The battle had been going on for what felt like hours.
Don moved like smoke—like shadow given shape, like something that had never quite belonged among the living. He slipped around Grom’s massive swings with almost insulting ease, sidestepped Mira’s arrows before they even seemed to reach him, and met Darian’s twin blades with a casual flick of his wrist.
Every time they thought they had him cornered, he was already somewhere else.
And the strangest part was that he wasn’t really attacking.
Not seriously.
He was playing with them.
"Come on," Don called, his voice carrying a mocking cheerfulness through the ruined chamber. "Is that all you’ve got?"
Grom roared and charged.
Don simply stepped aside.
Grom’s shield slammed into the stone wall hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling.
"Close," Don said.
Grom turned around, furious.
"So close."
"SHUT UP AND FIGHT!"
Don grinned.
"I am fighting."
---
Kelly watched from the edge of the battlefield, his mind racing.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
He had seen Don move.
He had seen what Don was capable of.
If Don had actually wanted them dead, they wouldn’t have lasted this long.
"Why isn’t he attacking?" Kelly muttered.
Kelme appeared beside him, his eyes fixed on Don.
"Because he doesn’t need to."
Kelly looked at him.
"What?"
"He’s feeding."
Kelly’s expression tightened.
"On what?"
"Fear. Anger. Desperation. Hope." Kelme’s voice was grim. "Every time someone thinks they’ve finally found an opening, every time someone panics, every time someone realizes how badly we’re losing..."
His eyes narrowed.
"He gets stronger."
Kelly stared at Don.
"So he’s not trying to kill us."
"No."
Kelme’s expression darkened.
"He’s trying to make us afraid of dying."
Kelly swallowed.
"That is so much worse."
"Yes."
"Then we need to stop him."
"Immediately."
---
Aria was beginning to feel the battle in every part of her body.
She had spent most of the fight healing the others, pouring her strength into keeping the Gold ranks standing.
Every time Grom took a hit, she healed him.
Every time Mira was thrown aside, she restored her.
Every time Darian’s wounds began slowing him down, she pushed more energy into him.
But there was only so much she could give.
Her breathing had become shallow.
Her legs felt heavy.
Her mana reserves were nearly empty.
"We need to finish this," she said, forcing herself to stay upright. "I can’t keep healing everyone much longer."
"Neither can we keep fighting him," Bunny replied.
She gripped her reaper tightly.
Her hands were trembling.
"He’s too fast."
Darian wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Too strong."
Mira nocked another arrow.
"And apparently too annoying."
Aria almost smiled.
"Then we change tactics."
Bunny looked at her.
"How?"
Aria stared at Don.
"I don’t know."
A pause.
"I’m making this up as I go."
Kelly shouted from across the chamber.
"THAT’S YOUR PLAN?!"
Aria looked over.
"Yes!"
"That’s not a plan!"
"I KNOW!"
---
Don laughed.
A high, delighted sound echoed through the chamber.
"I can hear you, you know."
Everyone froze.
Don’s smile widened.
"I can hear everything."
He slowly looked from one fighter to another.
"Every whispered plan."
His eyes settled on Aria.
"Every frightened heartbeat."
Then Grom.
"Every angry thought."
Then Kelly.
"And every desperate little hope."
The shadows around him stirred.
"It’s adorable."
Grom tightened his grip on his weapon.
"I’m going to enjoy breaking that smile off your face."
Don’s grin widened.
"See?"
He disappeared.
Grom barely raised his shield before Don struck.
The impact sent him stumbling backward.
Mira released three arrows in rapid succession.
Don twisted between them.
Darian rushed from the side, both blades flashing.
Don turned.
Steel met shadow.
The sound rang through the chamber.
Darian’s expression tightened.
"He’s reading us!"
"No!" Kelly shouted. "He’s learned us!"
Don kicked Darian backward.
"Exactly."
He smiled.
"I’ve been watching."
---
The fight became even more chaotic.
Grom charged.
Don dodged.
Mira fired.
Don vanished.
Darian attacked.
Don countered.
Bunny swung her reaper with everything she had.
Don leaned away from the blade by an inch.
"Too slow."
Bunny snarled.
"I hate you!"
Don laughed.
"Oh, good."
He stepped closer.
"Keep doing that."
Bunny’s expression changed.
She understood.
"He wants us angry."
"Very good," Don said.
He pointed at her.
"See? You’re learning."
Bunny raised her reaper.
"Then I’m going to stop giving you what you want."
Don tilted his head.
"Are you?"
