Chapter 8: Selene's Glow
Seven hours had passed.
Dagda stared into the fading light of the mountain trail, a frustrated breath escaping his lips. "We've been walking forever and still no sign of an exit…"
Muscle, wiping sweat from his forehead, nodded. "Yeah. And still no sight of another candidate. It's too quiet."
Luna, trailing slightly behind them, paused. Her black hair shimmered faintly under the soft moonlight filtering through the trees. She raised her fingers—thumb and index touching—then pressed them gently against her eyelids. A subtle glow radiated around her.
"I can't sense anything," she whispered.
Dagda blinked. "Wait—you can sense people?"
"It's my ability," she replied softly. "Selene's Glow."
Muscle turned with curiosity. "Selene's Glow? What's that?"
Luna lowered her hand and looked at them with her calm blue eyes. "My Essentia. It grants me moon-based abilities. I can detect energy patterns and distortions in light."
"Whoa, that's… kinda beautiful," Muscle muttered, impressed. "I've got Primordial Essence. Super strength."
Dagda stared. "Wait—you never told me that!"
Muscle smirked. "That's 'cause you don't ask the right questions."
Luna tilted her head, amused. "And you, Dagda? What Essentia do you have?"
Dagda clenched his fists with pride. A radiant golden aura lit up around him. "Mythic Essence. I control the Light."
Luna's eyes widened in surprise. "Mythic...? That's incredibly rare."
Dagda grinned. "I am a god, after all."
Before Muscle could make a sarcastic remark, a low growl echoed through the trees. All three of them tensed.
From the shadows emerged a monstrous figure—tall, hunched, with four elongated arms ending in rusted hooks. Its body was covered in black sinew, and its hollow eyes gleamed with hunger.
"Here we go again…" Muscle sighed, cracking his knuckles.
Luna's eyes lit with moonlight. Dagda's fists shimmered with solar radiance.
The creature lunged.
Luna moved first. She leapt gracefully into the air, her fingers slicing through space. A crescent of pale light—sharp and clean—burst forth, slashing toward the monster. But it twisted midair, dodging with unnatural speed.
"What?!" Luna whispered.
Before she could react, the creature's claws reached for Muscle. He ducked, but one of its hooks grabbed his arm and flung him into a nearby tree with a bone-shaking crash.
"Muscle!" Dagda shouted, rushing forward.
Light surged from his fists as he drove them into the creature's side. The beast staggered but recovered quickly, swiping back and tearing Dagda's black shirt apart. Blood trickled down his ribs.
Muscle groaned and stood up. "Alright, that's it." He sprinted, slamming his fist into the monster's back with a thunderous blow, snapping one of its arms clean off.
The creature let out a shriek and dissolved into black mist.
A tense silence followed.
Dagda exhaled, his chest rising and falling. "That one was different… stronger."
Luna nodded. "There are things on this mountain worse than monsters."
---
Elsewhere, in a deeper part of the mountain cloaked in thick fog, a man walked alone. His long white hair glistened like ice under the moon. He wore round glasses that veiled his eyes, and a sleek dagger in his hand.
Behind him, a body lay broken on the ground.
Blood pooled at his feet.
Aidan looked down at the corpse, tilting his head like a curious child admiring a painting. He stabbed again—once, twice, eight times. Blood sprayed across his face, but he didn't flinch. He licked his lips. To him, it wasn't murder. It was art. An addiction. His breath slowed as he admired the lifeless stare of his victim.
He walked on.
---
Far from the mountain, back at the Predator Association headquarters, a man stood alone on the balcony.
Ronan gazed up at the moon, his silver hair glowing under the night sky. The quiet breeze whispered past, but his thoughts screamed louder.
He could still hear his mother's voice—the warmth in it before she died.
"Always be kind, Ronan. Help others."
Tears welled in his eyes. The past haunted him like a shadow he couldn't escape. His fists clenched at the railing.
"I'll protect them," he whispered. "I have to."
---
Back at the mountain's summit, several candidates had already passed Phase One. They waited near the checkpoint, sharing quiet conversations. No one spoke too loudly. The mountain had changed them.
Meanwhile, deep below, Luna stood firm as another eerie growl echoed from the dark. The creature—Hook—had returned, dragging itself across the rocks, its single remaining arm twitching violently.
"Let's finish this," Dagda said, fists glowing again.
Moonlight danced across Luna's skin. She stepped forward, her hair lifting slightly in the air. The mark of the moon glowed on her forehead.
Together, they charged.
And above them all, the mountain watched.