I advanced with cautious steps into the foggy darkness. There was no light strong enough to guide me, so every move I made had to be calculated. I abandoned my dependence on sight and sharpened my other senses. My ears did not miss a rustle; my nose did not miss an odor. No potential threat passed unnoticed.

I followed the road for half an hour, then strayed into the wilderness. My compass rested on my palm and guided me through the disorienting grasslands. It was a device designed for adventurers: its case emitted a fluorescent light that helped me track its needle even in the dark. This light also allowed me to read my map, which showed several groves in the area.

I theorized that the giant Aberration had built its nest nearby. Aberrations don’t like open spaces. Caves and forests serve as comfortable homes for them. The giant Aberration, however, was seen near farmlands, not mountains, so it must have been hiding in a grove.

But which one?

I visited the first, the second, the third. But there was nothing unusual. Where was my prized prey hiding? I checked the fourth and the fifth. The hoots of an owl welcomed me, and a scared group of possums begged me to leave. Then, on my way to the sixth, I came across a set of unusual footprints.

Found it! It seems I won’t need to wait two days.

I put the map away. Then I crouched to examine the footprints in the faint light of my compass. They were not as deep as I thought they would be, and their shape was unexpectedly familiar. I drew a clear outline around them before I realized that they belonged to a Laikos, a mutant wolf. A short investigation followed, and my tracking techniques uncovered several parallel trails. This new evidence pushed the number of Laikos up to five.

My sense of accomplishment faded away; something wasn’t right.

Didn’t everyone complain of a giant Aberration? Why are there Laikos footprints? And why are there so many of them? Did they leave the labyrinths together like a happy family?

I took my map out and made the final and most important observation. The footmarks had a baffling orientation. The Laikos were moving away from the town and toward the groves, not in the opposite direction.

What does this mean? Were these Aberrations in Ashenbrook? But I didn’t hear any screams on my way out of the town.

As I struggled to explain this last inconsistency, I heard a snarl from inside the fog. I held my breath and listened more carefully. After a moment, my ears picked up the sound of footsteps. It came from many directions.

Am I surrounded?

A howl broke the silence of the night.

They’re on my scent. There’s no sneaking away now.

I took a flare out of my pocket and lit it by pulling a string. A beam of light shot up like fireworks, and a new star appeared in the night sky. It illuminated the darkness and painted the fog white. I waited with my sword ready. Would the Laikos attack from the right or the left? Would they charge at me together, or take turns and tire me out?

I heard rapid footsteps behind me. A Laikos materialized from the white mist. It charged at me with an open jaw and pounced with an insatiable hunger. Its three eyes coveted my neck, and its claws aimed a deadly blow. But I had no plan to become its next meal. I ducked and avoided its lunge at the right moment. The Laikos became vulnerable to a counterattack, and I didn’t miss this chance. I raised my sword and cut through its body as it flew above me. The blade wounded its chest and stomach, and it dropped dead after a trembling motion.

I rose to my feet and turned around. The battle was far from over: two other Laikos appeared. They launched simultaneous attacks from the left and right, drawing arcs with their wild leaps. Their eyes were shining, and their mouths were drooling.

“A little too eager, aren’t we?” I smiled.

I turned my back on the first and raced toward the second. Divide and conquer was my tactic. I kneed the one in front of me and kicked it to the ground. Before it could recover, I thrust my sword into its body. It cried in pain and breathed no more. Then I turned to face the second attacker. It dived at me, but I raised my sword like a beetle’s horn. The Laikos could not avoid the shiny blade and crashed into it. I heard one last whimper before I pushed its dead body off me.

Confirming the third kill, I paused to catch my breath. The dark blood of the Laikos was dripping from my blade. Beads of sweat slid off my forehead and followed it to the ground. I heard more howls. More Aberrations were gathering. They were organizing their ranks and preparing to attack.

I knew that Laikos were stubborn and tenacious, but something didn’t make sense. Why were they targeting me? If there were so many of them, why hadn’t they attacked Ashenbrook? The townspeople and the peasants were much easier targets and more satisfying meals.

The light of my first flare waned, so I shot another into the night sky. And when I did, I saw apparitions—dark, amorphous ghosts. There were at least five of them. They circled around me with an ominous aura, and I felt a sudden chill.

Are these Aberrations too? They’re almost transparent.

The ghosts closed in on me. I swung at them with my sword, but it went through and inflicted no damage. They clouded my vision and started entering my body through my skin.

What are they doing?

I felt dizzy. My consciousness was fading away, and these ghosts, whatever they were, started to take control of my body. I could no longer see the flare that I had just launched, and I could hardly hear the Laikos that were charging at me.

They’re… working together?

Yes, the ghosts paralyzed me so that I would fall prey to the Laikos. Their spectral attack was not random. It was well-timed and well-aimed. It left me powerless and resourceless, for I had never experienced its likes before. I was about to close my eyes and surrender to my fate—to the claws that would shred me into pieces and the jaws that would chew on my bones—but then I remembered Marie. What would happen to her after I was gone? Didn’t I promise to stay by her side? And wasn’t Rick waiting for me too?

