Tick!
Aether dropped the two girls to the ground.
Tick!
With a ferocious roar, Aether pulled back a massive ice-like nail deep from the monster’s neck.
Tick!
Purple flames returned to Aether’s outstretched hand.
Tick!
Aether rolled across the monster’s massive arm and went downward!
Tick!
His legs swung unnaturally back, but the once-broken claws mended with an audible snap.
Tick!
Helena’s healing reversed!
Tick!
Slick!
Chuccckk!
Aether staggered as the monster’s claw raked across his shoulder, tearing through his flesh with ease. The force sent him crashing to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
“AETHER!” Helena screamed, rushing toward him without a second thought.
“H-Helena!” Nightfire cursed under her breath, clicking her tongue in frustration as she followed after her. Just as they crossed the old, rusty gate, it flickered and slammed shut behind them, trapping all three inside.
“He…Heh…Heherrr…” The monster’s guttural laughter rippled through the tension. Its massive foot crashed down on Aether’s chest, pinning him like prey. With a chilling, deliberate motion, it swiped its claws, slashing both Helena and Nightfire mid-run before neither of them could use their power!
The two women were flung like rag dolls, tumbling across the cracked earth.
The monster’s foot ground Aether deeper into the dirt. Its grotesque maw split wide as it tilted its head back, unleashing a primal, ear-piercing howl:
“WWWOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!”
The wrenching cry echoed, shaking the very foundation of the decrepit mansion nearby. Dust rained from its cracked walls.
“AEEEETTHHERRRRRRR!!!” Helena’s voice broke in fury and despair. She extended her hands, summoning flames so pure and white they blinded. The flames shimmered with an unearthly intensity as they coalesced into a devastating beam, streaking toward the roaring beast.
BOOOMMMM!!!
The monster was sent sprawling from the impact. Its massive body skidded across the ground, leaving deep trenches in the dirt.
Nightfire winced, clutching her side as she staggered to Aether as she caught took him to Helena….
“We have to heal him now!” Helena said when she saw the bones of the shoulder blade. Her trembling hands began to light, but—
PUfffff!!!!
A surge of blue flames burst from the dirt, hurtling toward them.
“Damn it!” Nightfire growled and pointed her fingers. Black flames erupted in response, colliding with the blue. However, instead of clashing, the blue fire consumed the black entirely as if mocking her attempt.
The deadly flames closed in, but just before they could strike, a shimmering barrier flickered to life around the group. The flames dispersed harmlessly.
Nightfire exhaled heavily, relief was evident on her face. “That was too close…” She glanced at Aether…. His wounds were closing, but agonizingly slowly?
“Heal him faster!” Nightfire barked, her frustration mounting. Her sharp eyes darted toward the monster, which was rising to its feet again. Its grotesque head shook violently as it let out a pained, guttural growl.
“I’m trying!” Helena cried, pouring every ounce of her energy into her spell. Sweat beaded her forehead as the radiant glow intensified. Still, Aether’s body refused to heal at the expected pace.
Aether coughed, blood splattering his chin. His gaze was on his shoulder blade, ‘Fuck that hurts!’, he thought before he muttered, barely audible, “The time… reversed…”
“Huh?” Helena’s head snapped up, her brow furrowed. “What are you talking about, Aether?”
Aether coughed again, his voice rasping. “Didn’t you see it? The moment everything shifted?”
“See what?” Nightfire shouted at him furiously, “Are you delirious? What the hell is wrong with you? Why the hell did you even take that page from the damned book?!” Her voice rose, crackling with fury, “Arrhh! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! We almost died—no, we should’ve died! And all because of your recklessness! Haa fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!!!!! Aether! Of all the people Ashara could’ve friends, why you?!”
She clenched her fists.
To be honest, Her words struck true… they almost got out of the house without a problem, yet, Aether had acted recklessly, and now everyone was paying the price.
Helena bit her lip, her heart torn. As much as she loved him, this was Aether’s fault.
Still, her voice was soft, “Please forgive him, Ashara. He… didn’t mean for this to happen.” She held Aether close, her guilt evident in her tearful gaze.
Nightfire hesitated, scratching the back of her head awkwardly before muttering, “Whatever…”
Succubi weren’t made for brute strength or combat prowess. They thrived on manipulation and seduction—tools utterly useless against monsters like these, especially when their foe wasn’t even normal humanoid beings.
They were even more useless than Healers!
Aether’s frown deepened. “You didn’t see what happened just now?”
