Chapter Two

Diegen had no idea where the Astral had come from; he hadn't noticed anyone following them. Had he been hiding around a corner somewhere?

Holdar leaned away from the Astral and said, "We're just looking for the Heisenken headquarters.”

“Are you the two new hires that we were expecting today? Excellent, you came at a perfect time," the Astral said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Please, follow me."

The Astral walked through the space between them and towards the old building at the end of the courtyard, not giving either of them a chance to respond.

"What do you think makes it a perfect time for us to arrive?" Diegen whispered to Holdar.

"I'm not sure, but I think we should go with the flow," Holdar said, cautiously following the Astral through the sea of monster carcasses.

"But I want to know what makes it a perfect time before- Hey! Wait up!"

The Astral moved gracefully through the sea of carnage, somehow managing not to step on a single piece of flesh that littered the floor. Diegen winced every time he heard a wet squelch under his foot. He could hear Holdar swearing under his breath the whole way, not faring any better than he was.

Soon, they found themselves standing before the large, wooden entrance to the building. Scratches of varying lengths and depths covered the entire surface, like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

The Astral beamed as he pushed the double doors wide open. "Welcome to Heisenken."

The air was suddenly filled with the sound of phones ringing, papers being flipped and shredded, people chatting on their PPCs, metallic objects being sharpened, and a hundred other sounds that Diegen couldn't quite distinguish. In contrast to the eerie silence of the courtyard, the inside was a flurry of activity, with at least a hundred Sa'nasi clamoring around in a frenzy.

"It's busy today, as you can see. It's been like this for the past couple of weeks actually, because of the increased rate of outbreaks recently. It's unfortunate that our usual corpse processing staff took a leave of absence at the worst time," the Astral said, yelling to make himself heard over the noise. "It's gotten quite bad. I mean, you've seen the bodies outside."

"How come they took a leave of absence?" Diegen asked.

"I honestly don't know. They said something about not being able to handle the workload," the Astral replied with a shrug. "But I'm sure a pair of strapping young men like you will be able to handle anything."

He brought them to the front desk, where a Sa'nasi girl wearing a pair of red spectacles was speedily typing away on the screen in front of her. The Astral opened his mouth to say something, but she raised a paw to shut him up and continued to type away with the other paw, never even looking up once. Diegen was impressed by the speed of her one-pawed typing ability, which made her digits look like a blur over the keyboard. After a few seconds of heavy typing, she took a deep breath and looked up at the three of them.

"Oh, shoot. Sorry, Boss, didn't know it was you," she said, blushing.

"No problem at all. It's always a joy to see you work, Claire," the Astral said. "I wanted to introduce you to the new hires."

"Hey. I'm Holdar Svestas, nice to meet you," Holdar said.

"Diegen Faerfeld," Diegen said curtly.

"Claire. Nice to meet you!"

“Claire is one of the best administrative assistants I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” the Astral declared. “If you need any assistance, feel free to talk to her, and she’ll take care of everything. At the end of the day, she’ll be the one you report to for payroll.”

Holdar seemed perplexed, “Wait, did she just call you the boss?”

Asmophel chuckled, “I apologize for not introducing myself properly. I am the general manager and one of the owners of our little company here. You can refer to me as Asmophel or simply Boss, as everyone else does.”

Holdar was impressed, “Wow, what an honor, sir, I mean Boss.”

Asmophel replied with a smile, “Indeed it is. Now, let's get started with your orientation. I'm sure you're eager to begin working. Follow me, and I'll take you to the main storage area for monster carcasses. We'll see you later, Claire."

Diegen, following Asmophel, inquired, “Main storage? You mean that pile out front isn't all of it?”

“What, that? Of course not,” Asmophel scoffed, leading them through the maze of employees, desks, towering stacks of papers, and office equipment towards the back of the room. He kicked open the metal door, which led to a large yard behind the building. This caused a blast of hot, metallic-smelling wind to blow into their faces.

As the door shut behind them, the sounds of lively activity were drowned out by an eerie silence once again. If the front of the building looked like a bloodbath, the back looked like a blood-lake. It was as if an extinction event for monsters had occurred right there in the building’s backyard.

