The Zodiac Prince (Gatekeeper Saga)
(Updates daily) The Zodiac Prince was reborn, but will he win the war against the Dark King where his previous incarnates failed?
The canopy above swallows the moonlight, casting the forest floor in an almost impenetrable darkness. We try to find our way out but every direction looks the same, each tree a silent sentinel watching our growing panic. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth, mingled with something far more sinister: the acrid stench of decaying flesh.
Tom and I stop dead on our tracks as if our own instincts warn us of the danger that looms. A sudden rustling sound shatters the dead silence of the night. There, among the twisted trees, a pair of glowing red eyes materialize, glaring at us with a predatory intensity.
The creature steps forward into the weak shaft of moonlight that pierce the canopy, revealing itself. Its skin an unnatural pallor, almost translucent, stretched over a hunched and twisted frame, flesh riddled with festering wounds that never heal. The stench emanating from the creature was so overpowering it made our eyes water and our stomach churn.
"A nightcrawler!" I cried to Tom holding his hand as if my life depends on it.
The creature's back was grotesquely arched, giving it a nightmarish silhouette. Its limbs were long and emaciated, ending in gnarled hands with razor-sharp claws. It moves with a disturbing, jerky motion, like a puppet on broken strings, each step bringing it closer to where we stood. Overcame by fear, we couldn't move a limb.
A pair of eyes, dreadful red orbs, locks onto us, filled with a primordial hunger. As it opens its mouth, a guttural, rasping moan escapes, echoing through the forest and sending chills down my spine. Mouth, a grotesque maw of broken, jagged teeth, oozing a foul-smelling ichor.
Tom pulls me back, the first motion we ever make in what feels like an eternity but the forest seems to conspire against us, roots and underbrush tangling at our feet. The creature raises one skeletal hand, pointing a clawed finger at our direction, its scarlet eyes never wavering. The stench of rot intensifies, turning the atmosphere into a noxious cloud, making it hard to breathe.
Panic surges through my veins. We finally manage to turn, summoning the last ounce of our strength to run. The creature lets out a horrifying screech, a sound filled with rage and despair, as it lunges forward. We sprint through the trees screaming for help, the underbrush scratching our legs and the cold air burning our lungs.
The forest becomes a blur as we fled, the creature's unearthly cries echoing behind, mingling with the rustling leaves and the pounding of our hearts. Every corner seems to hide another pair of red eyes, every gust of wind carry the stench of death. We run blindly, driven by primal fear, desperate to escape the undead horror that hunts us.
My legs burn with the effort to keep moving, and I fall behind, the darkness pressing in from all directions. Ahead of me, Tom's figure is a desperate blur. I scream his name, begging for help, my voice cracking with fear and exhaustion. He glances back, his face a mask of helplessness, and all he can manage is a whispered, "sorry," as his shadow begins to fade, swallowed by the night, leaving me to die alone.
Phoenix_Marco · Fantasy
