The city of Nocturne had not slept in weeks.

  A chilling terror spread through every alley and avenue, whispering in the shadows. The creature—Karakash—had arrived. Tall as two men, shrouded in mist and deception, it had the power to change form at will. Some said it could appear as a lost child, others saw it take the shape of a beggar or even a police officer. Rumors ran rampant, and fear bloomed like a sickness.

  Videos were spreading—grainy, flickering footage of the creature shifting between forms. A woman’s sobbing face blurring into a hissing beast. No one knew what Krakash truly looked like. The only certainty was death followed wherever it went.

  But Adir was not afraid.

  He had studied the shadows, hunted whispers, and had waited for this moment. On the night of the full moon, he moved through the silent streets like a phantom. Cloaked in a long, dark coat, with a silver dagger tucked inside his belt, he walked through Lone Valley, a deserted area on the outskirts of the city.

  The city slept uneasily behind him, but Adir was wide awake.

  “This ends tonight,” he whispered to himself, his voice blending with the wind.

  Suddenly—footsteps. Faint but deliberate. Echoing through the valley.

  Adir froze.

  He didn’t turn around. Instead, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

  “Got you.”

  Behind him, a man’s voice called out, gentle and concerned:

  “Hey kid, don’t stay here. This place isn’t safe. Come on, I’ll help you.”

  Adir turned, blinking innocently, his body shrinking, bones contorting until he was no longer himself but a scared young boy. His breath came in quick, controlled sobs. A perfect act.

  From the mist stepped a police officer, face half-lit by the moonlight that now peeked from behind the clouds.

  “Where are your parents, son?” the officer asked, crouching slightly.

  “It’s not safe out here. Come, I’ll take you to a shelter.”

  Adir stared at him.

  Too perfect.

  Too polite.

  Too clean.

  He had seen this face before—in the news.

  That officer had been reported dead three days ago.

  And today, his bloodied uniform had been found stuffed in a storm drain.

  Adir stepped backward.

  The officer took a step forward.

  Adir smiled coldly. His form rippled, stretching and twisting, as scales sprouted across his skin. In moments, the small boy was gone, and in his place was a coiled serpent with blazing golden eyes.

  The officer paused. Then slowly, too slowly—smiled back.

  His jaw cracked open, stretching unnaturally wide. Teeth sharpened like daggers. His tongue flicked, tasting the air.

  “There you are,” Krakash hissed.

  “Come now. I’ll take you to a... very safe place.”

  Adir laughed, tail curling around his body like armor.

  “You should’ve chosen someone alive. This officer was found dead. You thought I wouldn’t notice the stench of blood under your skin?”

  Karakash’s form trembled and wavered. The illusion cracked. His face blurred and twisted, then settled into something monstrous an eyeless figure with rows of teeth spiraling like a nightmare.

  “You’re clever,” Krakash rasped.

  “But you’re alone.”

  “Alone?” Adir’s voice echoed as the ground beneath them trembled slightly. “You walked into my trap.”

  Adir brought his tail around in a swift, snapping motion and caught Krakash mid-lunge.

  "Now you will become prey," he hissed, coils tightening like iron chains.

  But Krakash began to shift again—violently this time.

  His skin tore open in jagged seams, revealing a new form beneath. Thick, armored hide emerged—solid green, glistening like crocodile scales. His eyes turned narrow and reptilian, glowing with a hungry malice. Along his spine, jagged spikes erupted, gleaming like broken obsidian.

  Adir hissed in pain.

  The spikes dug into his tail, tearing through scales and muscle. His grip faltered. Blood slicked the ground as Adir recoiled, breathing hard, tail twitching.

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  Krakash stood tall now, monstrous and unrecognizable.

  “You think you can defeat me?” he growled, voice low and rumbling like thunder through a swamp. “I am evolution. I am terror. I am everything you fear.”

  Without warning, Krakash charged.

  They clashed in a storm of force and fury.

  Adir’s dagger flashed, cutting deep across Karakash’s shoulder. In return, Krakash slammed him through a concrete pillar, shattering it to dust. The ground split beneath them from the shockwaves of their blows. Abandoned buildings around the valley crumbled like paper, windows shattering, the air thick with dust and smoke.

  Adir twisted midair, landing on all fours, then lunged again—fangs bared, mouth open.

  He exhaled a cloud of venom.

  A thick, purple mist spread like wildfire, clinging to everything it touched. The air hissed. Plants withered. Metal corroded.

  Krakash snarled, his hide smoking under the venom—but he didn’t slow.

  Instead, he grinned.

  And then the illusions began.

  Through the mist, Adir saw them—faces. His mother. His father. His sister. Smiling at him. Reaching out. Whispering his name.

  “Adir… please… come home…”

  He staggered, caught off guard.

  “No…” he growled, shaking his head. “You’re not real.”

  But the mirages pressed closer, crying, sobbing, begging him to stop fighting. His breath hitched. His blade wavered.

  Krakash appeared behind them, eyes blazing.

  “Still a child,” he whispered.

  He struck.

  A savage claw across Adir’s chest, followed by a second—ripping through scale and bone. Adir cried out, crashing into the rubble with a sickening thud. Blood poured from the deep gashes, pooling beneath him.

  Krakash loomed over him, breath steaming in the cold night air.

  “Is that all, serpent?” he said, voice dripping with venom. “The gods sent you?”

  Adir didn’t move.

  For the first time… he was struggling to rise.

  Krakash stood over the broken form of Adir, claws gleaming, breath ragged with anticipation.

  “Ready to die?” he sneered. “My lord will be very happy to see your dead body, snake boy.”

  He raised his claw, nails stretching longer—jagged, deathly sharp—aimed straight for Adir’s throat.

  But before the blow could land—

  A crack of light tore through the valley.

  Krakash stumbled back, hissing as a brilliant pulse of energy slammed into his chest. Smoke curled from the impact as he turned, eyes narrowing.

  Under the flickering lamp at the edge of the ruins stood a girl.

  Draped in a black dress that clung like shadow and shimmered like ink, she stood tall, unwavering. Her yellow hair glowed in the moonlight, strands like strands of flame, giving her the appearance of a goddess born of twilight and fire.

  Krakash snarled, stepping toward her.

  “Who are you, girl?”

  He bared his teeth.

  “No matter. Before you answer—I’ll eat you with a smile.”

  He lunged.

  A flash.

  She vanished.

  In a blink, she reappeared behind him—silent as moonlight.

  Her claw, sharp and divine, slashed across Karakash’s back.

  The monster shrieked as black blood sprayed across the ground. He stumbled forward, twisted in pain, struggling to maintain his form.

  She didn’t hesitate.

  Gliding across the rubble, the girl dropped beside Adir’s broken body. Her expression softened—just for a moment—as she reached down and placed her hand gently over his chest.

  “Hold on,” she whispered.

  Then, in a blur of movement and light, both of them vanished.

  Gone.

  Krakash dropped to one knee, clutching his back, the wound still hissing with radiant energy. He raised his head and let out a roar—raw, feral, echoing across the city.

  A cry of pain.

  And rage.