There were at least twice as many carcasses here as there were in the courtyard, and Asmophel stood with his hands outstretched in front of it.

“Well, what do you think? Can you process these today?”

Holdar gaped at him. “Huh? All of this? Today?”

Asmophel chuckled. “I’m joking, of course. You boys can go at your own pace.”

Diegen and Holdar both breathed a sigh of relief.

“These will start to smell pretty bad if you don’t get to them soon though,” Asmophel said, wrinkling his nose. “How much do you know about carcass processing?”

“Not much,” Holdar admitted.

“It’s not that complicated, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Watch closely, and I’ll teach you how it’s done.”

Holdar appeared to panic a little. “You’re going to show us now?”

Asmophel raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter?”

“N-nothing. I just didn’t expect us to get to it so soon. Sorry, Boss. Um, please, continue.”

“If you boys want to start tomorrow, that’s okay too. I’m sure you’re tired from your trip.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m good to go,” Holdar replied.

“What about you?” Asmophel asked, looking at Diegen.

“Good to go, Boss.”

“Excellent. Let’s get started then.”

Asmophel rolled up his sleeves and strode over to the nearest reptilian-looking carcass. With a small grunt, he lifted the entire thing up with a single hand, stunning Diegen and Holdar with his incredible strength. They had never witnessed an Astral's power so blatantly before.

Diegen quipped to Holdar, "I hope you haven't been skipping arm day," but Holdar only smiled nervously, unsure of how to respond.

Asmophel carried the carcass to a clear area and dropped it on the ground before pulling out a chainsaw from his back. After revving it up a couple of times, he began hacking away at the flesh, creating deep, bloody cuts that made Diegen and Holdar cringe.

“By the way, you don’t have to use a chainsaw to do this,” Asmophel reassured them, mistaking their expressions for ones that meant ‘how am I going to do this without a chainsaw’. “Before I became an Astral, I would’ve had trouble using one of these. You boys can just use your claws, or just get in there with your teeth. Really sink those in, nice and deep, you know? Haha! You should see your faces. I’m kidding. There are some tools in the back that you should be able to use. The point, though, is to get to the good stuff. All this fleshy stuff is useless. What we’re interested in deep inside.”

Asmophel pried apart the flaps of flesh, revealing a cage-like structure made of bone inside. He then brought his chainsaw down heavily, cracking through the bone and cutting through the ribs in a square-like pattern. Diegen heard the sharp snaps and squelching of flesh as Asmophel worked. When he withdrew his chainsaw, dark red blood dripped down the length of the blade, and bits of flesh hung from its teeth.

Asmophel then removed the square slice of flesh and bone he had cut from the cage-like structure. Unexpectedly, a purple cloud of gas exploded out at the same time, sending a wave of intense heat and a rancid smell towards Diegen and Holdar, even from a short distance away.

Asmophel's face twisted in disgust as he spoke. "Peeeeee-yew. This carcass is a real stinker." He waved his hands in front of him to clear the air, motioning for Diegen and Holdar to come closer. "I'll show you what we're looking for."

The two approached cautiously, peering into the still-steaming pile of flesh. It was a disorganized mess of organs, fat, and connective tissue. It was difficult to distinguish one object from another, especially with the obscuring steam.

"Do you see it?" Asmophel asked.

"See what?" Holdar replied, confused. But Diegen had already spotted something.

"Is that it?" Diegen pointed to a small, gray organ tucked behind a larger mass of flesh. It looked unremarkable, but there was something unsettling about it that made his stomach churn.

"That's it," Asmophel said, impressed. "I'm surprised you found it so quickly. Do you know what that is?"

Diegen shook his head and stepped back, feeling increasingly nauseous the longer he stared at the organ.

Holdar noticed his friend's discomfort. "You okay, man? You look pale."

Diegen nodded, trying to compose himself. "Yeah, I'm fine."

