The world tilted as I felt a sudden, sharp impact against my chest. My feet left the ground, and for a split second, everything slowed.

  The creature had pushed me.

  I tumbled backward, arms flailing. My breath caught in my throat as the balcony’s edge rushed past me. The air rushed around me in a cold, merciless embrace.

  No. This can’t be how it ends.

  Before I could hit the ground, my arm was yanked upward with a jarring force. I gasped in pain, my shoulder screaming in protest.

  “Hold on, you idiot!”

  Borus’s voice...

  He had caught me. Barely.

  I dangled from his grip, my feet kicking uselessly in the air. He was leaning halfway out of a window on the floor below, his face red with exertion as he struggled to pull me up.

  “Borus! I… I saw something!” I stammered, my voice trembling. “It was—”

  “No time for that, fool!” he snapped, his voice strained.

  “We’ve got to get out of here!”

  He yanked me inside, and we both collapsed in a heap on the floor. I barely had time to catch my breath before Borus grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet.

  “Move!” he barked, dragging me toward the stairs.

  We bolted down the staircase, the dim light casting long shadows on the walls. Every step sent a jolt of pain through my body, but I didn’t dare slow down. Borus was right behind me, his breaths heavy and labored.

  “What's that thing doing here?” he muttered, more to himself than to me.

  “Does it matter?!” I shot back.

  We reached the second-to-last floor, the exit just a few steps away. That’s when the creature struck again.

  A blur of gray fur and black cloak leaped from the shadows, slashing at me with razor-sharp claws. I barely managed to twist out of the way, but the force of the attack sent me crashing into the wall. Pain exploded in my ribs as I slid to the ground.

  “Rei!” Borus shouted, but his voice faltered when he saw the creature fully emerge into the dim light.

  It was monstrous. Standing upright, it resembled a wolf with gray fur and glowing green eyes that pierced through the darkness. Scars crisscrossed its body, and jagged black crystals jutted out from its arms and shoulders, pulsing faintly with an eerie light. A tattered black cloak draped over its back, giving it a ghostly appearance.

  It was a demihuman.

  The creature growled, a guttural sound that sent shivers down my spine. Then it spoke in a language I couldn’t understand, its voice deep and guttural.

  Borus froze, his face pale.

  “Borus! Move!” I yelled, forcing myself to my feet despite the searing pain in my side.

  The demihuman lunged at him, claws poised to strike. Acting on instinct, I grabbed a broken plank of wood from the ground and swung it with all the strength I could muster. I activated Property Alteration just before landing the hit.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Mass! Increase! [1]

  The plank grew heavy in my hands. It connected with the creature’s side, sending it staggering back. The demihuman snarled, its glowing eyes locking onto me with a venomous intensity.

  “Go!” I shouted at Borus.

  He grabbed my arm, and we stumbled down the last flight of stairs, bursting out of the warehouse and into the daylight.

  We hit the cobblestones hard, collapsing in a heap. The bright sunlight was almost blinding after the dim interior of the warehouse. Around us, people screamed and shouted, their voices a chaotic cacophony.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Did you see that thing?!”

  “It’s a demihuman! Run!”

  I struggled to my feet, clutching my ribs. Borus was already up, his face grim as he scanned the area.

  The demihuman emerged moments later, stepping onto the streets. In the daylight, its terrifying features were even more pronounced. Its glowing green eyes swept over the crowd, and its growl sent people scattering in every direction.

  “Rei…” Borus muttered, his voice low. “Get behind me.”

  Before I could respond, the creature lunged at us. I braced myself, but a booming voice rang out, cutting through the chaos.

  “Stand down, beast!”

  The city guard had arrived, weapons drawn. Their captain, a grizzled man with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward, his blade gleaming.

  “Guards, formation!” he shouted.

  The demihuman hesitated, its glowing eyes flicking between the guards and us. Then, with a guttural snarl, it leaped onto a nearby rooftop and vanished into the shadows.

  “Don’t let it get away!” the captain roared.

  Several guards broke off to pursue the creature, while the rest turned their attention to us and the remaining bystanders.

  The captain yells to the remaining guards: “Arrest everyone here! Anyone who knows about this thing is coming with us!” Panic sets in among the bystanders, many of whom claim they were just passing through.

  A pair of guards grab Rei and Borus, pulling them to their feet. Borus tries to protest, “We’re just workers! That thing came after us!” The guards don’t listen, shackling them both.

