Axel gulped hard, his grip tightening around Ginshiki. His hand trembled — partly due to fear and partly due to the pain still thrumming in his arm.

The blue eyes didn't move, it blinked, but no movement. They just stared, observing him.

He slowly stepped backwards, his eyes fixed on the cave, the eyes staring back, unmoving.

Then after a heartbeat too long, they blinked out, shutting entirely, plunging the cave into darkness once more.

Axel shakily exhaled, his face twisted into a frown.

Did it lose interest in me, or I wasn't worth its attention in the first place? He pondered.

That should be good but somehow it pisses me off, he grimaced and slowly continued moving back, refusing to turn his back to the cave.

After a few minutes and a satisfactory distance according to his calculations, he finally turned and quickly limped away, moving as fast as his tired body allowed.

whatever that was he had to get as far away as possible, who knows, it might change its mind.

The trek felt endless. Every step sent a sharp sting up his legs. His throat burned with thirst, his tongue dry and cracked. But fortunately he did not meet any monstrosity.

When he finally dropped against a black rock, his body sighed before he did. He urgently needed to find a place to rest.

But first he removed the bagpack, luckily he had offered to take it, albeit not for the best reasons.

He pulled out a water bottle from the bag and frowned at the level, barely a few gulps left. "Well… that's depressing." He sighed.

Of course it was not like anyone was planning for me to end up here.

Axel looked at the bottle, his body screaming at him to just take the gulp, it wouldn't hurt afterall.

He slowly lifted it to his lips, hand shaking, the smell of cool water teasing him.

Then he stopped. "No. No, you idiot. This is how dumb side characters die." He slapped his cheek lightly and capped the bottle again, shoving it back into the bag. "I can endure," he muttered, although his throat disagreed audibly.

He scanned the jagged landscape — dozens of cave mouths stared back at him like open jaws. "Perfect," he said dryly.

"Pick your doom huh. A small one? Maybe a nest. Big one? Probably a buffet. Great options."

But I can't stay out here either, he sighed, "who's to say something worst isn't lurking out here."

After a few minutes of contemplation and failed observation, he picked a cave, one which looked less suspicious than the others.

It didn't look too deep, at least not deep enough for a big creature to hide in—but who's to say the small ones aren't dangerous, maybe even worse.

I'll just have to gamble, he took a deep breath and unsheathed the Gishiki.

"Here goes nothing," he whispered, limping forward. "And by nothing, I mean probably everything."

The air inside the cave was cooler, but heavy— thick with the scent of dust and something else, something putrid.

Axel clicked on his flashlight; the beam cut through the dark, the caves walls were made of jagged obsidian like rocks.

The light illuminated bones of different colors scattered across the floor. Some bigger than him, while some smaller than even his finger.

"Okay," he gulped hard."Definitely not human. Definitely not comforting."

He exhaled slowly and lowered Ginshiki. "But at least it's empty—"

But a grinding sound froze him, his grip tightened around the Gishiki once more.

He watched with a horrified expression as one of the rocky outcrops moved. It trembled then turned, stone flaking away, revealing deep blue eyes with a black star for a pupil.

"Oh come on," Axel whispered, his stomach flipping. Then another outcrop moved. And another. Soon, a dozen pairs of eyes glowed around him, painting the cave in eerie blue light.

His pulse roared in his ears. "Don't move," he whispered internally to himself. "Maybe they're friendly. Maybe they are—"

One screeched, cutting him off, its cry slicing the air, its wings unfurled, at that moment, like a general's warcry, the others followed suit.

Then the creature lunged.

"Of course!" Axel barked, turning on instinct. He ran — or tried to. His legs protested, his lungs burned, his wounds screamed. He could only limp.

Then he felt it, blinding pain, something sinking deep into his back, then dragging down like a rake, tearing flesh open, hot blood running down his back. He gritted his teeth. Move. Move!

His gaze focused on the black rock, just outside the cave.

The whole flock was almost upon him, tears welling up in his eyes, the pain and fear of death hitting him at once.

Unbeknownst to him, the thread of continuity around his neck rapidly turned black, an eerie black miasma rising from it.

As the other creatures were about to reach him, their sharp teeth bared, ready to shred him into multiple pieces.

A black miasma flared from his neck, instantly swallowing him up, and he was gone.

With a boom, the creatures collided where he had been.

Axel's body slammed into the black rock outside the cave, the impact cracking through his ribs.

The creature that had clung to his back was thrown off with a sickening thud. He groaned, rolling onto his back, pain lighting up his nerves.

But he suppressed that pain, he gritted his teeth and sat up, back against the rock, Gishiki in hand, the cave in front of him, the creature that had injured him laying a few meters away.

He was ready for it to pounce on him, but instead the creature screeched once then retreated into the cave, ignoring him.

Axel held the Gishiki with both hands, his hands trembling, for a few seconds he held on…waiting for them to emerge, then clank, the katana clattered onto the ground, they weren't coming. He could feel the blood trickling down his spine, warm against the cold air.

Why didn't it attack, and why aren't they leaving the cave, and why haven't I seen anything else outside? He looked around scanning the environment, multiple questions in mind, he hadn't thought much of it at first, but now…

Could they be scared of something, his chest tightening at the thought.

I don't want to find out, that just means I need to find shelter fast, before I bleed out.

He touched the thread of continuity around his neck, you saved me.

I guess it finally finished bonding huh, he smiled weakly.

Will, belief and body, I must have met all three in my period of desperation, the body probably has to do with adrenaline huh.

He took out the water bottle and took a sip, I've endured enough, he muttered, the cold water sliding down his throat, providing instant relief.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face, hands moving to the thread of continuity.

"Let's see what you can do," he said, touching it, he closed his eyes, concentrating, focused.

He felt the thread getting warmer, energy flickering, but it felt like something was preventing it from coming out.

After a few seconds, his eyes finally fluttered open, nothing happened.

Third, my body, he looked down at his battered body, no one needed to tell him what was wrong.

I am not in the right state now.

I need to patch up and rest, but where? He looked towards the maw of the batcave.

I can't risk entering another cave, I might not be as lucky. No I definitely won't.

Looking around, he spotted a crevice, big enough for him to fit in, albeit not comfortably, but it's either that or another unknown.

His gaze flickered to the cave once more and he sighed, then he stood up and using the Gishiki as a crutch he slowly limped towards the crevice.

As he limped forward, he thought back to the blue eyed creature, how it didn't chase him, at first he had attributed it to luck or something else, but now he was rethinking that theory, perhaps there was indeed something out here with him.

But what could it be? What could scare something like that.

And if they're hiding in the caves, doesn't that mean he was still exposed even if he was hidden in the crevice.

But it's not like he had a choice, he was too battered, he could barely swing the Gishiki, there was no chance of annexing a cave, not in this condition.

Unless a miracle occurs of course.

"I really do hope I'm wrong," Axel muttered to himself as he approached the crevice.

But in the next second, a chill travelled up his spine.

The air suddenly shifted — heavy, electric. His instincts screamed, the feeling of a prey about to be devoured. Something was coming, a force of nature.

Axel froze, heart hammering, teeth chattering together, hands trembled like they were trying to escape his skin. "Oh no," he whispered.

Then came a roar — deep, ancient and primal.

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