-Unseen Threats-

  Under the moonless night sky, Sen moved with quiet precision, his steps deliberate along the riverbed. The darkness stretched endlessly before him, an abyss swallowing the nd whole.

  Occasionally, he crouched to refill his waterskin, letting the cool liquid soothe his dry throat before pressing onward.

  Then, a feeling crept in.

  A slow, gnawing sense of being watched.

  His pulse steadied, muscles tightening with quiet anticipation. His instincts had been honed by years of surviving the streets and navigating the underworld, he knew when something was stalking him. He just couldn’t see it.

  The air felt heavier, the silence unnatural.

  He kept walking, eyes darting over the jagged rocks and twisted roots lining the riverbed. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled.

  Then, the movement—subtle, nearly imperceptible. A ripple in the darkness.

  His eyes locked onto it, and for a brief moment, he caught the faintest distortion, a shifting, writhing mass barely visible against the terrain.

  Camoufged. Perfectly adapted to the night. A swarm.

  Sen’s grip tightened around his spear. He didn’t know how many there were, but they were close. Uncomfortably close.

  He took a slow step back.

  That was their trigger.

  Two of them lunged from the void, serpentine bodies twisting midair, fangs bared, striking like lightning.

  Sen pivoted, his instincts screaming.

  The first creature sank its fangs into his crude armor, but before it could recoil, his elbow came down like a sledgehammer. A sickening crunch echoed as its skull shattered beneath the impact, its body convulsing in spasms before going limp.

  The second barely had time to react. Sen drove the tip of his spear, now coated with the thick venom of the insect he had sin earlier, straight into its open maw. The creature thrashed, its body seizing violently as the poison spread.

  Sen didn't wait to see if more would follow. He bolted right away.

  Legs pumped, breath sharp and controlled, as he tore through the ndscape, keeping the river to his side. The swarm would be on him soon, but if he could put enough distance between himself and them, they might lose their advantage in the open.

  His feet pounded against the earth, his lungs burning from the effort. The only sound now was his own heartbeat hammering in his ears.

  Sen’s sprint continued through the endless dark, his legs moving like pistons, each step carrying him farther from the threat. The river’s gurgle was a constant companion at his side, a reminder that he still had some ground to cover.

  But the predators weren’t far behind. He could hear them, their hissing breaths, the flickering sound of scales scraping against the earth. They moved with an unsettling grace, barely audible but always close enough to make his pulse race.

  His mind raced even faster. What did they want? Why hadn’t they attacked in full force yet? He had killed two of them, but these things weren’t just animals—they were strategic, calcuting. Something in his gut told him they were waiting for him to make a mistake.

  His grip on the spear tightened, the weapon a reassuring weight in his hands. Focus, Sen. Stay sharp.

  Up ahead, the nd began to shift. The river bent sharply to the left, and Sen caught sight of a jagged outcrop of rocks. It was the perfect pce to make a stand. The narrow passage would limit their movement, force them to come at him head-on.

  He veered off the riverbed, heading toward the outcrop. Every instinct screamed at him to keep running, but he knew better. The longer he ran, the more likely he'd exhaust himself, and the creatures would catch him when he was weak.

  As he neared the rocks, his heart pounded faster, but his steps were calcuted. The outcrop jutted like the teeth of some ancient beast, and the shadows there seemed to pulse with an almost sentient awareness.

  Sen slowed his pace, eyes scanning every inch of the surrounding terrain. His back pressed against the hard rock face as he crouched low, blending into the shadows himself. The air was thick with tension. If they were going to strike, it would be soon.

  Minutes passed. The darkness seemed to stretch infinitely, the silence suffocating. Then, a slight shift. A breath too quiet. A scale scraping against a stone. They were coming.

  The first of the serpentine creatures slithered into view, its body coiled, muscles rippling as it moved like liquid through the bckness. Its eyes glinted with malice, reflecting the faintest traces of starlight. A hiss escaped its fanged mouth, sharp and threatening.

  Sen didn’t hesitate.

  He lunged from the shadows with brutal precision, swinging his spear. The creature’s movements were almost too quick, but Sen’s aim was true. The point of the spear sank into its side, just behind the ribs. A gurgling hiss erupted from the creature as it recoiled, thrashing violently. Poison spread through its veins almost immediately. Its body jerked, spasmed, and with a final shudder, it colpsed to the ground in a heap.

