A bird?

A young man was lying in his own pool of blood. His back was leaning against the tree's rough bark, his clothes completely drenched in red liquid and water. His breaths were shallow and ragged, each inhale a struggle.

The man's eyes were half-open, however, not a glimpse of sentience remained in them - he was unconscious.

Some might even wonder how he is alive in such a state, however, being an Awakened Conjurer, he possessed quite a resilient body.

Tap... Tap...

Suddenly, footsteps approached, growing louder with each passing moment. Of course, Kai didn't respond to them as he remained unconscious, however, if he were awake he would have immediately recognized the unique cadence of those footsteps.

They belonged to a certain monster Kai had fought before - an Embermane.

The monster emerged from the bushes, its massive frame dwarfing the small figure lying on the ground. Its horn, sharp and deadly, gleamed in the fading light, and its eyes, glowing with an eerie red light, fixed on Kai's unmoving form.

The Embermane sniffed the air, its powerful nostrils twitching as it caught the scent of blood. Its hunger, already ravenous, grew even stronger at the tantalizing aroma. It lowered its head, its jaws wide open, ready to devour its unsuspecting prey.

Krank...

Suddenly, a sound echoed through the area, breaking Embermane's predatory focus. It was the sound of several ravens cawing, their deep, resonant voices filling the air. Embermane's head snapped to the side, its eyes falling upon a strange sight.

Atop one of the nearby branches perched a small, black bird, its feathers gleaming in the fading light. Unlike the usual ravens, its eyes were different, glowing with a piercing blue light.

Grrr...

The Embermane growled, a low, menacing sound that sent shivers down Kai's spine. It tried to intimidate the strange bird, hoping to drive it away from its kill. But the bird remained unfazed, its gaze unwavering.

With a sudden burst of energy, the bird leaped from the branch, landing just a dozen feet away from the massive monster. It stood tall and proud, its feathers ruffling in the wind.

Embermane, taken aback by the bird's boldness, hesitated for a moment. It had never encountered anything like this before. Most creatures, upon seeing its fearsome form, would cower in fear. But this bird, this small creature, showed no fear whatsoever.

Roar...

The Embermane, enraged by the bird's insolence, let out a deafening roar and charged forward with a blinding speed. Its horn was aimed directly at the bird's fragile body, ready to impale it with deadly force.

The bird watched the Embermane charge towards it with an almost bored expression. It didn't even flinch as the monster closed in, its powerful hooves pounding the ground with a thunderous rumble.

At the last moment, the bird shifted its small body to the side, narrowly avoiding Embermane's deadly charge. The monster's horn grazed the air where the bird had been just seconds ago, sending a shockwave through the ground.

The Embermane stumbled to a halt, momentarily stunned by its missed attack. It turned its head to glare at the bird, its eyes filled with rage and confusion.

But before the Embermane could react, something strange happened. Suddenly, shadowy tentacles rose from the ground beneath the monster's hooves, wrapping around its thick, muscular legs.

The tentacles tightened their grip, constricting the Embermane's movements and causing it to roar in pain. The monster thrashed and struggled, trying to free itself from the shadowy grip, but the tentacles were too strong.

The bird watched Embermane's struggles with a detached curiosity, its glowing blue eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement.

The monster tried to use its front legs to swipe and tear apart the tentacles but its claws passed through the shadows as if they were mere illusions.

Grrr?

The Embermane's struggles intensified as the tentacles tightened their grip, its muscles bulging and straining against the shadowy confinement. The creature's roars echoed through the forest, filled with a mixture of pain and frustration.

Despite its desperate efforts, the Embermane was no match for the shadowy tentacles. It was slowly lifted off the ground, its hooves dangling helplessly in the air.

As the creature was suspended in mid-air, the shadowy tendrils began to writhe and contort, morphing into grotesque shapes that resembled skeletal limbs. The Embermane watched in horror as the shadows began to disassemble its body, tearing through its flesh and bone with agonizing slowness.

Sharp, bony blades sliced through its skin, causing crimson blood to gush forth. Embermane's roars grew weaker, replaced by desperate whimpers of pain.

The bird watched the gruesome spectacle with a detached expression, its glowing blue eyes showing no remorse or pity. It seemed to take a perverse pleasure in Embermane's suffering.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Embermane's struggles ceased. Its body lay limp and lifeless, its once powerful muscles now reduced to a mass of mangled flesh and bone.

Krank...

The raven looked at the remains of the monster before turning its head toward Kai. Without hesitation it took flight and perched onto his shoulder.

Strange azure particles, resembling a crown, began to float around the raven's head.

[ Lifeforce transfer ]