Blood Eater-

By now, the sun was already beginning to set.

After a full day of having occupied the city, Neodera — at least in regards to within the city limits — had been officially marked as clear.

The tranquil glow now began to illuminate the dwindling embers of the city. The shadows began to stretch out and cower from its shine. The city, which once was coated in nothing but flame finally began to rest.

The wooden frames of the nearby houses, now turned to nothing but hollow shells of their former selves, serveing as a warm reminder of what once was. Nyx's group, still stationed overlooking the river to the west, sat in silence there. From underneath the wooden frame, which miraculously survived the conflagration, they quietly watched the setting sun just over the horizon.

Using the piles of debris as stools and cushions, they gathered around in a tight circle, helplessly bracing for the cold of night soon to bear down upon their person.

It was an oddly somber moment. An oddly refreshing one. The wind smelled of both nature and ash. The last signs of eminent light fading from the decaying ruins felt oddly beautiful.

Nyx sighed.

The second the sun's zenith hid behind the line of trees, the lands were plunged into unimaginable darkness. slowly but surely, the stars peeked their heads out and into the sky above. It felt cold. It felt lonely.

From the corner of his eye, Nyx could note the stern man pacing back and forth just out on the streets beside them. His eyes stayed locked onto the sky as if awaiting for the perfect moment.

He tried to pay him no heed, simply turning his head and staring at the charred wooden boards he sat above. Moments passed. Those moments turned to what felt like years.

At long last, the pacing man stopped himself, briskly shifting his way over towards the group, which was currently fighting for dear life against the cold.

As he approached, all heads quickly turned to him. His nerves seemed to remain steady. Passing a swift glance towards the other Phantoms present, he finally spoke. "Light the fire."

His voice was rather soft, sounding gruff and raspy in texture.

As if on cue, the Phantoms in attendance all began to stand, beginning to scavenge the remnants for any form of kindling they could find.

The cadets all looked rather confused, though the feeling was short-lived as the man addressed them next. "You all help- find a stick and light it."

Not wasting any time, they did as they were told. Nyx quickly ran over towards the side of the collapsed building, gripping a piece of bent wood from the frame and tugging it off from its post — nail and all.

Behind him, one by one, the dim flashing lights of torches began to hum to life. He gripped the shaft of the wood, quickly striking against the side of the house. It didn't light.

After a few more attempts, however, the wood managed to combust into an entrancing glow.

He shuffled over towards the others, raising his torch by his head as the man nodded in approval. "Everyone, follow me."

They walked in a single-file line, arms outstretched before them to see where they were going. Walking through the dim ruins of the city gave Nyx a shriveling feeling in his chest. Stepping to the river's edge, they stopped just off on the precipice of the city's limit, the forest watching over them from the other side like a giant waiting to be awakened.

"I- I'm sorry to ask..." Nyx murmured under his breath, passing a slight glance towards the man. "What exactly are we doing here..?"

He let out a slight grumble. The light from the fire slightly illuminated part of his face, giving him a slight glint in his eye. "We're drawing them in."

Without further elaboration, he simply began to cock back his arm. "Throw-!" He shouted, just before his own torch began to hurl into the air and straight into the dark forest ahead.

Not having time to think, the others did the same in quick succession.

From the edge of the river, it was surprisingly hard to see at first. However, as time would pass, the blaze quickly developed into something seemingly uncontrollable. The stacks of smoke began to cloud over the group, morphing the clear night sky into a dusty hellscape reminiscent of the night prior.

A small flash of light from Nyx's side drew his attention. Far off in the southern half of the city, it was clear as day they were doing the same thing. As Nyx turned back to face Neodera, the smog from the surrounding forests already began to coat the city in a layer of death.

The light from the surrounding blaze could be seen from even where he stood. They were burning all of the surrounding forests.

"Terrors, being creatures of the night, get attracted to the flames," The man spoke, "That's the reason so many had found their way into the scorching city. We'll lure them out from the surrounding forests and kill them. Only then will Neodera be truly secure."

As if just to prove his point, an endless succession of howls and roars from the depths of the brush began to sound out. They were getting closer. A lot of them.

The man stretched out his arm, shoving Nyx back towards the inner city. "Cadets, you head back- this is out of your league."

Without question, they obeyed. And yet, as Nyx was walking back, he couldn't help but look back. The fire was too intense — he couldn't see anything of note. And yet, he chose to watch.

A part of him inside slightly envied them. Another part was terrified.

"Phantom..." He murmured, slightly gripping his forehead. "A Phantom..."