I glanced over, just in time to see Leo step out of the maze. Our eyes locked, and he gave me a strained smile. “Thought I lost you for a bit there.”

  “Your father found me.” He winced.

  “Of course he did…” I could feel the acid in his tone. With a sigh, he walked to my side and sat down on the edge of the fountain. He looked up at the night sky, and the slowly rising moon. “I guess I’ll need to take you back soon.”

  “Mm...” I agreed, for a moment both of us simply stared up at the rising moon. “Leo…”

  “Yeah?” He looked at me.

  “Why did you invite me?”

  “I told you why.”

  “You did but let’s be honest. You’re probably going to be harassed more for having brought me, then if you had brought some random girl.”

  “You’re not wrong. They couldn’t help but complain, saying you’re totally out of my league. That it’s a crying shame that such a good woman is with such a failure.” He sighs, “But what can you do?” With that, he stands.

  I bet, nobody would dare talk down to me after Jason’s little stunt. He’d all but announced his interest in me. Hell, just imagining how the rumors will shift has my head spinning…

  “So, how about we get going?” He asks, extending a hand.

  I looked at him. Not a thought ran through my head as I moved. “You know, your father wants me to take your place.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “I don’t think you get it, he’s making plans for me to take your place. Not just that he wants me to take your place. Or even that he wants me to support you.”

  “I know that. You think I don’t know that?”

  “When did you find out?” I asked.

  He was silent for a moment. “When you chewed me out. I confronted my father, and I wanted to get rid of you, but…” He chewed his lip.

  “You’re not surprised.” I finished for him. “I crossed a line. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

  “But you were right. What kind of man sits back and lets someone else do his job? What kind of man sits back and watches someone martyr themselves in their place? Let alone a woman. I deserved it. And he’s right too… I’m not cut out for this, never was. It only makes sense he’s replace me with you.” A small, desolate laugh left his lips.

  “Well, if it means anything, you’ve made a good showing this past month.” I reply, filling the void.

  “Not that my father cares.”

  “Does it matter?” I argue.

  “No, it doesn’t. Not to me, not anymore.”

  He gave me another smile, as if to assure me he was fine. It was obvious, he wasn’t fine. “You know Leo, I wasn’t much liked by my own parents.”

  “I know, I heard the stories.”

  “I’m sure you did, but that’s not the point. I understand. At least, a little. If…” I wasn’t sure what I was saying, what I was doing, but… “If you want to keep your job, I can back off. Regardless of what your father says or wants.”

  “That would be great.” He says with a wide smile, though, it doesn’t reach his eyes. “The old man would probably have a heart attack if you did that. After all, he’s betting an awful lot on you.”

  “Is that a, yes?”

  “No, it’s not. I’m just saying, it would be funny. Even if my father, and everyone at this party are no better than blood sucking parasites. People that survive by clinging to the legs of the truly rich and powerful… Even then, I don’t want to be just like them. I want to create something of my own. I want to do my own thing.”

  “Let me guess, wine and dine with the rich and famous, find some girl with, as you so eloquently put it, big booba.”

  He laughs. “You get me. That’s it exactly…” He glances up at the sky. “But, we should really be going.”

  “Mm, I suppose, but first…” I step closer. He watches me and I extend my hand. He flinches slightly, but doesn’t move as I take his tie, though, I do so extremely gently. “Mind bending down a bit?” He wasn’t much taller than me, but I’d much rather not reach up for this, and with these heels, the height difference was essentially non-existent.

  Puzzled, he bends down, just a little. “Great.” I lean forward. I could feel his shoulders tense. His eyes flutter. I reach my hands along his collar, and… I adjusted it.

  Pulling back, I smoothed out his suit and tightened his slightly loose tie. I fixed his hair, adjusted the cuffs of his suit. It was quick, a few swift movements and I was done. On his face, was an inscrutable expression. “Your collar was messed up, had been the whole night. It really was bothering me. Now, let’s get moving, shall we?” I say, perhaps a bit too quickly.

