A flicker of desperation sparked an idea. My gaze locked on the water tank looming behind him, its rusted edges gleaming faintly in the moonlight. If I could—

His sneer cut through the night like a blade. “Running out of options?”

I ignored the taunt, already moving. Aurentum’s voice surged through my head, rattling with its usual sarcasm.

{Oh, aiming for the scenery now? A bold strategy. Let’s see if it pays off.}

“Shut up,” I muttered, sprinting toward the tank.

Behind me, the Captain’s scimitar screamed through the air, slamming into the spot where I’d stood a second before. Tiles exploded, shards pelting my back as I pushed forward.

Each step felt like it might give way beneath me. The roof groaned under his weight as he pursued, his heavy boots pounding out a rhythm of destruction. My breath came in ragged gasps by the time I reached the tank.

“Shut up,” I muttered under my breath, sprinting toward the tank. Behind me, the Captain’s scimitar screamed through the air, slamming into the spot where I’d stood a second before. Tiles exploded, shards pelting my back as I pushed forward.

Each step felt like it might give way beneath me. The roof groaned under the Captain’s weight as he pursued, his heavy boots pounding out a rhythm of destruction. My breath came in ragged gasps by the time I reached the tank.

I turned, fingers already pulling an arrow from my quiver. I nocked it, drew back, and fired at his left knee. The shot flew true, slipping through a gap in his armor and sinking deep. The Captain staggered, a grunt of pain escaping his lips. His steps faltered, the weight of his body shifting unevenly.

“You’ll pay for that,” he snarled, dragging his leg forward in a limp.

I didn’t give him the chance to recover. My fingers moved on instinct, grabbing my second-to-last arrow and aiming for the wooden supports of the tank. The arrow struck true, embedding itself into the weathered wood. The blaze hissed, the structure groaning in protest.

The sound of splintering wood echoed across the rooftop, and I held my breath. The Captain’s eyes flicked toward the tank, his expression shifting from confusion to realization.

“What—”

The wooden supports gave way with a deafening crack, and the tank collapsed. Water exploded outward in a violent torrent, surging across the rooftop. The wave hit the Captain mid-step, sweeping his massive frame off balance.

I watched as he slammed into the tiles, his armor clanging loudly. For the first time, he looked vulnerable, sprawling on the ground as water pooled around him.

{Ah, the mighty toppled by a puddle. Beautiful irony. If only you could capitalize on it.}

My chest heaved as I took a shaky step back. He wasn’t down for good. The Captain clawed at the tiles, trying to push himself upright. His armor gleamed, soaked and heavy, and his movements were slower now.

He glared at me, his eyes burning with rage. “I’ll crush you for that,” he growled, though his voice lacked the same commanding strength as before.

{Drenched and disoriented. A lesser man might consider quitting while ahead.}

I ignored Aurentum and clenched my jaw, gripping my bow tighter. My muscles screamed for rest, but I couldn’t stop now. My gaze darted around the rooftop, desperate for any sort of cover. Broken tiles littered the ground, and water made every step treacherous.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Escape wasn’t an option. Every potential route was cut off—either by the Captain himself or the crumbling edges of the roof. My eyes flicked upward, catching on a slanted section of the roof just behind me.

I bolted for it, legs shaking as I pushed myself up the incline. Tiles slid beneath me, threatening to send me tumbling back down. My lungs burned, my arms clawing for purchase. Behind me, the Captain roared, his voice ragged and feral.

Somehow, I made it to the top. But the moment I turned, he was already there. He moved with terrifying speed, despite his limp. His scimitar swung in a wide arc, slamming into the ledge with enough force to send mortar and tiles tumbling down.

I scrambled backward, my heart pounding in my ears. The Captain advanced, his steps uneven but relentless.

{Well, that didn’t work. Perhaps dive off the edge next. A stylish, tragic end.}

My back hit the crumbling edge of the roof, and I realized I had nowhere left to go. My hands trembled as I nocked my last arrow. One shot. One chance. If I missed, it was over.

The Captain’s eyes blazed with fury, but something was wrong. His movements were no longer measured and deliberate; they were jerky, erratic, like a marionette with its strings tangled.

“You’ll die like the rest,” he spat, but his voice cracked, the words uneven.

I tightened my grip on the bowstring, trying to steady my breath. The blaze on his shoulder must’ve started to take its toll. If I could just—

“Stay back!” the Captain barked suddenly, his head snapping to the side. His eyes darted to the empty space next to him, wide with alarm. “I said, stay down! You’ve failed me already!”

My heart lurched. There was no one there.

“What are you talking about?” I demanded, my voice shaking.

The Captain ignored me, his gaze fixed on the invisible figure. His scimitar twitched in his hand as he staggered forward, muttering. “You should have stayed dead. You always—no, not now. Not here!”

A cold knot twisted in my stomach as I took a cautious step to the side, trying to put more distance between us. “Who are you talking to?”

He spun toward me, his expression wild and unfocused. “You’ll all die for this—every one of you!” His voice rose to a roar, but there was a tremor underneath, a thread of fear cutting through the fury.

The blaze on his shoulder flared brighter, painting his face in flickering shadows. His breathing grew ragged as his steps faltered, the scimitar dragging against the roof tiles with a grating screech.

{Ah, yes. The blaze is finally doing its job. Isn’t it beautiful?}

The Captain’s sword arm trembled, and his eyes darted to the corners of the rooftop. He swung his scimitar at nothing, the blade whistling through the empty air.

“You… trickster,” he growled, his voice low and menacing, but his gaze was unfocused. “You’ll not make a fool of me!”

For a moment, I froze. My mind raced as I watched him stagger, slashing at shadows only he could see. The blaze was working, but not fast enough.

“Stay still!” he roared, his voice breaking, his words jumbled. He whipped his head around as though something had darted past him.

{Sorcery or ghosts? Maybe both. He seems confused. I’m sure he’ll recover. Oh, wait, no. He’s coming for you.}

Before I could think, the Captain lunged. Even disoriented, his strength was monstrous. His scimitar cleaved through the air, sending shards of tile flying as it narrowly missed my shoulder. The force of his swings shook the rooftop, and I felt the ground shift beneath me.

I dodged to the side, but his next strike caught my arm. Pain exploded as the blade sliced through my sleeve and into flesh. Blood ran hot down my arm, and my HUD—or Aurentum’s smug voice—pinged.

{Minus thirty health. Bleeding effect applied. Oh dear, you’re running out of time.}

I stumbled, my boots skidding on the wet tiles. Every step felt precarious, the slick ground and my throbbing injuries threatening to throw me off balance. I was cornered. Trapped.

“Come on, Rod,” I muttered, forcing myself upright. My trembling fingers reached for my bow. I nocked my last blaze arrow, drew back, and aimed for his left knee again.

My breath hitched as I loosed the shot. The arrow streaked toward him—but then he lurched, his erratic movements working in his favor. The arrow skittered harmlessly across the rooftop, bouncing to a stop near the edge.

My heart dropped. “No, no, no…”

{Ah, your final arrow. Gone. Tragic. Did you have a backup plan, or was this it?}

Hopelessness clawed at me as I stared at the Captain. His disjointed steps brought him closer, his scimitar still swinging wide arcs. His eyes burned with a mix of fury and madness, and the hallucinations only seemed to fuel his rage.

I scanned the rooftop desperately, searching for the arrow. It lay near the crumbling edge, faintly glowing with blaze residue. I swallowed hard. If I could just get to it…

The Captain staggered forward, and I ducked under another blow, ignoring the searing pain in my arm. My legs felt like lead, but I forced myself to move, each step a fight against exhaustion and the treacherous tiles.