"Oooof!!!"

  I crash through the manor’s front door, stumbling out into the snow, gasping for air. I’ll take my chances with the wolves, anything but that monster.

  My knife is already in my hand, ready for a fight, but the wolves don’t even look at me. Sitting in the snow, their glowing green eyes remain fixed on the manor’s entrance, their bodies tensed as if awaiting a command.

  Then, as one, they rise. Silent and unified, they turn to face the grotesque creature emerging from the doorway.

  From it, a misshapen body steps into the moonlight.

  Vael, the flames cast upon him still flicker faintly, casting his monstrous form in an otherworldly glow.

  The wolves throw their heads back and howl in unison, a sound that reverberates through the frozen forest. And then without hesitation, they charge, three dozen strong, barreling toward the abomination with primal fury. Their fangs tear into the creature’s flesh, ripping through sinew and bone. Black blood sprays into the snow, staining it as the pack attacks relentlessly.

  I collapse to my knees, unable to tear my eyes away. Exhaustion weighs heavy on my limbs, my chest heaving with every labored breath as I watch the carnage unfold.

  The creature fights back with terrifying strength. Its massive arms swing wide, tearing wolves in two with gruesome efficiency, bones snap like dry twigs under its monstrous grip. But the pack is undeterred. For every wolf that falls, another takes its place, climbing onto its back, sinking their teeth into its flesh, dragging it down.

  The snow becomes a battlefield, painted black and red, littered with the bodies of wolves.

  My heart surges, rooting for the animals, praying to Lumina, Lude and anyone else that they claim victory over the monster. And it seems, my prayers are answered, as the wolves finally bring it down, blood flooding from countless wounds.

  But then....

  Another emerges from the manor’s entrance.

  And another.

  Vael The Many lives up to his title. Each duplicate is as terrifying as the last, their smiles identical, their movements synchronized. The wolves, unwavering in their attack, have lost more than half their number, their once overwhelming force now reduced to scattered, bleeding survivors.

  I stand, preparing to flee again. My body is in poor shape, I can’t help them.

  Before I can flee, an even louder howl shakes the forest. I turn, my breath catching as I see it, another wolf. But this one dwarfs even its unnaturally large brethren, almost as large even, as that demon.

  Its eyes blaze with the same green fire as the creatures it opposes. The patterns in its fur seem to mirror some of the runes I saw in the scroll. It growls with each step it takes, massive paws crunching through the blood-soaked snow.

  "Ah, demons fighting demons. Now there's an unusual sight." A smooth, accented voice observes.

  I startle as two cloaked figures step beside me, their movements so silent I hadn’t heard them approach. Turning quickly, I see them both, one tall and broad, one short and slender, both their faces hidden from the dim moonlight of the shrouded forest, their hoods drawn low. "But I wonder... who is the hunter, and who is prey?" the taller man continues, his accent is only slight, but reminiscent of an eastern merchant I once met… Emily’s father.

  "W-Who are you?"

  I force the question out, but neither figure pay me a glance, both fixated on the battle before us.

  And inevitably.... my gaze turns back to it too.

  As Vael The Many, faces off with that great wolf and its children.

  “RooooaaaaarrghhHHH!!”

  It's a monstrous battle. The great wolf charges the nearest demon, its massive fangs locking onto the creature's throat. The heavy crunch of bone echoes as its neck snaps under the wolf’s tremendous bite.

  But.....

  The demon doesn’t falter.

  Just as when I faced his human form, Vael shrugs off the injury, his clawed hand stabbing deep into the wolf’s side, ripping through flesh and muscle, spilling more blood across the snow.

  The wolf snarls, enraged, its powerful jaws tightening before it rears back...

  Lifting the demon off its feet, high into the air...

  And then slamming it down. The impact is devastating, the demon’s body shattering against the ground, sending black blood and splintered bones exploding along with a huge gust of snow.

  The two demons watching snarl and leap into the fray, their movements coordinated and vicious. Together, they slash and claw at the great wolf, their synchronized assault driving it back and drawing fresh blood that stains the snow beneath their feet.

  But the smaller wolves have not ended their fight. They rally around their towering master, flanking the demons carefully. Circling behind, they lunge at them both, sharp teeth tearing into ankles and dragging them down. Several leap onto one demon’s back, their jaws ripping through its thick, unnatural skin, forcing it to stagger under their many-pronged assault.

