Adventure of Austin Ithens 3

The demon stone pulses in the churned dirt, answering Austin's spirit-touch like a wound reopening. The rhythm in it matches the ache in his own chest, too familiar to ignore.

Striker and the White Devil survivor slam shoulder to shoulder in a silent struggle, both reaching for the stone as the demon claws a trench through the forest floor nearby.

The dark beat in the stone flashes with images Austin cannot mistake, loss stacked on loss, his parents, Hera's parents, all of them pressed into the same cold echo.

The demon jerks toward the sound, then recoils, confused and hungry. Its talons gouge the ground close enough to shake leaves from the branches overhead.

The survivor bares his teeth and strains for one last wrench at the stone, while Striker digs in harder, one hand slipping in the mud but her grip still unbroken.

Austin stands at the center of it, the stone's pull and the demon's rage both turned toward him, and the next breath could decide whether the artifact falls free or the beast comes crashing down.

Austin lunges in, and the stone tears loose from the survivor’s grasp. Striker’s hands shift with it, then Austin catches the pull and hauls, turning the struggle into a shared wrench.

The survivor slips backward in the mud as his balance breaks. The demon throws its head around, the stolen pulse leaving its rider with a furious, empty glare.

Austin and Striker yank together, and the demon stone comes free at last. For a breath, it hangs between them, dark light stuttering in Austin’s grip before the pulse gutters.

The demon whirls away from them and roars toward the trees where the captives fled, its claws ripping up leaves and soil as it charges after fresh prey.