The silence after the giant's roar was more scary than the noise before it.
Even the swamp itself seemed to hold its breath.
Elias was lying against a tree, his shoulder dislocated, blood running down his lower lip, but he refused to let go of his stone-covered sword.
Asha, her halberd still smoking, was breathing heavily, her eyes burning with controlled anger.
Lyra was shaking, her hands tight around her staff, cold sweat on her forehead. She healed what she could, but her tears showed her panic.
Dorian was pale, his usual laugh replaced by short, almost desperate breaths.
And me, I was still standing, barely able to breathe, with broken ribs, both my blades shaking like they could disappear at any moment.
We were still alive, but at what cost?
The monster stared at us, its single eye shining with something unhealthy.
It didn't see us as enemies.
It saw us like bags of life that refused to give in.
Elias growled in pain, holding his sword tight as he tried to stand up.
— We are… clearly outmatched. My whole body hurts like hell. Damn it, we are not dying here!
His words echoed under the moonlight.
Asha spat on the ground, her eyes locked only on the titan.
— No matter what happens, give everything you have, understand? Pull yourselves together!
Lyra shook her head, and you could hear the sobs in her voice.
— Stay strong!!
Her soft and comforting energy spread over us again, healing more of our wounds. Her hands were shaking, her nose was bleeding, I understood that her power was helping us but she was paying a heavy price for it.
Dorian laughed nervously. Part of his hands had been burned by the giant's acid blood. The pain was obvious in his eyes, but he kept going anyway, biting his lips to hold back tears.
— You hear that, Iron? It's not over! We need to find a way to finish this monster, and fast.
We needed a miracle… or maybe a crazy move.
My fracture seemed to answer that challenge. Strangely, this power that belonged to me felt like it had its own will, independent from mine… or maybe it was just a part of me I didn't understand yet.
I looked up at the titan. Its left leg, weakened by our attacks, was still shaking. Its breathing was heavier.
It wasn't immortal.
— Asha, I whispered.
She turned her head, her eyes full of determination.
— Can you make it lose balance? I'll need an opening to launch my attack, and I'll probably only be able to do it once.
A dangerous smile appeared on her lips.
— If you really think you can finish the job… of course I can!
The titan destroyed everything in its path. It roared again and moved forward, breaking dozens of trees with one swing of its arm. The mist tore apart around it like the air itself refused to contain it.
Asha stood up and jumped forward, her halberd crackling with lightning. Every step made her slide in the mud, but she pushed through, screaming with all her strength. The tip struck the monster's already weakened knee at incredible speed.
A horrible crack, followed by a scream of pain.
The creature fell to its knees, water bursting around it like a wave.
— Now! she shouted.
I felt my whole body vibrate. I closed my eyes and pushed my fists and feet into the mud. My fractures spread around me like a storm, red and gold lines lighting up everywhere, moving in the air like constellations.
I pushed forward, the ground exploded under me and I rose into the sky.
I had never flown so high, so fast. My flame blade and my wind blade wrapped around my arm and my fist ignited, boosted by the wind, gathering all the energy of my blades, all my anger, all my will to survive. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had to try.
Below, that damn monster raised its single eye toward me, screaming with hate as it tried to stand up again.
I clenched my teeth, one chance, one strike.
— IT'S OVER!!!
My body dived down at incredible speed.
My fist hit its skull in an explosion of red and gold light.
The impact was so strong that the whole area seemed to collapse. The shockwave spread through the water, raising dark waves, breaking tree trunks and wooden paths in a violent storm.
The giant's skull cracked under the hit, its eye burst under the pressure in a splash of black blood. Its roar died with it.
Then it collapsed, the mud swallowing half of its body with a horrible sound.
Silence came back.
I fell heavily on my knees, breathing hard, covered in sweat, mud and blood. My ribs hurt like hell, my arm was shaking, my blades disappeared into the fracture.
Elias managed to stand up, staggering. He put his hand on my shoulder, his look saying more than words.
— You did it… damn… we did it!
Lyra was still crying, but her tears were no longer from fear. They were from relief.
Dorian fell on his back, laughing nervously.
— Damn… I really thought we were going to die…
Asha planted her halberd into the ground, her eyes fixed on the corpse.
— Well done, Vongold…
My eyes looked up at the sky, finally clear.
My fist was still tingling, like it remembered the explosion.
My second victory, barely won, but deep down, I already knew.
This was only the beginning. I was improving.
The groans of the abomination had stopped, but the smell of rot and burned flesh still filled the air. Every breath tasted like blood and mud.
We didn't speak. Not right away.
Our looks said everything: exhaustion, fear, disbelief.
We were still alive.
Elias collapsed first, his back against a burned tree trunk. His sword fell into the mud with a dull sound. His left arm was still dislocated. And yet, he smiled. Weakly, but sincerely.
— I thought… we would never see the end of it.
Lyra rushed to him, placing her hands on his shoulder. Her staff, channeling her fracture, shined with a beautiful light. Slowly, the bones moved back into place. Elias grimaced, but didn't scream.
— Thank you Lyra… he whispered. Without you we wouldn't have lasted long…
Lyra smiled through her tears. Her cheeks were dirty, her eyes red from exhaustion. But she didn't stop, her hands shaking from fatigue and determination.
— If I can keep you standing, she said in a tired voice, then I'll do my best.
Asha, her halberd planted in the ground, watched the monster's corpse. Her arms were bleeding from deep cuts, her hair stuck to her face because of the mud. She hadn't hesitated once, a true warrior.
— We need to move forward quickly, she said coldly. But for a first teamwork… we didn't do too bad…
In her eyes there was no fear, no relief, only cold determination. But when she looked at me, she nodded. A simple gesture of respect.
For her, it was simple. I struck at the right moment, and that was enough.
Dorian, lying on his back, was still laughing despite the exhaustion. He was so relieved that he suddenly felt almost euphoric.
— Damn… we're still here, my god. Who would have believed it? The final blow, the Asha-Iron duo, the last second save… crazy!
His hands were still shaking, his daggers half melted by the monster's black acid, but even if he hid his fear behind jokes, strangely it made us feel better.
Even Elias smiled a little.
— You'll give yourself a heart attack if you keep getting this excited, Dorian… it would be sad to lose you so soon, don't you think?
— Don't worry about me! After beating that fifteen meter giant, I plan to live a very long time!
Meanwhile, I had sat a bit away from the others, my hands still burning from the final strike. My fist was covered in dried black blood, my ribs screamed every time I breathed, but that wasn't what bothered me.
It was my fracture.
I could still feel it, like it had enjoyed the fight. Like a part of me had liked it.
Lyra walked toward me slowly, placing her hand on my shoulder.
— You didn't push yourself too much with that last attack? Let me see your hands.
I looked at her, her face was tired, her eyes swollen from crying, but she was truly worried. She wasn't pretending. Her smile was real, and I smiled back.
— Your power is incredible, Lyra. So try to believe in yourself a little more, I whispered. No one would ever think you are useless.
Silence returned. Asha finally sat near us, letting go of her halberd. Elias closed his eyes, his breathing still slow and painful even after Lyra's healing. Dorian collapsed from exhaustion. Lyra also fell against a tree near the fire, her hands covered in blood that wasn't hers.
A thought crossed my mind.
If this was the first mission… then what else was waiting for us?
Meanwhile the night was coming to an end, giving way to the soft light of dawn. We were no longer five strangers brought together by the same goal.
We were finally a group.
And despite the fear, despite the pain… one thing became certain.
We would have to face many more terrible trials.