The starlight Directive

The sun hovered like a dying coal in the burnt-orange sky, its weak light stretching long shadows across the cracked ground. The heat made the air shimmer, but the cold sweat on my back told a different story. My breath came in shallow pulls, quiet as I could make it. I wasn't alone.

Crunch. Crunch.

The heavy footfalls echoed from beyond the ridge ahead. Slow. Measured. Like it had all the time in the world. I knew that sound. Gravemaw. Bigger. Stronger. Smarter than the others. The kind of Zhorul that didn't need to chase you. It just cornered you.

I crouched low, gripping the rusted iron blade in my hand. I'd sharpened it last night with a chunk of broken stone, but it still had that ugly, jagged edge. I ran my thumb along it earlier. It cut me. That was enough proof it could cut something else.

The air smelled like iron and ash. The ground beneath me was cold, even though the sun still glowed. My fingers twitched as I shifted my weight forward, every muscle tense. Don't move too fast. Don't move too slow. Just breathe.

Then I saw it.

It stepped out from behind a crumbling rock spire, its hulking frame casting a long, jagged shadow. The Gravemaw's head was shaped like a boulder, its eyes small and sunken but burning like embers in a dying fire. It moved on four limbs, its claws scraping against the dirt with every step. The spikes running down its back gleamed like obsidian, sharp as spear tips.

It sniffed the air.

I froze. Don't breathe. Don't blink. Just wait.

Its head snapped in my direction, eyes locking onto me like I'd shouted its name. My heart dropped into my stomach. It sees me.

The Gravemaw let out a low, rumbling growl that vibrated in my chest. It scraped its claws against the ground, carving deep gashes into the dirt. Then it lunged.

I bolted.

The roar behind me was like thunder, and every stomp of its feet sent tremors through the ground. I darted between rock formations, heart slamming against my ribs. My lungs burned, my legs felt like they'd snap, but I didn't stop.

Move. Don't stop. Don't look back.

The Gravemaw smashed into a pillar of stone behind me, shattering it into chunks that flew past my head. One of the rocks clipped my shoulder, spinning me sideways. I stumbled, catching myself on one hand, but that moment was enough.

Too slow.

The Gravemaw's shadow fell over me. I rolled to the side just as its claw came down, striking where I'd been a second ago. The ground exploded with dust and debris. I coughed as I scrambled to my feet, lungs screaming for air. My back pressed against a rock face, heart hammering in my chest. Nowhere left to run.

It turned slowly, its ember eyes locked on me like it knew it had already won.

No. Not like this.

I searched the ground, eyes darting, desperate for anything—anything—that I could use. Rocks. Shards of stone. My blade, still in my hand, felt like a toy against something that big. I needed something else. Something it wouldn't expect.

Then I saw it.

The roots. Thick, gnarled roots sticking out of the ground like black veins. I glanced at the Gravemaw, then at the roots. Maybe… maybe I can make it trip.

"Come on," I muttered to myself, eyes wild. "Come on, Hollow. Do something."

I darted for the roots, yanking at the thickest one I could see. It was tough, but desperation makes you stronger than you think. With one last pull, it came free, snapping loose like a live wire. Dirt and roots flew everywhere, but I didn't care. I ran toward the boulder near the edge of the clearing, dragging the root behind me.

The Gravemaw followed.

I could feel the heat of its breath on my back. It was closer than I'd thought. Too close. My heart pounded so hard it hurt. I skidded behind the boulder, looping the root around it like a snare, bracing my feet against the stone. The moment I felt the tension pull tight, I gritted my teeth and held on with every ounce of strength I had.

Come on, you monster. Come on.

The Gravemaw charged around the boulder, claws scraping dirt, eyes locked on me. It didn't see the root. Its front leg caught on the snare, and for the first time, I saw something that looked like surprise flash in its eyes. Its momentum carried it forward.

Too fast to stop.

It tripped.

The sound it made when it hit the ground was like thunder cracking the earth in half. Its head slammed into the side of the boulder with a sickening crunch. The whole rock shuddered. I felt it through my feet. Dust and pebbles rained down around us.

The Gravemaw twitched, limbs scrambling for balance, but its movements were slower. Sloppy. It shook its head like it was trying to clear fog from its brain.

I didn't give it a chance.

I grabbed my rusted blade and charged.

I jumped onto its back, hands gripping one of the jagged spikes. It bucked beneath me, roaring so loud I thought my eardrums would burst. But I didn't let go. I climbed toward its head. It thrashed harder, smashing its body against the ground to shake me loose. Hold on. Hold on.

I raised the blade above my head, eyes locked on the flickering glow of its right eye. If I miss, I'm dead.

Don't miss.

I drove the blade down.

It hit with a wet, crunching sound. The glow in the Gravemaw's eye flickered once. Twice. Then it dimmed to nothing.

Silence.

My breath was a broken mess of gasps. My arms felt like they'd been crushed. Blood—mine and the monster's—ran down my arms, soaking into my torn sleeves. I sat there on its back, looking down at the dead beast beneath me.

I slid off its side, knees hitting the ground hard. For a while, I just stared at it. The Gravemaw's face was half-buried in the dirt, its eye a dark, empty socket. I could see the gash where my blade had pierced its skull. The weapon was still there, sticking out like a flag marking the end of the fight.

I leaned back, arms on my knees, letting my breath slow.

I did it.

No one was around to see it. No crowd. No cheers. But I didn't care. I was alive. That was all that mattered. I glanced at the beast's claws, long as daggers, and broke one free from its paw. It took three tries to snap it loose, but I didn't stop. I wanted it. I needed it.

A trophy. Proof that I'd survived.

I looked at it, still catching my breath. The claw was black, sharp, and smooth as glass. It felt heavier than I expected. I turned it over in my hand, running my fingers along the edge. It could cut. I could use this.

They called me useless back then. Back when everything was easy, and I still failed. Back when it was safe. But here, in this world of monsters? I'm still here. I'm still breathing.

I stared at the claw in my hand, the weight of it so much more than just bone. It was proof.

I'm not useless anymore.

I stood up, clutching the Gravemaw's claw, and turned my eyes toward the distant horizon. Past the ridges. Past the cracked lands that stretched into forever. Somewhere beyond that, I knew there was more waiting for me. More Zhorul. More fights. More ways to prove I wasn't who I used to be.

I grinned, wiping the blood from my face with one hand. Let them come.

I'm not the same anymore.

I'm not useless anymore