Immediately, Rowan began to have his whole self-balance go haywire.

His sense of balance became non-existent. It was a strange feeling. One he would never want to experience again, if he didn't have to. All around him were arrays of mystical runes, a myriad of colors whizzing by him, making it hard to identify what he was even passing through. Before he knew it, the feeling abruptly stopped, and he tried hard to regain his bearings.

Panting, he looked around. He was in some sort of chapel, himself raised on top of some platform, surrounded by brick walls and lanterns glowing a purplish hue. Scanning his surroundings, he dared to take a step. Nothing happened. He took another step. He gulped, not realizing he was holding his breath. Slowly, he went down the stairs from the platform, and headed towards a door he found. Trying to brace himself for what he was about to witness, he grabbed the handle and pushed.

It didn't open.

Confused, he began to panic. "What, no-no, I can't be trapped here."

Trying not to hyperventilate, he tried to calm himself down.

Then, instead of pushing, he pulled. The door made a creak.

Clearing his throat, he opened the crack wider, peering his head through the space. In it, he found another room. This one smaller than the last. Surrounding it were brick walls and the same purple lanterns, yet he could feel a presence shifting in there. Somehow, without seeing anything, he knew something was there. Attempting to close the door, a rapidly approaching visage ran up to him and knocked him back in the chest.

Grunting, Rowan regained himself and shouted, "Who's there?!"

Looking forward, he had to recline his head and look down. Out emerged a creature unlike any he had ever seen before—a wolf with sleek, black fur shimmering with hints of iridescent blue. Its most striking feature, however, was its eyes. Three orbs gleamed from its face, each glowing the same purple hue that reminded him of the lanterns and the mana he had felt before. This was no ordinary creature; it was a magical being, and Rowan could sense the latent power emanating from it.

The wolf--reaching up well above his waist-- approached cautiously, its multiple eyes fixed on Rowan with a mix of curiosity and wariness. Sensing no immediate threat, Rowan held out his hand, palm up, and spoke softly, as if to reassure the creature of his intentions.

"I mean you no harm," he said, his voice steady despite the fear and worry coursing through him. "Who are you?"

The dog tilted its head, as if considering Rowan's words. Then, with a series of musical barks that resonated with mana, it spoke.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"I am Nyx, the Guardian of the Esteemed Rose Chapel. State yourself, human."

Grunting, Rowan somehow wasn't surprised that the wolf could talk. Instead, he began to formulate a response.

'It--, he, asked who I am. Should I say my true name, or should I make up some sort of identity? Does he have any way of knowing?'

Feeling a response bubbling up and deeming it the most viable option, he stepped forward and puffed his chest up.

"Greetings, esteemed Guardian of the Rose Chapel. I am Lieutenant Dolidze, coming back from imprisonment duty."

He didn't know why, but he seemed that to be the best answer.

The wolf peered at him eerily through its three eyes. Time passed.

After what seemed to be minutes, the wolf's eyes began to glow.

Sensing the ambient mana around him start to vibrate, Rowan sensed a bad feeling.

"Oh, no."

Suddenly, he began to turn around and make a run for it.

To where? He wasn't sure.

'Crap, crap.'

Searching for a way out, Rowan began to pull every card he could use possible. Relying on his body's instincts, he sensed mana heading towards him from behind and conjured a wall out of the earth. Not even daring to look back, Rowan continued running, his speed boosted with some sort of haste spell.

'I don't know what I'm doing, but it seems to be working!'

Making a run for it, Rowan tried to grasp at any straw available. Nothing seemed to work. Growing desperate, he began reaching for the instincts he relied on before. 'Come on, something, something, anything'. Being cornered, Rowan began to peer at a rune on a distinct wall. It was the same design as the one that teleported him. 'Maybe this..' Reaching out to touch it with his hand, he felt a shockwave and he was pushed back 10 feet.

'Crap, that hurt!'

The beast began to charge up another one of those blasts. Rowan felt the ambient mana begin to swell, and expand at one point. Sensing no other way, Rowan began to charge up his own spell. What it was? He wasn't sure. But he would be damned if he didn't try.

The beast's charged-up shot blasted forward, rubble blasting from its perimeter. Its destination: Rowan's head. He conjured up a sphere of earth, sprouting from the ground below him. Immediately, the sphere collapsed, and Rowan faced about 50% of the blast.

'Erk!'

He blocked the shot with his arms, so at least his head was still intact. Yet still, Rowan knew he had no chance of taking this beast head on. After the shock, smoke began to pile up, masking Rowan's silhouette. Steadying his heartbeat, he knew the beast was searching for him. With his magic, he sprouted up more dust from the air, swirling it, making it even more impossible to see clearly.

"You insolent fool. You think I can't sense your mana signature?"

Hearing the voice behind him, Rowan ducked incessantly. Activating Haste once again, he felt his legs move on their own. Towards the location of the teleportation runes. "I won't let you get away that easily!" Still sensing the voice behind him growing fainter, Rowan knew he was moving faster. He sidestepped another blast coming from behind him, sensing it beforehand. How? He had no idea. His brain was working in overdrive right now, so much so that, in fact, it simply cleared itself of any other thoughts except one singular desire: To survive.

And survive, he will. No matter what. He won't waste this opportunity.

Rowan, a few steps from the rune, felt the spell fade away. His mana was depleted. He faced a splitting headache and fought against the will to clutch his head and scream. Instead, he bit down his tongue and pushed through it. Collapsing before the rune, he felt the beast charge up another blast, right behind him.

Raking up the last amount of mana needed, Rowan emptied everything he had into the teleportation rune and saw it activate.

And Rowan was gone.