Shuffle, shuffle—the sound grew louder and louder as I slept, an ominous noise that gnawed at the edges of my dreams. A guttural moan followed, accompanied by heavy, rasping breaths that seemed to draw closer. I tossed and turned, my mind fogged with sleep, but the noise persisted, growing impossible to ignore.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes, groggy and disoriented. My heart sank. Looming over me, bathed in the dim, hellish glow of the abyss, stood the Minotaur. Its glowing white sclera burned into my vision like a haunting specter. Drool dripped from its gaping maw, and in its massive hands, it clutched a battle axe, raised high and poised to split my head in two.

  Instinct overruled thought. I rolled to the side just as the axe came crashing down with terrifying speed. A wet crunch filled the air as it embedded itself into the ground where I’d just been. Pain shot through me as I scrambled to escape, but something was wrong. My balance was off; my body moved sluggishly, clumsily. Then I saw it.

  My left arm was gone.

  The stump where my arm had been gushed blood, painting the ground crimson. My stomach churned as shock rippled through me. I let out a scream, raw and primal, a sound that tore from my throat before I could process it.

  "BELROOOS!" I cried, clutching at the wound with my remaining hand, my fingers slick with my own blood.

  A massive fireball slammed into the Minotaur’s back, the force of the explosion rocking the ground beneath me. The beast roared in rage and spun toward the source.

  "Don’t you dare touch that boy any longer!" Belros shouted, her voice fierce and commanding.

  The Minotaur bellowed in response and charged at her, its axe glinting menacingly in the dim light.

  "I can’t believe you followed us this far," Belros snarled, half-amused despite the dire situation. "I didn’t think you’d be this desperate for a meal."

  She was a sight to behold—bloodied, battered, and barely standing—but her fiery determination shone brighter than the flames she wielded. Even in her weakened state, she exuded power.

  I tried to rise, to help her, but my body wouldn’t respond. My severed arm, the blood loss—it was too much.

  Belros squared off against the towering Minotaur, her body battered but her resolve unshaken. Her hands glowed with the fiery energy she had left, flames licking at her fingertips as she prepared to defend both herself and me.

  The Minotaur snarled, its massive chest heaving as it gripped its axe, the blade glinting with malicious intent. It charged at her with terrifying speed for something so large, its hooves pounding the ground like thunder.

  Belros barely sidestepped in time, flames bursting from her hands as she countered. The fiery blast struck the beast in the shoulder, forcing it to stumble to the side. Steam hissed from its scorched fur, but the Minotaur hardly seemed fazed. Instead, it bellowed in rage, swinging its axe in a wide arc toward her midsection.

  She ducked, the massive blade whistling over her head, close enough to send a chill through her despite the searing heat of her magic. Without missing a beat, she spun on her heel, extending her arm to hurl a stream of fire at its face. The Minotaur roared, shielding its eyes with its massive forearm, but the attack only seemed to enrage it further.

  "Come on, you overgrown beast!" she taunted, her breath ragged but her voice steady. "Is that all you’ve got?"

  The Minotaur slammed its axe into the ground with such force that the earth cracked, sending a shockwave toward her. Belros leaped back, but the tremor threw off her balance, and she stumbled. The Minotaur seized the opportunity, lunging forward with its weapon raised high.

  She rolled to the side at the last second, the axe carving deep into the ground where she had been. Quickly recovering, she retaliated with a concentrated fireball, aiming for the Minotaur’s exposed flank. The explosion rocked the battlefield, and the beast staggered, smoke rising from its side.

  Belros pressed the attack, unleashing a volley of smaller, rapid-fire bursts to keep it off balance. Each impact caused the Minotaur to grunt and snarl, but it refused to go down. With an ear-splitting roar, it swung its axe wildly, forcing her to retreat. The flames around her hands flickered weakly now—she was running out of energy.

  "Belros," I croaked, my voice barely audible. "You... you can’t win this fight."

  "I know that," she replied, dodging another swing of the Minotaur’s axe with practiced grace. "But I’m not letting you die here."

  The Minotaur charged again, this time with no pretense. Its sheer size and strength were overwhelming, and Belros knew she couldn’t keep up much longer. With a desperate cry, she summoned the last of her power, a towering inferno that engulfed the creature. For a moment, it disappeared in a blaze of fire and smoke.

  But when the flames subsided, the Minotaur still stood, its fur charred and smoldering but its eyes glowing with fury. It raised its axe once more, preparing to deliver a powerful blow.

  She shot a burst of flames at the Minotaur, momentarily blinding it. Using the distraction, she snatched my weapon from the ground and hurled it toward me.

