Léon, still stunned by the sudden disappearance of the mysterious man, stood frozen for a few seconds.
— What… Where did he go?
But before he could form a clear thought, a monstrous roar echoed through the alleys.
A cry so primal, so beastly, it shook him to the core.
Without thinking, Léon ran toward the sound, his heart pounding like war drums in his chest.
As he turned the corner of a collapsed building, he stopped dead in his tracks.
In front of him, in an open space filled with broken cars and swirling dust, stood a giant gorilla, over seven meters tall. Its fur was dark as the void, and its burning red eyes glowed like fire.
Facing the beast... the man in the crimson cloak.
The one from the portal.
Still.
Unshaken.
His gaze held no fear.
Léon, hiding behind a broken wall, whispered to himself:
— He's insane... that thing will crush him!
But as the monster growled and slammed its fists into the ground, the man in red simply raised his head.
And in a flash… he charged.
A speed beyond human—impossible to follow with the naked eye.
Even the air seemed to split open in his path.
And in the blink of an eye, he was already on the beast.
Léon's breath grew short. Before him, the scene seemed unreal: the man wearing a red cape stood face-to-face with a gigantic creature — a gorilla with blazing red eyes, nearly seven meters tall. Its ragged breathing made the stones tremble around it. The air grew heavier, thick with tension, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Léon, hiding behind a crumbled wall, watched with wide eyes. He had never seen such a terrifying beast… nor a man so calm in its presence.
The gorilla roared — a deep, guttural cry that made the earth vibrate. It lunged at the man, fist raised like a giant hammer. The ground exploded under the impact of its strike, but the man had already vanished.
"He… he dodged," Léon whispered in awe.
Behind the beast, the man was already there. He slid across the ground as if carried by the wind, his cape flowing like a burning shadow. He raised his right hand — a swirling blue energy gathered in his palm, alive and pulsing. In a fraction of a second, he struck.
A bolt of energy pierced the beast's shoulder, causing it to let out a howl of pain. Dark blood splattered the ground, but the gorilla wasn't ready to fall. Mad with rage, it turned and slammed both its fists down like a divine hammer. The man was hurled into a wall, the crash echoing like thunder.
"No… no!" Léon cried out.
But the man stood back up slowly, as if pain did not exist. His gaze remained fixed, emotionless. He touched his chest, clenched his palm — and his wounds closed instantly.
The gorilla leapt again, faster this time, more furious. It crushed trees, tore through the earth, triggered a mini-earthquake. But the man raised his left hand and… time seemed to slow.
Around him, the air vibrated. Sounds became muffled. He traced strange symbols in the air — ancient runes that lit up with a violet glow.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. Black lightning tore across the clouds. A column of energy shot down from the sky, striking the beast head-on. The ground cracked open. A shockwave swept through the area. Léon was thrown backward, vision blurry, ears ringing.
When he reopened his eyes, a smoking crater had replaced the battlefield. In the center, the gorilla still stood… on its knees, dazed. Its fur was scorched in many places, its breathing labored. But it still lived.
The man approached. Slowly. His silhouette moved like a shadow. He raised his right hand one last time. Léon felt the earth tremble beneath him. The man's hand seemed to call something… from the sky.
A pillar of light suddenly descended. But not just light — a celestial spear, made of pure energy, came crashing down like a divine meteor.
The beast looked up. It understood. But too late.
The spear pierced its chest, lifting it into the air before slamming it into the ground with such force that a wave of fire spread in all directions. The beast's final roar was lost in a fading echo.
Silence returned. Absolute.
The man turned slowly toward Léon, who had been frozen throughout the battle. His heart pounded wildly. He couldn't believe what he had just seen.
"Who… who are you?" he stammered.
But the man gave no answer. He stepped closer to Léon, stopping just a few paces away. His face remained hidden under the shadow of his hood, but a strange light glowed in his eyes.
"This is only the beginning, Léon," he said in a deep, calm voice. "This world… still hides many secrets. You must be ready."
Then, without waiting, he vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving behind the scent of ozone and mystery.
Léon stood alone, shaken, trembling, but deeply changed. He now knew that the world he had once known was only a veil — and beyond it, ancient and powerful forces awaited.
To be continued