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Villain: Herald of Shadows

Chapter 1: Prologue

I don't want to die.

Darkness enveloped Zed as he ran through the vast cave, his footsteps echoing like the heartbeat of a desperate heart. The cave, a labyrinth of shadows and echoes, seemed endless, each turn and twist leading him deeper into a hopeless abyss. Zed panted, his breathing ragged and painful, each inhalation a stab in his broken ribs. Blood oozed from a deep wound in his side, a scarlet trail glimmering faintly under the light of his dying torch.

The creature chasing him, an amalgamation of shadows and whispers, was close. He felt it in every fiber of his being, a presence emanating a cold that penetrated to the bone. He had barely glimpsed his pursuer, enough to recognize the threat of its vague yet imposing form, its eyes like voids absorbing all light.

-How had he ended up here? Zed wondered as his legs, heavy as lead, struggled to keep moving forward. Images from the past few days paraded through his mind with painful clarity. His companions, those he had trusted, had set him up. The attack had been swift and brutal, the betrayal devastating. As he fell under the blows, surprise had been replaced by realization: they had used him, he had been a pig they decided to leave, abandoned and left to die...

I don't want to die...

Zed stumbled, his vision blurred by pain and exhaustion. The world seemed to spin around him, a spiral of suffering and despair. Each step was a battle against himself, a terrible truth seeping through his eyes, his heart beating faster. He was going to die. The certainty of his imminent end was an unbearable weight on his mind.

The tunnel suddenly widened, revealing an immense chamber. The walls rose like stone colossi, their irregular surfaces barely illuminated by the flickering light of the torch. Here, in this vast space, his end would feel insignificant, a spark extinguished in the immensity of the darkness.

I don't want to die...

Zed fell to his knees, the cold stone a temporary relief to his burning pain. --This is the end. He closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow, the creature's claw that would end his suffering. But then, in the abyss of his despair, something changed.

A thought, dark and burning, began to break through the fog of his mind: hatred. Hatred, pure and corrosive, cut through his pain, giving a new and terrible clarity. He couldn't die here, not like this, not without making those who had betrayed him pay. His eyes filled with murderous intent, he clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his flesh, the little blood left in his body escaping again...

I don't want to die...

The faces of his companions appeared in his mind, each one marked by a fake smile, a broken promise. Keria, with her cold and calculating eyes, always one step ahead in her plans. Arthur, whose loyalty was as firm as the wind, changeable and treacherous. Miranda, whose sweetness had been a poison, masking her true intentions. Adam, his best friend and companion, and lastly his childhood love, Emily...

Hatred gave Zed a new strength, a purpose. He stood up, staggering but determined. Blood dripped from his head, red drops falling silently on the cold black floor. The creature was still approaching, its steps echoing in the chamber. Zed raised his torch, its weak light a declaration of his will. He would not run anymore. If he was going to die, he would do so fighting, with hatred fueling every move, every strike.

I don't want to die...

"Come for me!" he shouted, his voice reverberating in the cave. The echo of his voice resounded, a declaration of his final stand. His own voice trembled, he was scared, very scared, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die like a dog.

-Damn it! I don't want to die! I need to kill those bastards!

His mind was a chaos of emotions, he was unstable, he was furious, he was angry at himself for being so stupidly naive. The creature emerged from the shadows, its imposing form now clearly visible under the torchlight. Zed could see its empty eyes, its mouth full of sharp teeth. The fear was still there, but now the anger consuming his mind and heart filled him with courage, his legs trembled, he was weak, he was no genius, after all he was simply normal...

Zed stepped forward, the pain in his body now an ember fueling his uncontrollable rage. If he was going to die, he would take his hunter with him. Every second he could gain, every blow he could land, would bring him closer to his ultimate goal: revenge. He wasn't going to die alone. His traitors would feel his wrath, pay for their betrayal. And with that thought, with hatred burning in his heart, Zed launched into the final battle, his war cry sounding weak in this enormous place, in his hands the flame of the torch, it was his only light, his only hope...

I don't want to die...

The creature swung at him, its claws like blades in the darkness. Zed tried to dodge, his body moving on pure instinct. The creature's claws slashed his chest, he gritted his teeth as tears streamed down his eyes.

I don't want to die...

The pain in his side intensified, but his determination kept him standing. He struck with the torch, its light briefly blinding the creature. Seizing the moment, Zed drew his sword. Desperately, he tried to land a blow.

I don't want to die...

His blue eyes calmly watched for a moment as his arm flew through the air, he glimpsed out of the corner of his eye how his right arm was cleanly cut off, his mind went blank, he wanted to faint, he wanted to just lie on the ground and think that nothing that was happening to him was real, it was just a dream, yes a nightmare. He wanted to escape reality.

I don't want to die...

But the reality of the situation was relentless. The creature, a manifestation of shadows, moved without doubt, without hesitation, its claws striking Zed's body fiercely, he felt the pain of being cut alive again and tried desperately to defend himself. He heard his own groans of agony, he tried to ask for help, mercy, pity.

I don't want to die...

The power difference was evident. With a swift and decisive move, the creature pierced Zed's body with its claws, its black claws filled with warm red liquid.

-Urgg....

The creature smiled cruelly, lifting Zed's body into the air, blood pouring over its deformed body as if it were taking a bath, it closed its eyes, behind Zed's back, between the creature's claws was a pulsing organ, it was his heart, but he couldn't see it.

Bang!

Zed's body fell to the ground, he felt no pain, at this moment his mind was fading, little by little his eyes were losing their brightness, he couldn't feel the warmth of his body, it was cold, very cold, he tried to hug himself for a little warmth, he couldn't even move his arms, his almost lifeless eyes saw the torchlight slowly disappearing.

A clear reflection of himself, the torch was him, at this moment he and that small flame were about to reach their end, with all his strength he tried to touch the flames.

I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die.

The blood drained from his body, the light of his life was fading like the torch beside him, with all his strength he placed the flame next to him, a small warmth filled his chest, in his mind he always repeated the same words.

I don't want to die...

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