They exchanged confused glances, their yellowed eyes narrowing as they tried to make sense of the scene before them. With their guards lowered, they began to speak in their guttural language.

Suddenly, with a burst of energy, Sol leaped from the top of the ruined house. His black hair whipped through the air, his blood-soaked shirt clinging to his muscular frame as he descended upon them like a predator. He landed feet-first on the goblin at the back, the impact sending a sickening crunch through the air as the creature was knocked to the ground. In one swift motion, Sol drove his sword into the earth, pinning the goblin down with a brutal force.

The second goblin, startled by the sudden attack, fumbled to ready its bow. It quickly aimed and fired an arrow at Sol, who was already moving with lightning reflexes. Sol, larger and stronger than the goblin, yanked the pinned goblin from the ground and used its body as a shield. The arrow thudded into its comrade’s chest with a wet thud. With a mighty shove, Sol hurled the goblin's body towards the other, knocking them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

The goblin with the arrow lodged in its chest gasped for breath, its leather armor having absorbed the brunt of the blow. Sol, not missing a beat, slashed his sword across its exposed throat, and a fountain of dark blood erupted from the wound, staining the cold stone floor beneath them. The creature’s eyes rolled back as it gurgled its last breath.

Its companion, now covered in its friend’s blood, stood up in shock, rage contorting its features. It let out a feral scream and brandished a knife, its small frame trembling with fury. It charged at Sol with reckless abandon, but Sol, driven by adrenaline, reacted with a swift and powerful dropkick. The force of the kick sent the goblin sprawling back, crashing into the ground once again.

Both combatants struggled to their feet, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The goblin, filled with an unholy rage, steadied itself, its beady eyes locking onto Sol’s. Sol mirrored its movements, his muscles tensed, his eyes burning with a mixture of anger and desperation. They began to circle each other slowly, both aware that the next few moments would decide their fates.

The goblin suddenly let out a loud, guttural scream that echoed through the ruins. Sol’s eyes widened in confusion. What was it doing? Was it calling for reinforcements? The sound was harsh, foreign—words in a language he couldn’t understand. Panic gripped Sol’s heart as he realized the implications.

Damn it!

Without hesitation, Sol bolted for the exit, sprinting to the left. The goblin, realizing it was being baited, let out another scream, but this time, something in its tone made Sol’s blood run cold. He felt as though he could understand the meaning behind it.

Coward!

Ignoring the taunt, Sol darted outside, disappearing behind the crumbling walls of the ruin. The goblin, seething with rage, chased after him, determined not to let its prey escape. As it rounded the corner, Sol was already waiting, his muscles coiled like a spring. The goblin had no time to react as Sol tackled it to the ground, driving his sword towards its chest with all his might.

The blade struck the goblin’s leather armor, the impact sending a jarring vibration up Sol’s arm. The goblin, now pinned beneath him, dropped its knife in shock. Sol used his entire body weight to keep the creature subdued, but the goblin fought back with a desperate ferocity, grabbing the sword’s edge with both hands in a futile attempt to stop its descent. The blade slowly pushed through the layers of leather and skin, the goblin’s screams growing more frantic as pain and panic took over.

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Sol gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of strength into driving the sword deeper. He raised his free hand and slammed the hilt down like a hammer striking a nail, but the blade suddenly snapped with a sharp crack. Sol froze, momentarily stunned by the broken weapon in his hand. The goblin seized the opportunity, its hands shooting up to grab Sol, thrashing violently in a bid to escape.

The goblin's screams were deafening now, a cacophony of pain and terror that echoed through the ruins. Sol, undeterred, shifted his grip on the broken blade. With his left hand, he grabbed the goblin's face, forcing its head back even as it bit and scratched at his arm. Blood flowed freely from the wounds, but Sol refused to let go. He raised the jagged blade high and drove it into the goblin’s neck.

The blade, dull and fractured, failed to penetrate deeply. Sol growled in frustration and yanked it out, stabbing again and again in a frenzy. The goblin’s thrashing grew weaker with each blow, its screams turning into choking gurgles as blood filled its mouth. Sol’s vision narrowed, the world around him fading into a blur as he focused solely on ending the creature’s life.

Stab after stab, the broken blade tore through flesh and sinew, each strike sending a spray of blood into the air. Sol’s arm was slick with the goblin’s blood, the warm liquid mingling with his own as the battle raged on. The goblin’s struggles became feeble twitches, its strength ebbing away as its life force drained from its body.

Finally, with one last, desperate thrust, Sol drove the broken blade deep into the goblin’s neck. The creature’s eyes rolled back, its mouth hanging open in a silent scream as it finally went limp. Sol held the position for a moment, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his heart pounding in his chest.

He let go of the broken blade, his body trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline. The goblin lay still beneath him, its body slick with blood, its life extinguished. Sol staggered back, his vision swimming as the reality of what he had just done began to set in. The ruins around him were silent once more, the echoes of the brutal fight slowly fading into the night.

Sol's chest heaved as he pulled himself up from the blood-soaked ground, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He wiped the sweat and grime from his face with a trembling hand before reaching down to retrieve the broken blade, its edge dull and stained with goblin blood. Beside it lay the goblin's discarded knife, its crude design a stark reminder of the brutal fight. He grabbed it, his fingers closing tightly around the worn hilt, and tucked both weapons away.

Then, echoing through the ruins, he heard it—shouts, harsh and urgent, cutting through the stillness of the night. Another group of goblins, likely drawn by the screams of their fallen comrades, was closing in on him. Sol’s heart skipped a beat, and without another thought, he bolted from the ruined house. His legs burned with fatigue, each step heavier than the last, but he couldn’t afford to stop. Not now. Not when they were so close.

The crumbling buildings blurred past him as he sprinted through the desolate city. His breaths came in ragged gasps, the cold air burning his lungs. The shouts behind him grew louder, more frantic, and he pushed himself harder, his vision narrowing to the path ahead. The twisted remnants of the city stretched on, each ruined structure a shadow of the life that once thrived here.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Sol reached the edge of the city. His legs buckled beneath him as he stumbled to a stop, bending over as he gasped for air. Sweat dripped from his brow, mixing with the blood and dirt that stained his skin. He was exhausted, every muscle in his body screaming for rest, but he couldn’t stop—not yet.

Through the haze of exhaustion, Sol spotted a dense forest on the horizon, its dark silhouette a stark contrast to the ruined city behind him. Summoning the last of his strength, he forced his legs to move, each step a monumental effort as he made his way towards the treeline. The shouts from the city were still behind him, but they were distant now, swallowed by the night.

As Sol reached the forest's edge, he paused, turning back to glance at the ruined city one last time. The sight was almost surreal—the large cathedral that had once dominated the skyline was now just a distant, crumbling structure, barely visible against the night sky. It looked so small from here, a reminder of everything that had been lost.