"Run!" Thyra's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Don't let it get close to you!"

Jamie stumbled as he ran, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. Pain lanced through his side with every step. He was fairly certain one of his ribs was cracked from the impact of the ice. Behind him, Thomas, Thyra, and Holz kept pace. Thyra glanced back periodically, her hands weaving through the air as she cast walls of ice, trying desperately to slow the monster.

"Y-you know what that thing is?" Jamie gasped, trying to regain his footing as they sprinted through the streets.

"Yes," Thyra confirmed, her eyes focused ahead.

"What do we need to do?" Jamie pressed, clutching his side.

"We can't stay near it!" Thyra exclaimed. "It has an aura that can kill anyone around it. Physical attacks won't affect it. Once it marks someone for death, it won't stop until it consumes them. So..."

Realization washed over Jamie. He was the target now. It was kill or be killed.

"How do we kill it?" he asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

"We can't. Not by ourselves," Thyra admitted. "We need mages, a lot of them. Only they can harm it."

"Great," Jamie muttered. "At least we know what we have to do."

"Where are we headed?" Thyra called out, matching his pace.

"To the Arcane Tower!" Jamie replied over his shoulder.

Behind them, the colossal figure continued its relentless advance, each step leaving craters in the cobblestone streets. The creature moved slowly, yet due to its size, it covered ground rapidly. Buildings crumbled as it brushed against them, and debris rained down, adding to the chaos.

From time to time, nobles would peek from windows or step out of doorways to witness the commotion. Those fortunate enough to grasp the danger quickly fled or ran in the opposite direction. The less fortunate found themselves too close, their screams cut short as the monster's lethal aura drained their life force, leaving only lifeless husks behind.

"What's that thing called?" Jamie asked.

"Nightwalker," Thyra answered grimly. "It's a demon imprisoned within the domain of the [God of Night]."

Jamie shot her a glance. There was a furrow in her brow, confusion shadowing her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired.

Thyra hesitated. "The [God of Night] is the second most powerful deity in the pantheon," she explained. "Even a ritual shouldn't be able to release a demon like this into our world. It doesn't make sense."

Jamie nodded thoughtfully. He had his own suspicions. 'Perhaps if the god is absent, the barriers keeping such creatures at bay have weakened?' he mused. 'I need to learn more about this.'

Frustration gnawed at him. There was so much he didn't understand about this world: the gods, the magic, its monsters. Without that knowledge, formulating a plan was like grasping at shadows.

Cries of help echoed behind them. The Noble Quarter was in chaos; people fled in every direction, their panicked screams piercing the air as buildings crumbled and debris rained down. The ground quaked beneath their feet, each tremor more violent than the last.

"Where are the Inquisitors?" Jamie shouted. "Aren't they supposed to handle things like this?"

No answer came. The question lingered in the air.

In the distance, the spire of the Arcane Tower pierced the sky. Yet it was still far off, a considerable distance to cover even at a sprint. Their only solace was that the monstrous Nightwalker, though relentless, moved slowly. As long as they kept running, they might stay ahead of its reach.

However, it wasn't just them that understood that. After some time, the Nightwalker also got it.

A screech reverberated through the streets, like the grinding of metal against stone. Jamie dared a glance backward. The Nightwalker halted its pursuit. Its maw gaped open, drawing in all surrounding shadows. Tendrils of darkness merged within its jaws, swirling and churning, gathering into a pulsating orb of pure shadow.

With a guttural roar, the Nightwalker unleashed the amassed darkness.

"Look out!" Thyra cried.

The monster fired a jet of shadow energy toward them. The group dove for cover as the energy screamed overhead, narrowly missing them by mere meters. It struck the grand mansions ahead, exploding into a tempest of shadow that consumed everything it touched. The street itself buckled and tore, fissures snaking outward as the ground quaked violently.

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"My gods! What is that?" a nobleman screamed, stumbling into the street, his eyes wide with terror at the devastation.

"Close everything! Run for your lives!" a merchant woman shouted, urgently ushering bystanders away from the impending doom.

"Soldiers! Forward!" another noble commanded, arriving with fifteen armored guards. With grim determination, the soldiers formed ranks, raising shields and drawing swords as they advanced toward the monstrosity.

It was a futile effort. The moment any soldier crossed into the Nightwalker's sphere of influence, they were obliterated; they became lifeless forms crumpling to the ground as their very essence was snuffed out. Arrows flew through the air, but they disintegrated upon contact with the creature's shadowy aura, leaving no visible effect.

Occasionally, a brave soul would hurl a spell toward the beast, bursts of flame, shards of ice, bolts of arcane energy. Some struck, causing the Nightwalker to recoil slightly or halt for a brief moment. But none did lasting harm.

