SEVERED

    BYMICHAELYICHAO

    Theboyranatadeadsprint，drivenbyterror

    Underthesliverofawaningmoon，darknessswallowedhissurroundingswithonlythefainteststarlightgivingasilversheentothemistynight.Silhouettesoftreesflashedby.Thelanternintheboy’shandflickeredandsputtered，indangerofsnuffingout.Butitwasnotthedarknesshefeared

    Itwasthethingthatstalkedhiminthedarkness

    Theboyhadfeltitfirst—asuddenchillinthesummerair，acreepingdreadthatclutchedathisheart.Sensationsthathemighthavedismissedassymptomsofthelatehourandalongnight.Onanyotheroccasion，hewouldhavechastisedhimselfforindulginginhisimagination.Hewasthirteennow，toooldtobeafraidofdartingshadowsandharmlessspirits

    Butthisspirithadopenedglowingblueeyesandstaredintohissoul.Thisshadowhadwhisperedhisname

    Theboyriskedaglancebehindtoseeifitstillfollowed，andpromptlyslammedintosomething.Hefellback，thebreathknockedfromhislungs，andhislanternclatteredtohisside，itsweaklightflutteringwildly.Surpriseandpainshiftedquicklytofearashesawthefigureloomingoverhi

    Aman，tallandlithe，stoodwithabaretorso，unfazedbytheunusuallychillynight.Fromthewaistdown，looserobesbillowedinthewind，frayedfromwear.Anintricatebeltofwovenropetiedstrangemasksacrosshiswaist，monstrousvisagestrappedinalabaster.Bandagesboundbothhisarms，andeachhandgraspedablade—oneoftemperedsteel，shimmeringinthemoonlight，theothershininganominousred

    Yetitwastheman’sfacethatlefttheboyfrozen

    Thosecoldblueeyespeereddownthroughacruelmaskthatradiatedthesamestrangeredastheman’sblade.Themaskgraspedtheman’sface，nearlydevouringhissternfrown

    “S-stayback!”theboycroaked

    “Itisnotmeyoushouldfear，”themanspoke，hisvoiceasoftgrowl，eyesfixedonsomepointbeyondtheboy

    Confusionknittheboy’sbrowashefollowedtheman’sgaze.Whathesawsenthimscramblingtohisfeet

    Avagueshapehoveredinthemists.Ifthestrangerhadn’tpointeditout，theboymighthavemisseditaltogether.Themisttwistedintowideeyesandslittedpupils，andtheoutlineo******mberingbodytookform，visiblewhereitpushedthefogawaytoleaveanegativespace.Theboysquinted.Somethingelseglistenedinthefoggynight…Teeth?

    Hehadneverseenanythinglikeit，yetitsomehowfeltfamiliar.Liketheboyknewthisthing.Itdrewhim，compelledhimtowardit.Hetookatentativestepforward

    Somethingcoldpiercedthroughhischest

    Theboylookeddowninshockatthetipofashiningredblade.Hismindracedashisbreathgrewchoppyfrompanic，expectingpainandblood.Butneithercame.Instead，astrangenumbnessspreadthroughhisbody.Behindhim，heheardthemanmutterunderhisbreath，andastrangesigilappearedintheairinfrontofthem，asifpaintedbyaninvisiblebrush.Aword—orname?—theboydidnotrecognize

    “W-what—”

    Themanignoredhim.“Mybladeseesyourtruename，azakana.”

    Theboyfelttheswordpulledfromhisbody，andhefelltohisknees，gasping.Hishandsflewtohischest—buttherewasnopunctureorwound.Evenmorestrange，theboyfeltlighter，asifsomeburdenhadbeenexcised.Helookedup，andawallofteethmethisgaze

    Thecreaturelunged

    Aclashofsteelrangout.Themaskedstrangerstoodbeforehim，bladesblockingthecreature’smassive，palefangs.No—itwasnottheman，butashadowyspiritinhisform.Theboylookedbehindhimwherethemanhimselfstood，eyesclosed，asifinmeditation.Ashiverrandowntheboy’sspineasthechillintheairnowseepedintohisbones，andwitheachmotionofthestrugglingmonsterandman，hefelthissoullurchandsway，theirveryexistenceexertingapalpableforceoverhim.Theboystaredinawe

    Whatishe?