She swung.
He blocked.
The force sent sparks across the chamber.
"Because you’re doing a terrible job."
---
Kelly’s eyes widened.
"Everyone!"
The others looked toward him.
"Don’t give him anything!"
"What does that mean?" Mira shouted.
"Stop reacting!"
Grom stared at him.
"That’s impossible!"
"Then try!"
Don laughed.
"You really think you’ve figured me out?"
Kelly pointed at him.
"No."
His voice hardened.
"But I know one thing."
Don’s smile faded slightly.
"We don’t have to beat you."
Kelly glanced at the others.
"We just have to survive you."
For the first time, Don’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Aria noticed.
So did Kelme.
Don’s smile returned.
"Interesting."
He raised one hand.
The shadows began spreading across the floor.
Kelme’s eyes widened.
"No."
"What?" Aria asked.
"Move!"
The darkness exploded outward.
Fog poured into the chamber.
Thick.
Cold.
Disorienting.
"Not again!" Kelly shouted.
"Everyone stay together!" Aria yelled.
"I can’t see!"
"Neither can I!"
"Then how are we supposed to fight?!"
Kelly’s voice came from somewhere in the darkness.
"USE YOUR IMAGINATION!"
"That isn’t helpful!"
"I’M PANICKING!"
---
The fog swallowed everything.
Aria couldn’t see her own hands.
She heard footsteps.
Metal striking stone.
Someone shouting.
Then another voice.
Then silence.
She spun around.
"Kelme?"
Nothing.
"Kelme!"
No answer.
Her heart began pounding.
She could hear breathing somewhere nearby.
Was it an ally?
Was it Don?
She couldn’t tell.
Then she heard a faint metallic sound.
A weapon being drawn.
Aria froze.
"Who’s there?"
Nothing.
The fog shifted.
A silhouette appeared.
Then another.
Then—
Silence.
Complete silence.
The fog began to thin.
Shapes emerged from the silver haze one piece at a time.
A figure.
A weapon.
A body.
Aria’s breath caught.
Bunny stood motionless over Don.
Her reaper was buried in his chest.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Don’s fingers twitched.
His face looked wrong.
Not monstrous.
Not human.
Something caught between the two.
His features seemed to shift beneath the fading fog, as though his face couldn’t decide what it was supposed to be.
His eyes flickered.
He looked at Bunny.
Then at Aria.
His lips moved.
"...Don’t."
The word was barely audible.
Aria’s stomach tightened.
Don’t what?
Run?
Help him?
Trust him?
She couldn’t tell.
Don’s body shuddered.
Darkness began spreading beneath him.
His gaze found Aria again.
For the briefest moment, something passed through his eyes.
Recognition?
Fear?
Warning?
She couldn’t tell.
"Run."
His voice was almost too quiet to hear.
Then the darkness swallowed him.
His form began breaking apart into drifting fragments of shadow and ash.
Aria stood frozen.
Bunny slowly pulled the reaper free.
The last of Don disappeared into the fog.
Nobody spoke.
---
The team stared at the place where Don had vanished.
Kelly was the first to break the silence.
"Did we..."
He swallowed.
"Did we actually win?"
Bunny looked down at her reaper.
"I think so."
Her voice trembled.
"I think I killed him."
Grom lowered his weapon.
"Finally."
Mira exhaled.
"Thank God."
Darian looked around.
"Where’s the reward?"
Aria blinked.
"What?"
"The loot."
He looked at the empty ground.
"Didn’t monsters like him always drop something?"
Aria frowned.
"He was supposed to have a hundred percent drop rate."
Everyone looked around.
Nothing.
No item.
No treasure.
Nothing.
Bunny’s expression changed.
"Maybe..."
She stopped.
Her hand slowly moved to her throat.
"Oh no."
Kelly immediately looked at her.
"What?"
Bunny’s eyes widened.
"I remember something."
"What do you remember?"
"Before he disappeared..."
She swallowed.
"He said something about a curse."
Kelme’s expression hardened.
"What curse?"
"I don’t know."
Bunny shook her head.
"It’s fuzzy."
She pressed a hand against her temple.
"I remember him saying something about me."
Her eyes widened.
"He said he cursed me."
Silence.
"What kind of curse?" Aria asked.
"I don’t know."
"You don’t remember?"
"No."
Bunny looked frightened.
"It’s like there’s something missing."
---
Aria stepped toward her.
"Let me check you."
Bunny immediately stepped backward.
"Stay back!"
Aria stopped.
Bunny stared at her own hands.
