9/17/2025, 2:59 AM
Silence was expected of Devika, but never inaction. Yet as the water shifted and the entity rose from its depths in a ghastly form, she found herself rooted to the spot. Her icy gaze locked with the monster’s, every nerve in her body alive with terror and the desperate urge to flee. But she couldn’t move.
The creature’s words left her reeling, uncertain. What was this thing? It bore the shape of a wolf, but in the most vile and twisted sense, distorted into a grotesque parody of what it once might have been. She barely registered Duskbreaker’s reaction: the way he thrust himself in front of her, the sharp command to run. Still, she remained frozen, staring up at the hulking mass of poison and death.
Part of her even longed to step forward, to draw closer, to study it. Only her paralysis kept her from making such a devastating mistake. What had summoned this nightmare? Was it the source of all the turmoil plaguing these lands? Why was it here? What did it want? Questions tore through her mind as she stared, wide-eyed, horror and fascination intertwining in equal measure.
If only she could speak—to ask, to wonder aloud! But silence was all she had. The growl once caught in her throat faded into nothing. She felt Duskbreaker pressing against her, urging her back, trying to retreat, yet some part of her resisted. What else was this thing capable of? If it could rise from water, what other horrors could it unleash? Did she truly want to leave without knowing?
A spark of reluctant admiration flickered in her fearful gaze. Curious, so very curious. Yet despite the strange allure of the beast, the warmth of her companion, his tense and trembling form, drew her back to reality. They were in danger. Not the kind one could ignore or brush aside. This was life or death.
Blinking hard, shaking the haze from her mind, she finally moved, stepping back, quickening her pace, and reaching to nip Duskbreaker’s tail with urgent insistence. She would not abandon him. If they ran, they ran together. And if they died… they would die together.
The weight of that thought pressed on her like a shadow, and she feared they would not escape.
The creature’s words left her reeling, uncertain. What was this thing? It bore the shape of a wolf, but in the most vile and twisted sense, distorted into a grotesque parody of what it once might have been. She barely registered Duskbreaker’s reaction: the way he thrust himself in front of her, the sharp command to run. Still, she remained frozen, staring up at the hulking mass of poison and death.
Part of her even longed to step forward, to draw closer, to study it. Only her paralysis kept her from making such a devastating mistake. What had summoned this nightmare? Was it the source of all the turmoil plaguing these lands? Why was it here? What did it want? Questions tore through her mind as she stared, wide-eyed, horror and fascination intertwining in equal measure.
If only she could speak—to ask, to wonder aloud! But silence was all she had. The growl once caught in her throat faded into nothing. She felt Duskbreaker pressing against her, urging her back, trying to retreat, yet some part of her resisted. What else was this thing capable of? If it could rise from water, what other horrors could it unleash? Did she truly want to leave without knowing?
A spark of reluctant admiration flickered in her fearful gaze. Curious, so very curious. Yet despite the strange allure of the beast, the warmth of her companion, his tense and trembling form, drew her back to reality. They were in danger. Not the kind one could ignore or brush aside. This was life or death.
Blinking hard, shaking the haze from her mind, she finally moved, stepping back, quickening her pace, and reaching to nip Duskbreaker’s tail with urgent insistence. She would not abandon him. If they ran, they ran together. And if they died… they would die together.
The weight of that thought pressed on her like a shadow, and she feared they would not escape.