“This is what we call the shimmer core,” Asmophel said as he removed the black crystal from the monster's carcass. He wiped away the rotten flesh and clotted blood with his shirt, revealing the flickering space around the crystal. To Diegen, it appeared as if the space was warping somehow.

Holdar questioned, "Shimmer? Isn’t that the power that Astrals have?"

"You got it! Cores are organs that make control over shimmer possible," Asmophel responded. "Every monster and Astral has a core like this one. However, any self-respecting Astral would possess a more advanced core than this puny thing."

"I never knew monsters could use shimmer," Diegen admitted.

"Not many do," Asmophel explained. "Shimmer manifests in different ways in different organisms. Monsters are typically physical types, which makes it impossible to perceive if you’re just a normal person. However, I’m sure you've heard of monsters that can use the elements like fire or lightning."

Holdar was curious and asked, "What is shimmer, anyway?”

Asmophel replied, "I'd be happy to give you a primer, but there's no simple answer to that question. Shimmer has had many names over the centuries, including Fa-Eklar, Kvogstagen, anti-matter, and enlightenment substance. It’s a unique power that exists everywhere and is unique to each individual. You've probably experienced it yourself without realizing it."

Diegen looked at the black crystal in Asmophel’s hand, and the space around it continued to warp, causing a wave of vertigo. Asmophel continued, "Have you ever felt like something was so odd that you couldn’t believe it was real? Maybe you’ve experienced deja vu or clarity about something that makes you wonder how you never thought of it before. In those moments, it’s almost as if the world you’re experiencing is different from the world you were living in before. It makes you wonder if all of this is real."

Asmophel snapped his fingers, and a ball of ice appeared in his palm. The perfectly spherical ball started to orbit slowly above his hand before winking out of existence. Both Diegen and Holdar felt like they had seen that exact thing before, but they knew it was impossible. After all, this was their first meeting with Asmophel.

"So, shimmer is about what’s real and what isn’t?" Holdar asked.

Asmophel fished the organ out of the carcass, wiping the rotten flesh and clotted blood off with his shirt. He held it up to the light, revealing a black crystal that shimmered and flickered, warping the space around it. To Diegen, the effect was disorienting and caused a wave of vertigo to wash over him.

Asmophel said, "Shimmer is the power to bend reality itself. To make the impossible, possible. Some say it’s the power to reject the Truth of the universe."

"What Truth is that?" Diegen asked.

"I'm not sure, actually. Shimmer is quite a complicated subject, and there are thousands of researchers studying it around the galaxy as we speak. In fact, they are one of the folks that will be buying the cores that you'll be extracting."

Asmophel gripped the core tightly, and tendrils flickered around the crystal, trying to consume as much light as it could around it. The air felt heavy, and beads of sweat formed on Diegen's forehead. The world shifted around him, fading and getting sharper all at the same time.

Asmophel released the core, and the effect dissipated. "Well, you get the idea," he said.

Holdar exclaimed, "That was awesome!"

Diegen said, still a bit disoriented, "It was definitely something else."

"You boys are quite lucky. I don’t imagine that many Astrals would give you a one-on-one lesson about shimmer," Asmophel said with a wink.

"We appreciate the learning opportunity, sir," Holdar said.

"Does that mean you two are sticking around to do the job?" Asmophel asked.

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

Asmophel put his hands on his hips. "Excellent! Put the cores on this tray here and throw the rest of the carcasses through the meat grinder over there. We use those to feed our Flappyti."

"Flappyti eat meat?" Diegen asked in surprise. "I always assumed they were herbivores."

Asmophel frowned and shook his head. "Those vicious things? You're a strange one, Diegen Faerfeld. How could they possibly eat plants? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. Just get to work, you two," he said and left them to their task.

✾✾✾

“Oh, don’t mind him. That’s just the Boss,” Claire said, rolling her eyes. “He likes to cut conversations short with his abrupt exits.”

“I see,” Diegen said, trying to hide his annoyance at the Boss’s behavior. He was already feeling drained from the long day of work, and the Boss’s attitude wasn’t helping.

