statue's sword blurred, moving with a speed I never imagined possible for something so colossal.

One second Evan was running — the next, he was a blur in the air, slammed across the hall like a ragdoll. He hit the ground with a sickening thud, skidding several feet before finally stopping.

That bastard....he didn't die.

Even though it happened too fast to see, I caught the glimpse. In that split-second, Evan had tried to block. His sword shifted just before the hit landed, reducing the impact.

"Healers! Check on him!" Commander barked.

Koala rushed toward Evan, her hands glowing with soft light as she began to heal him.

Wait… where's about other healer guy? He was right next to Evan.

THOOMM!!

The ground quaked as Edric didn't give the king statue a moment to breathe. He charged in again, his sword meeting the statue's with a deafening crash. The impact exploded outward, a shockwave tearing through the hall.

"Attack together!" Commander roared, launching a wave of blue flames in a sharp arc toward the statue. The flames hit dead-on… but the result was the same. Not even a crack.

The knights rallied, attacking from different angles, their blades and magic striking in unison.

The king statue didn't flinch.

Instead, it stomped — its colossal foot crashing down on the nearest group of knights.

CRUNCH.

Their screams were cut off instantly, replaced by the sickening sound of bones shattering. When it lifted its foot, mangled remains were all that was left. Blood splattered across the floor.

"Everyone, fall back!" Commander's voice rang out, barely masking the horror beneath it.

The knights broke formation, sprinting for the door — all except Edric, who stood his ground, sword raised, eyes locked on the monster.

It's not going to be that easy though...

The door slammed shut with a thunderous BOOM.

Knights near the exit threw their weight against it, trying to pry it open, but it didn't budge. Commander and the others turned their attacks on the door itself, flames, ice, and raw force battering it to no avail.

The king statue's head creaked as it moved, scanning the room slowly from left to right. Its hollow eyes landed on Koala — running alongside another knight, who carried Evan on his back.

It must have noticed the amulet.

Edric noticed too. His eyes darkened, and without a word, he sprinted toward the statue again, sword in hand.

"Hummmmmm..."

The hum came again — deeper this time, heavier, like the entire hall vibrated with it.

The shattered statues littering the ground began to reform, their broken limbs snapping back into place.

They didn't just stand up.

They surged forward — swarming Edric from all sides.

He let out a feral growl and spun his sword in a wide arc, severing torsos and limbs. Stone bodies shattered, but the fallen pieces didn't stay still. Severed arms and crumbled torsos lunged at his legs, wrapping around him, dragging him down.

"Save the healer!!!" Edric's voice boomed through the chaos.

The king statue raised its massive sword again — but this time, it wasn't aiming for Edric.

It swung straight for Koala and Evan.

"BAM!"

A group of knights threw themselves in front, swords raised to block. The impact was brutal. Their blades held for half a second — then snapped like twigs. The knights were launched through the air, smashing into walls as blood smeared all over the place.

The statue didn't stop.

It swung again, faster.

Commander Ryker himself lunged forward, intercepting it. His blade ignited with blue flames, clashing against the stone sword. For a heartbeat, it looked like he might hold it back — but the raw force overpowered him.

The impact blasted him, Evan, and Koala off their feet. They hit the ground hard, rolling across the bloodstained floor.

Edric roared, breaking free from the statues gripping his legs. He swung wide, shattering the ones around him — but more were already rising.

Dozens. No... more than fifty new statues emerged, surrounding him.

His breathing was ragged now, sweat and blood running down his face. But his sword never wavered.

Edric wasn't going down without a fight. But even he couldn't hold back the tide forever.

The king statue's twisted grin stretched unnaturally wide, teeth gleaming from ear to ear as its gaze locked onto Evan and Koala, broken and bloodied on the ground.

Swoooosh!

Its sword cuts through the air with terrifying speed, crashing down on where they lay. Dust exploded outward, thick and suffocating, blinding everyone for a moment.

My heart skipped a beat. Did they die?

The dust cleared — and I saw them. Not an the ground like I expected. They were floating mid-air, just inches above the ground.

Selene.

She stood near the door, one hand raised, fingers curled unnervingly. Her hair billowed as though caught in an invisible wind. Her expression was unreadable, but the faint smirk on her lips sent chills down my spine.

Ranald and Garrick flanked her now, taking Edric's place as her new guards. From Evan's pocket, the amulet slowly floated upward, drifting into her open palm.

Right... She must have gathered new ghost puppets from the fallen knights. The more people die, stronger her power grows.

The king statue's head jerked, swiveling from left to right in a frantic, unnatural motion — almost as if it was… confused?

By now, everyone else had fled to the edges of the room, far out of the statue's attack range. Everyone except Edric, still surrounded, his sword a blur as he cut down endless waves of soldier statues.

SLAMM!!

The king statue took a step forward.

The ground shifted like wet sand beneath its weight, each step sending gentle tremors rippling through the floor.

Then it stopped — sword raised high, aimed directly at the door where the remaining knights huddled together, terror etched on their faces. Their hands shook so badly, they could barely keep their swords pointed forward.

This was it.

I've battled this thing a hundred times in the game. I know its fighting patterns. It never strikes behind unless it steps forward first.

This is my chance.

I bolted toward its back heel, dagger clenched tight.

With everything I had, I drove the blade into the joint. Pain exploded through my wrist and up my arm from the impact — like I'd slammed a metal pipe into solid rock. Not even a scratch on the statue.

It didn't matter. I wasn't aiming to damage it.

Its swing faltered, halting halfway. Its massive head creaked downward, slowly scanning for whatever had dared to touch it.

A cold, primal dread surged through me as its eerie smile stretched wider the moment it locked eyes with me.

I bolted for the throne moving sideways.I knew exactly how it was going to respond.

BAMMM!!

The ground shattered beside me. The shockwave sent me flying, tumbling across the floor. My back hit hard, skidding several feet before I stopped, gasping for air. My ribs screamed in protest.

"Come on, motherfucker!" I snarled through gritted teeth, forcing myself to my feet. My legs trembled under me, barely holding up.

The king statue tilted its head to the side, almost curious. Like it didn't understand how I wasn't dead yet.

I knew it was not going to take time to figure it out.

I dropped flat to the ground.

WHOOOSH!

A burst of air ripped above me, fast enough to leave my ears ringing. CRASH! The sword crashed onto the wall and through the throne, obliterating its legs. Stone shards exploded in all directions.

The throne wobbled. Then, with a groan of splitting stone, it collapsed sideways, slamming to the ground in a heap of rubble.

I glanced at the giant statue.

Its grin was gone.

Its hollow eyes, once narrow slits of cruel amusement, were now wide. Almost… human-like. Shocked.

As the dust settled, the rubble shifted — and behind the broken throne, the wall wasn't whole anymore. A jagged crack split down its center, stone fragments crumbling away to reveal a narrow, shadowed gap.

A way through. Hidden. Waiting.

My heart slammed against my ribs, adrenaline flooding through me as I stared at the opening.

Finally… the power is within reach.