Chapter 42 – I Will Be Waiting

  Alkan gripped the hilt tighter, his knuckles pale beneath the blood. The charm pendant around his neck pulsed faintly, and with every beat, more and more of them came—howling, crawling, sprinting with maddened hunger. The swarm thickened, the air turning sour with the stench of decay and iron.

  He took a deep breath and muttered, “Just a bit more.”

  The creatures didn’t hesitate anymore. The moment the charm had activated, their hesitation vanished. It was like the madness inside them had found a beacon, something irresistible. And he was that beacon.

  His blade swung in tight arcs, not wasting energy. One came too close—he sidestepped, dug his elbow into its throat, and cleaved another that pounced from the side. Their claws scraped his skin, shallow gashes tearing into his arm, his ribs—but he didn’t stop.

  Every movement was sharp. Measured. Controlled.

  The path to the gate was behind him, clear for now.

  I will change it this time, no matter what.

  Another leapt at him. He ducked low, rolled over stone, and drove his sword upward through its spine. Blood sprayed, warm and sticky, but his eyes didn’t flinch. He’d fought worse. He’d bled more.

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  This was necessary.

  The gate moaned open with a deep rumble, and the sharp hum of soul essence in the air faded. That was the signal.

  He turned, breathing heavy. “Ray!” he shouted. “It’s open!”

  Ray looked up from the glowing circle, sweat pouring down his face. He was pale, drained—but alive. The gate behind him had opened just enough.

  Ray stumbled to his feet, forcing his legs to move. He didn’t speak—he just ran.

  And Alkan did too.

  He pushed all the soul essence he could into the pendant, then threw it away. The Outers were momentarily dazed. Their attention on the pendant. But that moment was enough for Alkan to escape.

  Boots slamming against stone, swords clattering behind, their breath coming in sharp bursts. Shadows lunged from the sides, claws reaching, but Alkan’s blade struck them down mid-run, never slowing. One creature leapt from above. Ray ducked. Alkan tackled it midair, slammed it to the ground, and ran again.

  The gate loomed ahead, open just wide enough for one person to pass at a time.

  Ray dived through first, rolling to the other side.

  Then he turned.

  And froze.

  Alkan wasn’t behind him.

  He stood there, just beyond the gate, bloodied and smiling faintly. His chest rose and fell slowly, eyes steady.

  “I will be waiting for you,” Alkan said. “Make sure you find me, friend.”

  Ray’s mouth opened—but nothing came out.

  Then—

  A whisper of shadow curled around his ankles.

  Cold. Weightless. Wrong.

  “No…” he whispered.

  He tried to move, but his body refused. The shadows climbed higher, wrapping around his arms, coiling across his neck.

  His eyes widened as he watched Alkan.

  The creatures reached him.

  They didn’t strike all at once. The first tore into his arm. Another grabbed his shoulder. Then five. Then ten. And Alkan didn’t scream. He didn’t cry.

  He just looked at Ray.

  That same smile.

  And then the swarm collapsed onto him. A storm of teeth, claws, and fury. Bones cracked. Flesh tore. Blood sprayed across the floor like dark paint. And still, Ray couldn’t move.

  His scream never made it out.