"We need to get the Tower's attention," Jamie panted. "Even if we make it to their gates if they aren't prepared to fight, we'll all be slaughtered."

"Can any of you send something to alert them?" Holz asked, his voice edged with desperation. "Their defenses must be strong, but maybe we can signal them somehow."

Thyra glanced back at the Nightwalker, her brow furrowed. "Perhaps," she said hesitantly. "But we're still too far away, and I'm running low on mana. If it doesn't work, I won't have anything left."

Trying to think of something, Jamie assessed the distance to the Arcane Tower. 'It should be at least five hundred meters? Something like this.'

"Let me try something," he declared.

Coming to an abrupt halt, Jamie turned to face the Tower. Without an instrument, this type of magic would be weaker, but he had to give it a shot.

[Thundering Drums] he invoked, clapping his palms together with force.

A shockwave erupted from his hands, a powerful pulse of sound rippling outward. The air vibrated with intensity, windows rattling and loose debris shaking as the wave cascaded ahead of them. Buildings in the path of the spell quivered visibly; dust and small stones tumbled from their facades.

They waited for a tense moment, their breaths held. 'Did it reach them? Would the mages understand the signal?'

"I don't know if that was enough," Thyra murmured, concern etched across her face.

Jamie gritted his teeth. "We can't wait to find out. Keep moving toward the Tower!"

As another blast of dark energy seared past them, it carved a jagged scar through the cobblestone streets, sending shards of stone and clods of earth exploding into the air.

"When we reach the bridge, we have to cross quickly! If it fires something like that again..." Thomas shouted.

Unaware of the true nature of the calamity but alarmed by the colossal creature pursuing the bard, crowds of nobles spilled into the streets. Clad in opulent garments and dripping with jewels, they gazed in bewildered horror at the unfolding scene.

"Who is bringing that monstrosity here?" demanded a lord, his plumed hat askew atop his graying hair.

"It's those vagabonds over there!" a lady shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger adorned with glittering rings at Jamie and his companions.

"By the gods, look at what they're doing!" another noblewoman gasped, clutching a bejeweled hand to her chest.

"Someone stop them at once!" bellowed a portly merchant, his face flushed with panic.

Jamie clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to hurl a retort. 'If only the Nightwalker would turn its wrath upon them instead,' he thought bitterly. But the creature's gaze was locked solely on him, and there was no time to indulge in fantasies.

They raced towards the stone bridge arching over the river, the only passage leading directly to the Arcane Tower. As they approached, Jamie could see the city's army marching from the Hafenstadt mansion's direction. Lines of soldiers in armor marched in disciplined ranks, their banners snapping sharply in the wind.

'If they confront the Nightwalker, they'll be slaughtered.' Jamie noticed. To make things worse, he was the one who had requested their support.

"Thomas... do you still have any energy left?" Jamie called out, breathless.

"A bit. What do you need?" Thomas replied, matching Jamie's stride.

"Break off from us and get to Maria! Explain what's happening. The soldiers can't fight this thing. We need mages, only mages," Jamie urged.

Thomas nodded, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow. "Understood... Be careful." With a final glance, he veered away, sprinting towards the approaching soldier ranks.

Jamie continued onward, flanked by Thyra and Holz.

They were mere strides away from the bridge when the ground beneath them trembled violently; the Nightwalker was closing in.

However, hope flared within them as they dashed across the bridge.

Reaching the Tower's grand entrance, they skidded to a halt before the enormous double doors. Jamie pounded his fists against the unyielding surface. "Open up! We need help!" he shouted.

A disembodied voice, cold and devoid of emotion, resonated from the door. "You are not authorized to enter."

"Damn it!" Jamie cursed, frustration boiling over. "I don't want to come in! Just summon someone, anyone!"

His arguments were met with silence.

"Thyra, bring down the door!" Jamie commanded.

Thyra hesitated. She knew attacking the Arcane Tower was useless; the gate was designed to withstand sieges. But they were trapped between a relentless nightmare and an impenetrable fortress.

"Understood," she replied. Drawing upon her dwindling reserves of magic, she summoned a spear of razor-sharp ice. Frost crystallized along her forearms, and the air around her plummeted in temperature.

With a fierce cry, she hurled the icy projectile at the door. The spear struck with a thunderous impact, shards exploding in every direction. But the door stood unharmed, the magic absorbing the blow without so much as a scratch.

For a heartbeat, all was still. Then, a siren began to wail, its sound echoing through the air.

"Alert. The Tower is under attack. Defensive protocols activated," the disembodied voice intoned.

"Yes!" Jamie exclaimed, a flicker of triumph sparking in his eyes. "They'll have to respond now!"

But his triumph was short-lived. An unearthly roar shattered the air. Turning, Jamie's blood ran cold at the sight behind them.

The Nightwalker had crossed the bridge.

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