Who Are You ??

Kian stumbled, his vision fading for an instant, his body trembling with rage as exhaustion washed over him. His legs buckled under him, and he fell to the ground with a groaning gasp. The cold earth cradled in his hands, the ground still damp from the previous night's sharp wind. His breathing was in ragged gasps, too rough to be anything other than a plea for mercy.

Ellie's voice was insistent, cutting through his fog of exhaustion. "Kian!" Her hand was on his arm, pulling him, trying to get him up to his feet. "Come on, we can't leave now!"

But it was too much. His body refused to cooperate. For the first time since all of this started, Kian felt the full weight of their survival—of everything they'd been through in the past days, weeks, months. The brutal truth pressed on his chest, suffocating him with the realization that they were so close to the end.

"Ellie… I'm not going to make it," he mumbled, his voice low, defeated.

But Ellie wasn't paying attention. She wasn't going to allow him to give up. Her hands moved quickly, trying to heave him, trying to stand him up, but she wasn't powerful enough to do it alone.

"Kian, please. Stand up. You have to stand up."

And that's when they heard it.

The earth shook under their feet, the air vibrating with the unmistakable growl of a roar—something much louder than they'd ever heard in their lives.

It was close. Too close.

Kian's heart raced as he whipped his head around to see what was coming. Through the trees, a black form loomed. Towering, twisted, its two red eyes blazing through the gloom like hot coals. The Wraith that had followed them—it had followed them home.

Ellie was frozen there, her eyes popping in shock. "Kian, we—"

But before she could manage to get the words out, the Wraith was already upon them. Its massive body towered over, its open maw filled with black ichor. Its claws, sharp and unforgiving, reached out towards them like death itself. Kian lacked the strength to move, much less protect himself. Ellie was in front of him, her arms shaking but held up in a defensive position, though she knew she stood no chance against something like this.

And then, suddenly, as a ghost rising up out of darkness, a man emerged.

A swish of motion, faster than either could react, and the Wraith's head was cleft in two with one strike. The monster howled deafeningly as its body reeled backward, before collapsing to the earth in a crumpled heap, the black blood spreading across the ground. The individual who had executed the blow was a blur, striking with accuracy, a killing grace that was almost inhuman.

Ellie and Kian both froze, their mouths open in shock.

The man—a man, as far as they could tell—had a combination of military gear and an assassin's uniform. His attire was black, tactical, for speed and killing. He had blades on both arms, twin curved swords that glinted in the light of the weak moon. And, holstered at his waist, a set of pistols flashed threateningly.

The Wraith's corpse dissolved into nothing, melted into the earth as if it never existed. The supernatural, chilling presence was erased, replaced by a silence that felt wrong, unnatural.

The man cleaned his sword, then looked at Kian and Ellie. His gaze was cold, calculating, his eyes hidden behind the shadows of his hood.

"Who are you?" His voice was low, rough, but strangely composed. "Where are the others? Where are the rest of the Wraiths?"

Ellie took a step back, still trying to stand between Kian and the stranger. Her hand rested on Kian's shoulder, but she wasn't quite ready to trust anyone, especially not someone who had just materialized and killed a Wraith so readily.

Stay back!" she demanded, her voice shaky but firm. "Who are you?

The man raised an eyebrow, obviously amused by her display of courage, but he did not press the issue. He looked at them for a while, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them. Ellie's determination never wavered even as she could feel the icy sweat which was gathering at the back of her neck. She wasn't sure if she was afraid of the Wraith or this mysterious man.

Kian, who remained on the ground, finally broke his silence. "The Wraiths… they came from the village. We don't know where the others are. We just ran. We—"

He didn't even have the chance to continue before the man turned around, as if to leave. But then, suddenly, he vanished—hiding in the shadows of the trees like he never did exist.

Ellie's heart was pounding, and she leapt up from her chair, seizing Kian's arm. "What—what occurred? Where did he disappear to?"

But Kian remained silent. He simply stood there, gazing over his shoulder at the man, his head reeling. That was not correct. None of it was correct.

They stood there in the woods now, alone, with the night's quiet heavy around them like a strangling blanket.

Minutes passed. Time ticked on and on, the shadows around them growing deeper, colder. And then as quickly as the man had disappeared

he reappeared. He was closer this time. He stood at the rim of the clearing, looking at them with the same unreadable face.

You two aren't safe here," he said to them, his voice flat, emotionless. He moved closer to them, the moonlight catching his eyes, making them gleam. "But I'll get you safe."

Ellie was about to object, but the man held up a hand, stopping her.

"It's not a suggestion," he said, his tone commanding. "We have to save ourselves. Now.".

Kian glanced at him, unsure what to do, but Ellie's fingers on his tightened. There was no choice. They had to follow. What he was or where he was headed, it would be better than this.

Without another word, the mysterious figure turned and disappeared into the woods once again. This time, they followed him—timidly, but with a desperate prayer for some kind of safety, some hope of surviving.

In a few minutes, the man came back to them, offering a small, twisted smile.

"Looks like everything's fine now," he stated, as if what had occurred wasn't a slaughter. His smile didn't reach his eyes.

Ellie's forehead furrowed, and Kian's grip around her hand tightened. He wasn't sure he could trust this man, but for now, they had no choice.

They kept following, deeper into the night.