The hallway stretched out before me. As long as I didn't take that final step forward, the sturdy walls on either side provided a fragile sense of security. There was nowhere higher to go—this was the end of the battleground.

I couldn’t see it. My view was obstructed by the walls. Where exactly was it watching me from? One thing was certain: the walls meant nothing to it, offering no real barrier.

Was it lurking to my left? Or my right?

Perhaps it didn’t rely on sight at all. Could it be tracking me through scent and sound? It was worth testing.

I slipped off my school jacket and flung it forward with all my might.

*Whoosh!*

The jacket tore through the air with a ferocity that made it seem alive.

The moment it entered the hallway, it appeared to strike something midair. I didn’t see it clearly, but the jacket seemed to balloon outward, as though draped over some large, invisible object, before it was hurled further down the corridor.

No time to hesitate. Tightening my grip on the axe, I leapt into the hallway, crouched low, and turned defensively toward the left. Even from a brief glance, I’d confirmed there was nothing on the right. Whatever had struck the jacket was now on the left.

About twenty meters ahead, the jacket lost momentum and fluttered to the ground.

Still, I couldn’t make out what it was.

More accurately, there was *nothing* there.

But I could hear it: the heavy thud of a body hitting the floor, the angry rasp of its breath, and a guttural growl dripping with menace.

It was on the far side of the jacket. It was invisible, hiding in plain sight.

“Come on! I’m not afraid of you!” I spat out my cigarette and growled back, a challenge of my own.

I knew how to deal with this thing. I’d seen danger before, read countless books, and faced my share of trials. It was strange, yes, but it didn’t stir the kind of fear born from the unknown. It couldn’t outmatch the limitless power of human imagination.

It was just an invisible beast. Something I hadn’t encountered before, but hardly a concept to fear. Humanity had dreamed up far more grotesque horrors—and countless ways to slay them.

I knew blood and injury. I understood that no creature was invincible. My mind held more knowledge than most my age, enough to make sense of what my senses were telling me.

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What you can’t see, you can still perceive.

The air was thick with its scent, its presence. Its powerful frame stirred the wind as it moved. My ears, nose, and skin painted a vivid picture of its form.

It was angry now. Its growls deepened, and a blast of foul wind signaled its charge. The invisible mass surged toward me, filling the narrow hallway with an overwhelming sense of dread.

It was massive—twice the size of a Great Dane.

The twenty-meter gap closed in an instant.

I swung the axe with all my strength.

It hit nothing. A loud thud came from the left wall.

I rolled forward instinctively, dodging the rush of wind that passed behind me. As I came to a stop, I sprang up and thrust the axe upward like a spear.

*Thump!*

The dull impact reverberated through my arms, numbing my wrist and shoulder. I nearly lost my grip, but I’d hit it.

It staggered back a few paces, and I retreated in turn, crouching low. In this confined corridor, it couldn’t circle behind me or attack from the sides. It had no choice but to face me head-on.

This was *my* chosen battlefield.

The beast growled low, inching forward, its every step deliberate, its menace palpable. It seemed ready to pounce at any moment.

I held the axe in position for a decisive strike, mirroring its movements as I slowly backed away.

Step by step, we danced in opposition, the space between us alive with tension.

When I reached the corridor’s end, just three meters from the door, I cautiously retrieved my jacket. Like a matador, I held it in one hand, the axe poised in the other.

The beast had me cornered.

There was no retreat. Only forward.

The instant I moved, it lunged.

Once again, my swing struck empty air. It landed against the wall and, in a blink, leapt to the ceiling.

Without thinking, I hurled the axe at it.

The beast vaulted onto the window ledge, and the axe embedded itself into the wooden ceiling with a loud crack.

The glass shattered outward, raining shards onto the ground below. Among the spinning fragments, I glimpsed the fractured reflection of walls, sky, and light. The beast launched itself toward me again.

I spread the jacket wide.

Its head and forelimbs barreled into the fabric, nearly tearing it apart. I released the jacket and let it carry the beast’s momentum. Still, the impact sent me flying backward, slamming hard into the wall.

It felt like being hit by a car going sixty kilometers per hour. My body screamed in pain, every bone seeming to shatter.

I spat blood and forced my eyes open, leaping for the axe still embedded in the ceiling.

It was wedged deep.

Hanging from the handle, I kicked my legs, swaying to gain momentum. Below me, the beast thrashed against the jacket that covered its head, its outline now faintly visible beneath the stretched fabric.

With one final swing, I dislodged the axe.

As it shredded the jacket, I swung down, the axe burying itself into its skull with a wet, sickening crunch.

Blood sprayed in all directions, soaking my arms. The beast let out a pained howl, stumbled backward, and collapsed with a heavy thud.

I dropped to the ground, every muscle screaming for relief.

In front of me, blood gushed from its wound like water from a ruptured pipe, staining the floor red. Slowly, its outline materialized—a massive, powerful canine form emerging from its invisible shroud.

I’d won. The realization brought a wave of elation, and I let out a triumphant laugh, sitting there on the bloodied ground.

But just as I tried to stand, the door at the end of the hallway creaked open.

Shadows moved, defying the logic of light.

Then, a slow clap.

“Absolutely spectacular,” came a deep, velvety voice, as dark as the night itself.