  Seizing the opportunity, the great wolf roars and charges forward. It barrels into one of the demons, its massive frame slamming the creature to the ground with earth-shaking force. The smaller wolves scatter as their master goes to work, its jaws tearing into the pinned demon with savage efficiency. It rips through limbs one by one, shredding flesh and cracking bone until there is nothing left but a heap of mangled remains.

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  The remaining demon snarls, its guttural voice reverberating with an otherworldly power. A single word escapes its twisted maw, a sound too alien for me to comprehend. The air itself trembles under the force of it. In an instant, the great wolf is flung backward by an unseen force, its massive body crashing through half a dozen trees, splintering them like fragile twigs.

  The demon, unbothered, shrugs off the smaller wolves that scatter in fear, cowed by the sheer display of power.... of magic.

  But the great wolf rises unafraid, shaking off the debris with a ferocious growl. It stands tall, defiant, its green eyes blazing with fury.

  Slowly... its massive jaws open.

  And from it, a torrent of icy vapor is unleashed, the frigid wave cascading over the foul demon. The creature’s movements slow as frost consumes its limbs, encasing it in a thick, glistening shell of ice.

  Before I can even process the sight, the wolf vanishes from my view, reappearing in a blur of motion beside its frozen prey. With a thunderous snarl, it slams its immense paw into the frozen demon, shattering it into countless fragments that scatter across the snow like shards of glass.

  “It… it did it….”

  I say, hopeful… but then, just as with me, the nightmare renews. More demons emerge from the manor’s entrance, their grotesque forms identical to the last. Each one just as massive, just as powerful. It’s as though nothing has changed, as though this wolf hadn’t just killed it three times over.

  "And so it comes again. A puzzling creature, is it not?" The hooded man says, looking to his companion.

  "It’s digusting. I can barely stand looking at it" The smaller figure replies with a pointed, but feminine voice. One I recognize. She takes off her hood and reveals her face.

  "Luna..." I stare at her, shocked. What in the hells would she be doing here? She doesn't respond, her gaze shifting to her companion. He removes his hood next, revealing jet-black hair and sharp, angular features. His eyes are slanted, and his pupils narrow dangerously.

  "Now this should make an interesting kill." He says, reaching into his cloak and drawing a beautiful golden sword. Luna turns to me, her eyes roaming over my blood soaked body. Is she concerned? I'm hardly in the best condition, but it's mostly Vael's blood, not mine.

  "And how many times have you killed him, Looter?" The question catches me off guard, halting my thoughts mid-track. "I..." Luna steps closer, her eyes scanning the blood-soaked rags clinging to my body.

  "This is that foul thing’s blood, isn't it?" she asks. I nod weakly, trying to gather my wits. "It... yes, it's his blood. I... I'm not sure how many times. I bashed him to pieces, I used magic... I-"

  At the word magic, her companion's sharp eyes snap toward me, his expression shifting instantly.

  Should I not have said that? It was just a scroll, not magic of my own, but.....

  "Magic you say?" He sheathes his sword, and steps towards me.

  Something about the man puts me off, something dangerous in that smile. I struggle backwards as he approaches-

  “We have to go.”

  But Luna intercepts him, stepping between us. "Whatever that demon is, killing him won't be as straightforward as we planned." The man is silent but turns back to the battle raging ahead of us. The great wolf stands alone, its children scattered as the three demons circle it. "We’ll carry the looter back to Ravencroft and talk more about what we're going to do there."

  Luna grips my arm hard and yanks me to my feet. "Argh- fuck!!" I protest, pain shooting through my gut. The hole Vael’s claw left in it weeps blood, more and more. The adrenaline kept me moving, but now.....

  "Fret not, friend. Allow me." The sharp-eyed man picks me up with ease, slinging me over his shoulder.

  "Argh- Hey!!" I groan in pain, but Luna places a firm hand on my arm. "Quit moving about idiot, you’ll lose more blood." she says, her tone leaving no room for argument.

  With one last glance at the monstrous battle raging behind us, we turn and flee, slipping away into the dark of the forest.

  Finally, having escaped that nightmare.

