The moon hung above, but its light was so weak that it barely touched the cemetery below.
The entire area was wrapped in dense fog. Bushes growing up to the knees, old graves scattered between them, and on every grave—the same triangular symbol, filled with cracks and bound by copper plates on all three sides.
The air in the cemetery was heavy.
So heavy… as if every breath belonged to someone else.
The Wraith's claws, buried deep into Raijin's shoulder, slowly pushed in further—
But his focus wasn't on the pain.
In his eyes—
Images flickered.
A blood-soaked battlefield…
Broken bodies…
And a scream—
That wasn't his.
Raijin gritted his teeth and swung his sword.
Clang—!!
He struck with full force.
The Wraith slid backward—
But it didn't fall.
Its body wavered like air…
As if it wasn't completely solid.
As if it didn't fully exist in this world.
"I'll distract it!" Kade roared and leapt forward.
His heavy hammer tore through the air toward the Wraith—
Boom—!!
The ground trembled. Bushes bent. The fog scattered—
But—
The Wraith vanished.
"Behind you!!" Ishan shouted.
In the next instant—
The Wraith appeared behind Kade.
Its claws lunged straight for his neck—
Tak!
Two daggers intercepted the attack.
Ishan.
His eyes were completely focused.
His breathing steady…
"It's slow…" he muttered.
"Just… hard to see properly."
His eyes tried to catch a pattern within the fog.
"Everyone fall back!" Sofiya's voice rang out.
The short sword in her hand gleamed faintly in the moonlight—
Her breathing was heavy—
But her eyes were steady.
A faint wave of heat rose around her body…
The effect of Hell of Fire hadn't fully faded.
She stepped forward.
Fast…
And straight.
The Wraith lunged at her—
But this time—
She was ready.
Shhh—!!
Her blade pierced straight through its chest.
The Wraith staggered back—
But…
It still wasn't finished.
It had avoided a fatal strike at the last moment.
Suddenly—
The scream echoed again.
Louder than before.
All four froze for a moment.
The world twisted again.
Ground… sky… everything flipped for an instant.
Then—
Clank.
Raijin's gaze locked in one direction.
The Grim Howler Wraith stood within the fog, partially visible. The mist wrapped around it, hiding most of its form—but what was visible was enough.
"Now!" Raijin shouted.
Kade charged from the front—
"Come on!!"
He swung directly at the Wraith.
The Wraith blocked his strike—
At that exact moment—
Ishan vanished.
Only a faint shadow remained…
He attacked from above—
But his blades passed straight through.
Like cutting air.
Kade pulled the Wraith's attention back toward himself.
Then—
"Now!!" Sofiya shouted.
Her blade still glowing faintly—
But—
The Wraith suddenly turned—
And its eyes locked onto Raijin.
In its eyes—
Pain…
Anger…
Despair…
Suffering…
And something else—
A strange… silent plea.
Everyone felt it.
They wanted to kill the Wraith—
But hesitation crept into their hearts.
As if their own emotions were turning against them.
The Wraith lunged toward Raijin.
For a moment—
Raijin froze.
His grip loosened.
The same images flashed again—
Blood…
Screams…
Emptiness…
The Wraith didn't miss the chance.
It rushed straight at him—
Its claws aiming for his chest—
But—
Kade stepped in.
Boom!!
His hammer crashed into the Wraith's attacking arm.
Raijin's eyes steadied again.
He took a deep breath.
Raised his sword—
And struck with full force.
Slash—!!
He aimed straight for the Nexus Seed—
To split it in two.
But the blade passed through the Wraith.
At that same moment—
Sofiya's sword pierced into its side,
And Ishan's daggers sank into its shoulders.
Three attacks—
At once.
But the Wraith still stood.
It screamed—
This time—
Like a human crying.
Its body began turning translucent… like smoke.
Yet in its eyes—
Humanity still flickered.
Raijin pulled his sword back and stepped two steps away without turning.
In a trembling voice, he ordered—
"Everyone get out of the five-meter range."
"No one goes within five meters."
Sofiya, Ishan, and Kade understood immediately.
All three moved away from the broken grave.
Then—
Another scream.
This time—
It felt like countless hammers smashing into Raijin's mind at once.
He staggered—
But held himself steady.
The others weren't so lucky.
Their eyes were forced wide open—
As if something was pulling them from within.
Blood began to trickle from the corners of their mouths.
Raijin saw it—
And understood.
If this continued any longer—
They would die here.
"Just focus on me…" he muttered.
And stepped into the five-meter radius.
His heart pounded violently—
As if every instinct was screaming at him to run.
The moment he crossed the boundary—
The pressure on the others decreased.
The Grim Howler Wraith's attention shifted entirely to Raijin.
His black, crescent-shaped blade steadied in the air.
Raijin scanned his surroundings.
The Wraith was fast now—
Darting through the fog.
The fog itself wasn't still anymore—
It was moving… swirling…
Like it was alive.
The next moment—
The Wraith attacked.
Raijin ducked, avoided the strike, and countered instantly.
His blade aimed straight for its chest—
Toward the Nexus Seed.
But—
It passed through again.
His heart pounded harder.
Like he had cut through nothing.
Raijin's eyes widened for a moment.
The Wraith dissolved back into the fog—
As if it had never been there.
Raijin immediately stepped out of the five-meter range and regrouped with the others.
They were in better condition now.
Another scream echoed—
But its effect had lessened.
As if their minds were beginning to adapt.
The Grim Howler Wraith wasn't attacking.
Just screaming.
As if it knew—
Leaving its range meant death.
Raijin stepped toward the grave.
Now he understood.
It had to be killed here—
Within its territory.
Then—
The Wraith attacked again.
But this time—
Not Raijin.
All three turned at once.
Sofiya was on the ground.
Deep claw marks ran across her waist—
Blood flowing out.
The attack had been so fast—
No one could react.
Kade dropped to his knees.
"Are you okay?!"
Sofiya clenched her teeth.
"It's nothing… just a scratch."
"It'll stop bleeding soon."
Raijin, Ishan, and Kade surrounded her.
Then—
A sound.
Like nails scraping against metal.
The next moment—
Raijin, Ishan, and Kade lost their hearing.
Completely.
As if their ears had been sealed shut.
They couldn't even hear their own breathing.
The fog grew thicker.
And the Grim Howler Wraith could now attack from anywhere.
But—
This time…
It wasn't just attacking.
It was playing.
And they—
Were trapped inside its game.
.
.
.
Thank You For Reading This Chaptar.
Author: Mohammed Zaid Saifi