Shadows Lurking in the Night

The sun had long dipped below the horizon, casting Ashenbrook Village into the embrace of twilight. An unnatural stillness hung in the air, the kind that made the hairs on the back of the neck prickle. The lanterns along the narrow streets flickered weakly, their feeble glow struggling against the encroaching darkness.

At the village's entrance, a figure stood—tall, gaunt, and cloaked in tattered black. His pale face twisted into an eerie grin as he inhaled deeply, as if savoring the very air. Sunken eyes, gleaming with an unnatural hunger, flickered with something almost inhuman.

"Ahhh... there it is," he whispered, his voice dripping with sick delight. "The sweet fragrance of fresh power. Someone here has opened their first gate... and what a delectable energy it is."

His fingers twitched, barely restraining his anticipation. He stepped forward, his boots making no sound against the dirt path.

"Tonight," he murmured, "Tonight... a banquet awaits."

The village remained unaware of the nightmare lurking in the shadows.

Inside a modest home near the river, Elysia sat on the floor, legs crossed as she stared at the flickering candle before her.

"I've spent three days trying to control this power," she muttered. "The energy... it feels wild, foreign, like a storm waiting to be tamed."

Taking a deep breath, she stretched out her hand. A small orb of water materialized, hovering in midair—but it wobbled, unstable, before bursting into droplets that splashed against her skin. She sighed.

"Still not enough control..."

A chill crawled up her spine. Something felt... wrong.

Before she could react, the window behind her shattered. A cold gust howled through the room as a shadowy figure stepped inside, his grin wide and unnatural.

"Found you."

Elysia barely had time to turn before a cold hand clamped around her throat, lifting her effortlessly off the ground. She gasped, clawing at the iron grip. The man—no, the creature—tilted his head, watching her with unsettling fascination.

"Ah, yes..." he purred. "Such a fresh well of chi, just waiting to be devoured. Do you know what will happen when I drain it all?"

Elysia's vision darkened at the edges. The pressure on her throat made it nearly impossible to summon her magic.

The man chuckled, a deep, guttural sound. "Oh, don't worry. You won't have to wonder for long."

Dark tendrils of energy curled around his free hand, pulsing with an eerie glow.

"Now, let's begin the feast."

With a sickening lurch, he leapt from the window, carrying Elysia's struggling form into the night.

The twisted trees of Veilshade Forest loomed overhead, their skeletal branches clawing at the sky. A thick fog clung to the ground, swirling as the mysterious figure dragged Elysia deeper into the woods.

At last, he stopped near an ancient, crumbling stone formation, tossing her carelessly onto the damp earth. Elysia coughed violently, clutching her throat as she struggled to breathe.

The man crouched beside her, his face was just few inches away.

"Tell me, girl," he murmured, "have you ever felt true despair? That moment when you realize no one is coming to save you? That no matter how much you scream, no one will hear?"

Elysia glared at him, forcing herself to stay conscious. "You... won't... get away with this."

The man laughed. A hollow, chilling sound.

"Won't I?" he whispered. "People like me... we lurk in the shadows, feeding off the strong, preying on fools who believe in 'power.' And my dear, you are the perfect prey."

He raised his hand, dark tendrils coiling around Elysia's body. A searing pain erupted in her chest as she felt something being torn from within her, something she had barely begun to understand.

Her chi.

Elysia's vision blurred. Her strength drained as the man inhaled sharply, his expression one of pure ecstasy.

"Yes... yes...!" he gasped. "So pure, so fresh!"

A rustling came from the left.

Then—a flash. A blur of motion.

A boot slammed into the man's face, sending him flying backward.

Elysia collapsed, unconscious.

Rowan stood over her, chest heaving, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His usual lighthearted demeanor was gone, replaced by a burning fury.

"Elysia... Elysia, wake up!" He shook her gently, but she remained still.

A low chuckle broke the moment. The man straightened, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip.

"And who might you be?" he sneered. "Another lamb come to the slaughter?"

Rowan's gaze locked onto him. "I won't let you touch her."

The man tilted his head mockingly. "Oh? And what will you do, little boy? You haven't even unlocked your first gate." He spread his arms, amused. "Come now, entertain me."

Rowan lunged. His fist connected with the man's jaw, snapping his head to the side. A dull shock ran up Rowan's arm. For a second, he thought he had done real damage—

Until the man turned back, grinning.

"That was cute."

In an instant, his hand shot out, slamming into Rowan's stomach. The force sent him flying, crashing against a tree.

"Earlier, your little sneak attack had worked only because it caught me at my weakest." The man flexed his fingers. "But now? It's different."

Rowan coughed, blood dripping from his mouth. He forced himself to his feet, legs trembling, but his resolve burned brighter than ever.

He charged again. A swipe of claws narrowly missed him as he dodged and delivered a sharp kick to the ribs. The villain barely reacted.

Then a blurred motion. A tight grip. A twist.

Rowan gasped as his arm was wrenched at a painful angle before he was slammed into the ground. The impact stole the breath from his lungs.

"So close..." the man murmured. "You're on the verge of opening your first gate. Such a waste."

Rowan's vision swam, his body battered—but he pushed up on shaking limbs, standing between Elysia and the monster before them.

"I won't let you touch her," he rasped.

The man smirked. "No problem. First, I'll open your chakra gate for you. You can thank me later. Then... I'll devour your chi along with hers."

A twisted grin spread across his face. "Tonight might be most lucky day in my life, I not only got a girl with a Chakra gate open but another prey who is just on the verge of opening his 1st chakra gate!"

The night air turned frigid as he stepped closer, fingers outstretched. Rowan clenched his fists, preparing to fight until his body gave out.

Meanwhile, back in the village, Lucian stood in front of his wrecked home. The shattered glass, the overturned furniture—it all screamed one thing.

She had been kidnapped.

His breath become furious, and inside, something uncoiled—a deep, simmering rage, colder than fire yet just as consuming. His fingers twitched around the hilt of his sword, his knuckles whitening as his pulse pounded in his ears.

A strange sensation crawled beneath his skin, something foreign yet familiar, as if a part of him he had long forgotten was stirring awake.

The night around him seemed darker, the lanterns flickering as if struggling to hold their flame. Shadows pooled at his feet, stretching unnaturally, writhing at the edges of his vision. He barely noticed.

There was only one thought in his mind.

Elysia.

His body moved before he could think, his legs carrying him forward, his grip tightening on his blade. He didn't know why, but his chest burned—not with exhaustion, not with fear—but with something deeper.

Something ancient.

Something hungry.

With a sharp breath, he sprinted into the night, with a single thought

"Elysia... hold on. Your brother is coming to save you."

To be continued...