Like an arrow released from its string, Draki lunged toward one of the nearest hellhounds — his daggers flashing with lethal precision. With a single swift, exact strike, he decapitated the beast cleanly. Dark blood erupted in a violent spray, scattering through the air like ink in stormwater. But before he could charge at the remaining hounds, the world around him fractured.
The darkness itself shattered like glass.
He didn't even have time to react before it devoured him whole — everything collapsing into blinding oblivion.
Inside the lab, panic erupted. The monitors flared with warning lights, alarms blaring through the chamber as researchers rushed across glowing floors.
"Run the database again!" Fiona's voice cut sharply through the chaos, her tone trembling between fear and fury. "He's too valuable to lose in another glitch!"
Screens flickered violently as she swiped through feeds, searching frantically. "Find him. Now!" she ordered, her reflection rippling in the holographic light.
But Draki was gone — body and signal — vanished without a trace.
---
Draki's eyes fluttered open.
The sight before him was something eerily unfamiliar — cosmic, yet drowned in shadow. The sky above swirled in an unnatural mixture of black and burnt brown, with a vast blue moon hanging low over the horizon. The air itself felt alive — dense, charged, and heavy with an energy that crawled against his skin.
Even with all his enhanced strength and conditioning, the cold gnawed mercilessly at him. The chilling breeze bit through his flesh, forcing an involuntary shiver.
"Fiona…" he called softly into the void, his voice swallowed by the emptiness. No response. Only silence.
He tried again, louder this time — but the world stayed eerily still.
That's when realization hit him like a cold blade. He was alone. Completely cut off.
Draki scanned the surroundings carefully — the landscape was still, hauntingly so. The shadows shifted, and faint, reflective eyes glimmered from the distant dark paths ahead. But strangely, none of those unseen creatures moved closer. None dared approach him.
Everything remained quiet. Too quiet.
Then — the air changed.
A suffocating aura began to seep across the horizon, slow and deliberate. The air itself trembled as if struggling to breathe. The unseen eyes in the dark instantly vanished — retreating back into the shadows as if terrified of what was coming.
The entire frontier fell silent.
Sweat rolled down Draki's back as his chest tightened under the sheer weight of that approaching pressure. His knees quivered, threatening to collapse. Every instinct screamed at him to move — now.
"No need to find shelter," he muttered under his breath. "Just move."
He snapped into motion, sprinting toward a cluster of trees that stretched endlessly across the wasteland. Adrenaline roared through his veins like fire as his body surged forward with raw desperation.
Something felt off.
It no longer seemed like just his consciousness was here — but his entire being. His physical body.
Reaching the nearest massive tree, he climbed rapidly, slipping through branches until he was swallowed by the dense canopy above. He didn't stop there. He went deeper — moving swiftly through the upper layers, passing predatory beasts whose eyes glimmered with malice… yet none attacked.
Every single creature avoided him — or rather, avoided something else.
Once he'd put a great distance behind him, Draki paused, his chest rising and falling in deep, uneven breaths. Whatever that aura was — it hadn't reached this far. Not yet.
He frowned. Could it be that it's still far away, and what I'm feeling is just its aura moving ahead of it? he wondered.
But then — a soft tap on his shoulder.
Instinct took over. He spun around instantly — and froze.
The figure before him was massive. Definitely not human.
She was a woman — but unlike any he had ever seen. Her presence was overpowering, her form sculpted from both savagery and grace. Muscles rippled beneath flawless skin dusted with soft fur that traced up toward a tight, well-defined abdomen.
Her beauty was dangerous — the kind that lured, poisoned, and destroyed. A paradox of allure and threat.
Her thighs were thick and powerful, flexing with raw strength as she leaned closer. One slender finger pressed gently against his lips. Her touch was commanding — quieting him before he could even think to speak.
Her chest rose and fell steadily, the torn, cursed fabric wrapped around her torso straining to contain the fullness beneath. Sweat glistened faintly along her skin, catching the dim light that filtered through the forest. Wild, silver hair cascaded down her back, shimmering like moonlit metal.
And then there were her eyes — crimson and blue, glowing faintly like twin stars in the dark.
"Shhh…" she whispered softly, pulling her finger away from his lips.
Draki stood frozen, stunned by the hypnotic mix of ferocity and beauty before him. It took him several seconds to gather his composure, his mind catching up to his senses.
Following her gaze, he turned — and froze again.
The air shimmered. The ground vibrated. The temperature began to rise — slowly at first, then sharply, degree by degree.
"No…" she murmured, panic edging into her tone. "This won't do."
In a single fluid motion, she bent her knees and launched herself deeper into the forest, moving from branch to branch with breathtaking agility.