“Don’t take it personally. He’s a good Boss, but he can be a little strange sometimes,” Claire added, sensing Diegen’s discomfort.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Diegen replied, rubbing his sore muscles.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Anyway, you guys did great today. You hit the quota for a half-day’s work, which means you each get 250 Shard. Check your PPCs, it should be in there.”

Diegen pulled up his banking app and saw his balance increase from 20 to 270 Shard. “Thanks, Claire.”

“Anytime! See you tomorrow.”

As they left the complex, Holdar nudged Diegen in the side. “So, what do you think of Claire?”

Diegen rolled his eyes. “Can we focus on something else besides girls for once?”

Holdar grinned. “Hey, it’s natural to notice attractive people. And besides, we’re in Haven now. Gotta live a little, right?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Diegen said, feeling a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

“And speaking of living a little, let’s go find the best inn in town and get drunk out of our minds,” Holdar said, his eyes shining with excitement.

Diegen shook his head. “Sorry, man, but I’m not blowing my first paycheck on drinks.”

“Come on, we can afford it now. It’s not like we’re broke anymore,” Holdar protested.

“I know, but I’d rather save up for something more important,” Diegen said.

“Fine, fine. We’ll go to the inn first and then we’ll see how we feel,” Holdar relented.

“Deal,” Diegen said, feeling a sense of relief. He was glad that Holdar could be understanding, even if they had different priorities.

Holdar led them out through the winding alleyway and back into the pedestrian zone. The street was quieter than earlier in the day, as the twin suns of Harenasa set, casting a soft golden glow over everything. Street lamps flickered on as they passed, and a street painter was drawing caricatures of passers-by. Children ran around while their parents talked on a nearby bench, and Flappyti perched on designated resting areas made of long rows of wooden logs. Diegen found it peaceful and calm here, despite being so close to an active battleground.

They soon arrived at a cozy inn, its red lanterns lining the wooden sign that read 'The Red Lantern'. The door opened with the jingle of chimes, and the smell of freshly baked meat pies made Diegen's mouth water.

“Welcome to the Red Lantern,” a middle-aged Sa’nasi man said from behind the reception counter, peering at them over his spectacles. “Have you booked a stay with us already?”

“Yes, it should be under the name Holdar Svestas.”

“Ah, yes. You should’ve received a ticket with your booking. Please check in by scanning it here,” the innkeeper said, motioning to the scanner to his left. Holdar held up his PPC to the machine, which scanned the ticket in Holdar’s wallet and indicated that they had successfully completed their check-in. It then said that the same ticket could be used to open the door to den 208.

After thanking the innkeeper, the two made their way to their den on the second floor. It was a simple setting with two beds, a shower, and a small table with a plate of steaming meat pies on top. Holdar went to eat while Diegen stripped, jumped in the shower, and scrubbed every inch of his fur clean with soap.

All Diegen wanted to do was turn in early for the night, but Holdar insisted they celebrate with a drink. He even threatened to defecate on Diegen's pillow if they didn't. Holdar threw clean clothes at him, and they left the room. Shivering in the sub-zero desert temperatures, they found a tavern called 'The Dusty Crown,' which was a popular spot for late-night mash and cheap beer. The room was bathed in a yellow glow, and the sound of tinkling dishes, conversation, and laughter filled the air. Diegen and Holdar took a booth in the corner and ordered beer and mash.

Holdar let out a deep sigh, shaking his head in disbelief. "What a day, huh? Who knew there was another side to the monster subjugation business like that."

Diegen nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it was pretty intense. I've never seen anything quite like it. And those monster cores... I didn't even know they could be used for weapons."

Holdar chuckled. "You're such a rookie, Dieg. The Boss said those cores are worth thousands of Shards each. And you can only get them from monsters, so they're pretty rare."

Diegen raised an eyebrow. "But there were over two hundred of those monsters in storage. And Heisenken has, like, a hundred Astrals or more. It can't be that rare, can it?"

"I heard it takes three Astrals to take down a single monster," Holdar replied. "So it's not exactly a walk in the park. And who knows how many monsters are out there, waiting to be hunted down."

