As Rowan, Ajatar, and Josh stepped outside with the military commander, they were hit with a sight they never thought they'd see. The transformed people were now overtaking the streets and multiplying like a swarm of zombies. The soldiers on the ground kept firing their guns at them, but they just kept rising, relentless in their pursuit. "Damn it," the military captain muttered, "we need to evacuate everyone right away."Rowan knew he had to act quickly. He created a shadow wall between the demons and civilians, trying to hold them back as much as possible. He knew he couldn't hold it for long, but it was the only option he had at that moment. "Captain, focus on evacuating everyone," Rowan said, his voice urgent, "I'll hold them off for as long as I can."The captain nodded and immediately turned to his team, barking out orders to evacuate everyone as quickly and safely as possible. Rowan focused on maintaining the shadow wall, but he knew it wouldn't last forever. He could already
Rowan's heart pounded in his chest as he faced off against the towering figure of Leviathan. The dark figure seemed to radiate power and malice, but Rowan refused to back down. He knew he had to buy time for his shadow powers to charge up, and he relied on his speed and agility to keep him out of harm's way.Leviathan swung a massive fist towards Rowan, but with lightning-fast reflexes, Rowan dodged the attack, narrowly avoiding being crushed, thanks to his shadow lightning. The force of Leviathan's punch sent shockwaves through the ground, causing rocks to fly in all directions."You're just a runner, not a fighter," Leviathan taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Once I'm done taking over this city, I'll move on to the next, until the whole world is mine."Rowan gritted his teeth, refusing to let Leviathan's words weaken his resolve. He continued to dodge and slice at Leviathan's feet, causing the giant figure to roar in pain. Leviathan noticed that he was slower in his giant
A Few Days Ago..."Hey Rowan, hear me? " Sam's voice rang through Rowan's earpiece."Loud and clear, Sam. See me?" Rowan inquired. He adjusted his face mask to stay incognito."Sure do, but there are blind spots. You'll be on your own there," Sam replied."No worries, I got it covered," Rowan assured, revealing his pistol to the CCTV camera. "Eyes on the artifact?" Rowan asked, scanning the hallway."Yep, but there's a snag... cult members hanging in the artifact room for some reason," Sam reported, sounding concerned.Checking his watch, Rowan questioned, "How much time till the cameras go back to normal?""About a minute and thirty seconds," Sam replied."That should do... How many culties in there?" Rowan asked, sneaking down the corridor."Four of 'em—three masked dudes and one damsel without a mask," Sam relayed."Alright, I'm movin' in," Rowan declared, determined, as he continued down the hallway."Hey, hold up! Two guys comin' your way," Sam warned.Hearing the approaching foo
" Death, they say, is a time of rest for everyone. But I have to admit, I felt terrible when I died... I must sound crazy, I know, but what comes next is even crazier.A few days ago, I was in a car accident and died. And then, I found myself in a dark place. It was the darkest thing I had ever seen. I couldn't even see myself. I took a few steps, but the darkness persisted. I kept moving... I must have taken more than a thousand steps. Still, no sign of light.I tried to recollect how I ended up there and that's when it hit me—I was dead. The last sound I remembered was that of my car, colliding with a tree. I called out for anyone to hear, but no one did. There was no echo of my voice. I lingered there for a while and then started counting.I counted until I lost track of numbers. Sleep had left me. I felt no desire to eat, relieve myself, or anything... I had lost all hope. I thought I would be trapped in that eternal darkness, eventually losing my sanity. It was dreadful.But sud
"How am I still alive, you asked? Oh, so you wanted me dead? Is that why you took the brakes off my car? Well,.. look at me now, alive and kicking! Still as good looking as ever!" Rowan joked, while Sam knelt before him, wide eyed in horror.But then, Rowan's joke backfired when he accidentally caught sight of himself in Sam's room mirror. "Oh no! Crap!" Rowan couldn't believe his own reflection. He didn't even recognize himself.He looked ghostly pale, with darker eyes and lips. He resembled some kind of undead creature! "Well, I guess I don't exactly look human anymore, but hey, I'm standing right here, speaking with you. The person you wanted so badly to get rid of. All I wanna know is why, why, why, Sam?" Rowan asked, frustration building up inside him.Meanwhile, Sam pretended to shed crocodile tears. "Oh, Rowan, I'm really, really sorry! It's just that sometimes people get greedy and do crazy stuff without thinking, you know?""And hey, I never wanted you dead! It was all a
" I need a flight ticket to Paris, please." Rowan said to the lady at the counter, trying to smile as much as possible.Looking at his face, one couldn't really tell that he had applied some makeup on, in order to look more human, and too, so that his Identity Card matched his appearance.After acquiring the ticket, he went forth to board the plane. It took a total of nine hours to get to Paris. When Rowan stepped out of the plane, he headed straight towards the Jean Aubert Mansion.When he arrived outside the gates, it was already dark. He took out his binoculars and used the night vision mode to have a look inside the mansion. He saw several guards parading the Mansion.' Damn, I never thought there would be this many guards.' Rowan lamented.' Hmm that's true, so what do you plan on doing now?' Invidiak asked.' I need a way to sneak past them without getting noticed.' Rowan pondered in different ways to get in.' Try the shadow veil.' Invidiak suggested.With that said, Rowan chec
In a classroom, a frail and wimpy boy stood nervously in front of the classroom, clutching his assignment tightly in his hands. His ears, slightly elongated at the tips, added a unique shape to his appearance. As he began to present his work, a wave of laughter erupted from the students, causing his heart to sink.The laughter was not about his assignment but about his ears, with the students teasingly calling him an elf. The boy's face turned crimson as the words pierced through his fragile confidence. He desperately wished to be seen beyond his physical attributes and acknowledged for his abilities and ideas. But the laughter echoed, drowning his voice and mocking his vulnerability. The teacher, recognizing the hurtful situation unfolding, tried to intervene and bring order to the classroom. However, her attempts fell on deaf ears as the laughter persisted, showing no sign of abating. The boy felt a mix of disappointment and anger welling up inside him. 'Why do these humans keep c
Rowan , his body shaking from the exhausting battle with demons. Even though he had wicked shadow powers, the sheer number of devils gave him a tough time. But he played it smart, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed and hiding the guards under his shadow. Just as Rowan was catching his breath, he perked up when Jean chimed in, trying to sound all impressed, "Wow, you've really stepped up your game since we last met." Rowan shot a determined look at Jean, his eyes squinting."Where's the artifact, old man?" Rowan asked urgently, his voice filled with impatience. He showed off his control over the shadow ropes binding Jean, making them squeeze him tight.Jean's smirk grew wider as he teased, "Sorry, buddy, but your efforts are gonna be futile. That artifact is hidden in a place you will never reach."Rowan's frustration grew, and his patience was running on empty. "Well then, I guess I have no choice but to put an end to your little adventure," he declared, his voice tinged with anger. Qu