Rian's steps were heavy yet filled with conviction. Each crunch of leaves under his boots echoed unnaturally loud in the stillness. The surrounding trees swayed in the faint wind, their branches clawing the fading light like black fingers. The forest no longer felt alive; it felt as though it was watching, whispering warnings through the chilling rustle of the wind.

A foul, pungent odor drifted on the breeze like rotting meat mixed with damp moss stabbed at his nose. The stench grew stronger with every step. It clung to his throat, making him want to gag. There was no doubt: the troll's lair was near.

Catty trailed behind him, half-bowed. Her tail flicked nervously, ears twitching at every shifting shadow. Her blue eyes darted left and right, never still, glimmering with fear.

‹‹Master…›› Her telepathic voice wavered, a fragile whisper within his mind.

‹‹We shouldn't go on. That troll… he's not an ordinary monster. He slaughtered my parents with a single slash.››

Rian stopped, turning to her. In the dim light, his face carried a faint smile, but his eyes betrayed the fire within.

"Catty, I know you're scared. But that's why we must do this. You deserve justice. I've killed a troll once before. With my basic magic and Blade Fire, I'm sure we can do it."

The cat lowered her head. She wanted to scream at him to stop, but the bond tied her fate to his. In her heart, she carried only dread. The faint tremble of her whiskers betrayed it.

They pressed forward.

At last, the trees opened into a clearing. A towering cliff loomed ahead, dark stone rising like a wall of iron. The air was thicker here humid, heavy, and tainted with blood. Bones littered the field: broken skulls, shattered ribs, cracked femurs gnawed clean. Flies buzzed in clouds over the corpses, their droning blending into the mournful wind.

And there, at the center, in front of a yawning crevice, sat the troll.

Its body towered twice the height of a human. Muscles bulged like boulders stacked beneath its skin. Its dull green flesh was marred by scars, each one a story of battles survived. Fangs jutted from its jaw, slick with strands of fresh meat it had been chewing. Every breath from its nostrils steamed into the cool night, carrying the smell of decay.

Rian crouched low behind a bush, holding his breath. The leaves scratched his cheek, the dirt pressed cold beneath his knees. He peered through the branches.

"So that's him…" he whispered, barely audible even to himself.

Catty stepped back, fur bristling, body trembling as though her very soul recognized the beast that had orphaned her.

‹‹Master, we must leave. That… that fight can't be won.›› Her telepathy broke with panic, each word thick with grief.

But Rian had already drawn his bow. Mana pulsed through his fingers, vibrating into the string. The night seemed to freeze. Even the wind hushed, as though the world itself held its breath.

"This is for your parents, Catty," he muttered. He loosed the arrow.

Swish!

The projectile cut through the silence, embedding itself deep in the troll's right eye.

"ROAAAAARGHHH!"

The roar was thunder itself, shaking the ground. The forest quivered. Birds exploded from the trees in frightened flocks.

"Good. One more."

Rian's fingers worked swiftly. Another arrow whistled through the air. This time, it sank into the troll's left eye. Black blood spurted, splashing the dirt like tar.

"Top-notch accuracy," he breathed, pride swelling in his chest.

But the triumph lasted only a heartbeat.

The troll lurched upright, its massive hand gripping a jagged stone sword. Though blinded, rage poured from its every movement. The ground trembled beneath its steps.

Rian drew his flaming blade. Fire raced along the steel, painting the clearing with flickering light. With a cry that tore his throat raw, he charged. His boots pounded the earth, heart hammering against his ribs. He leapt, thrusting low.

The blade plunged into the troll's stomach. Blue fire erupted, the smell of burning flesh choking the air.

The beast staggered, knees buckling. For a moment, Rian believed he had won. He ripped the blade free, turned to Catty, and smiled triumphantly.

"Catty! Look! Your parents have been avenged!"

Triumph ebbed the moment flesh at the wound's edge writhed back into place horror curdling in his veins as bone and sinew reknit before his eyes. Black blood thickened, sealing the gap. Fresh eyeballs, slick and pale, bulged into the sockets where arrows had been.

"What in the…?" Rian's voice cracked, horror dawning.

The troll roared again, louder, hungrier. Its stone sword swung upward.

CRACKK!

The impact hurled Rian like a rag doll. His back struck the cliff wall with a sound that echoed through the night. Pain exploded in his chest; bones snapped like brittle twigs. Blood gushed from his mouth, warm and metallic, flooding his tongue. His vision swam.

‹‹Master!!!›› Catty's telepathic scream cut into his mind like a knife.

Rian collapsed, chest crushed, breath shallow. Each inhale scraped fire through his lungs. His hands twitched helplessly.

Catty roared a sound between a lion's cry and a grieving wail. She flung herself at the troll, claws raking across its scarred face. Sparks flew where claw met stone-like skin. Shallow wounds bled, but the beast swatted her away like a fly.

She crashed to the ground, rolled, then staggered back up, fur matted with blood.

‹‹Go, Master!›› she cried, her telepathy burning with desperation. ‹‹I'll hold him off! Run!››

"I… can't…" Rian's voice was a broken rasp. "My body… it's crushed. I'm sorry, Catty… this is my fault…"

Ignoring his pleas, Catty hurled herself at the troll again. She leapt onto its arm, biting, clawing, snarling. Each movement sprayed blood from her wounds, yet she clung tighter. The troll shook violently, smashing its fist into the dirt, but she refused to release her grip.

Rian's eyes blurred with tears. "She knows she can't win… yet she fights for me."

The troll slammed her into the ground. Dust erupted. She coughed, staggered, and rose once more. Her breaths came ragged, her blue eyes dimming, but her resolve burned on.

With one last cry, she tore into the troll's leg. Black blood gushed—only to seal shut in seconds.

‹‹Why… isn't it working…›› Her voice cracked, filled with despair.

The troll raised its sword. The air itself seemed to shudder beneath the descending weight.

BOOOOM!

The ground split under the impact. Catty's small body was crushed into the dirt. The telepathic link snapped silent, empty.

"NOOO!" Rian screamed, voice ripping his throat. His body crawled helplessly forward, fingernails digging trenches in the soil.

The troll's shadow loomed again. Its next swing flung Catty's limp body across the clearing. Blood splattered the grass, her fur darkened crimson. She did not move. She did not breathe.

The forest stilled. The wind froze. Even the insects were silent, as though nature itself mourned.

Rian's scream tore at the heavens.

"Goddess Bodas! I beg you! Take my life instead! Bring Catty back! Please!!!"

His cry cracked, raw and broken, echoing against the cliff face. But the sky remained cold, unyielding.

The troll's heavy steps thundered closer. Its massive sword rose high, blotting out what little light remained.

Far above, Goddess Bodas watched through her shimmering vision. Her lips curved into a sly smile.

"This isn't over yet, Rian. Enjoy the process…"

Rian's final tear fell, glistening on the dirt, as the shadow of death engulfed him.