  "I’ll buy you some time," she said, her voice firm. "Run, Soda. Now!"

  "No," I protested weakly. "I’m not leaving you behind."

  "You’re no use to me dead!" she snapped, her fiery gaze locking onto mine. "Get out of here!"

  "I can’t..." My voice cracked, filled with desperation. "I won’t leave you. Not again."

  Her expression softened for just a moment. "Then as your friend and Legion member, I’m asking you to trust me. I’ll regenerate eventually, but you... If you die here, it’s over."

  The Minotaur roared again, snapping us both back to the moment. Belros launched another volley of fireballs, each one a desperate attempt to keep the beast at bay. My heart ached as I gritted my teeth, anger and frustration boiling within me. I couldn’t just run. Not this time.

  "Run, you damnable fool!" Belros shouted, her voice breaking.

  I turned and ran, each step feeling like a betrayal. My legs moved on their own, driven by sheer survival instinct, but guilt clawed at me with every stride.

  As I sprinted through the dark forest, my ragged breaths echoed in my ears. My left side burned with the phantom pain of my missing arm, and the air felt thick, suffocating. Behind me, the enraged roar of the Minotaur grew louder, its thunderous steps closing the distance. I was out of options, running on sheer desperation.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Then, out of nowhere, a voice echoed in my mind, smooth and taunting yet oddly reassuring.

  Do you wish to have power?

  I shook my head, focusing on the path ahead. “Not now,” I muttered to myself, teeth clenched. But the voice didn’t fade. Instead, it grew louder, more persistent.

  This is the part where you say, ‘Yes, I want the power to defeat my enemies!’ Honestly, humans these days have no sense of drama.

  “What the hell is this?!” I shouted into the void, my panic peaking. A sharp laugh echoed in response. Before I could question my sanity further, a small scythe materialized midair in front of me, its blade gleaming unnaturally even in the darkness. Its handle was intricately carved with swirling patterns, and at its base, a single eye stared at me, unblinking.

  “I’m hallucinating,” I muttered, trying to keep running. But the scythe floated closer, keeping pace with me effortlessly.

  “Hallucination? Rude!” the voice protested. “I’m as real as the blood you’re losing. I’m your weapon, cursed and very much alive. You can call me… well, you’ll name me later. Right now, we need to talk. Stop running!”

  Against all logic, I skidded to a halt. My legs gave way beneath me, and I collapsed to my knees, panting. The forest was unnervingly silent for a moment, the Minotaur’s roars distant but approaching.

  “What do you want?” I snapped.

  “What do I want?” the scythe repeated with mock offense. “I want to help you, of course! Your partner’s dying, and you’re useless as you are. Form a contract with me, and I’ll give you the power you need. Simple, isn’t it?”

  I glared at the weapon. “And what’s the catch?”

  “Clever boy!” it chirped. “The catch is your soul—well, a piece of it. Just a sliver, really. Hardly noticeable, especially when you’re about to die. So, what do you say?”

  I hesitated. Images of Belros flashed through my mind—her determination, her pain, the blood she shed to protect me. My missing arm throbbed, a constant reminder of my helplessness. I couldn’t let her die.

  “Fine,” I whispered, then louder, “Fine! Take whatever you need. Just give me the power to kill that bastard.”

  The eye on the scythe narrowed with glee. “Excellent choice! Now, hold still.”

  Before I could ask why, tendrils of black smoke erupted from the weapon, swirling around me like a living storm. The smoke invaded my senses, filling my lungs, my veins, and my mind. Pain lanced through me, sharp and searing, as though my very essence was being carved away.

  I screamed, clawing at the ground, but the scythe’s voice cut through the agony, calm and almost affectionate.

  “Easy now. This is just your soul and mine intertwining. You’ll survive—probably. Just don’t fight it.”

  The smoke coalesced around my severed arm, and I watched in stunned horror as it reformed—not as flesh and bone, but as something otherworldly. Black flames flickered where skin should have been, and the hand flexed, burning with raw, unholy power. Despite its spectral nature, I could feel it as though it were part of me.

  The smoke dissipated, leaving me clad in a tattered black cloak that clung to my form like a second skin. My eyes burned with a crimson light, reflected faintly in the scythe’s blade.

  “How do you feel?” the weapon asked, its tone almost smug.

  I rose unsteadily, the new power coursing through me both exhilarating and alien. “Like I could tear that thing apart,” I said, my voice colder, harsher.

  “Good,” it purred. “Now, let’s go save your friend—and maybe have a little fun while we’re at it.”

  Without another word, I turned and sprinted back toward the battlefield, my demonic arm crackling with dark energy and the scythe practically humming with anticipation.

