As they reached the abandoned hostel, the air around them shifted. The once eerie silence was replaced by an unsettling noise—deep, guttural, and filled with malice. The ground beneath them seemed to tremble slightly, as if something ancient and monstrous had been awakened.
Shristi halted abruptly, her breath hitching in fear. Her entire body trembled as she clutched Wick's arm. "It's him…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Wick frowned, tightening his grip on her hand. "Who?" he asked, scanning their surroundings.
Shristi's face drained of color. "We can't win against him…" Her voice cracked, pure terror evident in her eyes. She had faced nightmares before, but this… this was different.
Wick turned to her, holding her by the shoulders. His gaze was intense yet unwavering. "Shristi, listen to me," he said firmly. "I love you. Nothing—no creature, no nightmare, nothing—can stop me from loving you. And I intend to fight, to protect you, even if I have to die. But that's not going to happen." His voice dropped to a low growl. "Because if anyone—anything—tries to touch you, I'll kill it."
The moment his words left his lips, the creature emerged from the darkness.
It was the same monstrous entity they had encountered before, its grotesque form looming over them. Its eyes glowed like embers in the night, and as it locked its gaze onto them, it let out a deafening roar—whether it was a warning or a declaration of war was unclear.
Shristi's fingers dug into Wick's arm, but she couldn't move. She was paralyzed by fear.
The creature lunged at them, but Wick intercepted its strike with his bare hands. The force of the impact sent a jolt through his body, but he held firm. The beast snarled and retaliated with a powerful kick, sending Wick skidding across the ground. Yet, within seconds, Wick was back on his feet, fire burning in his eyes.
Without hesitation, he launched into his signature spinning kick, aiming for the creature's head. But the beast barely flinched.
Shristi watched in horror. "Wick, stop! It's useless! You can't win against it—you'll die here!"
Her voice wavered, but her eyes held something different this time. Worry, desperation, but most of all, something deeper—something Wick had never seen before. She cared for him, beyond what she had ever admitted. And in that moment, Wick saw it.
The creature, however, was relentless. It observed Wick with an almost puzzled expression, as if trying to understand how he was still standing. His endurance was unnatural, even for an athlete. But that didn't stop the beast from unleashing its full strength.
With terrifying speed, it grabbed Wick and hurled him across the courtyard. His body crashed into the ground with a sickening thud.
"Wick!!" Shristi screamed, her voice raw with panic.
The creature turned toward her, extending a massive clawed hand. Shristi stepped back, heart hammering against her chest, but before it could touch her—
A guttural, feral roar tore through the air.
Wick was still alive.
Despite the pain, despite the odds, he forced himself up. His body ached, blood trickled down his arm, but none of that mattered. His only focus was on her.
The beast turned its attention back to him, charging forward with full force.
Wick's eyes burned with unyielding determination. If this was a battle of monsters, then he would become one himself to protect her.
To be continued...