It was a chilly night with no clouds in sight, just the big ole moon in the night sky. I was lying on the ground admiring the moon.

A figure to my left caught my gaze. It was Ashley, my housemaid.

I jumped to my feet, ran over to the closest tree, and climbed it.

I hid behind the tree's thick trunk, watching Ashley get closer and closer to it until she stopped a few meters away from the tree.

Ashley's long crimson hair waved in the wind while her beautiful porcelain skin glowed in the moonlight as she looked around for me.

Ashley didn't know where I was hiding, so I was about to come down when I saw a smile form on her face. Then she slowly turned her head to me as her golden eyes locked on mine.

"Come down!" Ashley yelled, pointing towards the ground next to her.

Maybe she didn't see me. She could be bluffing.

"I saw you behind that tree trunk. Get down here!"

No, she definitely saw me. I emerged from behind the truck and jumped down, landing next to her.

I glanced at her golden eyes and asked, "How do you always find me?"

Ashley is the one who always comes out here to find me, but I can never hide from her. I tried running, but she was too fast for me and would catch up in seconds.

Ashley glanced down at me. "I can see your mana."

"My mana?"

"Your mana glows like a light in the dark."

"Glow? How does my mana glow?"

Ashley pointed toward her golden eyes. "My eyes are unique." She piqued my curiosity, but she waved her hand and spoke, "No more questions. Hop on my back so that I can carry you home." She bent down, and I obliged.

Ashley jumped off the ground to a large branch above us, then to another branch.

It sure is cold tonight. I should have bought a coat.

"Are you cold, Benjamin?"

I nodded my head, and soon, a soothing warmth enveloped my body.

"Is this mana?"

"Yes, and no."

I yawned and asked, "What do you mean?"

Ashley let out a light chuckle before speaking. "For a five-year-old, you sure ask a lot of questions."

Stolen novel; please report.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just wanted to know."

"You don't have to apologize for wanting to learn," Ashley replied.

"So what is mana, Ashley?"

Ashley didn't answer but moved her head left and right as if she was looking for something.

"I'm sorry, Benjamin, but that question will have to wait until next time."

Huh?

"Ashl-"

"Be quiet."

I did what Ashley told me and shut my mouth.

What is happening?

I looked around us but saw nothing but darkness... Wait, was it always this dark? I have good vision at night, but now I can barely see in front of us.

Something felt off.

*AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEE*

My blood ran cold after hearing that blood-curdling scream.

That couldn't be a human.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Ashley stopped on a branch and dropped me off her back.

She turned around and whispered, "Hide now." then she turned back around to jump down but froze for a second before reaching down to her foot and pulling out a small silver dagger with a black handle.

She turned back around and handed me the dagger. "No matter what happens, you stay up here, okay?"

I nodded and gripped the dagger in my hand as she jumped down to the ground.

I squatted and leaned on the tree.

*AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE*

The screaming was deafening. I almost dropped the knife to cover my ears.

I glanced down at Ashley and saw a slender gray arm with three fingers reaching out from behind her in the darkness.

I was going to yell at her that something was behind her, but she flipped around, and two black short swords appeared in her hands from thin air.

She sliced up, cutting the thing's arm off the green blood squirted out from the wound.

It let out a painful screech as it retraced its stump into the darkness.

I was frightened, but the fight was exhilarating.

That feeling would only last for a couple of seconds as dozens of arms reached out from the darkness at Ashley.

She instantly reacted to the threats as she sliced off limb after limb, but they kept coming.

Will she be okay?

I gripped the dagger in my right hand tighter.

Maybe I should hel-*crack*

My body froze as my eyes glued to the tree in front of me.

A thin gray head appeared out of the darkness.

Its shape was humanoid, but it had two vertical slits like a snake instead of a nose; its beady black eyes, devoid of life, stared down at Ashley.

Its colossal mouth curved open, revealing rows of jagged teeth.

I bit down on my lip to keep myself from crying or making any noise.

Slowly, it revealed more of its body as it silently climbed down the tree like a lizard without noticing me.

Its four appendages were too large for its small hunched torso. It looks to be a quadruped.

When it all came out of the darkness, it must have been at least one meter tall on all fours, but the length of its whole body was well over three meters.

Ashley was still fighting off the creatures on her and hadn't noticed this one yet.

What should I do? Yell at her and attract its attention, or should I hide and hope she sees it?

I was going to hide, but then I saw the desperation on Ashley's face as she was fiercely defending me, causing something to rise within me.

The creature was halfway down the tree when I finally stood up and gripped the dagger in both hands.

"AHHHHHH!" I roared as I jumped towards the creature.

The creature looked up at me, but it was already too late. I pierced its back and sliced down to its neck.

Its green blood squirted onto my clothes.

The sudden increase in weight caused me and the creature to fall.

*Thud*

I was lucky enough to be on top of the creature as we hit the ground.

I spit out some of the foul-tasting green blood that had already landed in my mouth.

I was about to stand up and try to help Ashley when the creature moved.

For its thin frame, it sure is durable.

I lifted my dagger out of its neck and stabbed it until it completely stopped moving.

I stood up.

That wasn't so hard. I could probably face anothe-

A chill ran down my spine.

I slowly rotated my head to look behind me as another identical creature had appeared. Its eyes met mine.

The confidence I had escaped me.

I could see the excitement on its face as it found its new prey.

I stood there frozen as it approached me.

I wanted to run, but my body wouldn't allow me.

Its mouth curved into a smile as it sliced into my back, sending me skidding across the ground.

I expected the pain to be excruciating, but it was only a dull ache, maybe because of my fear or adrenaline, or perhaps something else.

Should I fight it? I didn't know if I could win, but my gut told me I would die if I ran into the darkness.

So the only chance I have to live is to fight.

I stood back up and looked in its direction, but it was gone. Glancing around me, I saw nothing.

Where is it?

*step* *step* *step*

I glanced over to where I heard the footsteps but saw nothing.

I strained my ears, trying to hear it over my pounding heart.

*step* *step* *step*

Behind me!

I flipped around.

The creature's three clawed fingers were aiming directly at my chest. I quickly brought up the dagger and sliced them off.

Its arm quickly retreated into the darkness, but I didn't account for its other one.

Its other arm came from my right.

It was too fast for me to dodge.

I closed my eyes and waited for it to pierce my upper right side, but it never did.

My eyes opened to see the arm lying on the ground.

I raised my head to where the arm came from to see Ashley standing on top of the creature, covered in the creature's blood.

She pulled out her two swords and looked at me.

"Ashl-"

My vision blurred, and my legs felt weak, causing me to fall to my knees.

I landed in a puddle of warm water.

My body felt like lead.

My gaze fell to the ground, revealing that the puddle was made of my blood.

"BENJAMIN!"

My vision faded as I fell to the ground.

The last thing I saw was Ashley's worried face as the world around me turned dark.