    Thespiritswordsmanpushedthecreatureback，thenburstintoswirlingtendrilsofsmoke，washingovertheboyasitreturnedtothebodyofthestranger.Thehideouscreaturebellowedinrage.Astheboysquinted，hecouldseeotherpartsofthebeastthroughthemist—mattedfur，claws，ahugetorso—butwhenhetriedtofocusonthewholebody，partswouldfadeoutfromfocus

    Youdaredenywhatisalreadymine?Arasping，impossiblevoicereverberatedintheboy’smind，cuttingthroughtherattlinggrowlsheheardfromthemonster.Theboybelongstome

    Theboy’sstomachdropped.Itcanspeak?

    “Nothinginthisrealmbelongstoyou，”themansaid，unfazed.“Cower，TaanKo’au!”

    Thoughthewordsmeantnothingtotheboy，theirutterancemadehisskincrawl.Yettheireffectwasfarmorepronouncedonthecreature，whichemittedanear-splittingsqueal.Twisting，sinuousmusclewrappedaroundpaleteethandclaws.Fourscarleteyesnarrowedonitshorrificface，gloweringatopalumberingtorsoofgrayhairthatshimmeredintoexistence，ephemeralwispsturnedtofleshandbone

    “Soyouarenamed，”themanwiththebrokenmasksaid.“Soyouarerevealed.”

    Adefianthowlshooktheground.Themanshiftedhisstance，crouchinglowashebroughtbothswordstobear

    “Soyoushallperish.”

    Thebeastcharged，butthestrangerdashedforwardsofastthattheboynearlymissedhim.Swordsslicedthroughthemoonlight，oneflashingsilver，theotherleavingablood-redtrailinitswake.Ichorsprayedfromthecreatureasitfelltotheground

    “Slumber，azakana.Youareunmooredfromflesh.”Themanstrodeforwardandplungedbothbladesdeepinthecreature.Itroared，thenwheezed

    Theboystaredasitsbodydissipatedintoaswirlingfog，itsmonstrousfacecontortingthroughagamutofexpressionsasitshrankandcalcifiedintoanalmosthuman-likeappearance，finallyassumingtheshapeof…amask.Hiseyeswidenedinrecognition.Thoughitstillpossessedthefoureyesofthemonsterinadistorted，exaggeratedpose，itlookedalmostmournful—andeerilyclosetohisownface

    Withashudder，themaskfloatedupwardtowardtheman’soutstretchedhand.Withafluidmotion，hesheathedhisswordandtiedthemasknexttotheothersonhiswaist.Thenheturnedtoleave

    “Whatareyou?”theboyasked

    “Once，Iknewtheanswer.Butnow…”Thestrangerpaused.Hefixedtheboywithasteelgaze

    Aquestiontumbledfromtheboy’slips.“Wasthatthing…me?”

    “Onlyafesterednightmare，feastingonyoursorrows.Butyouaren’tdefinedbyitanylonger.”

    Theboybithislip.“It’smyfault.I’mweak—nevergoodenough.Myfatherwasright.”

    Withoutasound，themanturnedasthoughtoapproach，andtheboyrecoiledalmostbyhabit.Thestranger’sexpressionsoftenedeversoslightly

    “Thosewelovesaythethingsthathurtusmost.”Themanpulledthemaskfromhiswaist，examiningit.“Despairdevoursourownvoice，wearingtheguiseofreason—claimingtoshowuswhoweare.Butitonlyshowsusawarpedversionofourtrueselves.”

    Heturnedthemaskaroundandhelditaloftfortheboytosee.Itseemedsmall，fragile…Toothless

    “Piercethroughitsfalsehoodstofindyourtruth.”Thesmallesthintofasmilecrossedtheman’sface.“You’llbejustfine，Andu.”

    Withthat，thestrangerturnedaway，leavingtheboyaloneinthedarkwoods

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