I can’t surrender. It’s too early to give up. I opened my eyes and searched for a way out of this predicament. While I was still formulating a plan, suddenly, the ghosts froze in the air, and mysterious energy flowed through my body.

What’s happening?

A faint light was shining under my clothes, and my skin was burning with incredible heat. The ghosts started leaving my body; they were driven out, expelled in a gush of ectoplasm. As they scattered, I regained my senses and recovered control over my body.

I couldn’t understand how I had been saved, but there was no time for me to theorize. Two Laikos were about to cut my head off, and I jumped away at the last moment. I removed throwing knives from my belt and swished them through the air. I blinded one beast and injured the other. Then I stabbed them both with my sword.

Please tell me that these were the last two.

I wanted to head back to the inn, to sleep in my bed, to forget about this night. I was ready to apologize to Demetrius and thank him for his warning. But the world didn’t grant any of my desperate wishes. Instead, twelve Laikos stepped out of the fog and snarled at me.

This is just a bad dream, right? I laughed. Aberrations, ghosts, and more Aberrations... I need to retreat, but there’s no way out. Is this it? No, I can’t die here.

“Come at me! I’ll kill every one of you!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “I’ll return to Marie with your pelts!”

One of the Laikos howled, and the rest formed a circle around me. I can’t defeat them all, but I can go for their leader. I adjusted my stance and held my sword up. If I kill their leader, they might scatter. I’ve got to try. A cold breeze descended on the battleground; the trees rustled; the grass swayed. And I ran straight toward the Laikos that had howled—the leader.

I can do this!

The whole pack charged at me, but I didn’t stop. My sprint was lacking speed, but I knew I could make it. I gambled without anything to lose, and I arrived in front of the pack leader before any claw could reach me. Standing on its back feet, the ferocious leader took a swing at me, but I deflected the attack with my sword and threw it off balance. Then I reached for a knife and drove it through its jaw. The growls turned into muffled whimpers, and there remained only the last strike.

But it was too late.

Before I could kill the pack leader, I was hurled away by another Laikos. I found myself on the ground, covered in mud and dirt. I coughed blood, looked up, and saw the pack rushing to feed on me.

It’s the end.

I got frantic and screamed.

Why did I accept this quest?

I wanted to crawl away, but fear paralyzed me. My heartbeats shook my eardrums, their rhythm maddening.

Why didn’t Rick stop me? Why didn’t anyone mention these Laikos?

Facing death, you can’t pretend to be calm; you can’t pretend to be in control. Only mistakes and regrets haunt you as you wait for the deadly blow. The hungry Laikos raced toward their meal, and I closed my eyes. In the death-like darkness, however, I heard a strong, manly voice.

“Stand up, and look death in the eye!”

Why hadn’t I noticed the noise—the neighs of the horses?

“Long live the Empire!”

A spear scooped the Laikos that was closest to my body. Twenty riders appeared around me. Armed with swords, crossbows, and spears, they launched a surprise attack and grabbed the attention of the Laikos. The man whose voice I had just heard stopped his horse next to me.

“Can you stand up, or are you badly hurt?” said a knight with shaggy black hair. He wore heavy armor but forgot his helmet. The tense moment made his florid complexion even redder. His hands wrinkled the reins, and his dark eyes alternated between watching me and surveying the ongoing battle.

“I can stand up,” I said.

“Get on the horse, behind me. We don’t have much time.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Create an opening and escape to the town.”

“Won’t they follow us?”

“We’ll lose them in the fog.” He extended his hand to me. “I’m Armin Reinfried, commander of the town guards. Trust my judgment.”

“I’m not even in a position to doubt you.” I took his hand and climbed behind him on the horse.

“Prepare to retreat!” Reinfried shouted. When they heard this order, the riders formed a well-defined line between the Laikos and us. Then Reinfried shouted again, “Full speed townward! Archers in the back!”

The riders turned their backs on the Laikos and galloped into the fog. Reinfried led the group with pre-agreed signals. He was always ahead by a short distance, and his instructions guided the rest of the riders away from ditches and other obstacles. When I clung tighter to his back, he sensed my fear and said, “No one knows this terrain better than me. I know the position of every pebble.” I believed him but couldn’t loosen my grip on his armor.

“Archers!” he called after our path had become smoother.

His men raised their crossbows. As the horses rushed in one direction, they faced the other, aimed for the pursuing Aberrations, and fired heavy bolts. Several Laikos fell in succession, and the rest became more reluctant to pounce or claw.

After each crossbow had fired five bolts, Ashenbrook finally appeared. The horses got on the dirt road, leaving the dangerous grasslands. I looked behind us and saw no pursuers. The Laikos had disappeared as if the town had been off-limits to them.

“That was a close one,” Reinfried said.

“I almost died back there,” I breathed.

“Come with us to the barracks. We’ll treat your wounds and hear your story.”

“Thank you, sir.”

My nocturnal adventure was a disaster, but it introduced me to Armin Reinfried—the knight who led Ashenbrook’s defenses.