Diegen shrugged, lapping up a bit of his beer. It was cold and refreshing, with just the right amount of fizz. "Well, I'm just glad we got paid well for our efforts."

Holdar grinned. "Speaking of which, let's raise a toast to our success!" He dunked his snout into his dish of beer, and Diegen followed suit.

They both took a gulp of beer. Diegen felt a warmth spreading through his body, easing the tension in his muscles. He reached for a piece of mash, savoring its buttery goodness.

Holdar's voice cut through his reverie. "So, how are you feeling, Dieg?"

Diegen tensed up, feeling a knot form in his stomach. "What do you mean?"

Holdar gave him a knowing look. "You know what I mean. It's been five years. Don't you think it's time to contact your family again?"

Diegen felt a wave of anger and guilt wash over him. "I don't want to talk about it, Holdar. You know that."

Holdar's expression softened. “I say this from a place of love, brother. You can’t avoid them forever. They’re your family.”

“I can, and I will.”

“You can try to fool yourself, but you ain’t fooling me. We’ve known each other for way too long for that. I can tell it’s still eating away at you, and it ain’t healthy.”

“I guess I’m a bit down in the dumps, but it’s manageable.”

“Being down in the dumps is one thing but forgetting that we were hired to do a job is a cry for help if I’ve ever seen one.” Holdar lowered his voice. “You aren’t using again, are you?”

“No, I’m not-”

“Don’t lie to me, bro. I found empty vials in your apartment.”

“You searched my apartment? What are you, my mom? Those are old vials.”

“Then why’d you forget about the job?”

“I… I don’t know. I guess I’m still a bit out of it from time to time,” Diegen admitted. “I’m not using though. I swear.”

Holdar studied him for a long minute and let out a sigh. “Alright, man. I’m just worried about you. I don’t want a repeat of last year to happen again.”

“I know. I know.” Diegen remembered the nightmare he’d put Holdar through that year. Even so, Holdar hadn’t given up on him even once. He was a true friend through and through.

“By the way, did those cores seem strange to you at all?” Diegen asked, hoping to change the subject.

Holdar took a long gulp from his third dish of beer before responding. “To be honest, I thought it was pretty strange that there was an organ inside a monster that sprouted tentacles when the Boss touched it. But I guess that's just a typical day in our line of work.”

Diegen nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease he had about the cores. "I just can't shake the feeling that there's something off about them," he said.

"Like what?" Holdar asked.

"I don't know. It's hard to put into words. But every time I look at them, I feel sick to my stomach."

Holdar raised an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't get that feeling at all."

Diegen sighed. "I know. That's what's so frustrating. I feel like I'm the only one experiencing these weird side effects."

The two fell silent for a moment, sipping their beers. Diegen wondered if he was going crazy, but he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong.

As the night wore on and the alcohol flowed, their conversation became increasingly incoherent. The waitress had to remind them multiple times to keep their voices down, and eventually, she had to practically drag them out of the bar.

Once outside, Diegen looked up at the starry sky and took a deep breath of fresh air. The cool night air helped clear his head, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about those cores. It also didn't help that he was drunk.

“Less jus go slip oon de betch der.” (Let’s just go sleep on that bench over there) Holdar said, pointing to a bench and almost tripping in the process.

“Noooo. I won slip oona bet,” (Noooo. I want to sleep on a bed) Diegen said.

“Butt de inn iz oo faaa-” (But the inn is too far) Holdar complained, only stopping to hurl into a public trash can. He leaned against the can for support and hurled again.

The sight and smell of Holdar’s barf made Diegen also want to hurl, but he held it back, refusing to lose his dignity in public. However, he did need to pee, so he began to unload into a bush nearby.

“Hey, what in the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” A voice shouted behind them.

“Shi, roon!” (Shit, run!) Holdar said, pushing Diegen, who was forced to cut his pee short, as they ran away as fast as they could. Their run ended up being more of a zigzagging trot, but they soon lost the person who had shouted at them. This outcome was less about their speed and more about the fact that the person didn’t really want to get involved with a couple of drunkards at this time of day.