  He stood frozen as I began to move away. Only waking up as I reached the exit and turned to face him.

  “Coming?” I asked, and he jolted into action.

  At the car, he opened the door for me, offered me a hand and, this time I took it. The drive home, was silent. Nothing was said until we arrived at my apartment.

  “I’ll be seeing you at work Leo.”

  “Yeah… see you at work.” He almost sounded dazed, and yet… Mm, at least he looked like he was a in a better mood now.

  I left and walked into the apartment building. Inside, the owner was preparing to put down the shutters.

  “You made it just in time dear! Did you have fun?”

  I thought… No, I didn’t need to think. “I did.”

  “That’s wonderful, now don’t let me keep you!” She practically shouted as I walked towards the stairs. The shutters screeched shut and with a final clang, they deployed.

  I made my way to my room, and annoyingly, my neighbors were yelling up a storm. I was too tired to care. After changing my clothes, switching into comfortable clothing, I crashed into bed. My space heater was going at full strength, and with me being as drunk as I was, I fell right to sleep…

  Hopefully, marking the end of my night.

  A loud crack jerked me awake. Followed by the sound of items crashing, and glass breaking. I could almost hear what sounded like muffled shouting. A now common occurrence since my new neighbors moved in.

  I wanted nothing more than to crawl deeper into my blankets and sleep off the booze in my system, but a pressure in my bladder said otherwise.

  With a groan, I forced myself up. I felt bad. Mouth was dry, head hurt. It was obvious that I had a bit too much to drink at the party. At least, I remembered what happened with some clarity. Meaning I hadn’t drunk enough to do something totally stupid. That would have been embarrassing.

  It was still dark. The full moon’s light bled through the blinds and bathed my room in moonlight. The noise from next door wasn’t dying down. If anything, it seemed to be getting worse.

  Stifling a curse, I got my slippers on and headed out. The concrete floors of the hallway were either slick during summer, or bitingly cold during winter. Today was no different. A chill hung in the air, my every breath frosted before my eyes, the lights flickered ominously casting the hallway in a haunted light. My neighbor’s door shook and rattled, only making it that much worse. Not that I cared to intervene.

  The cold was only slightly held at bay, thanks to the alcohol in my system. Stepping out of my heated room was torture as it was. So, I hurried along.

  I went down the hallway, took a turn towards the women’s bathroom. Inside, the lighting seemed more harrowing than usual. One of the lights was burned out, another seemed to have dimmed considerably. The dimmed light cast heavy shadows.

  Having done this many times before, I make my way to the final stall. Inside, the seat looked fine enough, but still groggy and suffering, I wiped it down with the paper they had on hand, which was a miracle in itself.

  With a sigh I settled in and shut my eyes. Every exhale brought with it a cloud of frost. The ground itself was cold enough that I could feel the chill through my slippers.

  Was it always this cold? I thought. I could practically see the frost sticking to the tiled floor. My own body heat left a faint mist where I went.

  It felt surreal, wrong. There were no additional sounds, save for the ceaseless buzz of the bathroom lights. I could almost hear the pounding of my own heart over the silence.

  There was something in the air, a kind of dread that had me breaking out in goosebumps. Like some sixth sense was telling me, that something was wrong.

  Then I heard it, the bathroom door opened with a slow creak. Heavy steps approached. Their gait slow, ponderous. They approached closer to my stall, step by step. I had latched the door, so it was unlikely they’d be able to just barge in, but still, I found myself holding in my breath. The hair along the back of my neck standing up.

  A large shadow made itself known from the other side of my door. Their figure blotting out what light that bled in through the cracks here and there. It was silent, too silent, besides the ponderous steps it had took. There was a pregnant pause where the figure stood outside my door, the door rattled slightly, as they attempted to open it.

  “Occupied…” I announced, despite my growing paranoia and fear, and for a moment, the figure on the other side shifted, I could hear a low groan, and they moved to the stall beside me. The door creaked open, shut and latched. By then, I was about finished, except…

  “Shit…” I muttered. I hadn’t brought my own roll, and the miracle roll of toilet paper had been spent when I was wiping the seat off… I glanced over to the wall dividing me and the other person. There was a small clearing at the bottom, though, I couldn’t see much beyond that.