  “Save it for the interrogation,” the captain growled.

  The prison was nothing like I’d imagined—it was worse. The air was damp, carrying the scent of mold and sweat. The walls were lined with jagged stones, each one slick with moisture. Heavy iron bars separated the cells, their edges rusted but still sturdy. Every step the guards took echoed ominously through the dimly lit corridor.

  I was shoved into a cell with an older couple. They looked familiar, their weathered faces stirring a memory, but I couldn’t place them immediately. Across the narrow hallway, I saw Borus being dragged to another cell. He resisted the guards with curses and kicks, but they shoved him in and slammed the door shut.

  "Borus!" I called, gripping the bars.

  "Shut it!" barked the guard who had pushed me inside. He banged the butt of his spear against the bars for emphasis.

  Borus didn’t respond to me. He was pacing like a caged animal, muttering under his breath and occasionally glancing toward my cell.

  “You’re Rei, aren’t you?” a soft, familiar voice said behind me.

  I turned to find the old woman squinting at me. Recognition hit me like a splash of cold water.

  “Yes… I think we’ve met before. You’re the butchers from Renxall Market, right?” I asked, my voice still hoarse from the earlier shouting.

  The old woman smiled faintly. “My, my. It is you. Borus always speaks so highly of you. What a terrible mess you’ve found yourself in, dear.”

  Her husband, a stout, gruff man with a balding head, grunted from the corner. “Caught up in all this nonsense with the beast, eh? Should’ve stayed home, boy. Now look at you—all battered and bruised.”

  The woman’s tone softened as she stepped closer. “And those wounds… are you alright, dear? You’re not hiding something serious, are you?”

  I gave her a weary smile, trying to reassure her. “I’m fine, really. Just a little sore.”

  She frowned, clearly not convinced, but she didn’t push the matter further.

  The man, however, wasn’t finished. He crossed his arms and fixed me with a stern look. “What the hell was that thing doing here? A demihuman here in Renxall? And in broad daylight, no less?”

  I hesitated, my mind flashing back to the glowing green eyes and the black crystals embedded in its flesh. “I… don’t know. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before.”

  The old man scoffed. “Figures. Kids these days don’t know their own history. You don’t even know what’s happening in your own city, do you?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, frowning.

  He sighed heavily and sank onto the bench beside his wife. “That thing—it was a demihuman. From Zelios. Surely you’ve heard of it?”

  “Zelios…” I repeated. The name felt familiar, but distant, like something I’d read in an old textbook and promptly forgotten. “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much.”

  The old woman clucked her tongue. “Oh, dear. How can you not know about Zelios? It’s the land of the demihumans, far to the north. Their kind haven’t been seen in these parts for nearly a century.”

  Her husband cut in, his voice gruff. “There used to be wars, boy. Fierce ones. Back then, Renxall was twice the size it is now, but those beasts tore through it like it was nothing. Half the country was lost before they suddenly stopped. No one knows why, but they’ve kept to themselves ever since.”

  The old woman nodded solemnly. “It’s been peaceful for a hundred years… until now.”

  “But I’ve never heard of them being that strong,” the old man added, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

  His words sent a chill down my spine. My thoughts turned to the black crystals embedded in the demihuman’s flesh, pulsing faintly as if alive. What were those things? Were they the source of its strength?

  The old man leaned back, shaking his head. “Mark my words, boy—if they’re acting up again, it’s bad news for all of us. Renxall won’t survive another war like the last one.”

  I opened my mouth to ask more, but the sharp clink of keys interrupted me. The cellblock door creaked open, and a guard stepped inside, his armor glinting in the dim torchlight.

  “You there.” he called, his voice flat and emotionless. “It’s your turn.”

  My stomach churned as I stood. The old woman reached out, her hand briefly touching my arm.

  “Be careful, dear,” she said softly.

  The old man grunted. “And keep your mouth shut unless you know what you’re saying. The guards don’t take kindly to smartasses.”

  I nodded, my throat dry. The guard grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the cell, slamming the door shut behind me.

  As I was led down the dim corridor, I glanced over my shoulder. The old couple watched me go, their faces a mixture of concern and resignation. Borus stood at the bars of his own cell, his hands gripping the iron tightly.

  “You’ll be fine,” he said, his voice steady but low. “Just stick to the truth.”

  I nodded again, though my heart was pounding. As the guard led me away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something far bigger—and far more dangerous—than I could have ever imagined.