Nightfire stared blankly. “All I saw was you getting smashed into the dirt. And now we’re stuck in this nightmare trying to save your sorry ass.”
Helena nodded silently.
Aether’s mind churned as realization dawned. His face darkened, his thoughts swirling. ‘They couldn’t remember it… or ‘
‘Only I could remember it.’
Just then,
Tang!
Nightfire flinched, Whipping her head around, she saw the monster pressing its enormous fangs against the flickering barrier.
She sighed and turned to Helena and said, “Thank goodness your barriers are strong enough to hold this shi—”
Crack!
Her face drained of all colour. She turned her head robotically, dread pooling in her stomach. One of the monster’s massive sabre teeth, glimmering with a rainbow colour, had punctured the barrier. The tooth slammed through the protective shield, and rainbow-coloured saliva dripped menacingly to the ground inside.
“Cough… Cough…”
Helena suddenly doubled over, blood pouring from her lips like a crimson river. Her hands trembled, but she didn’t stop channelling healing energy.
“Helena!” Aether’s eyes widened in alarm. He tried to pull her hands away, but she shook her head violently, her voice weak yet resolute.
“Y-You need to heal first…” she whispered, her pale face etched with determination. Despite the blood pooling in her mouth, she funnelled every last ounce of her energy into the spell.
“Helena, stop!!” Aether shouted, panic lacing his voice. But she ignored him, pushing herself to the brink.
“Ah… Fuck!” Nightfire muttered under her breath. She grimaced before yelling, “You better be ready with that cock of yours, Aether, because I’m gonna suck a lot out of you for this!” Without waiting for a reply, she bolted.
“Hey, baby girl! Over here! You wanna eat me, right?” Nightfire hollered, waving her arms dramatically to draw the monster’s attention.
The monster froze mid-attack, its glowing eyes narrowing. It let out a guttural growl before shifting its focus entirely to Nightfire.
“Oh, fuck!” Nightfire cursed as the beast lumbered toward her, its claws slicing through the air with deadly intent. Just as the razor-sharp claws were about to pierce her, her raspberry-coloured eyes flickered. Her body dissolved into a swirling black mist.
Sllccckk!
The claws slashed through the mist harmlessly, and two identical versions of Nightfire materialized nearby, taunting and laughing.
The monster snarled, its confusion evident. It swiped at Nightfires again, but each strike only birthed more Nightfires…. Four… Eight….. Sixteen.
The creature tilted its massive head, baffled by the multiplying Nightfires.
Using the distraction, Helena finally succeeded in fully healing Aether. Her vision blurred, and her body sagged. “W-What she said…” she murmured, her lips twitching into the faintest frown before she collapsed into unconsciousness.
Aether caught her gently, cradling her in his arms. He stood there as the barrier shattered.
Aether’s jaw tightened. He stared at the beast…. It wasn’t just a beast—it was returning from death itself.
Over and over, just like him. Killing it wasn’t an option, not this time.
His gaze dropped to Helena, her exhausted form limp in his arms. Anger burned in his chest, but so did guilt. He clenched his teeth. He should never have taken that page, no matter how tempting. The danger had been obvious, and yet…
‘Damn it,’ he thought bitterly. ‘This is my fault.’
A sudden motion caught his eye.
Clack, Clack…
The old mansion’s door creaked open, swinging on its rusted hinges. No wind stirred, yet the heavy wooden door swayed as if inviting them in.
Aether narrowed his eyes, his decision made. “We don’t have a choice,” he muttered under his breath, shifting Helena in his arms before heading toward the eerie doorway.
“Nightfire! Over here!” he shouted.
Nightfire—and her many duplicates—paused mid-run. All of them glanced toward him, their faces mirroring confusion and exhaustion. The real Nightfire nodded, and then the illusions spread out, weaving in every direction to confuse the monster.
With a guttural roar, it opened its massive jaws and unleashed a torrent of flames, sweeping the area like a living flamethrower.
However—
“Huff… Huff… Huff…” The real Nightfire stumbled through the mansion’s door, panting heavily. Her skin glistened with sweat as she slumped against the wall. “Why the hell did we come back to this shitty place again?” she groaned, shooting a glare at Aether before her eyes flicked to Helena’s unconscious form.
“For whatever reason, it’s not entering this place,” Aether said, his voice calm but laced with tension. He nodded toward the monster, which had stopped at the door. It stared at them through the open doorway, snarling in frustration.
“Grrrrr!”