Realizing how severe the situation was, Draki forced every last drop of energy into his legs, propelling himself forward after her. He wasn't nearly as fast, but he refused to lose sight of her silhouette.
After what felt like ages of relentless pursuit, they finally stopped. The horizon was gone — replaced by endless green canopy stretching in every direction.
Panting beside her, Draki couldn't help his eyes from flicking toward her figure. His throat went dry. He swallowed hard, trying to fight the heat that crept under his skin. Even now… really? he thought bitterly, forcing his mind to focus.
He tried to speak, awkwardly starting a conversation as they both crouched behind the thick branches.
"Hi… my name's Draki. What's yours?" he asked, voice low, unsure.
"Velmora," she replied curtly, eyes still locked ahead.
Draki nodded. "That's… one hell of a name. Anyway, do you know what's going on? Even the forest's gone silent."
"Look, Draki—or whatever you call yourself," she said coldly, "even speaking to you right now is a risk. But since you seem completely clueless, listen carefully."
She clenched her fists until her knuckles cracked. "What you're feeling right now—that pressure—it's not human. It's a being. Maybe two… maybe more. In all my years, I've never felt anything like this. If we're lucky, we'll live to see another sunrise. If not—" she paused, eyes hardening, "—we'll be crushed before they even arrive."
Suddenly, the sky darkened.
Not like passing clouds. Not like nightfall. This was something unnatural.
The moonlight vanished instantly, devoured by a spreading blackness that flooded across the heavens like spilled ink.
"It's coming," Velmora whispered, her voice trembling but steady — an odd mixture of calm and dread.
Then—
ROAAAAARRR!
The sound ripped through the air, massive and primal — a roar that defied nature itself. Trees shuddered violently, bending under the sheer force of it. The very air seemed to collapse. The pressure multiplied by hundreds, by thousands.
Draki gasped, every breath searing through his lungs. His bones screamed under the invisible weight, threatening to shatter. His eyes bulged, veins flaring crimson across his skin.
Then — warmth.
He felt himself pulled into a soft, enveloping embrace. His head landed between her chest, the world muffled by the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Soft. Warm. A scent of sweat and wild earth filled his senses — raw, intoxicating, human. But even that fleeting comfort couldn't drown out the agony clawing through his body.
Velmora grit her teeth, enduring the pressure without flinching. Her muscles trembled as sweat soaked them both, but she didn't move. Any motion would only intensify the crushing pain.
In the far distance, explosions echoed — the sound of things collapsing under their own compression.
Draki's heart twisted with helpless anger. Shame burned in his chest — that he was the one being protected. That she, even as her body trembled and her breath faltered, still shielded him from the unimaginable weight pressing down on them.
Reality, it seemed, had no mercy.
"It hurts… it really hurts," Velmora whispered weakly, her voice cracking as her strength began to fade.
Draki panicked. He could feel her body softening, her form trembling. She was being crushed. He could do nothing — only pray that whatever this was, it would pass.
And finally — it did.
The pressure vanished, dissolving like smoke into the night.
The silence that followed was absolute.
The surviving beasts hid in terror, insects refused to sing, and even the wind felt cold and hollow.
Draki opened his eyes slowly. Velmora lay perfectly still in his arms.
"Velmora…" he whispered, tapping her cheek gently. "Velmora."
No response. He tried again — "Velmora!"
Then, at last, a faint voice. "…It's over."
She smiled weakly. "There's a waterfall north from here — with a hidden cave behind it. We'll rest there until we recover." Without waiting for his answer, she pushed herself upright and leapt forward.
Even weakened, she moved with stunning grace — her pace only slightly slowed. Draki followed close behind, barely keeping up. Even after that, she's still faster than me… he thought bitterly.
They traveled for what felt like hours through the endless darkness until the roar of cascading water met their ears.
There — the waterfall.
From the final branch of a towering tree, they looked down upon the massive torrent of water crashing into a deep, endless pool.
Without hesitation, Velmora jumped.
"Are you insane?" Draki shouted. "That's suicide!" But with no choice, he cursed under his breath and dove after her, plunging into the freezing water.
He caught sight of her below — swimming in a straight, fearless line. Her movements were sharp, powerful, almost mesmerizing. His eyes wandered unwillingly to the way her torn clothing clung to her body, revealing just enough to make his pulse quicken.
Focus, idiot, he scolded himself, almost choking as he swallowed water mid-thought.
They swam through the darkness until, at last, they surfaced inside a hidden cave — the air warm, thick with mist and life.
Each breath they took was rejuvenating, easing the pain that had lingered since the pressure's assault.
Finally, they collapsed onto the stone floor, both gasping — but alive.
Draki leaned back, breathing heavily. The air felt clean. The silence was peaceful for the first time in what felt like eternity.