  “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have any spare paper, would you?” I asked, there was no response. Just a bit of shuffling and down below, a small roll of paper was presented. “Ah, thanks. I owe you big time.” I went ahead and took what I needed and left. As I washed my hands, my eyes drifted to the mirror, and I froze.

  Instinctively, I reached for the ice, but alcohol in my veins kept it at bay. With nothing to grasp for, I immediately went back to washing my hands, working slowly, even as the freezing cold water ran against my fingers.

  Something was in the stall. It was big, it reached slightly over the top. It looked like a shade. It didn’t seem to be reacting to me, not exactly. It was watching me with blank eyes. Had it handed me that toilet paper? If so, why?

  Then… I thought back to earlier this month, Billy. Was there a connection? There had to be.

  My hands were red and numb by the time I finished. I stopped the tap and made my way out, doing my best not to make it obvious that I had noticed it.

  Whether or not I could handle the shade, I would much rather not give it a test run. Not when I was pretty much indisposed, and not when I was dressed as I was. Out in the hallway, the lights seemed dimmer. They flickered, and the hallway seemed to stretch out.

  It felt like an eternity had passed before I turned the corner and made my way towards my door. I didn’t hear the bathroom door creak behind me, and it took all I had not to break into a run.

  I inhaled, exhaled. I kept my cool. I flexed my fingers, trying to get feeling back in them. my magic hummed in my veins, as I cycled it. I was close, I could feel it. Close to fully internalizing my magic, but there was just a bit missing.

  The more I cycled my magic, even if my body didn’t want to freeze over, I could feel my body warming, and the alcohol being burned away.

  My heart pounded. Every step on the concrete floor rang loud in my ears. I was close to my door. Just a little further and…

  My neighbor’s door, gave a final, sickening crack before going still. I froze, like a rabbit faced with a predator. Then there was a slow series of clicks and clacks as bolts were removed and the handle turned slowly.

  The door opened with a long, stretched out creak. A heavy fog blew into the hallway from within the room. The sound of metal dragging on concrete met my ears, in the otherwise silent hall. A gust of wind blew in, from the now open room, blasting motes of snow everywhere.

  A light drip, drip, caught my ears as a figure stepped into the hallway, just buried under the sound of the howling wind, and of metal against concrete. It was only when the figure was out of the room that I finally got a good look.

  A billowing cloak hugged its frame. More like a shawl than anything else. Boot clad feet, with chains binding them from head to toe. Its head slowly turned to face me, hollow eyes stared at me. Their chains, I noticed, were dripping with blood. The smell of death filled the hallway. Their fingers twitched, their body otherwise rigid.

  The figure beheld me for a moment. My magic hummed in my veins.

  I could feel the magic emanating from it. The thing before me wasn’t a bronze rank, nor a gold rank, thankfully… No, the chain wrapped creature wearing its cloak, was a silver rank.

  There was a pregnant pause. Neither of us moved. Wind continued to billow in, carrying with it snow from the outside. Slowly, its head moved, neck creaking in the process. It looked back, into the room. Blank eyes blinked, a shred of clarity coming into being.

  “She made me do it.” Its voice, rough, raw. “She was going to tell them…” He kept going. Murmuring speaking, over and over.

  I didn’t move. The parallels with what had happened with Billy were all too clear. Thankfully, the figure, the monster that had once been my neighbor seemed too lost in thought.

  I took the chance to try and sidle back, nice and slow. I didn’t make a noise, but something shifted. His eyes locked onto mine.

  “You saw, didn’t you.” He said, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. “You saw it. I know you did.” His voice took an edge to it. One I understood all I too well. His body moved, he let out a scream!

  “YOU SAW!” His voice ripped through the hall.

