The creature surged forward with an unnatural speed, its form a massive, rolling wave of black smoke and sharp, jagged edges. It was nothing like the shadow creatures they had encountered before; this was something far more ancient, more dangerous. The ground trembled under its weight, and the air thickened with a palpable sense of dread.
Alex barely had time to react as the creature's clawed limbs swung toward him. He dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the air itself seemed to buckle with the force of its movement. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through him.
"Amira!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet. "Any ideas on how to take this thing down?"
Amira was already moving, her weapon crackling with energy as she fired at the creature. The blasts of light struck the creature’s smoky form, but they dissipated almost immediately, absorbed into the mass. She cursed under her breath, her mind racing. The creature was unlike anything they’d faced before. It was a living embodiment of the void, a reflection of the world they had entered, and it wasn’t going down easily.
“We can’t destroy it with weapons!” Amira shouted, dodging another massive swing of the creature’s claw. “We need to find its core!”
“Core?!” Alex barked, his voice filled with disbelief. “You’re telling me this thing has a weak spot somewhere?”
“It’s the only way!” Amira replied, narrowing her eyes as she observed the creature’s movements. “Look for any inconsistencies in its form. It has to have one.”
Alex nodded, though his gut twisted with doubt. They were dealing with something beyond their understanding, but there was no other choice. He swung his energy blade again, this time aiming for a crack that had appeared in the creature’s mass.
For a moment, it seemed like his strike had done nothing, but then the creature howled, a piercing sound that sent a shockwave through the air. It staggered back, its form distorting. Amira took her chance, sprinting toward the gap Alex had revealed.
“Focus on the cracks!” she yelled. “They’re vulnerable points!”
With a deep breath, Alex followed her lead, charging at the creature again. This time, he wasn’t going to hold back. His energy blade hummed as he slashed through the smoky form, cutting through layers of it as though it were made of fabric.
The creature howled again, its body pulsing with violent energy. It was clearly weakening, but it wasn’t done yet. From the depths of its form, tendrils of smoke lashed out, wrapping around Alex’s legs and pulling him off his feet.
“Alex!” Amira screamed, rushing to help him.
“I’m fine!” he grunted, his voice strained as he struggled against the tendrils. “Just a little too friendly.”
Amira reached him in an instant, firing another round of energy blasts at the creature. The tendrils recoiled, allowing Alex to break free. He wasted no time, charging forward once more, slashing at the dark, swirling mass.
“Amira, I think I found something!” Alex called, his voice breaking through the chaos.
Amira turned just in time to see Alex strike the heart of the creature—a small, glowing orb nestled deep within the smoke. The orb pulsed with dark energy, flickering like the beat of a dying heart.
“Is that it?” she asked, her pulse quickening.
“I think so,” Alex replied, his eyes locked onto the orb. “But it’s really well guarded. You’ll have to cover me.”
Amira nodded without hesitation. She fired again, pushing the creature back with a steady stream of energy, giving Alex the space he needed. He swung his blade once more, this time aiming for the orb directly.
With a crack that resonated through the air, the blade struck, and the orb shattered.
The creature let out one final, earth-shattering roar, its form destabilizing, disintegrating into a storm of black smoke. The sound of its demise echoed across the island, sending a shockwave that knocked Alex and Amira to the ground.
As the last of the creature’s form dissolved, the air grew still once more. A strange silence hung over them, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
“That was… intense,” Alex said, rolling onto his back and staring up at the swirling sky above them. “I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck made of bad decisions.”
Amira, equally exhausted, sat up and wiped her forehead, her face a mixture of relief and disbelief. “I don’t know if I’m relieved or terrified. That was only the first Echo.”
“Well, considering how easy that was, I’m sure the next one will be a breeze ,” Alex said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Amira shot him a look, but a small, tired smile tugged at her lips. “We need to keep moving,” she said, standing up and offering him a hand. “The path to the heart won’t be easy, and it’s only going to get harder from here.”
Alex took her hand, his grip firm but a little hesitant. “Great. I’m really looking forward to that.”
The two of them turned and began walking toward the next bridge of light that stretched across the gap to another island. But as they took their first steps, the ground beneath them suddenly rumbled again. This time, the rumble wasn’t just from the earth—it came from deep within the island, and it was followed by a low, guttural sound, like the growl of a predator waking from a long slumber.
Amira froze.
“What now?” Alex whispered.
A deep voice echoed across the island, distorted and ominous.
“ You are not ready. ”
The ground split open, and from the cracks emerged the next Echo—a towering figure made entirely of solid stone, its eyes glowing with the same malevolent red light.
“ The trials are far from over. ”