Chapter 15: The Shadow Monster

The water bubbled and splashed beside Kena and Hope, making a soft, happy sound. The ground began to slope upward.

It was rocky and steep, and Kena's boots slipped a little on the stones. But she didn't stop. She kept moving, her eyes fixed on the ridge ahead.

The golden city felt so close now. It was almost like she could reach out and touch it with her fingers.

When they reached the top of the ridge, Kena stopped. She was out of breath, her chest moving up and down fast.

She looked down and saw the city spread out below her. It was big—really big.

There were tall towers, strong walls, and lots of houses, all shining in a bright golden color.

"Wow," she said, her voice full of wonder. "It's huge."

Hope came up beside her. He stood there quietly for a moment, looking at the city too.

"Yes," he said. "But we're not there yet."

Kena's smile faded, and she frowned a little. "What's stopping us?" she asked, turning to him.

Hope lifted his hand and pointed down. Between them and the city was a wide, flat plain.

It looked dark and empty at first. But then Kena saw something moving on it. It was a big, black shape.

It looked like smoke, but it wasn't smoke—it was alive. "That," Hope said, his voice low.

Kena narrowed her eyes, trying to see it better. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's a shadow monster," Hope said. "It guards the path to the city."

Kena let out a groan. "Of course it does," she said, annoyed.

She kept watching the black shape. It started to change. It grew arms, then legs, and finally a head—all made of swirling darkness.

It was tall, much taller than the trees around them. Its eyes glowed a bright yellow, like two little fires in the dark.

"How do we get past it?" Kena asked, looking at Hope.

"We trick it," he said. "It's slow, but it's very strong."

"Trick it how?" Kena asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an answer.

Hope thought for a second, his eyes looking far away.

"It chases what it sees," he said finally. "We can split up. I'll draw it away from you. Then you run to the city."

Kena shook her head hard. "No," she said. "We stick together. I'm not leaving you behind."

Hope looked at her. His eyes met hers, and they were steady and serious.

"It's safer—" he started to say.

"No," Kena cut him off. Her voice was firm. "You've saved me too many times already. We do this together."

He stared at her for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly.

"Okay," he said. "Together."

They started climbing down the ridge. The shadow monster was getting closer now.

Its deep growl rumbled through the air, so loud it made the ground shake a little.

Kena's hands were trembling, but she squeezed them into fists to stop the shaking.

"What's the trick?" she asked, her voice a little shaky too.

"Confuse it," Hope said. "Make it chase itself."

Kena raised one eyebrow. "How do we do that?" she asked.

"Watch me," Hope said.

He bent down and picked up a rock from the ground. Then he threw it as hard as he could.

The rock flew through the air and landed far off to the left. The shadow monster turned its big head toward the sound.

Its yellow eyes flashed, and it started moving that way. It was slow, but every step was loud, like thunder.

"Now," Hope said.

He ran to the right, waving his arms high in the air.

"Hey! Over here!" he shouted.

The monster stopped. It looked confused. Its head turned toward Hope, and it let out a loud growl.

Kena saw her chance. She grabbed a stick from the ground and started banging it hard against a rock. The noise was loud and fast.

"This way, you ugly thing!" she yelled as loud as she could.

The monster spun around again. Its big head swung back and forth between them, like it didn't know what to do.

Then it roared—a huge, angry sound—and suddenly it split into two smaller shadows.

One went after Hope, and the other came for Kena. Her heart jumped in her chest.

"That wasn't the plan!" she shouted, her voice full of surprise.

"Keep moving!" Hope yelled back.

He dodged his shadow, running in tight circles. Kena copied him, her boots hitting the dirt hard as she ran.

The shadow chasing her swiped at her with its claws.

They were cold and dark, and she felt the chill brush the back of her neck as she ducked just in time.

"Hope!" she called out, her breath coming fast. "It's not working!"

"Make them crash!" he shouted back.

He started running toward her, his shadow right behind him.

Kena understood. She sprinted straight at him, her own shadow chasing her fast.

"Now!" she yelled.

At the very last second, they both jumped to the side. The two shadows slammed into each other with a loud boom.

The sound echoed across the plain, and the monster melted away. It turned into a big puddle of black goo on the ground.

Kena fell to her knees, breathing hard. Her chest hurt from running so much.

"Did we win?" she asked, looking up at Hope.

He nodded, his own breath coming in big gasps.

"Yes," he said. "It's gone."

Kena let out a shaky laugh. It was real, even if her voice wobbled a little.

"We're good at this," she said, smiling.

"Maybe," Hope said.

His eyes crinkled at the corners, like he was smiling too, just a little.

They both stood up, brushing the dirt off their clothes. The golden city was still there, waiting for them.

Its big gates were wide open, like an invitation. Kena reached into her pocket and touched the glowing stone.

It felt warm, like luck had been on their side. She looked at Hope.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready," he said, his voice steady.

They started walking again. The puddle of black goo from the monster steamed behind them, sending up little wisps of smoke.

Kena's heart was still beating fast. It wasn't just from the fight, though. It was from what was coming next.

Justice Veldric was so close now. She could almost feel him waiting for her in that golden city.

As they walked, the plain stretched out around them. It was wide and flat, with short grass under their feet.

The air smelled fresh, with a hint of something sweet from the city ahead. Kena kept her eyes on the towers in the distance.

They were tall and shiny, catching the light of the gray sky. She wondered what it would be like to stand inside those walls.

Would it feel safe? Or would it feel like a trap?

Hope walked beside her, his green cloak swaying a little with each step. He didn't say much, but that was normal for him.

Kena liked that about him—he didn't fill the silence with useless words. When he spoke, it meant something.

She glanced at him, and he caught her eye for a second. He gave her a small nod, like he knew what she was thinking.

They were in this together, no matter what.

The closer they got, the bigger the city looked. The walls seemed to grow taller, and the gates looked even wider.

Kena could see little shapes moving near the entrance—people, maybe, or guards. She couldn't tell yet.

Her hand tightened around the photo in her pocket. Justice Veldric's face flashed in her mind again. Cold. Sharp. Waiting.

"We'll get him," she said out loud, more to herself than to Hope.

Hope heard her anyway. "Yes," he said. "We will."

The plain started to slope down a little as they got closer to the city. The grass turned patchy, mixing with dirt and small stones.

Kena's boots crunched with every step. She could hear faint sounds now—voices, maybe, or the clatter of carts.

The city was alive, and they were almost part of it.

The shadow monster was gone, but Kena still felt a shiver sometimes. She kept looking over her shoulder, just to be sure.

The puddle of goo was far behind them now, out of sight. She told herself it was over. They'd beaten it. They were stronger than it was.

Finally, they reached the edge of the plain. The city gates towered over them, golden and grand.

Kena paused for a short while, her eyes wide as she stared. It was really happening. They had finally arrived.

She breathed in deeply, her fingers touching the smooth stone in her pocket once again. Then she turned to Hope.

"Come on, let's move," she said softly.

He gave a quick nod. "Yeah, let's do this."

Side by side, they took their first steps forward, prepared for anything that might happen.

The shining golden city stood before them, and Justice Veldric was somewhere inside.

Kena's heart pounded harder in her chest, but fear no longer held her back. She felt strong now.