Chapter 18: The Rules of the Hunt
Emily's Side
Emily sat cross-legged on her bed, eyes glued to her phone screen.
The chat was still empty.
Bright hadn't responded.
"I swear, if this guy actually fell asleep…"
She was debating whether to send another message when a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Chatting with your boyfriend?"
Emily looked up to see Elijah leaning casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, his signature annoying smirk in place.
She scoffed. "Bright isn't my boyfriend."
Elijah walked in, ignoring the obvious dismissal, and flopped onto her bed. "Then why do you look like you're waiting for his reply?"
"Shut up."
Elijah ignored her, peering at her phone. "Didn't he drive you here? I thought that was his job. Oh, and what about Liam? You two dating yet?"
Emily immediately launched a pillow at his face.
"You talk too much. We never dated. I'm not even interested in him."
She finished that sentence a little too quickly.
Elijah caught the pillow, his grin widening. "Right. But Bright, though—"
"I will strangle you."
Elijah stood, laughing. "Suit yourself."
As he left, Emily huffed and flopped onto her back.
"I can't believe he actually fell asleep. I was gone for one day, and he's already this lazy."
Tomorrow, she'd make him pay.
With that thought, she closed her eyes and drifted off.
Bright's Side
Bright stood over yet another fallen monster, exhaling through his nose.
The fight had lasted barely a few seconds.
He was getting used to them.
Now that he understood their patterns, they had become predictable.
They weren't particularly strong.
They weren't fast enough to overwhelm him.
And most importantly—they were incredibly reliant on sound.
The cave was completely silent aside from his own breathing.
Every time he moved, he produced noise.
And the moment they heard it, they rushed in blindly.
Bright had exploited this.
Instead of staying on the defensive, he forced them to engage him up close.
The first step was to get in range before their claw swipes could connect.
Once he closed the gap, he went for their arms—
A twist. A pull. A pop.
They shrieked. They staggered.
Then—
He stomped them into the ground until they stopped moving.
If two or three appeared at once, he used his gun, making sure they were close enough that he couldn't miss.
If one used a stomp attack, he dived to the side, braced for impact, and quickly finished them off while they were stunned.
This method had worked perfectly.
Until now.
Bright turned, planning to head back to the portal.
But he hesitated.
Better make sure nothing else is lurking.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted—
"BASTARD UGLY-FACED MEN WITH HAIR FOR BOD—"
Swoosh.
Bright's stomach dropped.
From the left.
He didn't have time to dodge.
The claws swung toward him—
He stepped in close.
The attack missed by inches, but before he could counter, something struck him hard.
Wham.
A dangly limb slammed into his ribs, sending him crashing into the wall.
Pain exploded in his side.
He slid down, dazed, his vision flickering.
For a moment, he was still.
Then—survival instincts took over.
His gun was still in his grip.
He raised it and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four shots.
The creature shrieked.
Louder than the others.
Stronger.
Then—silence.
Bright forced himself to his feet.
His body screamed in protest.
His side ached.
His ears strained.
Then—
Swoosh.
It was coming again.
This time, Bright rolled to the side before the attack connected.
He landed on one knee, eyes locked onto the creature.
It was different.
Its arms were longer.
Its leg was thicker.
Its hair had a metallic sheen.
And it was fast.
Too fast.
Bright aimed.
One bullet left.
Bang!
The monster tilted its head.
The bullet whizzed past.
Bright's stomach dropped.
I missed.
I'm dead.
The creature hopped sideways—then launched itself forward.
Bright didn't hesitate.
He threw the gun.
The monster dodged effortlessly.
Then—it jumped.
Straight at him.
Bright realized too late.
The heavy stomp.
It was going to flatten him.
The air itself trembled.
Bright cursed and dived.
The ground cracked.
Then—the shockwave hit.
Bright was thrown forward, rolling across the cave floor.
He hit the ground hard, the impact rattling his bones.
His vision flickered.
For a brief moment—
Everything went black.