2687

The group had been running toward Iwate for nearly twelve hours, their stamina wearing thin. The terrain was rough, and the darkness of the approaching night was closing in on them. Baluka, still struggling to adjust to her newly regenerated leg, was slowing them down, her steps uneven and faltering.

“The sun is setting!” Rex shouted, his voice strained. “Leon, how much time do we have left to reach a light source?”

Leon glanced at the sky, calculating their dwindling time. “About an hour!” he called back.

Amber, running just behind them, glanced worriedly at Baluka, who was doing her best to keep up. “We’re not going to make it at this pace,” Amber thought, her mind racing for solutions. “Baluka’s leg… she’s not ready for this.”

Perched atop Rex’s head, Hanako’s nose twitched as she sniffed the air, her senses alert. “Rex, I smell that Yeager. He’s close… he’s about to appear soon,” she warned, her voice tense.

“Why can’t we just fight him?” Nur yelled, frustration lacing his words as he struggled to maintain his patience.

Leon, breathing heavily but keeping his composure, responded quickly. “We only know that he can teleport when there are shadows, but that’s not all. He definitely has more abilities, especially if he has a palace. We can’t fight him blind.”

“Fuck it then!” Nur growled, his impatience getting the better of him. He reached over and grabbed Baluka by the collar, hoisting her up without warning.

“What the fuck?!” Baluka shouted, her voice filled with surprise and indignation as Nur began sprinting ahead, carrying her like a sack of potatoes.

With Nur leading the charge, the group pushed themselves even harder, picking up their pace. The sun was sinking faster now, its light fading, casting long, ominous shadows that seemed to stretch toward them like grasping fingers. Iwate was just ahead, a beacon of hope with its lights twinkling in the distance, but the darkness was rapidly overtaking them.

As they neared the city, they spotted a hotel with lights on, their salvation just within reach. But the sun had already settled behind the horizon, plunging the landscape into twilight. The familiar, unsettling presence of Shadow loomed closer, his oppressive aura pressing down on them.

The rest of the group managed to burst through the hotel doors just as the last of the light faded, but Nur and Baluka were still outside, scrambling to make it in time. “Come on! Come on!” Nur’s thoughts raced as he pushed his body to its limits, Baluka trailing behind him, her feet barely touching the ground as she was practically dragged along.

Suddenly, Baluka’s eyes widened in terror as she saw the sickle materialize out of the darkness, directly in front of her. Panic surged through her, and she screamed, fear gripping her heart.

In a last desperate move, Nur hurled Baluka inside the building, then dove in after her. The door slammed shut behind them, the safe glow of the hotel’s lights enveloping them in warmth and safety.

Baluka lay on the floor, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and when she saw the sickle reappear, hovering menacingly in front of her face, she instinctively scooted back until her back hit the wall. “I think… I think I peed a little,” she admitted shakily, her voice barely above a whisper.

Nur, who had crashed into the wall in his haste, pulled himself up and turned to look at Baluka. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the sheer relief of surviving washed over them both. Without thinking, they lunged at each other, wrapping their arms around one another as they jumped up and down in a wild, unbridled celebration. “We made it! We made it! We maaaaade it!” they yelled in unison, their voices echoing through the hotel lobby.

The rest of the group, catching their breath and calming their nerves, watched the pair with a mixture of amusement and relief. But as the moment passed, Nur quickly pushed Baluka off, regaining his usual stoic demeanor. He straightened his jacket, trying to hide the embarrassment of having let his guard down.

Baluka, however, couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face, the adrenaline still pumping through her veins. “Well, that was close,” she said, laughing nervously as she looked around at her comrades.

Rex gave a small nod, acknowledging their narrow escape. “We’re safe for now,” he said, though his voice carried a note of caution. “But we need to stay alert. Shadow won’t give up that easily.”

Leon, always the strategist, was already thinking ahead. “We need to plan our next move. We can’t afford to be caught off guard again,” he said, his mind working through the possibilities.

“Let’s just get a hotel room,” Amber said, her voice ragged.

“What’s wrong with her voice?” Baluka asked, concerned.

“Oh, I don’t know. I got fucking stabbed with a sickle!” Amber snapped.

“I’m still working on my healing abilities with flux energy,” Rex said, trying to offer some comfort.

Amber’s anger flared momentarily, but Leon intervened. “Calm down, Amber. Just be grateful you’re alive,” he said, trying to diffuse the situation.

They cautiously approached the hotel room, nerves on edge as they neared the door. "Don't open the door all the way," Leon instructed, his voice low and tense. "If it's dark in there, he can appear anywhere. We can't take that risk."

Baluka nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. She cracked the door open just slightly, peering into the pitch-black room. Her breath caught in her throat as she strained to see anything, but all she could make out was darkness. Suddenly, a sickle shot out from the shadows, narrowly missing her head. She yelped in terror, falling backward and scrambling away on her hands and knees.

"He's in there," she gasped, her heart pounding. "We just need to turn on the light."

Nur, always quick with a snide comment, muttered, "What about the foxes? They're basically chop liver in this situation."

"Fuck you!" Hanako snapped, her tiny form perched defensively on Rex's head.

Leon, not missing a beat, added with a smirk, "I was considering it."

"Really?" Akira chimed in, raising an eyebrow at Leon.

Nur, still focused on the problem at hand, asked, "Can I use my flux energy to light up the room?"

Leon shook his head. "No, the light from your flux would drain the other lights too quickly. It wouldn't make a difference."

As the reality of the situation dawned on them, all eyes turned to Rex. He sighed, knowing what they were about to ask of him. "Fine…" he said, resigned to the task.