  We break through the tree line, the oppressive shadows of the forest giving way to the pale moonlit snow beyond. The cold bites sharper now that we’re exposed, the open-air swirling with a chilling wind. Pain pulses through me in waves, the wound in my gut throbbing with every movement. My vision sways, dark spots creeping at the edges. Blood loss is taking its toll, but at least… no one is pursuing.

  Ahead, two horses stand waiting, one chestnut, one grey. Luna moves with urgency, swinging herself onto the grey in one. Meanwhile, the man carrying lifts me onto Luna’s mount, settling me behind her in the saddle.

  I slump forward, my weight pressing against her back, the warmth of her cloak is pleasant on my face and chest.

  “Hold on tight, friend,” the man says, adjusting me in the saddle before stepping back. Then, with a laugh, he adds, “Or better yet, hold Luna nice and close. I'm certain she won't mind a squeeze or two.”

  Luna glares back. “You’re disgusting.”

  He chuckles, stepping up onto the chestnut steed with an easy grace. “Ahhh, you're a cold one. But that suits me fine, cold women are the warmest in the night. Don't you think so, friend?”

  I don’t respond. The words barely register, my mind a sluggish blur. My body is leaden, exhaustion pulling at me, making every moment feel slow and tiresome. I barely cling to what little awareness I have left as Luna clicks her tongue, urging the horse forward.

  The rhythmic pounding of hooves fills the night air. It's comforting. Relaxing. And soon, my mind can't help but slip…

  "He's a tough one, isn't he?" The man muses. "To survive his first encounter with a demon, and all alone. Most impressive…. most suspicious."

  Luna glances over at her companion. "Hmph, maybe. But we don’t know what it wanted from him, or why he was there in the first place." Her grip tightens around the reins of her horse. "And we don’t know why it was so close to Ravencroft."

  The man hums thoughtfully. "Curious, yes. Demons do not often settle so near human towns, not unless they have a reason."

  "Or an invitation," Luna mutters.

  He nods thoughtfully. "Perhaps. But you are fortunate, I think. That it chose not to dwell within Ravencroft’s walls."

  Luna lets out a deep breath. "Yeah. I doubt the local guard would be able to handle a demon of that caliber. Although, they do have an apothecary..."

  The man snorts. "A local mixer of herbs standing against a demon?"

  Luna ignores his mocking tone. "That hulking giantess... she knows her craft well. I spotted a firelance when I visited her store, larger and more complex than any I've seen. And her body...."

  The man's eyes widen the moment he hears reference of this 'firelance'. "Hmm, she's been to the East then. No doubt a poorly attempted copy."

  I only catch fragments of their conversation, my mind moving in and out of consciousness. But the word 'alchemist' stirs something deep within me, cutting through the haze. My lips move before I even realize it, my voice weak, barely more than a whisper.

  "Alchemist... I must... become an alchemist... my…. It’s mine!!"

  Luna and her companion exchange glances. "He works for the alchemist," she remarks, more to herself than the man beside her.

  His expression shifts, intrigue flashing in his sharp eyes. "An unusual specimen, grows increasingly unusual... I should like to talk with him when he wakes."

  Luna nods, her gaze looking forward. "You'll have time, no doubt. First, he must be treated."

  They ride in silence for some time. The journey is long, but I only catch glimpses of it between the throbbing in my skull and the weight of exhaustion dragging me under. My mind drifts, slipping between half-formed thoughts and fragmented dreams.

  Vael. That towering monstrosity. Its green eyes gleaming with hunger as its claw dug into me. Even now, I can feel the lingering terror it left behind, a shadow that makes me shiver.

  Then, the wolf. The great beast that defied the demon, its massive form cutting through the battlefield. Its fur, dark and eyes shining with the same unholy light as Vael's… and yet, it fought him. Drove him back. For a moment, it reminded me of someone I haven't thought about for a long time.

  Fang.

  A dull ache settles in my chest. The memory of him feels distant, blurred by time, yet painfully sharp when I let it in. The way he stood beside me, hunted with me. The way he bled for me. And now, watching those wolves throw themselves at that demon, their fangs and claws fearlessly meeting demonic flesh, I cannot help but think of him.

  "Halt."

  The horses come to an abrupt stop. The shift in motion jolts me, snapping me from my dream. My head lifts, heavy and slow.

  We're here, at last.

  We've returned to Ravencroft.