"I don’t know what he did."
"Bunny."
"I don’t know what I am."
"You’re Bunny."
Aria’s voice was gentle.
"You’re our friend."
Bunny looked at her.
"Whatever he did, we’ll figure it out. and forgot the drop, he had enough treasure at his lair for all of us anyway."
"You’re sure?"
Aria hesitated.
Only for a moment.
But Bunny noticed.
Then Bunny smiled.
It was a wide smile.
Too wide.
Something about it made Aria’s skin prickle.
Still, Aria forced herself to smile back.
"Don’t worry."
She lowered her hand.
"We’ll figure it out."
Bunny nodded.
"Okay."
Aria turned toward the others.
"Let’s get back to the guild."
Kelly nodded.
"That sounds like a good idea."
They started toward the exit.
Bunny followed.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Then—
THUD.
Bunny slammed into something invisible.
She stumbled backward.
"What?"
Aria turned.
Bunny reached forward.
Her hand touched empty air.
Except it didn’t.
Her fingers pressed against something solid.
An invisible wall.
"No."
She pushed harder.
Nothing.
"What’s happening?"
Kelme’s expression changed.
"The barrier."
Bunny’s face went pale.
"It must be the curse."
She turned toward them.
"Help me!"
Kelly immediately rushed forward.
"Bunny!"
"Please!"
He grabbed her hand.
"Pull!"
He planted his feet and pulled.
Bunny’s body shifted slightly.
"It’s working!"
"Keep going!"
Grom grabbed Kelly.
Darian grabbed Grom.
Mira grabbed Bunny’s other arm.
Together, they pulled.
Bunny’s feet scraped against the stone.
The invisible barrier resisted.
Then—
Something gave.
Bunny stumbled forward.
She fell into Kelly’s arms.
Everyone nearly collapsed with her.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Bunny looked up.
She smiled.
"My heroes."
Her smile was enormous.
Far too enormous.
Kelly laughed nervously.
"Yeah."
Bunny looked back at the barrier.
"You see?"
She brushed herself off.
"The barrier only makes it difficult for monsters to leave."
Aria frowned.
"What?"
"I’ve had a theory about that for a while."
Bunny turned toward them.
"Most of the time, I couldn’t get through because I thought the barrier was simply too strong."
She looked at her hand.
"But that wasn’t the whole reason."
Aria’s expression tightened.
"The closer a monster gets to the barrier, the weaker it becomes."
Kelme suddenly went still.
His eyes widened.
Bunny smiled.
"But humans don’t have that problem."
Nobody moved.
Kelme whispered:
"Where is the real Bunny?"
Bunny looked at him.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then she smiled.
"Oh."
Her fingers twitched.
"I was wondering when you’d figure it out."
The air seemed to change.
Aria slowly stepped backward.
Bunny laughed softly.
"I’m getting to that part."
Her voice was different now.
Playful.
Almost cheerful.
"Have some patience."
Her body began to change.
Not suddenly.
Not violently.
Slowly.
Like something beneath her skin was waking up.
Her silhouette shifted.
Her smile widened.
"Actually..."
She looked around at all of them.
"You guys earned it."
She tilted her head.
"I’ll spoil it."
Her eyes gleamed.
"I killed her."
Nobody spoke.
"What you saw back there?"
She gestured toward the chamber behind them.
"That was just an illusion."
Her smile became almost childish.
"That wasn’t me."
She pointed at herself.
"Silly."
Aria’s blood ran cold.
Bunny—or whatever was wearing Bunny’s face—laughed.
"Now I’m torn."
She looked from one person to another.
"Should I kill my heroes?"
She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Because letting you all live is simply too risky."
Her smile returned.
"But at the same time..."
She looked toward the barrier.
"I can’t believe my theory actually worked."
She laughed.
"I knew it!"
Her excitement grew.
"The closer a monster gets to the barrier, the weaker they become. That’s why I was never strong enough to break through it. so simple. it feels like a dream."
She spread her arms.
"But humans?"
She smiled.
"Humans don’t have that problem. I know I am reapting myself but I simply can’t believe. you guys are not trolling me right?"
Her eyes moved across the group.
"I just needed a human strong enough to pull me through. that’s all?"
She looked at Kelly.
"And you did."
Then at the others.
"All of you did."
She let out a delighted laugh.
"This is so exciting."
She looked around at them, practically glowing with anticipation.
"I don’t even know what to do now."
A pause.
Then she smiled.
"So..."
Her head tilted slightly.
"What do you guys think I should do?"
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