  It was a blur, I didn’t even catch it, but by instinct I threw myself aside, throwing myself into the wall. Not an instant later, a chain went through where I had been, smashing into the concrete floor with a loud crack. His arms snapped, the chain came flailing right for me, and I hit the ground.

  The chain smashed into the wall, and I rolled away as it slammed into the corner where I had been. I continued to roll until I hit the wall, the chains flailed about, smashing against concrete. Only when it slowed did I get up and rush the monster down. In a few steps I closed the distance, too close for them to actively use their chains.

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  Or, so I thought.

  With a shift, a move, the chains all over the monster came to life, like countless writhing snakes. The blood coating them went flying, spattering the walls in red, they lurched out and buzzed as if they had a mind of their own.

  I hit the ground, transitioning into a slide that had the concrete scrape my legs raw. Just above my head, the chains swept out, carving into the walls with a mighty crash.

  The monster met me head on with their hands, the tips of which were covered in sickle like claws. I got my feet under me as it lunged in a wide swipe. My feet shuffled, nearly throwing me to the side as I danced around the blow and their bulk, impacting the wall beside them.

  They followed up with another slice, and I pushed off, working my way around, their claws easily ripping through concrete, leaving long gashes in their wake.

  Chains rattled and hissed, kicking up sparks as they gnashed against each other just behind the monster. Another swipe of its claws was dodged as I continued to backpedal and make distance between us, my slippers slapping into a puddle of blood in the process. My head snapped to the side and beheld the ruined apartment. The shattered glass, the wind howling, carrying with it a flurry of snow. The blood that coated near every surface.

  The sound of gnashing chains reasserted themselves as I turned and bolted down the hallway, away from the monster.

  Arms at my side, legs pumping, I ran and ran. A heave, a whistle, a rattle of something gnashing and hurtling towards me was all the warning I had. Taking the warning to heart, I hit the ground in a roll. Just above me the chains scythed past, cracking into the walls with enough force that I felt the whole building shudder.

  With a tug, the weight was retrieved, and with a shake, it danced, smashing into the walls and floor, all the while hurtling towards me like a thrashing snake. Scrambling, I managed to pull myself forward, avoiding the lashing chains as they banged and crashed against the walls and floors.

  Chips of concrete went flying about, some with enough force to leave cuts and bruises on my skin when they made contact. I very nearly made it out of his range, when a chain suddenly shifted and whipped into my side.

  The buzzing chain ripped into me, pulling out a chunk of flesh as it went, almost as if it were a chainsaw. The sheer force of the blow had a number of ribs crackled ominously and threw me forward with enough force that I flew down the rest of the hallway, down to where it turned.

  With a meat blow, that kicked the air from my lungs, I slammed into the wall. The pain, the suddenness of it all, made it impossible for me to immediately recover. Not as the monster slowly stepped forward.

  With purpose, they gathered their chains. Their feet, clad in heavy boots clomped down on the concrete as they closed. The sound of metal dragging was ominous, as much as it felt like the inevitable approach of death.

  Even trying to force myself up, elicited another pained hiss from my lips. Nearly sending me back to the ground, but I managed to get up to my knees, but all for naught. The monster was before me, glaring down.

  “You’ve seen it.” He said. “I can’t let you leave.”

  “What, you killing your wife?” I spat back. “I figured you’d get to it eventually with how you treated her.” I continued, uncaring for how they seemed to freeze.

  “My… wife?” The figure said, haltingly. Their head cocked, the chains rattled. They went eerily still… At least, until it began to laugh. Low, cackling, wrong.

  “You… think I care?” The monster said, a wide smile that exposed teeth fit for a shark. “No… No, you saw it. I know you did.” They continued, their voice gaining a new, more horrible edge. And with those words, something connected.

  “That glowing thing?” I asked, reminded of that odd magical signature I had picked up. From when he’d been moving in, from when he’d knocked over his boxes on moving day.

  And based on his smirk, his posture, how his eyes literally lit up at those words…

  “So, you did see!” He cackled, an lunged at me with his claws.

  While he talked, I wasn’t idle. While I ran, I wasn’t idle. No, everything, to an extent was measured and planned. Well, with some hiccups.