Rex cautiously extended his hand through the narrow opening in the door. Almost instantly, the sickle slashed at him, severing his arm. But thanks to his flux energy, his arm regenerated as quickly as it was cut, and he kept pushing forward. After a few more attempts, he finally managed to reach the light switch. With a click, the room was flooded with bright light.

"It's on," Rex announced, pulling his now fully intact arm back. He opened the door wider, allowing the others to enter. They stepped inside, their eyes darting around the room, searching for any dark corners where Shadow might be lurking.

Nur, always vigilant, walked over to the window and peered outside. His eyes narrowed as he saw something unsettling. "This bastard," he muttered under his breath.

Leon joined him, following Nur's gaze out the window. There, in the shadows of the building across the street, stood Shadow, staring back at them with a blank, emotionless expression. Despite the distance, they could feel his murderous intent, like a heavy weight pressing down on their chests.

Shadow's presence was a grim reminder that they weren't safe yet. The hotel might provide temporary shelter, but as long as the night persisted, so did the danger. They would have to stay vigilant, ready to face whatever came next.

Leon turned to the group, his expression serious. "We can't let our guard down. He's watching us, waiting for the moment we slip up. Let's secure this room as best we can and make sure we stay in the light."

The tension in the room was palpable, but they all knew what they had to do. It was going to be a long night, and they would need every ounce of strength and cunning to survive until dawn.

As they scanned the room, their eyes darted to the small pockets of darkness—places where Shadow could easily emerge. The tension was thick in the air, each of them on edge. Hanako, seemingly unbothered, jumped onto the bed and flopped down. "We did it," she said, her voice relaxed, as though they'd escaped the worst of it.

But then the lights began to flicker ominously, and within seconds, the room plunged into darkness.

“Fuck me!” Hanako shouted, her confidence immediately vanishing.

Nur reacted instantly. “Light Style: Light Beacon!” he shouted, throwing his fist into the air. Before the darkness could fully envelop them, Nur's light burst through, illuminating the entire room in a bright glow. The light held the shadows at bay, but all of them could feel the presence of the Yeagers lingering just out of sight, waiting.

“How long can you keep the light going?” Baluka asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“I can hold it for twenty minutes, maybe,” Nur replied, his brow furrowing as he concentrated on maintaining the light.

“That’s not going to last the whole night,” Baluka said, fear creeping into her voice.

Leon’s mind was already racing. "Don’t worry," he reassured her, "we’ll power up the generators. Amber, we’ll need you for this."

Amber’s eyes widened. “Like hell I’m going outside! As soon as I step into those shadows, he’ll kill me,” she snapped, her voice filled with frustration.

“I’ll go with you,” Rex said calmly, stepping forward. "If anything happens, I can heal you. You’ll be safe."

Amber sighed, clearly still reluctant, but nodded in agreement. “Fine…”

"Akria, Hanako, teleport us to the entrance of the hotel," Rex instructed. The foxes exchanged a quick glance before their eyes glowed, and in an instant, Rex and Amber found themselves standing at the front of the hotel.

Weapons in hand, they scanned the area for any sign of Shadow or the other Yeagers, their senses sharp and alert. The cold night air felt heavy with danger, as if something was lurking just beyond the edge of their vision.

"The generator is in the building next door," Amber whispered. "I can sense it because of my electricity abilities."

Rex nodded. "Understood. Let’s move."

They cautiously approached the building, their footsteps soft but deliberate. Rex moved ahead, his body tense, ready for an attack at any moment. As they reached the door to the generator room, Rex signaled for Amber to wait. "I’ll go in first," he said, gripping his sword tightly.

Rex slowly pushed the door open, and the moment it creaked ajar, a sickle flew out of the darkness, barely missing his head. His reflexes kicked in, and with a swift motion, he deflected the attack. But as he did, a Yeager leaped at him from the shadows. With a clean swing of his blade, Rex sliced the creature in half, its body crumbling to the ground.

Before he could catch his breath, Shadow emerged from the darkness, attacking with relentless speed. Rex barely managed to block the flurry of strikes, each blow heavier than the last. The force of the attacks sent him staggering backward.

Behind him, Amber was already dealing with her own assailant. Another Yeager emerged from the shadows, lunging at her with terrifying speed. She dodged just in time, electricity crackling around her as she countered. “Lightning Style: Thunder Spear!” she shouted, thrusting her spear forward. The crackling energy surged through the weapon, piercing the Yeager and electrocuting it on the spot.

But even as the Yeager fell, more shadows loomed around them. Shadow, undeterred by Rex’s defenses, pressed his attack, his sickle moving with unnatural precision and speed.

Rex, gritting his teeth, managed to deflect another blow. “We need to hurry,” he said through clenched teeth. "This isn’t going to end until we get the lights back on."

Amber, her breathing heavy but focused, nodded. “I’ll get the generator. Buy me some time!”

Rex didn't hesitate. He charged forward, engaging Shadow in a brutal melee, his sword clashing against the sickle as sparks flew from each hit. Shadow moved like a phantom, his attacks swift and nearly impossible to predict.

Meanwhile, Amber sprinted toward the generator, her hands crackling with electricity. She placed her palms against the cold metal and sent a surge of power through the machine. The generator sputtered to life, the lights flickering before fully powering on.

As soon as the lights flooded the area, the darkness receded, and Shadow hissed, retreating into the corners where the light couldn't reach. The oppressive weight of his presence faded, but they knew he would be back.

Rex, panting from the intense fight, looked over at Amber. “You did it,” he said, his voice filled with relief.

Amber, still catching her breath, gave him a quick nod. “Let’s get back inside before they regroup.”

Together, they hurried back to the hotel, where the rest of the group waited, hoping the worst was behind them. But they all knew that with Shadow still lurking, the night was far from over.