BOOM!

  The explosion erupted between Garth and the demon, sending flames and debris flying in every direction.

  "Aghhh!" Garth screamed, his voice laced with agony. His left hand had been caught in the blast.

  The demon shrieked as well, its head engulfed in flames.

  Garth staggered backward, his breath quick and uneven. He glanced down at his left hand—only to discover it was missing.

  A wave of pain unlike anything he had ever known crashed through him, but he couldn't afford to give in. If he didn't move now, the demon would recover... and finish what it started.

  His first thought was to warn the Venators. He had assumed the difficulty of this Void was manageable for the raiding party, but the presence of this demon meant something was terribly wrong. If this monster was here, then the true boss of the Void was beyond their capabilities.

  But could he even make it to them in this state? His body begged him to give up, but his mind refused.

  He clenched his teeth and forced himself forward, each step a battle against the searing pain.

  After what felt like an eternity of limping and silent prayers, he spotted the raiding party up ahead.

  "You!" A Venator exclaimed upon seeing him.

  Garth's eyes darted to the Raid Leader, who was inserting a Keystone into a slot on a massive, ancient gate.

  "No! Stop!" Garth bellowed, but it was too late.

  The Keystone slid into place with a deep clank, and the gate trembled as it slowly creaked open. A thick, oppressive darkness loomed beyond.

  A terrible silence filled the air.

  Then, without warning, the gate slammed open, its sheer force crushing the two Venators nearest to it. Their screams were cut short in an instant.

  The remaining ten members froze in horror.

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  And then, from the abyss, it emerged.

  A towering figure, standing thirteen feet tall, with grotesquely elongated arms that slithered across the ground. Thick, tangled hair shrouded its face, and its sagging, lifeless breasts dangled toward the floor.

  The Banshee Demon.

  It moved unnaturally fast, its spindly fingers shooting forward and grabbing two Venators. Their screams barely had time to escape their lips before the demon devoured them whole.

  The sickening sound of bones crunching echoed through the cave.

  "RUN!" Garth shouted.

  Panic overtook the party, and they bolted. They sprinted so fast they overtook Garth, leaving him struggling to keep up in his wounded state.

  His legs faltered, and he fell.

  A Healer stopped beside him, reaching down to pull him up.

  "Come on, get up!" she urged. "We have to—"

  SHINK!

  The demon’s claws sliced her in half before she could finish her sentence.

  Her blood splattered across Garth’s face as her upper body slid off her lower half.

  For a moment, he could do nothing but stare.

  Then the horror settled in.

  The demon was too fast. It would slaughter every last one of them. Even if some managed to outrun it, they would only delay their deaths. Reinforcements wouldn’t arrive in time.

  Someone had to buy them a chance.

  Someone had to die so they could live.

  A cruel irony twisted through Garth’s mind. He was willing to die for them now... even though most of them wouldn’t survive the next fifteen years anyway. Or even the Cosmic Golem.

  Could he really make this sacrifice?

  A fleeting thought passed through his mind—maybe he could slip away in the chaos. Save himself.

  The idea made his blood run cold.

  No.

  He could never do that.

  The Banshee Demon tore through the remaining Venators, crushing, slicing, and ripping them apart.

  Garth clenched his jaw. He had to act now.

  He grabbed a rock and hurled it with all his might.

  THUNK!

  The stone rebounded off the demon’s head. It turned, its soulless eyes locking onto him.

  Garth didn’t hesitate. He hurled another rock, this time aiming for its face.

  SMACK!

  The projectile struck its eye.

  The demon shrieked.

  Garth snatched a nearby torch and bolted.

  The ground trembled beneath his feet as the demon abandoned the others and gave chase.

  His heart pounded. He was running out of time.

  But there—on the cave walls—was his answer.

  The Void’s unique minerals lined the stone, but he was searching for only one: the same exploding mud.

  He spotted faint traces of the substance and followed it.

  His stomach dropped.

  It led to a dead end.

  The demon slowed behind him, savoring its imminent victory.

  Garth pressed his back to the wall.

  His eyes darted past the creature—and lit up.

  Without hesitation, he flung the torch.

  It struck the wall beside the demon.

  BOOM!

  A thunderous explosion ripped through the cave. Smoke and debris filled the air. Garth shielded his face from the blast.

  When the dust settled, the demon lay motionless beneath a mountain of rubble.

  Garth’s chest heaved. Had he actually—

  A hand snatched his leg.

  Before he could react, he was flung into the wall with inhuman force.

  "AAAHHHH!"

  His entire body snapped on impact. Bones shattered. Blood gushed from his mouth and ears.

  He collapsed to the ground in a broken heap.

  His vision blurred. His body was shutting down.

  The demon’s silhouette loomed over him.

  It raised its clawed hand, preparing to crush him once and for all.

  The strike fell with blinding speed.

  But just before impact—

  "STOP."

  A soft voice echoed through the cave.

  The demon froze.

  Its claw hovered inches above Garth.

  "RISE."

  Garth’s body lifted from the ground.

  His wounds vanished. The unbearable pain evaporated.

  He landed on his feet, whole once more.

  Opening his eyes, he found Calista standing before him.

  "Calista?" Garth whispered, disbelief evident in his tone.

  "We met sooner than I had anticipated." Calista had said with a bittersweet smile.