The Last Nightmare

The cavern trembled with the echoes of snarling wolves and the clash of steel against claw. The battle had begun, and there was no turning back.

Nate gritted his teeth as a wolf lunged at him, its fangs flashing under the dim dungeon light. He sidestepped at the last second, his katana slicing downward in a clean arc. The blade met flesh, carving into the wolf's shoulder, but the beast twisted midair, barely avoiding a fatal strike.

They're too fast.

Even injured, the wolf didn't falter. It landed on all fours, its golden eyes burning with a predatory gleam. Nate barely had time to register the movement before another one leaped from the side, claws extended.

"Move!" Kai's voice cut through the chaos.

Nate threw himself backward, rolling across the rough stone floor as the second wolf crashed where he had stood just moments ago. He scrambled to his feet, heart pounding, muscles tensed.

They were being hunted.

Elena's staff pulsed with energy, her incantation ringing through the cavern. A shockwave burst outward, slamming into a wolf mid-leap and sending it skidding across the stone. It yelped in pain but quickly regained its footing, baring its fangs.

"Damn it," she muttered. "They're too coordinated!"

Darius, in stark contrast, seemed to be enjoying himself. He let out a bark of laughter as he swung his axe in a brutal arc, narrowly missing a wolf that darted out of range."Tch. I hate smart monsters."

The moment the words left his mouth, a third wolf lunged at him from behind. Without missing a beat, Darius pivoted, catching the beast mid-air with a powerful swing. The axe bit deep, splitting flesh and bone, and the wolf collapsed in a heap.

"One down!" he called, rolling his shoulders. "Seven to go!"

The battle began.

Kai was the first to react, his body moving like a shadow. He sidestepped a lunging wolf, his dagger flashing as he struck at its exposed side. The beast yelped but spun mid-air, snapping at him with razor-sharp teeth.

Darius, meanwhile, let out a roar and swung his axe in a wide sweep, forcing two wolves to back off. But before he could capitalize on it, another one lunged at his blind spot.

Nate saw the opening—he could help. He rushed forward, raising his katana to intercept the wolf mid-air. His blade met fur and flesh, a clean diagonal slash cutting across the beast's chest.

It landed awkwardly, growling, but before Nate could finish it off, another wolf blindsided him.

The impact was brutal. Nate stumbled backward, nearly losing his footing. His ears rang as he barely managed to roll away before a set of fangs could sink into his neck.

"Boy! Watch your damn back!" Darius said loudly.

"I'm trying!" Nate said, breathing heavily.

He was too slow. His attacks lacked precision. Every movement felt sluggish compared to the seamless coordination between Kai and Darius.

Meanwhile, Elena was a whirlwind of motion, constantly moving, her staff glowing as she cast quick healing spells whenever someone took a bad hit.

A wolf nearly sank its fangs into Darius's arm—until a burst of healing light reinforced his muscles, letting him counter with a crushing axe blow that sent the beast skidding across the floor.

Elena's voice cut through the chaos. "We can't afford to get separated! Fight together!"

Easy for her to say.

Nate clenched his teeth. He needed to keep up.

Nate's chest heaved. Every move felt sluggish, like he was two steps behind. Darius and Kai moved with precision, their attacks flowing like a practiced dance. But him? He was out of sync, forcing them to adjust for his mistakes.

His grip on the katana tightened. Why couldn't he keep up?

Because he was fighting alone. He wasn't working with them—he was fighting as if it was just him against the pack.

They weren't just attacking randomly. They were relying on each other.

A wolf lunged for Elena. She was mid-incantation—she couldn't dodge in time.

Nate moved on instinct, stepping between her and the beast. But his stance was wrong, his sword too slow. He miscalculated—he wouldn't make it in time.

Then Kai was there. A blur of motion. His dagger struck true, killing the wolf before it could touch her.

Kai didn't look at him. He didn't say a word. But the meaning was clear— You should have trusted me to cover her.

Nate clenched his jaw. He had to do better.

One wolf circled him, watching for an opening. The pack was coordinated—each attack forced them closer and closer together, boxing them in.

Darius and Kai fought as if they had trained for this moment. Darius's heavy attacks controlled space, while Kai slipped through the chaos, exploiting weak points with surgical precision.

Nate wasn't part of their rhythm.

He moved too late or attacked at the wrong angle, forcing Kai to adjust or Darius to take unnecessary risks.

At one point, Nate hesitated when two wolves lunged at once. Instead of trusting his team, he tried to handle it alone—blocking one wolf but leaving an opening for the other.

Kai had to abandon his attack to save him.

A dagger flashed. Blood sprayed. The wolf fell dead.

But Kai's expression was unreadable as he turned sharply toward Nate.

"You're slowing us down." His voice was calm, but the underlying frustration was clear.

Nate stiffened.

Darius grunted. "He's right. You're trying to do everything yourself."

"That's—" Nate started to protest, but he bit his tongue.

Because they were right.

He was fighting like he was alone, even though he had a team.

Elena's voice was urgent. "Nate, stop hesitating! Let them cover you!"

Nate exhaled sharply, gripping his katana tighter.

The wolves weren't giving them time to argue.

One rushed at him—fast. Faster than he could dodge.

He braced for impact—

But Darius was there.

His axe slammed down between them, splitting the wolf's skull in a brutal display of strength.

"Stick to our rhythm," Darius said, cracking his neck. "We've got your back. Trust us."

Nate swallowed his pride. This wasn't a fight he could win alone.

So he moved differently.

Instead of going for solo kills, he supported. He covered Kai's openings. He deflected a wolf's attack, letting Darius finish it off. He adapted.

The battle started shifting.

One by one, the wolves fell.

Until suddenly—

The remaining beasts froze.

A low growl rumbled through the cavern.

And then—

The Alpha arrived.

The shadows at the far end of the cavern shifted.

A massive wolf, easily twice the size of the others, stepped forward. Its silver fur shimmered under the dim light, its muscles rippling with terrifying power. Scars lined its body—marks of countless battles won.

Its yellow eyes glowed as it fixed its gaze on them.

Then—

It howled.

The sound was deafening, shaking the very air around them.

This wasn't just sound—it was a command. A force that crushed their will to move.

Nate froze.

His arms went rigid. His body refused to move.

His mind screamed at him to dodge—run—attack—anything—

But he couldn't.

A horrifying realization settled in.

He was paralyzed.

So was Kai. So was Darius. Even Elena's hands trembled, the glow in her staff flickering.

The wolves still standing took advantage.

A blur of silver.

The Alpha Joins the Battle.

One moment, it was at the far end of the cavern. The next—

It was right in front of Nate.

Claws lashed out.

Pain erupted across his chest.

Nate crashed into the cavern wall, breath knocked from his lungs. Blood dripped from deep slashes in his armor.

"NATE!" Elena cried out.

The paralysis faded just as suddenly as it had come.

Kai moved first. He lunged forward, dagger flashing. But the Alpha was on another level.

It sidestepped—effortlessly.

Then, with one swipe, it sent Kai flying.

Darius roared, raising his axe—but the Alpha met him head-on.

A clash of brute force.

Darius staggered back, shock flooding his face.

The Alpha didn't just hit hard.

It was stronger than all of them.

Elena barely had time to heal Nate before the beast was moving again.

This wasn't just another wolf.

This was a true predator.

And it was about to tear them apart.