Diegen groaned as his body urged him to piss and puke at the same time, but he managed to get to a nearby alleyway without incident.

“I fink we l-los im,” (I think we lost him) Holdar said, heaving against the wall.

“I fink oo rai.” (I think you’re right) Diegen peeped behind the corner and saw no-one there.

The two friends began to grin and giggle, which devolved into loud, rambunctious laughter.

“Alrai alrai, iz tim oo goo bak,” (Alright, alright. it’s time to go back) Diegen said, trying to be the responsible one. He wanted to hit the hay and get up bright and early for tomorrow’s shift.

“Yeee- Ey waz dat?” (Yeah- Hey, what’s that?) Holdar asked, squinting down the alleyway. Diegen turned to look, and he could see something bright and blue, swirling in the distance.

✾✾✾

Deep in the Great Crystal Forest to the north of Haven, a small, hooded figure hobbled as fast as she could, as if running from something. She wore a bloodied and torn cloak and clutched a small light in her hands. Suddenly, she tripped over a crystal root partially buried in sand, causing her to tumble to the ground. She narrowly missed a crystal seedling that would have impaled her through the skull if she had fallen a few centimetres later.

The force of the fall pulled her hood back, revealing a young Sa'nasi Astral. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises, and bloody clumps of fur clung to her. A dagger was deeply embedded in her abdomen, wrapped in cloth soaked with blood.

Gritting her teeth, Mitz tried to get up, but then she heard something crack in the distance. Her eyes widened in fear, and she quickly dragged herself to cover nearby. She ducked under the crystal root, tucked her knees to her chest to make her body smaller, and extinguished the light she was generating with her shimmer.

"I'm pretty sure the little shit went this way," she heard a rough and raspy voice say. It sounded like it was coming from someone with a parched throat.

"She's probably dead already. Stop getting distracted for once in your life and focus, you useless nincompoop. Is everything ready?" Another voice asked in an irritated tone. It was a shrill, sharp voice that made Mitz shiver. It was like listening to claws scratching on metal.

"The plan is already in motion," the raspy voice said, sounding closer. Mitz heard sniffing above her, and she held her breath. A red light shone behind the crystal root, and she could see a pair of fleshy horns poking out from above. A chill ran down her spine as the sniffing got closer.

"Then get over here now. We're leaving," the shrill voice commanded, and the other person grunted in disappointment.

To Mitz's relief, the red light withdrew and receded. She took a deep breath and grimaced as pain radiated from the dagger in her stomach. She still had a long way to go to reach the North Gate. She cursed that her PPC had been broken during a fight; otherwise, she could call for help.

"I have to tell the Boss about that thing," she thought, gritting her teeth once more.

✾✾✾

Diegen shielded his eyes from the bright, swirling mass of light in front of him. As he looked closer, he saw that it seemed to be radiating a soft, pulsing blue and white light that made his skin tingle with an electric sensation. He could hear the faint hum of energy coming from the portal, a low and almost subsonic sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Looks like a portal,” Holdar said, his voice a little subdued as he gazed at the strange phenomenon in front of them.

Diegen turned to him, his eyes still fixed on the portal. “What do you know about portals?” he asked.

“Don’t look at me. Aren’t you the nerd here?”

“Let me check if there’s anything online about it.” Diegen sent a few mental commands to his PPC to search the Network for ‘portals’, and a blue, translucent screen appeared in the center of his vision with a list of related articles and websites. Most of the entries were references to video games, but there were a few scientific articles on the subject.

“There was evidence of portal magic having once existed in the past, but the methods and theories have… since been lost,” Diegen read aloud. “It says that they’re not supposed to exist.”

Holdar sniffed the air. “I can smell something…odd. Like ozone, but not quite.”

“Yeah, I can smell it too.” Diegen wrinkled his nose, trying to identify the scent.

“Well, we’re not even sure that is a portal,” Holdar said.

