The Hunter and the Prey
Kael's heartbeat echoed in his ears. The entity outside the metro tunnel had locked onto them, its glowing golden eyes piercing the shadows. He had no idea what it was, but every fiber of his being screamed that this thing was beyond anything the apocalypse had thrown at him so far.
Elyra grabbed his sleeve, whispering frantically, "Kael, we need to run!"
But Kael didn't move. His instincts told him running wouldn't help. This wasn't an ordinary enemy. It was something ancient—something connected to him.
The air around them grew heavy, as if the very fabric of reality was warping in the presence of the being. Then, it spoke again.
"You cannot hide."
With a flick of its wrist, the entire tunnel entrance collapsed.
---
The Barrier Between Worlds
A shockwave blasted through the metro station, sending dust and debris flying. Kael shielded Elyra with his body, gritting his teeth as a deep pressure settled over him. The presence of the entity was suffocating, like an abyss pressing down on his very soul.
Then, the whispers started.
Not from the entity.
From within him.
It's time…
Kael clutched his head as a pulse of energy surged through his veins. His vision blurred, flashing between the ruined station and something else—
A vast cosmos.
A throne of light.
A name, long forgotten, ringing in his ears.
"You are late to wake, child of the stars." The entity's voice cut through the storm in his mind. "But you will kneel."
---
The First Clash
The entity raised a hand, and an unseen force lashed toward them like a tidal wave. Kael reacted on instinct, throwing himself in front of Elyra and raising his arms—
And the attack shattered against an invisible barrier.
The golden mark on his forehead burned brighter, and with it came another surge of memory. He knew this power. It had always been his.
The entity tilted its head. "Interesting. Your seal is weakening."
Kael took a deep breath, flexing his fingers as golden energy crackled around him. "I don't know who you are, but you're not taking me."
The entity's runes flared. "Then you will break."
It moved, vanishing from sight in an instant. Kael barely had time to react before a force slammed into him, sending him crashing through a concrete pillar. Pain exploded through his body, but even as he hit the ground, he was already moving, rolling to his feet with unnatural speed.
He wasn't fighting as a human anymore.
---
Unshackled
Kael's muscles burned, his body reacting faster than his mind could process. The entity attacked again, launching a flurry of strikes that distorted the air itself. But Kael dodged—barely—each movement unlocking more of his hidden instincts.
A counterattack surged from within him. He swung his fist, golden energy crackling along his knuckles, and struck the entity square in the chest.
The impact sent shockwaves through the tunnel.
The entity stumbled back, its expression unreadable. Then, for the first time, it spoke with something resembling… amusement.
"You are beginning to remember."
Kael wiped blood from his lip. "I don't need memories to take you down."
The entity's aura flared, the ground beneath it cracking apart. "Then prove it."
As the tunnel trembled around them, Kael knew—this was only the first of many battles to come.
---
To be continued…