Fate´s Bloody Path

The gargoyle was the first to move. Its heavy stone feet crunched against the ground with each step, making the air around it vibrate. I gritted my teeth, and as soon as it lifted its claw to strike, I tried to dodge, but I wasn’t fast enough.

The blow grazed my side, but the impact was enough to knock me off balance and send me to my knees.

A sharp pain shot through my side. The pain was intense, but something else accompanied it.

My body reacted in a strange way, as if something dark was awakening inside me. The veins in my arms began to pulse, and my vision seemed to darken intermittently.

A warmth spread through my chest, but not in a comforting way... it was something more unsettling.

The creature attacked again, this time with both claws. I rolled on the ground, barely dodging the strike, but I felt the impact behind me. The sound of the stone breaking made my heart race.

I got to my feet quickly, but my body wasn’t responding as usual. Every movement was clumsy, as if my muscles were resisting. A slight dizziness clouded my mind for a second.

I screamed and threw a punch at the creature, and that’s when I felt it. Something was unleashed. A dark energy I didn’t understand wrapped around my arm the moment I struck the gargoyle’s stone body.

The punch was stronger than I expected, and the gargoyle staggered, but the power destabilized me. I stumbled backward, unable to control the sudden surge of strength.

The sensation was strange. It wasn’t just power; there was something else behind that energy that was erupting within me. Something I couldn’t control but seemed to want to emerge whenever I felt in danger.

Before I could react, the gargoyle lunged at me with relentless fury. Its claws slashed across my chest, tearing through my clothes and cutting into my skin.

“Ahh!”

The scream escaped my lips involuntarily as the pain shook me. I felt hot blood running down my torso, and I could barely stay on my feet, but the energy kept flowing.

The pain was overwhelming, but something else began to happen. That same energy that had surfaced earlier coursed through my body again. It was wild, uncontrollable. My breathing became erratic as the gargoyle prepared for another attack.

This time, I felt I had no choice. I raised my hands and let that energy flow through me, not knowing what it would do.

The gargoyle launched its attack, but this time something changed. My reflexes, guided by that dark force, responded faster. I managed to dodge its claws at the last second, and with a burst of strength I couldn’t fully comprehend, I delivered a direct blow to its jaw.

The sound of the stone cracking echoed through the air like a thunderclap. The impact was too much. The force sent me flying backward, and I hit the ground, gasping, my arms trembling.

“Ugh!”

I groaned again as I tried to stand, my side burning from the wound the gargoyle had left. The pain intensified with every movement, and the blood continued to flow. The smell of dust and broken stone filled the air as small clouds rose around the creature’s fragments.

The gargoyle was injured too, but not defeated. It turned toward me, its eyes glowing with hatred. The pain in my body was unbearable; every movement reminded me I wasn’t ready for this fight. The creature advanced again, slow but lethal. There was no escape.

With a final effort, I stood up. I knew this would be the end; one of us would fall here. The power flowing through me was the only thing keeping me on my feet. As the gargoyle lunged once more, I let that energy explode. My body reacted instinctively, moving with a speed and strength I didn’t recognize as my own.

I struck with all the remaining fury in me. The gargoyle staggered, and this time it didn’t have time to recover. My next blow, charged with that dark energy, hit directly in its chest. I felt its stone body crumble slowly, as if the magic within it had been corroded from the inside.

Finally, it collapsed to the ground, shattered into pieces.

I stood there, gasping for air, blood running from my wounds, and my body trembling. I had won... but just barely. The pain was unbearable, and even though the gargoyle was destroyed, that feeling of energy inside me remained, like a constant shadow that wouldn’t leave.

Still panting, trying to catch my breath, I heard the distant rumble. Despite having defeated the gargoyle that faced me, chaos still reigned in the village. The screams, the sound of stone striking, and the crashing of collapsing buildings reached my ears.

The gargoyles continued spreading destruction, but this time it wasn’t just the villagers trying to defend themselves. Grimmor’s men and his creatures were fighting back.

In the distance, I saw how the lizards that served Grimmor attacked the gargoyles. Their swords and spears pierced the stone, breaking pieces of the creatures’ bodies, but they didn’t always succeed.

Some gargoyles fell to the ground in pieces, but others kept advancing with relentless fury. The lizards fought fiercely, taking down some of the creatures, while others managed to crush a few of the soldiers.

My vision blurred for a moment. The pain from my wounds gave me no respite, and I could feel the blood still flowing from my chest and side. The adrenaline that had allowed me to defeat the previous gargoyle was beginning to fade, leaving me weak.

Each breath felt heavy, as if the air itself burned my throat. Even so, I couldn’t stand still. The village was still under attack, and as my eyes scanned the chaos around me, I saw him.

Kael.

He was in the middle of the market, fighting not one but two gargoyles. His sword gleamed with flashes of magic as he tried to fend off both creatures. But even with his skill, it was clear he wouldn’t last much longer.

The gargoyles surrounded him, attacking from both sides, and Kael could barely dodge their strikes. I remembered the training with him, how he had taught me to make the most of every move. But now, he was outmatched, and if I didn’t do something quickly, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

My heart raced. I didn’t think twice.

Despite the pain and my weakened body, I ran toward him. Every step was torture. It felt as if the ground was tilting beneath my feet, and the blood loss made me stagger, but I didn’t stop. The heat from the gash in my chest burned with every movement, and at times my vision blurred. Even so, I had to keep going. Kael was in danger, and I couldn’t leave him alone.

When I arrived, I saw one of the gargoyles land a direct hit on Kael.

“Kael!”

I screamed, but I didn’t make it in time. The creature’s claw struck him, sending him crashing into one of the market stalls, knocking everything down in its path.

“Tsk!”

I grunted as the pain in my body reminded me I wasn’t in shape to fight, but that didn’t stop me. With one last effort, I lunged at the nearest gargoyle. I felt the dark power I had used before begin to surge again, coursing through my arms with an unstable energy.

“Damn it!” The pain ripped through my body as my fist, wrapped in that energy, struck the creature’s side. The gargoyle staggered but didn’t fall. It turned its head toward me, its eyes full of fury.

I knew I was running out of time. Kael was down, and I could barely stay on my feet. Even so, I braced myself to face the creature, knowing I couldn’t afford to lose this fight.

Suddenly, one of the gargoyles surrounding me lunged at me with brutal force. I didn’t have time to react before it slammed into me, knocking me to the ground under the weight of its stone body.

“Agh!”

I groaned as I felt the impact against my chest, as if all the air had been knocked out of my lungs.

Before I could try to stand, the creature planted its massive foot on my torso, pinning me down with its weight. The pain was crushing. Every time I tried to move, I felt the pressure squeezing my ribs, as if my body would collapse at any moment.

I could barely get any air into my lungs, and my arms trembled as I tried to push the weight of the gargoyle off me. I was trapped, with no strength left to free myself.

As I struggled to breathe, I heard the beating of wings above me. I looked up with difficulty and saw the other gargoyle rising into the air. The wind it generated with each flap lashed my face, and its shadow grew as it prepared to dive toward me. Its claws glinted in the light, ready to pierce me.

“No… I can’t... break free,” I thought as my desperate attempts to push the gargoyle’s foot failed over and over. The pain clouded my mind, and my body barely responded. I knew there was no escape.

The sound of the wind and the noise of the gargoyle descending grew louder. It was so close I could feel the rush of hot air on my skin, but my body remained motionless under the weight of the other creature. My hands trembled, unable to do anything but watch as it drew nearer.

The world began to blur. My breathing grew weaker. And then… everything went dark.