Lyric lay on his back in the small clearing, staring up at the stars that dotted the night sky. His entire body throbbed with pain, the edges of each newly carved hole burning like fire. The wind coursed softly through the openings in his arms, shoulders, and torso, carrying a faint, rhythmic vibration that only deepened the ache.
He tried to move, but his body refused, every motion sending sharp, stabbing pain radiating through his muscles. Blood seeped through the bandages he had hastily wrapped around himself, the fabric sticky and stiff where it clung to his skin.
“This is what you wanted,” he whispered hoarsely, though no one was there to hear him.
The night stretched on, each passing minute an eternity of agony. Lyric’s breaths were shallow, his chest barely rising as exhaustion pulled at him. Sleep hovered just out of reach, kept at bay by the persistent thrum of pain. He couldn’t afford to pass out again—not when he had to keep the wounds clean.
When the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, Lyric forced himself to sit up, groaning as every muscle in his body protested. His vision blurred, black spots dancing at the edges as he fumbled for his satchel.
“Don’t pass out,” he muttered to himself. “Not yet.”
His trembling hands found the small vial of antiseptic he’d salvaged earlier. Unwrapping the bandages on his arms made him wince, the dried blood pulling at the tender skin around the holes. His fingers worked clumsily, undoing the knots and peeling the cloth away to reveal the inflamed, jagged openings he had carved into himself.
The sight turned his stomach. The edges of the holes were raw and swollen, some still oozing blood, others crusted over with dark scabs. He could feel the wind brushing against the exposed tissue, each faint current a mixture of pain and relief.
“This is... temporary,” he told himself, though he wasn’t sure if he believed it.
Pouring the antiseptic into the first hole sent a jolt of white-hot pain shooting through his arm. Lyric bit down on a strip of leather to keep from crying out, his teeth sinking into the material as he fought to stay conscious. The liquid burned as it cleansed the wound, and his body trembled from the effort of staying still.
One hole. Then another. And another.
By the time Lyric finished cleaning the last opening, his hands were shaking so badly that he could barely tie the fresh bandages in place. The morning sun was high in the sky now, its warmth doing little to ease the chill that had settled deep in his bones.
He leaned back against a tree, his head resting against the rough bark. Each breath he took was a struggle, his chest tight from the effort of moving. But the wind still moved through him, its vibrations faint but steady.
That was what kept him going.
For the next two days, Lyric stayed in the clearing, focusing solely on survival. He drank sparingly from the stream, his strength too drained to hunt or forage. The first night was the hardest—he woke in the dark, shivering and feverish, his wounds seeping through the fresh bandages.
By the second day, he had begun to adjust. The pain was still sharp, but the edges had dulled, settling into a constant ache that he could work through. Lyric practiced moving carefully, letting the wind flow through the holes as he stretched and twisted. Each motion sent a ripple of resonance through his body, the vibrations growing stronger and more controlled with time.
On the third day, Lyric stood at the edge of the clearing, his satchel packed and his cloak draped over his shoulders. His arms and chest were wrapped in clean bandages, though the faint stains of blood hinted at how fresh the wounds still were.
He tightened the straps of his satchel and turned toward the horizon, where the city of Arcanis waited.
He wasn’t healed, not completely, but he was ready to do anything other than rest. So rest he did.
Lyric woke up to a beam of sunlight hitting him in the eye.
He pushed himself up, immediately falling back down with a cry of pain. “Come on, are you really going to lose to sleep,” Lyric muttered to himself. He pushed himself back up slowly, getting up and ready for the day.
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Lyric moved through the forest with measured steps, his senses attuned to the faint vibrations of the ground. The wind brushed against him, flowing through the bandaged holes in his arms and torso. The resonance steadied him, filling him with a quiet strength as he made his way toward the distant city.
The forest around him was alive with subtle rhythms—the scurrying of small animals, the rustle of leaves in the breeze, the faint tremor of the earth beneath his boots. But then, something changed.
A sharp vibration cut through the air, jarring and uneven. Lyric froze, his entire body tensing as the sensation rippled through him. It was unlike anything he had felt before—quick, frantic, almost frantic.
His eyes darted around the forest, searching for a source. A flock of birds burst into the sky nearby, their wings beating erratically.