  The alcohol in my blood was mostly burnt away as the magic inside me pulsed and hummed. Racing in my veins. With ice fortifying me, I was not able to move, but counterattack. I moved through the lunge, his claws pierced into the concrete just above and behind my shoulder, my feet planted down, and my own fist came hurtling forward.

  With all I had, the blow connected, but the ice, it was still too soft. The strike was enough to throw the monster back, but not nearly enough for a fatal blow, luckily, I was ready for the next step.

  With the monster briefly stunned, I extended my hand, ice cracked into being, taking the shape of my rifle. Quickly, assuredly…

  “NO!” He shouted and… something hit me. Not physically, though it felt it, but like I was punched elsewhere, in the gut. The wind was taken out of me as the swiftly forming rifle cracked to pieces, shattering to the floor.

  The magic in my veins roiled, nearly sending me into a coughing fit as flecks of blood found their way into my throat.

  Glancing forward, the monster clad in chains had a hand extended out. A hazy mist of spent magic hovering off their fingers. Their glowing eyes stared at me, deep within, a flicker of contempt and glee. A manic grin on its face.

  There was another pause. He was like a cat ready to pounce, subtly, his knees bent, he leaned forward, ready to leap at a moments notice.

  I too, tensed, like a rabbit faced with a wolf. Legs tensed, even kneeled as I was, a hand placed on the ground. My eyes were forward, locking eyes with the monster before me. Neither of us moved as we assessed the situation.

  And then there was a crack, not unlike the crack of a gunshot as the monster moved with explosive speed. Their boots cracked into the concrete, leaving a crater, and they hurtled forward. I dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the fate of being eviscerated, but the claws swiped ever too close, grazing my arm, leaving wounds that threatened to bleed and gush out my lifeblood.

  I didn’t stop to wait and see. I ran. Ice crawled in my veins, giving my steps greater urgency, my forward momentum picked up. My worn slippers, soaked in blood and iced over, fell apart as I ran with all I had with no regard for decorum.

  Behind me, the monster roared. They rushed after me, boots cracking into concrete, chains rattling and hissing as they skipped off the walls and floor. Leaving gashes and wounds in the hallway as we went.

  The magic in my veins still roiled, and distance was kept, but only just. As the ice slowly thickened in my veins, so too did the lead I gained on the monster. All too quickly though, we were reaching the next turn. The moment I felt the roiling subside, even a little, I tried once more to summon my rifle.

  It didn’t get very far. The moment I began to call to it, another kick to my metaphorical gut set me off balance. My roiling blood practically rioted, not unlike the sea during a storm. What control I had was ripped free of my grasp, like a capsized ship, throwing me right into the surging tides.

  Only through grit and experience did I not smash head first into the incoming wall. The ice still clinging to me gave me enough presence of mind to adjust, crashing into it with all my weight, shoulder first. I felt something pop. The ice shattered along my side. And what didn’t shatter simply flew off. Pain lanced down my spine as I lost feeling in my arm but biting my lip I ran and endured.

  Just behind me, I heard chains crack into the wall. I heard the loud crack and crash of a body slamming into an unyielding force just behind.

  I dared a glance, even as my arm shifted and moved with every step, bringing with it a grinding pain.

  Through the dust, I saw them. They left a crater in the wall, their claws digging in as they staggered forward. Quickly, they picked up pace. Their manic glee replaced with a scowl and burning hatred.

  They ranted and raved, chains swung ever more wildly, as they chased with ever greater fervor.

  My mind whirred, even as my blood seethed and frothed. My eyes slipped back and forth, trying to take in every bit of information they could. All too quickly, a plan formed, conditions were set.

  I couldn’t keep this up. I needed to break line of sight and finally… I needed to kill this thing.

  The answer came all too easily. The door to the stairwell was just ahead. I didn’t slow, using my injured shoulder to bash down the old door was all too easy. The stairwell smelled as always of moisture and mold. The cold here, even more biting than the halls.

