Light in the Darkness (English)

Chapter 4

Sarah and I exchanged smiles.

I was looking at Sarah and didn't notice that Daniel had stopped in front of me, causing me to bump into him.

"So–" I started to say but was cut off when Daniel quickly raised his hand.

Everyone froze.

Not far from us, the Dark Ones were gathered around something. It was hard to make out what it was, or rather, what it had been.

"We'll quietly go around them. They seem occupied with something, hopefully they won't notice us," Daniel instructed in a hushed tone.

"This isn't exciting," Alex replied quietly.

"If you're looking for excitement, feel free to run toward them. You can be the bait," Daniel retorted.

Alex made a strange grimace at that, but only for a moment. Then he reverted to his usual reserved, emotionless, and serious expression—the mask he always wore, the Alex I had known. He had put up his guard again.

However, beneath the mask, his true self lay hidden somewhere, and I wanted to discover it. I wanted to understand why he concealed himself behind that mask.

Daniel took a step forward, unintentionally ruining his own plan. The tree branch creaked as it bent under Daniel's weight, and then it suddenly snapped, crashing loudly under his feet. In the silence of the forest, this noise was like a fireworks display, shattering the peace and echoing all around. The Dark Ones immediately looked up, scanning the area to locate the source of the sound. We, on the other hand, remained motionless, like statues, our hearts pounding furiously.

I grabbed the bow, nocked an arrow, and took a shot. I managed to hit one of them in the neck. The red glow in the monster's eyes faded, and its body fell to the ground.

"You've nicely put an end to your own plan!" Alex yelled at Daniel as he turned toward him. The Dark Ones began rushing toward us, screaming loudly.

Everyone drew their weapons, ready for the approaching Dark Ones. There were many of them, and we were only four.

"No reason to worry," I tried to reassure myself.

I fired another arrow, but this time the Dark One stepped aside from it in time. I shot again, aiming for its leg. This hit the target, but the arrow sticking in its leg didn't seem to bother it much; it continued running. I shot a few more arrows into its leg, finally bringing it down to the ground. Meanwhile, Daniel rushed forward next to me, raising his sword to intercept one of the Dark Ones. The siblings stood a bit farther away but close to each other. There was a silent harmony around them as Alex held his katana ready for attack, while Sarah wielded a dagger in one hand and a chakram in the other.

I holstered my bow and drew my sword from my belt. Before I turned back to the Dark One crawling toward me on the ground, I saw Daniel successfully pierce one Dark One's throat and immediately move on to the next. The way he moved, attacked, and defended filled me with courage and strength.

With a swift motion, I thrust my sword forward, hitting the monster's hand, then swiftly pulled it out as black blood dripped from it. Next, I kicked the creature in the head and drove my sword into its back. The actions came instinctively, based on long training and experience. Amidst the chaos around me, the approaching footsteps stood out. There wasn't enough time to retrieve my sword. I quickly turned to face the Dark One rushing toward me.

The Dark One got much closer than I anticipated, coming straight at me. Its claws cut into my arm as it lunged. It attempted to strike me again, but this time, I managed to leap out of its way. However, during my jump, I stumbled and suddenly landed on my back. Sharp pain shot through my back and side. I could feel I had lost control as the Dark One drew nearer and nearer.