With Chaos Comes Grief: Tiana's Tournament

Chapter 3: Accursed Family

The abomination's twisted form stood before them, its six insectoid legs shifting over the ground like blades cutting through dirt. The creature's misshapen carapace bulged unnaturally, its body stretched and deformed. With each step, the gnashing of its mandibles sent splashes of green acid dripping onto the forest floor, sizzling where it touched. The raptorial limbs snapped the air, eager to tear flesh from bone.

For Yuuki, it was like stepping out of time. The world blurred and faded, dissolving into the black void of his mind. He was back in that place again—the familiar emptiness. And in front of him stood the purple-eyed reflection, a smirk playing on its lips as it raised a hand, pointing toward the distance. Yuuki squinted, following its gesture. A forest? His forest? A faint image of the woods behind his house shimmered in the distance. There was nothing unusual about it. Just trees, grass, shadows.

But why now?

"Is it a trap?" Yuuki wondered. "A trick? Is it trying to lead me somewhere...?"

The voice of the reflection echoed in his mind, sharp and deliberate. "Run, Yuuki."

For once, Yuuki wanted to take the advice, but his body was frozen, suspended between instinct and reason. He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

"Yuuki!" A voice broke through, pulling him from the void. The real world began to reform around him, colours rushing back into place, sounds crashing in like waves.

"YUUKI!"

Lio's voice was louder now, desperate. Yuuki blinked, eyes wide, as the scene snapped back into focus. Lio was ahead, gripping Sana's hand tightly, pulling her along as they bolted toward him. The monster roared behind them, its mandibles clashing with a metallic screech.

"Follow me!" Yuuki yelled, snapping out of his stupor. His legs finally responded, and he sprinted toward the forest edge. The three of them, together, rushed through the trees, the sound of the abomination's pursuit ringing in their ears. The pounding of its legs echoed like drums, and the gnashing of its fangs was deafening. Yuuki dared to glance back, only to see the creature getting closer, its grotesque body forcing its way through the forest like a beast possessed.

They turned at every opportunity, weaving between thick trunks and low-hanging branches, hoping to lose the monster in the shadows of the trees. After what felt like an eternity, they finally stopped, hiding behind a thick oak. Sana collapsed between them, trembling uncontrollably, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts. Her wide eyes were fixed on nothing, unblinking, petrified.

Lio pressed a hand to her mouth, desperately trying to muffle her breathing as the unmistakable taps of the creature's legs closed in.

Yuuki's pulse quickened as he listened, the sound of his own heart drowning out his thoughts. He gripped the hilt of his blade, every fibre of his being telling him to fight, but his hands shook as the monster approached, its spiked legs tapping ominously, its acid-laden mandibles mere inches from their position. Yuuki could see the pale tips of its mandibles in the corner of his vision, moving closer, just one wrong move away from discovering them.

At that moment, Yuuki was sure this was it. His mind raced, formulating strategies and plans that he knew had no chance. He braced himself, fingers tightening around his blade, ready for the inevitable—

Suddenly, a blur launched itself from the shadows, colliding with the creature's head with a violent force. The abomination screeched as its body was thrown backward, crashing into a nearby tree.

Yuuki's eyes widened in shock as he watched the cloaked figure from the capital emerge from the dust, standing tall beside him. His presence was commanding and ominous. Yuuki's breath caught in his throat, unsure whether to feel relief or terror.