  The stairwell was rather confined, the steps almost treacherous. Going up and down. I practically leapt down the flights of stairs. My bare feet slapping on concrete. My seething blood calmed and cooled as I went. Enough, that when I heard the monster rip through the door frame and shatter the remains of the door I had blasted through, I was confident enough in my next course of action.

  Confident enough to make a risk, at least.

  I didn’t wait, I didn’t have that luxury. Terror and hesitation buried deep, not under ice, but the black depths that lay beneath. And in a single bound, I leapt over the stairwell rails and down, as far as it goes.

  I didn’t have time to try and slow my fall, not before I hit the basement floor. By some miracle, it wasn’t the hard concrete I hit, but a stack of boxes filled with styrofoam packing. With a gasp, I wriggled my way out, the pain of falling, even with my fall broken, I still hit the ground with some force. Force enough that if I were a normal human being, something would likely have broken. The moment I broke free from the pile, I ran with all I had.

  I’d been prepared to break my legs, to roll with the impact. To use my ice to fortify myself, luckily, I wouldn’t have to do that. I sought my rifle, when I heard it from above, the monster bashing through the railing, hurtling in just behind me.

  The rifle would take long, was there another option? Could I…

  I didn’t have time to second guess, and so I called for something simpler. For the bayonet. It answered with a clear chime, the call of a clarion. With a snap and hiss, it rapidly formed in my hand, the hilt fitting firmly inside.

  Just behind, I heard a momentous crash, I glanced back and witnessed as the monstrosity tore free from the bin and rushed forward, their eyes widened, a hand snapped forward on feeling the magic coalescing into the bayonet in my palm.

  This time, I was prepared. I tucked in my metaphorical gut. Curled in mentally as the kick came, and it came hard. I felt my vision shudder on impact. A wave of nausea nearly sent me hurtling to the floor and upending the contents of my stomach as a foreign force rippled through me. My blood surged once more, beating against my veins as if trying to escape. But, my will held. The ship did not capsize.

  The forming bayonet stalled, but… it didn’t shatter. It held but stalled. And quickly, the final details were carved into being as my roiling blood was forcibly stilled.

  Angry, infuriated, the monster let out another roar and this time I felt it. A hurtling wave of magic, whose sole purpose was to create chaos where there was none.

  Again, I tucked in my metaphorical gut and this time, when it hit, I very nearly blacked out. However, at the same time… the moment his magic hit, something clicked into being. It felt weird, wrong, almost like getting kicked in the back, only to have a herniated disc slip right back into place.

  With a final snap and hiss, the bayonet formed and at the same time, the world came to a startling halt as ice flashed through my veins. All at once, every sense was fed into my tired and exhausted mind with incredible clarity.

  I about-faced, the world came crackling to a start, almost like I was surrounded by firecrackers. My bayonet slashed out, deflecting a chain, followed by another. I shifted forward, bayonet gleaming in the dim lighting of the basement as I lunged, forcing the monster back with the tip aimed at his throat.

  At the final moment, I shifted, stabbing the tip of the bayonet through one of the links in his chain, and planting it into the concrete with shocking ease. Dumbfounded and still reeling, the monster had little time to react as I bolted away.

  Bare feet pounded against the concrete as I made my way through the winding paths of the basement floor. The walls and ceilings covered in pipes. The sound of hissing and water moving from afar.

  I didn’t slow. Not even as I heard a chunk of the wall being ripped out by the monster as it retrieved its chain. I moved until I came to the stairwell on the other side of the building and rapidly climbed the stairs. My mind whirring all the same.

  Where was I going to go? The lobby? No, too wide open, too advantageous for the enemy. Here? They had the high ground… Any other floor, same problem as what I just faced. The hallways were too wide and long, giving the monster the advantage. The roof would be good, but something told me I’d be inviting even more trouble if I left the premises.

  With grit teeth, I made do. I made my way through a door on some random floor. Worked my way to the other stairwell and back down. I kept moving between floors, doing my best to be erratic, and not easily pinned down.