Something’s wrong.
The vibration came again, stronger this time, and Lyric’s pulse quickened. It wasn’t just movement—it was the kind of energy that accompanied someone shouting, their voice carrying across the ground. He turned toward the source and ran.
The vibrations grew sharper as he approached, the ground beneath his feet trembling faintly with each step. Lyric skidded to a halt at the edge of a clearing, his breath catching at what he saw.
A man lay on the ground, his hands scrabbling weakly at the dirt as he tried to crawl away. Towering over him was a beast of vibrating energy, its feline-like form shimmering and shifting as though made of pure sound waves. The creature’s claws dug into the earth, glowing faintly with pulsing energy as it stalked closer to its prey.
Lyric didn’t hesitate. He rushed forward, his cloak billowing behind him as he threw himself between the man and the beast.
The beast lunged, a blur of shimmering energy, its form rippling with chaotic vibrations. Lyric didn’t have time to think—only to act. He threw himself forward, fists raised, letting the wind spiral through the holes in his body. His cloak flew from his shoulders as his fist met the creature’s maw.
The impact reverberated through him, a shockwave of force that clashed with the beast’s unstable energy. Lyric stumbled back as the creature recoiled, its shimmering form flickering before solidifying again. The wind in his arms surged, carrying the vibrations into his chest, grounding him against the beast’s destabilizing presence.
The creature roared—a thrumming, bone-deep vibration that Lyric felt more than heard. It slashed forward, claws glowing with energy. Lyric dodged to the side, twisting his torso. The air rushed through the holes along his ribs, creating a spiraling resonance that deflected the claws just enough to miss.
“Too close,” Lyric muttered under his breath, his pulse pounding.
The beast circled him, its glowing eyes narrowing as it studied him. Lyric matched its movements, stepping lightly, the resonance in his body building with each motion. The vibrations spread through him like a storm, harmonizing with the wind that coursed through the forest.
The beast struck again, a swipe of claws aimed for his head. Lyric ducked, the air surging through the holes in his arms to propel him forward. He drove a punch into the creature’s flank, releasing the built-up resonance in a sharp burst.
The shockwave slammed into the beast, distorting its form into a chaotic blur of light and sound. The clearing trembled, the earth beneath Lyric’s feet shuddering from the force of their clash.
The beast recovered quickly, its form snapping back into focus. It roared again, and this time, the vibrations tore into the ground, sending shards of dirt and stone flying. Lyric raised his arms to shield himself, the wind funneling through his holes to create a resonant barrier that deflected the debris.
But the beast was relentless. It lunged, claws outstretched, forcing Lyric to leap back. His foot caught on an exposed root, and he tumbled to the ground, his breath leaving him in a rush.
The creature loomed over him, its jaws opening wide, vibrating with a chaotic resonance that threatened to tear him apart.
“No!” Lyric growled, shoving himself upright. He twisted his body as he rose, the motion sending the wind spiraling through the holes in his torso. The resonance built to a crescendo, a roaring pulse that resonated through his entire body.
The beast lunged, but Lyric struck first.
He threw a wild punch, releasing the full force of the resonance he had built. The wind spiraled outward in a visible shockwave, colliding with the beast’s form. The creature shrieked, its body distorting wildly, its edges fragmenting into jagged, unstable vibrations.
Lyric didn’t let up. He pressed forward, driving punch after punch into the creature. Each strike released another burst of resonance, the wind howling as it tore through the beast’s unstable form.
The creature fought back, its claws raking toward Lyric’s chest. He twisted sharply, the air funneling through the holes in his ribs to propel him out of reach. He felt the claws graze his side, tearing through his shirt but missing his skin.
Lyric planted his feet and drove his fist upward, catching the beast under its jaw. The resonance surged, a final, deafening pulse that shattered the creature’s form completely.
The beast exploded into a wave of chaotic energy, the vibrations rippling outward before dissipating into the night.
Lyric staggered back, his chest heaving, his arms trembling from the strain. The wind coursing through his body was faint now, the resonance settling as exhaustion overtook him.
He fell to his knees, his vision swimming. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the mad he had just rescued scrambling away with horror.
“At least I saved him.”