  I sprinted back to Belros, who was barely holding her ground. Her eyes widened when she saw me.

  "Soda?" she breathed. "What... what happened to you?"

  "I made a deal," I said. "Now rest. I’ve got this."

  She hesitated but finally nodded, collapsing into my arms. I gently set her down behind a rock and turned to face the Minotaur.

  My blackened cloak billowing like shadows unfurling in the wind. The Minotaur stood over us, its massive form silhouetted against the flickering embers of Belros’ spent fire magic. Blood dripped from its wounds, but its primal fury seemed undiminished. It raised its axe, preparing to deliver a powerful blow.

  “HEY, YOU OVERSIZED COW!” I bellowed, my voice echoing unnaturally as my demonic arm pulsed with black flames. The Minotaur froze, its glowing white eyes locking onto me.

  It turned with a snarl, its massive hooves crushing the ground beneath them as it faced me fully. Its breath came in guttural growls, steam rising from its nostrils.

  “You want a fight?” I growled, raising my spectral arm, the flames licking hungrily at the air. “Then come and get it.”

  The Minotaur roared, a deafening challenge that shook the trees around us. It charged, its massive axe cleaving through the air with terrifying speed.

  But this time, I was ready.

  My demonic arm moved instinctively, raising to meet the strike. The axe collided with a barrier of shadowy flames, sparks flying as the impact sent a shockwave through the clearing. I slid back slightly but held firm, the black fire crackling as it absorbed the force.

  “Not so tough now, are you?” I taunted, the scythe in my right hand twitching with anticipation.

  With a burst of energy, I pushed the axe aside and lunged forward, slashing at the Minotaur’s torso. The scythe cut through its hide like a hot blade through butter, leaving a deep, jagged wound that oozed blackened blood.

  The beast bellowed in pain and swung its axe in a wide arc, forcing me to duck. I rolled beneath the swing, the shadows of my cloak seeming to guide my movements. Coming up behind it, I slashed again, this time targeting the back of its knee.

  The Minotaur stumbled but didn’t fall. It twisted with surprising speed, backhanding me with enough force to send me crashing into a nearby tree. The impact rattled my bones, but the pain was fleeting, dulled by the dark energy coursing through me.

  “Is that all you’ve got?” I spat, wiping blood from my mouth.

  The Minotaur snarled and slammed its axe into the ground, sending a shockwave of debris toward me. I leapt into the air, propelled by a burst of shadowy flames from my feet. Hovering above the beast, I raised the scythe high.

  “Let’s see how you handle this!” I roared, diving toward it with a feral grin.

  The scythe’s blade glowed with a dark crimson light as I brought it down. The Minotaur raised its axe to block, but the scythe shattered the weapon, sending shards of steel flying. The force of the blow drove the beast to its knees.

  For a moment, the Minotaur looked up at me, its glowing eyes filled with rage and a flicker of fear. I didn’t hesitate.

  I thrust my flaming arm forward, plunging it into the Minotaur’s chest. The black fire erupted, engulfing the beast from within. It roared one final time, a sound of pure agony, before collapsing in a heap, its massive body smoldering.

  I staggered back, breathing heavily as the adrenaline began to fade. My demonic arm flickered, the flames dimming slightly. The scythe hummed with satisfaction in my hand.

  “Well done, master,” it purred in my mind. “Though you could’ve been a bit more dramatic with the finishing blow.”

  “Shut up,” I muttered, turning toward Belros. She lay motionless but breathing, her face pale and bruised. I knelt beside her, gently lifting her into my arms.

  As the borrowed power began to fade, I felt the weight of exhaustion crash over me. My spectral arm dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind a phantom ache. My real arm was gone once more, and the pain of its absence was unbearable.

  “Grim,” I muttered, glancing at the scythe now lying inert on the ground.

  “YHmm?” The scythe looked back at me.

  “That’s what I’ll name you, Grim”

  “As you wish,” it replied, a hint of amusement in its voice.

  “You better evolve into some hot chick Grim or I’ll be upset, welcome to the Legion Grim

  “Oh master, you flatterer! I feel our partnership will be quite a productive one. By the way you leveled up exponentially but oh wait, you can’t see your stats due to being a lowly human. Hahah!”

  I rose, carrying Belros toward the distant silhouette of Lucifer’s castle. Behind us, the Minotaur’s body lay still, the flames of my wrath still flickering around it.

  I didn’t respond. Exhausted, I collapsed beside Belros. The last thing I saw before passing out was the looming silhouette of Lucifer’s castle on the horizon.