  I gained distance. Not much. I could tell the monster had my scent, or whatever passed for it. It was only a matter of time before he showed up. I went through the list of places I could go, where I could lead it, where I could get a moment to pause and collect myself.

  The answer came all too easily. The laundry room.

  Plan in mind, I began to conjure a new bayonet. There was a bit of resistance as I felt the old bayonet fading from my perception and reappearing in the palm of my hand. The very action felt smooth, all too smooth and something told me that I’d be feeling this tomorrow and the weeks to come for sure. Still, with grit teeth I persisted. I heard the monster break through a stairwell door and make their way down. A steady thump, thump, followed by the clatter of chains announced their presence to the world and echoed in the isolated stairwell.

  I kept going, keeping a good pace, managing to keep my feet under me as I skipped steps and bounded from landing to landing, each impact hitting my iced over knees hard enough that I knew I was going to regret this come tomorrow.

  I finally returned to the basement floor, and all too soon, I found my destination. I collapsed into a bench and made sure to shut the door behind me. With a hiss, and a groan, I checked my arm. The shoulder had popped out of the socket, the ice kept it secure, but every move I made had bone grind against bone. The pain was bearable, but I needed my arm.

  Biting down on my knife, I adjusted and popped it back into the socket. Cold sweat breaking out over my body through the ice. A litany of curses and swears on my tongue.

  Couldn’t I just have one day off? JUST ONE!? I raged internally, even as I prepared for what was to come.

  By now, the alcohol in my veins was more or less gone. Frost covered my body. Strengthening it. Empowering it. My heart slowed. My breathing evened out. I listened for the steps as they grew closer. In turn, I waited and waited.

  The monster burst through the door with no preamble, no pause. Wood splintered out obscuring their vision and mine. Taking the chance I surged forth, bayonet held forward. The monster’s claws lashed out, slapping aside my bayonet, but I pressed forward.

  Chains writhed and snapped out, but all too easily I slunk under them and around, bracing a foot against one of the benches along the wall. In a single motion, not unlike a compressed spring being unleashed I sprung forward. Following Tabitha’s lesson, and my own learnings under my own master, my fist dug into the monster’s midsection, taking the air out of their lungs. The angle of my attack sent them, not out the doorway, but into the frame.

  It was a meat blow that had the frame crack and the monster rebounded off and into the nearest washing machine. They groaned, but I didn’t pursue. Instead, I ducked out of the laundry room through the open door and rounded the next corner, where I waited.

  I heard it before I saw it. The roar of rage, the anger, the hate. Frenzied the beast came out, without any sense it came hurtling before me. The moment our eyes locked, I closed, it tried to swipe, but the claws scraped fruitlessly against my bayonet as I pressed in. With another punch, I sent it to the ground, I adjusted my bayonet for a thrust, but backed off as the chains whirled about, clattering against the walls, and bashing into pipes. Steam and water sprayed everywhere, further obfuscating the surroundings.

  Without a second thought, I turned and ran.

  My mind ran down a checklist. My body condition, my energy reserves. I was nowhere near depleted, even as my body screamed from the exertion. The biggest losses of energy had come from the disrupted attempts to summon my rifle. Otherwise, I was chugging along at near perfect efficiency.

  It was clear on a second glance, that what had happened, was that the monster’s attempts to disrupt my magic had ironically forced it further into my blood. Thus completing, or at least, pseudo completing éclair’s little training. It’d likely snap out of it later, but it was just a matter of time before it permanently settled into place.

  I met the monster at the next juncture. It came more cautiously. A flurry of strikes from its claws were all deflected by my blade as I traded with it. I backed away with a few new cuts along my arms, but the monster too sported cuts in the same way. The wounds seemed to hiss and spit. My bayonet keened with joy with every strike.

  At the same time, the monster grew even angrier.

  All through the basement we went. I huddled along corners, or behind crates. Striking out in a flurry of blows and fleeing as they brought their chains to bear.

  With every exchange, we both accrued wounds. More pipes broke and shattered, leaving pools of water that frosted over and froze as time went on. Hot, scalding steam cooled, leaving hoarfrost over everything.