  But there were more.

  The others emerged from the darkness, slithering toward him in a blur of scales and hunger. Sen’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t take them all at once, but he didn’t have to. He was no stranger to using his surroundings to his advantage.

  With a swift pivot, he dashed further into the maze of rocks, his spear held low, ready. The creatures followed, but they were slower in the narrow confines of the jagged outcrop, forced to coil and strike in confined spaces. One lunged from the side, but Sen anticipated its move, side-stepping and driving his spear into its throat, feeling the satisfying resistance as it sank deep into the creature’s flesh.

  The others hesitated, their calcuted approach thrown off by his sudden aggression. Sen grinned, knowing this was his chance. He didn’t have time to waste.

  He used the rocks to his advantage—darting from one crevice to the next, the creatures losing sight of him momentarily. Each time one got too close, he stabbed, struck, and retreated.

  The poison from the insect was taking its toll. One by one, the serpents faltered, their movements slower, less coordinated. The venom was doing its job, but it was still a fight, and Sen wasn’t done yet.

  Finally, after what felt like hours of maneuvering through the night, the st of the serpentine creatures crumpled to the ground. Sen stood over its lifeless form, his chest heaving, sweat mingling with the dirt and blood on his skin.

  It was over. For now.

  Sen stood there for a moment, catching his breath, eyes scanning the area for any other signs of danger. But the night was still once more, as if the creatures had never existed.

  The silence was deafening, and Sen was left alone with the body of the st predator.

  He wiped his spear clean, the venomous residue sliding off, and took a deep breath, savoring the moment of solitude.

  His muscles were sore, but his mind was sharp. He once again survived.

  Sen looked up at the bck sky once more. The horizon, the distant mountains, he had a feeling everything that happened so far was only the beginning.

  As Sen moved cautiously along the riverbed, his eyes narrowed at the sight ahead. The wide paved path stretched before him like a lifeline in the endless desert night. A distant torch flickered faintly against the bckness, casting long shadows across the terrain. He had been alone for so long in this hostile wastend, the solitude gnawing at him. But this was something different.

  His pulse quickened as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, catching the movement of figures in the distance. A caravan. Not what he expected to find out here, especially not one with both humans and humanoids. He squinted, momentarily questioning if this was real or just his mind pying tricks.

  Wagons. Sturdy, reinforced with thick pnks and metal frames, they rumbled forward, drawn by hulking beasts built for endurance. Their wheels cut deep tracks into the hardened sand.

  Stacked high in some of them were crude, unrefined mineral ores—iron, copper, even chunks of something that gleamed under the torchlight. This wasn’t some wandering group of nomads; it was a mining caravan transporting resources.

  A lion humanoid stood out, its massive frame carrying a pickaxe with ease. Its fur was thick, a muted shade of gold blending into the night’s shadows. It wasn’t just a brute hauling supplies—there was purpose in its stride. A miner? A warrior? Maybe both.

  Then there was a humanoid griffon—a scout, judging by the way it kept scanning the surroundings, sharp beak twitching as it sniffed the air. Every movement was calcuted, precise, like a predator constantly assessing the environment.

  Sen’s gaze flicked between the two. Mercenaries? Svers? Soldiers escorting a mining operation? This wasn’t just a collection of lost travelers, these people had a destination.

  More figures emerged into view—some human, others not—trudging alongside the wagons. Some wore heavy tools strapped to their belts, others gripped weapons loosely, exhaustion dulling their expressions. But it wasn’t just weariness. Their faces had the hardened look of people who knew the cost of survival.

  Sen crouched lower, tightening his grip on his spear. The lion humanoid with the hammer—its posture alone told him it wasn’t some desperate survivor. It moved like someone who had seen battles and won. And judging by the way the griffon’s eyes darted around, it was unlikely they would miss someone like him in the shadows for long.

  He weighed his options. Stay hidden and observe? Or risk contact?

  His gut told him to wait. Watch. Learn. See where they were headed before making a move.

  Besides, he wasn’t even sure how they communicated with each other. No point in stumbling into something unprepared.