We continued walking, the forest around us dense and quiet, and it was starting to get a bit dark. I almost tripped when Lance stopped, holding up a hand. “Do you hear that?” he asked, his voice low.

I frowned, concentrating, trying to push past the normal sounds of the forest—the rustling leaves, the occasional birdcall. For a moment, there was nothing, just the usual ambient noise. But then, faintly, I heard it—a muffled sound, distant and strained, like someone trying to scream through a gag.

I froze, my eyes scanning the trees. “Yeah… I hear it.”

The noise grew louder as we walked, the muffled cries becoming more distinct with each step. My heart began to race. What was out there? And why did it sound so… wrong?

We rounded a bend, and there, nestled against a tree trunk, was something that made my stomach drop—a massive cocoon, twitching unnaturally. It was wrapped in thick layers of silken webbing, pulsating as something struggled inside.

My eyes widened as the realization hit me. “That’s… that’s a person!”

Before I knew it, I was running toward the cocoon, my sword already in hand. Behind me, I heard Lance shout, “Wait!” but I didn’t stop.

When I reached the cocoon, I paused for a moment, unsure of where to start. The webbing was sticky, clinging to everything it touched, and I had to be careful not to cut too deeply with my sword. Slowly, carefully, I began to slice through the layers, peeling them back to reveal the person underneath.

As I freed more of the webbing, a pale face emerged, gasping for air. “Spider! Spider!” the person cried, her voice hoarse from screaming. I stepped back as an obsidian-like thing—a hand with razor-sharp claws—shot out from the cocoon, tearing through the remaining silk.

I barely had time to react before I heard the sound of something large approaching. I turned just in time to see it—a massive spider, as big as a wolf, skittering through the trees with unnatural speed, its many legs gleaming in the dim light.

“Lance!” I shouted, panic rising in my chest as I glanced back at him.

But before he could react, a thin, silken thread shot out from the spider, wrapping around Lance and pinning him to a nearby tree. His body slammed against the trunk, the webbing sticking to him like glue. He struggled, but the more he fought, the tighter the web seemed to get.

“Damn it!” I cursed, gripping my sword tighter as I turned back toward the spider. It was moving fast, darting between the trees, its beady eyes locked on me. I could hear Lance’s muffled shouts as he tried to break free, but I couldn’t afford to look back. Not with this thing bearing down on me.

The girl, now half-freed from the cocoon, stumbled to her feet, her clawed hands flailing wildly as she tried to shake off the remaining webbing. She looked terrified, her wide eyes stuck to the spider. But there was something else in her gaze—an anger that seemed to be building by the second.

The spider hissed, its legs moving in a blur as it shot another stream of silk toward the girl. She barely dodged, the sticky webbing missing her by inches. She let out a scream, her face twisted in fury, and with a mad look in her eyes, she lunged at the spider, swinging her big obsidian-like hand.

The spider was too fast. It darted out of the way, but not before one of its legs was clipped by her claw. The creature let out a shriek of pain, but it quickly retaliated, its sharp legs flashing through the air, slashing at the girl’s arms and torso. She stumbled back, blood pouring from the fresh cuts.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I didn’t have time to react before the spider turned its attention back to me. I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest. The thing was too fast, too agile. How was I supposed to fight it?

The spider hissed again, its body tense as it prepared to strike. I raised my sword, trying to keep my hands from shaking, but the spider was already moving, skittering toward me in a blur of motion.

I swung my sword, but the creature was too quick. It darted to the side, avoiding the blade with ease. I barely had time to register the movement before another stream of silk shot toward me, aimed at my legs. I jumped back, almost tripping, narrowly avoiding the sticky webbing.

The girl, still bleeding and looking half-crazed, lunged at the spider again, her clawed hand swinging wildly. But this time, the spider was ready. It moved faster than I could track, its legs a blur as they slashed across her chest, sending her sprawling to the ground. In a split second, it shot another stream of silk, pinning her to the earth.

I was alone now, the girl trapped, Lance stuck to a tree, and the spider closing in on me. My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to keep my focus. I needed to think—needed to figure out a way to reach Lance, to free him, to stop this thing before it was too late.

The spider hissed again, its legs shifting as it circled me, waiting for the right moment to strike. I backed up, my sword raised, but I knew I couldn’t keep this up for long. The thing was too fast, too deadly.

Panic rose in my chest, but I forced it down, trying to calm my breathing. My mind raced as I searched for a solution. How could I fight something like this?

The spider moved, and I flailed with my sword, managing to push it back, but it was only a momentary reprieve. The creature lunged again, faster this time, and I barely avoided a deadly swipe of its legs. A sharp pain shot through my arm as one of the legs grazed me, drawing blood. I was surprised, but then, something else happened.

The spider recoiled, its leg twitching as if it had been hurt too. I glanced down at my arm, blood seeping from the cut, but it wasn’t as deep as I’d expected. The spider looked more cautious now, its movements less aggressive, as if it had felt a similar pain.

The spider skittered back into the underbrush, its body disappearing among the thick leaves and branches. My breath came in ragged gasps as I tried to track its movements, the vegetation shaking as it moved through the trees.

My sword felt heavy in my hand as I tried to hold my ground, my mind racing. I needed to calm down, needed to think. The spider was fast, too fast, but if I could just find a way to outmaneuver it…

Panic clawed at my chest. We were going to die here.

I tried to shake the fear, but it was overwhelming, a crashing wave that threatened to drag me under. My heart hammered in my chest, my vision narrowing as I frantically scanned the trees for the spider’s next move.

But then… something stirred inside me. A memory, distant and buried beneath years of defeat and fear. I remembered being scared like this before, back when I was small, back at the orphanage.

I had been wild then, untamed. I fought the older boys with everything I had, no matter how much bigger or stronger they were. I didn’t care about winning or losing—I just fought. Fought to prove that I wouldn’t be broken, wouldn’t be crushed under the weight of my circumstances.

And then Darrick broke that fire in me. I stopped fighting. Stopped trying. I let the fear win.

But now… now I could feel that same rage bubbling up again, the same maddening feeling that once made me fearless. It felt right. It felt… calming, in a strange, twisted way. My breath steadied, and the fear that had been paralyzing me began to recede, replaced by something darker, something primal.

I gritted my teeth, and the panic melted into determination.

I glanced at the girl still pinned to the ground, her sharp claws twitching as she tried to free herself. Without thinking, I rushed over to her, my movements more instinctive now, more driven. My hand found her forehead, and I felt the familiar pulse of power as I reached into my soul, searching for the connection.

[Soul Bond II].

She didn’t resist. Her eyes flickered, and she seemed to accept the bond without hesitation. As the familiar voice echoed in my head, I didn’t bother to listen—I couldn’t afford to. My focus was on the spider, still circling, still waiting.

I stood up slowly, letting my sword fall to the ground with a soft thud. My hands began to change, the skin stretching, twisting. They grew larger, heavier, turning into similar black, glassy claws that the girl bore. The transformation felt right. Natural. As if I had been born for this.

I flexed my new claws, and I knew—if the spider wanted a fight, then I was damn well going to give it one.