A radiant blue light pierced through the suffocating darkness, shining with a brilliance that rivaled the very sun. It was a light so mesmerizing, so awe-inspiring, that all who beheld it could do nothing but stand in astonishment.


    That light was Adrian.


    The words of his friend had pulled him from the abyss of despair, igniting a resurgence deep within him. No longer shackled by doubt, he rose, his body surging with newfound strength.


    The beast was already charging toward Emily. There was no time to hesitate.


    Adrian inhaled deeply, tightening his grip around his dagger. With a forceful exhale, he let out a thunderous war cry, his voice slicing through the chaos like a blade. The beast halted its advance, snapping both of its grotesque heads toward him.


    And then, it moved.


    With a single step, the monstrous entity redirected its charge, its massive frame barreling toward Adrian.


    Adrian did the same.


    His Trinket thrummed in his grasp as he unleashed its full potential.


    By using Enhance, his strength, speed, and durability surged beyond their natural limits.


    By using Infuse, he poured every ounce of Source Energy into his Trinket, pushing its power to the absolute brink.


    By using Read, he saw—not just the beast’s body, but the intricate web of Source Energy coursing through it.


    Yet, something was wrong.


    Source Energy should flow through a body like blood through veins—structured, rhythmic, natural. But within the beast, it was chaotic. The vessels crisscrossed wildly, tangled like threads in a hastily woven tapestry, with a dense, pulsing knot at the center. It was unstable.


    Still, Adrian pressed forward.


    His eyes flicked to the beast’s upper right arm, where a surge of Source Energy flickered erratically. That was its next attack.


    And just as predicted, the beast struck—pulling back its clawed hand before swiping with deadly precision.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The very same attack that had wounded him before.


    But this time, Adrian was ready.


    At the last moment, he drove his dagger into the beast’s palm, embedding the blade deep into its flesh seconds before impact.


    “Same trick twice? Not very creative,” Adrian sneered, smirking as he twisted the blade.


    A guttural, furious roar erupted from the creature’s stitched mouth. At first, Adrian assumed it was from pain. But as he looked closer, he recognized something unsettling on one of its faces—annoyance.


    It was the same look his mother used to give him when he disobeyed her.


    The beast wasn’t just a mindless monster.


    It could feel. It could be offended. And it wanted revenge.


    The creature’s massive arms lashed out, all four hands closing around Adrian in a crushing grip. With every second, the pressure increased, squeezing the air from his lungs. And then, from its grinning face, a low, chilling cackle echoed through the night.


    ‘This thing isn’t just a beast… it has human-like emotions. It feels pain. It desires retribution.’


    Adrian’s mind raced back to Fredrick’s death.


    ‘This creature sensed the Source Energy radiating from his bullet… and from that alone, it recognized him. Though it is blind, it can Read the very flow of Source Energy itself.’


    Adrian''s thoughts raced as the realization settled in.


    The beast’s grip tightened, its intent clear. But Adrian was unshaken.


    He had already sensed it—a familiar presence lingering just beyond the tree


    A slow smile spread across his face.


    “I don’t know how you’re still alive,” he muttered under his breath, “but I’m glad you are.”


    Three gunshots rang out.


    Bullets ripped through the night, striking the stitched mouth of the beast’s left head.


    “Sorry, I took so long,” a familiar voice called out.


    Adrian turned his head slightly, a grin tugging at his lips. He knew that voice—sharp, confident, deadly.


    Fredrick Newborn.


    “Don’t worry about it,” Adrian called back. “I’ve got it from here.”


    With the beast momentarily stunned, Adrian acted.


    Summoning every ounce of strength, he pried apart the creature’s massive hands, breaking free from its grip. He clenched his Pugio, his knuckles white with determination, and drove the blade straight into the beast’s left shoulder.


    A piercing, almost childlike wail burst from the monster’s throats—a cry of agony, raw and unrestrained.


    It thrashed wildly, its hulking frame convulsing as it attempted to shake Adrian loose. But he refused to be thrown.


    Instead, he pushed the dagger deeper.


    The beast flailed, its remaining arms desperately reaching for him—but every time, Fredrick’s bullets found their mark, stopping the attacks before they could land.


    Adrian didn’t stop.


    With a brutal downward slash, he tore through muscle and sinew, shredding the connective tissue that held the beast’s top left arm to its body.


    The monster howled in agony, its movements growing more erratic, more desperate.


    And then, finally—


    It collapsed.


    Like a great oak felled by an axe, the towering beast tumbled.


    Adrian deactivated his Trinket and leapt away just before it crashed into the earth with a thunderous impact. The ground trembled beneath its weight, dust and debris swirling into the air.


    For a moment, silence hung heavy in the aftermath.


    Then, Adrian exhaled.


    He had done it.


    He had conquered the beast.