  All too quickly it came to a head, at the final confrontation inside the laundry room. Both of us were exhausted. Our bodies nearing collapse. I was now cornered, due to no fault of my own. The monster’s white-hot rage gave way to a cold clarity that nearly put my own to shame.

  This was a game of predator and prey. Only, now it was time to see which was which, whom was whom. I fiddled with my bayonet, the monster’s blood upon it hissed and smoked, until the silver blade was once more fresh and pure. Almost glowing in the dim lighting.

  I could practically feel it swoon in my hands. Begging, baying for the monster’s blood.

  The two of us sat opposite of the room. Taking each other in, each acknowledging the end of the hunt. A wolf, and a cornered rabbit. There was no monologue, no more dialogue. He’d long exhausted his vitriol during the chase. All that was left was a grim determination to see this through. Neither of us ready to back off.

  The buzz of a dryer signaled the start of the end. We both surged forward, claws and bayonet clashed in a dizzying series of sparks. My foot lashed out, cracking into the monster’s shin, shattering the ice along my leg, but also cracking bone. A chain whipped out, and was ducked under, only to carry on through and smash into a nearby washer. Spraying water everywhere as I adjusted.

  Coming from low, braced against a bench I shot up, bayonet aimed for the throat. The monster pivoted, the blade scoring a long gash along their face.

  They didn’t snarl as they shoved forward, body checking me. The blow sent me down, and into a hard bench that crumpled under me, but not without breaking the ice formed over my cracked ribs. I felt them punch into relatively soft tissue and fail to penetrate, but the sudden sensation threw me off as my controlled breathing faltered.

  The monster took advantage, using their size and weight to bear down on me, claws flashed out. I raised an arm, all but abandoning it. Hardening the ice, focusing it as I shielded myself from the blows, at the same time I scrambled back, up until my back hit the wall.

  Claws dug into frozen, hardened flesh until it gave way, until muscle and bone were laid bare. The moment my back was to the wall, I thrust forward, using my arm as a shield with the wall as my brace. I managed to throw the monster back. My blade came shooting forward. A chain surged forward, I didn’t dodge. Not this time.

  It had too little space to build momentum, but it snapped into my already wounded side. Tearing away frozen, but ruined flesh. Garnering a small wage of frozen blood in the process.

  In return, my blade met the monster’s gut. It carved right in with a squeal of delight. A quick twist and turn nearly disemboweled the thing as I pressed onward. Frenzied cuts met me, but I greeted them with my already ravished arm.

  I felt claws digging into bone, but I was relentless. I was ice. With every cut, I returned with a thrust and stab. Ripping, tearing, little by little pushing them back, until, finally, they were cornered.

  A final redirect of my now eviscerated arm threw them off balance, a kick to the knee sent them crumpling to their knees. Our eyes met, now level. A moment, eternity passed, or so it felt as we took each other in.

  Not a shroud of doubt in either of our eyes. Not a shred of hesitation nor fear. Only duty and purpose. A single thought dominating all, and that was, that we were in the right.

  I slammed by bayonet into his skull. The blade sank in, drinking deeply of his blood. With a final twist, his eyes went dim and blank. With a wet shluck, I pulled free the blade and stared down at his corpse. It shimmered, with a silver haze.

  Without a thought, I gathered the coin and watched as their corpse vanished into nothing. Leaving naught behind.

  With a heavy sigh I glanced at the ruined laundry room. Cut water lines were gushing frigid water that now pooled on the ground. With every breath, I felt the ice quiver. The pain just under the service of my ruined arm, broken ribs, and the countless other injuries screamed in my mind and soul.

  Exhausted and tired, I made my way back to my room. Once inside, I took the time to wrap my wounds, working through my entire medical kit and just barely making something work. The moment I was certain I wouldn’t bleed out or die in my sleep, I crashed, hard.

  Though, there was one thought that rang in my skull as I slipped into slumber…

  I really need to find a better place to live…