Diegen stared at the swirling blue and white mist, lost in thought. Suddenly, he grabbed a rock from the ground and lobbed it at the portal. They watched in silence as it disappeared into the mist, the only indication of its passage a slight pulse in the light.

“Holy shit, it’s a portal,” Diegen said, his voice filled with awe. “Where do you think it goes?”

“Alright, let’s not go crazy. Nothing’s for certain yet.”

“Hup!” Diegen threw a bigger rock this time into the swirling mass of light. The sound of the rock hitting the portal echoed in the alleyway, bouncing off the walls and making the air tremble.

Holdar put his hand on Diegen’s shoulder. “Hey. Hey. Stop that, you drunk idiot. Stop it. Stop.”

“What harm could there be?” Diegen asked, his eyes still fixed on the portal.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud, and the ground shook beneath their feet. Diegen stumbled back, almost losing his balance, as something large and brown emerged from the portal and stomped the ground. The object was long, and it seemed to be connected to something that was still on the other side of the portal. It was also extremely hairy, save for the tip which seemed to be of a hard, shiny material. The hairy part of the object was bent in the middle as if it was-

“-a leg? Is that a leg?” Holdar asked, his voice trembling.

Diegen gulped. “It’s clearly a leg.”

Another leg emerged through the portal, followed by a wide, insectoid face with a pair of gleaming red eyes. Six more of eyes blinked open on the creature’s face, and saliva dripped from two hairy mandibles onto the cobblestone floor. Diegen could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and the scent of ozone grew stronger, filling his nostrils with a sharp, metallic tang.

“Run!” Diegen yelled, and he threw a rock at the creature before booking it out of the alleyway on all fours.

Holdar's heart pounded in his chest as he heard the monster's skittering getting closer and closer behind them. The sound of its claws scraping against the pavement echoed through the empty street. Diegen's eyes widened as he looked back and saw the beast's massive, hulking form charging after them, its eyes glowing an eerie yellow in the darkness.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning asphalt as the monster slammed into the wall, causing bricks and dust to rain down around them. Diegen could feel the ground shaking beneath his feet as the creature roared in fury and broke free from the rubble. Its snarling mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth, and its eyes seemed to be fixated solely on them.

Suddenly, a barrage of projectiles came flying towards them, exploding on impact with the surrounding buildings and causing debris to fly everywhere. The noise was deafening, and Diegen could feel the shockwaves from the blasts reverberating through his body. The air was filled with the sharp tang of ozone.

As they tried to dodge the projectiles, Diegen noticed that the debris from the explosions seemed to be coated in a sticky, white substance that stretched and rebounded in strange ways. The strange material seemed to be everywhere, coating the buildings and even the street itself.

Diegen's heart was pounding in his chest as he realized that their paws were stuck to the street by the same sticky substance. The more they struggled, the more entangled they became, until they were completely immobilized. The monster was getting closer and closer, its jaws snapping hungrily as it closed in for the kill.

Bump bump.

One more projectile exploded nearby and hit them with a splash of the same white substance. It was hot, gooey, and incredibly sticky. They tried to free themselves, but even moving a little felt like ripping their fur out.

Bump bump.

“Do something, Dieg!” Holdar screamed hysterically as the monster sped towards them at full speed.

“You do something!” Diegen screamed back.

Bump bump.

“I can’t move,” Holdar cried.

Bump bump. Bump bump.

The monster skittered towards them. The monster’s mandibles were stretched back making it seem like it was smiling, and all eight glowing eyes were trained on Diegen as if it couldn’t wait to rip into his body.

Suddenly, an odd feeling of nostalgia washed over him.

Bump… bump

Bump…… bump…

Time slowed down to a crawl as Diegen felt every detail of the chaotic battle around him. The monster's furious skittering echoed through the alleyway as its mandibles clacked hungrily, and Diegen could see the flickering glow of its eight eyes fixated on him like laser beams. The scent of its putrid breath wafted towards him, a nauseating mixture of rotting flesh and acidic bile. The ground vibrated underfoot with each monstrous step, and the sound of splintering wood and crumbling stone filled his ears as the creature crashed into anything in its path.

