The audible thuds of boots clapping against the ground in extreme speed didn't stop. They hammered against the dirt like a wild drum, cutting through the night's silence with ruthless precision. Dust kicked into the air, dancing in faint beams of moonlight that struggled to pierce the haze.

The momentum was alarming, sharp and fluid it almost seemed as though light itself was racing across the ground.

Then, all at once, the sound halted.

The figure stopped, breath ragged, shoulders trembling. Melissa's figure emerged from the mist. Her chest rose and fell in uneven rhythm. Sweat dripped from her forehead, mingling with streaks of blood that ran down her chin and ankles. Her entire body quivered.

"Damn it…" she muttered under her breath. "I could've died back there."

Her voice cracked, broken by exhaustion. "He could've killed me. Was that really him?"

The silence answered her.

She stood deep within the Wasteland a cursed land where the ground cracked open. The skeletal trees loomed like sentinels, reaching clawed branches toward the colorless sky. A faint mist crawled over the terrain, muffling everything it touched.

Melissa collapsed to her knees, fists digging into the dirt. Tears welled in her eyes before spilling over. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"Why me? Why him? Why would he be after me?" she screamed into the void, voice echoing off unseen stones.

Her cry faded, swallowed by the fog.

She raised her head slowly, wiping her tears with trembling fingers. Her clothes were torn, soaked in her own blood. Pain seared through her body, but fear raw, paralyzing fear crawled deeper.

"Zakar Zelt!" she shouted into the distance. "You wretched beast! Death's host! You're the reason I'm in this mess! You'll pay I promise you that!"

The wind shifted.

A faint voice slithered through the mist, calm and cold.

"Promises are fragile things, Melissa… especially from the dying."

She froze.

Her eyes darted left, then right. The mist seemed to thicken, wrapping her like a shroud. Her pulse thundered in her ears.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

"Quiet now. Such noise spoils the silence," the voice replied, smooth and mocking.

Her heart pounded faster. "Show yourself!"

A low chuckle answered. "You already know me. You always did."

The ground quivered as a faint gust rolled through, parting the fog just enough for her to see it a tall figure emerging from the whiteness, wrapped in a coated black cloak.

The hood shadowed his face entirely. The edges of his garment fluttered in the wind like torn wings.

Melissa took a shaky step back. "No… it can't be you."

The figure tilted his head slightly. "It doesn't matter what you believe. I am here now."

Her fists clenched, blood dripping from her palms. "Stay away from me."

He moved closer, each step deliberate, the sound of boots pressing into the cracked dirt echoing around her.

"You tremble," he murmured. "You haven't changed."

"Shut up!" she hissed, summoning the last of her courage.

Her knees bent, and she dashed forward, screaming. Her fist tore through the air, striking toward his head but he caught it effortlessly.

Pain exploded through her arm as his grip tightened like iron.

"Pathetic," he said flatly, twisting her wrist. She screamed and spun, trying to counter with her left hand, but he dodged easily, his cloak barely stirring.

He slammed his knee into her stomach. Air rushed out of her lungs. She coughed blood, stumbling back and collapsing into the dirt.

"Still so fragile," the cloaked man said, stepping closer. "You've forgotten the pain of the hunt."

Melissa's eyes flashed. She spat blood and forced herself up. "I'll never forget," she growled. "And I'll never forgive you!"

She kicked off the ground and lunged again. Her movements were wild but determined. She swung hard a flurry of desperate punches and kicks, each fueled by rage and survival.

The cloaked figure blocked them one by one with frightening precision. Every time her fist met his hand, a shock ran through her bones. He was faster. Infinitely faster than her.

He slipped through her guard, appearing behind her in an instant. She turned, but too late. His palm struck her chest. A shockwave burst outward, flinging her several feet into the air. She crashed into a dead tree, snapping it in half.

Dust rose.

Her body trembled as she tried to stand. Blood soaked through her torn sleeves.

"Still alive?" he murmured. "Impressive."

She gritted her teeth. "You… you're a monster."

The hooded figure chuckled low and humorless. "Monster? No. I am what you are."

He stepped forward again, his voice echoing like thunder through the fog. "You wanted power, didn't you? You reached too far and now you pay."

"Stop talking!" she shouted.

Her eyes glowed faintly crimson. The wind around her began to stir. With a cry, she thrust her hand forward. A burst of red energy exploded from her palm, hurling debris and wind toward the cloaked man.

The blast hit and the ground split apart, smoke billowing high.

Melissa gasped for air, panting, waiting. The smoke cleared slowly.

He was gone.

Then...

A hand gripped her shoulder from behind. She barely turned before his fist connected with her face, sending her sprawling.

"I taught you that trick," he said. "You should've known it wouldn't work."

Melissa wiped the blood from her mouth, glaring up at him. "If you're here to kill me, then do it! Stop hiding behind that cloak!"

The hooded figure tilted his head, amused. "You don't deserve to see my face again."

He reached into his cloak, pulling out a thin blade. The air around it rippled, distorted by an unseen force.

Melissa's eyes widened. "That sword… you.."

Before she could finish, he moved.

One instant, he stood meters away. The next, he was upon her, blade arcing down.

She rolled to the side, barely avoiding it. The blade struck the ground, splitting it open. Energy crackled through the dirt.

Melissa leapt up, kicking toward his jaw. He caught her leg mid-air, twisted it, and flung her again. She hit a rock, coughing violently.

"You can't run from this," he said.

"Watch me," she spat, forcing herself up again.

Her eyes glowed brighter. She dashed forward, leaving a faint red trail. She feinted left, spun, and aimed a strike at his ribs. For the first time, her attack connected though barely. The figure slid back a few steps, cloak flaring.

Melissa's chest heaved. "Got you…"

"You still think this is victory?"

He straightened, voice steady. "You never learn."

Before she could blink, he vanished. Then he reappeared behind her. His blade sliced across her side.

She screamed, clutching the wound. Blood poured freely, staining the ground.

He didn't stop. He struck again fast, silent. Another cut across her arm. Then her leg.

Melissa swung blindly, desperate, but he sidestepped each attack with fluid grace.

The battle turned into a one-sided slaughter. Her screams echoed through the Wasteland as he carved through her defenses.

Finally, he kicked her backward. She fell hard, gasping, hands slipping on her own blood.

"Why…" she whispered. "Why me?"

The cloaked figure loomed above her. "Because you should've stayed dead long ago. You really don't know your place in all this."

She looked up, eyes wide, tears mixing with blood. "I don't even know who you are."

He crouched beside her. She saw only the faint glint of metal beneath the hood.

"That's the beauty of it," he said softly.

He raised his blade.

Melissa screamed and thrust her hands up, summoning one last burst of power. Crimson light exploded, engulfing both of them.

When the light faded, the Wasteland fell silent again.

Melissa lay motionless, her chest rising weakly. The cloaked figure stood over her, cloak singed but intact. He pressed a boot against her shoulder, pinning her down.

"Foolish till the end," he murmured.

She coughed, blood spilling from her lips. "Go to hell…"

He leaned close, whispering, "Already been there."

The blade plunged through her chest.

Her body arched once, then went numb. The ground drank the blood eagerly, turning dark beneath her.

The cloaked man withdrew his weapon and stood tall. The wind howled faintly around him as he turned away.

Behind him, the mist began to swallow the body.

He paused once more, glancing over his shoulder. "May your soul rest, Melissa. You fought… better than I expected."

Then he vanished into the fog silent as death itself.

Only the echo of her final breath remained.

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