Despite the terror around him, Diegen felt an inexplicable sense of calm wash over him. It was as though his body had become separate from his mind, moving with a fluid grace he had never known before. Every twitch of his muscles felt familiar, as if he had practiced this exact maneuver a thousand times before.

His claws dug into the thick white substance that bound him, and he twisted his body just in time to evade the monster's attack. The monster's leg came down with a sickening thud, slicing clean through Diegen's left forelimb. The pain was blinding, but Diegen didn't flinch. Instead, he sank his teeth into his severed limb and flung it at the monster, using the distraction to dive beneath its belly.

The creature's underbelly was soft and vulnerable, and Diegen used his remaining claws to dig in deep. The monster writhed in agony, thrashing and twisting to dislodge him. With each movement, Diegen felt the sting of thousands of tiny cuts as bits of debris rained down on him. But still, he held on, biting and tearing through tendons and muscles with a primal fury.

The monster's screams filled the air, a high-pitched wail of pain and confusion. It threw itself against buildings and streetlamps, trying to dislodge Diegen with sheer brute force. But Diegen held on, his jaws clamped tight around the creature's flesh. It was as if he was watching himself from afar, his body moving with a preternatural grace and precision.

In an act of desperation, the monster fell flat onto its stomach, the ground shook with a thunderous boom, and the air was filled with a cloud of dust and debris. Diegen felt the weight of the monster press down on him, crushing his body and stealing his breath away. The crack of his ribs was a sickening sound, and the pain shot through his body like lightning, while his hindlegs twisted at unnatural angles.

Despite the agony, Diegen's claws remained embedded deeply in the monster's flesh, feeling the slick texture of its skin and the hot blood that flowed beneath it. He used the force of gravity to his advantage, sinking his jaws even deeper into the creature's flesh, the metallic taste of its blood filling his mouth.

As the monster stood back up, it shook itself vigorously, sending a shower of dirt and debris flying in all directions. Diegen's grip finally loosened, and he was flung to the side, where he tumbled several times, feeling the rough cobblestones scrape against his battered body.

With a sharp clink, his jaws loosened upon impact, and a crystal of vibrant green tumbled onto the ground. It was the monster's shimmer core, pulsating with a vibrant energy that seemed to call out to the creature.

Upon seeing its core outside its body, the monster was filled with a blinding rage, its eight eyes glowing a furious red. It scuttled towards Diegen with a frenzied determination, but it froze in fear when it saw Diegen's eyes. The intensity of his gaze sent a chill running down the monster's back, and it trembled in terror.

Despite being much smaller and heavily wounded, Diegen radiated an aura of danger that the monster couldn't comprehend. Its instincts told it to flee, but the shimmer core's pull was too strong to resist.

Just as the monster was about to make its move, a tall figure dashed in between it and Diegen, revving a chainsaw under the moonlit sky. The sound was deafening, vibrating through the air and causing the monster to falter. The figure's frown was like a dark omen, promising death to the monster.

The monster skittered back as fast as it could, but the revving sound drew closer and closer until it was right next to the monster's ear. It stared in horror as the figure brought down his meter-long weapon, feeling the sharp edge slice through its carapace like butter. The chainsaw's teeth grated against the monster's exoskeleton, sending a shower of sparks flying.

In one swift motion, the monster's head was severed from its body, and it tumbled to the ground, rolling a couple of times before coming to a stop in the center of the pedestrian zone. The red glow in its eight eyes faded slowly, and the eyeballs popped out when a steel-toed shoe came down to smash the head into the cobblestone street. The sickening sound of the impact echoed through the night, while the figure stood in silence, watching the life drain from the monster's body.

Diegen watched this in his neutral, dream-like state, continuing to feel numb and dazed. He looked at the stump where his forelimb had used to be and wondered if that was how it always had been. All he knew was that he wanted to sleep, and darkness began to creep into the edges of his vision. He felt cold. So cold.

The last thing he saw before he drifted into unconsciousness was Holdar, who was running towards him while yelling for some reason.

That guy really needed to stop being so loud all the time.