Hope barely had time to process what had happened.
The force of the Ant Fiend's charge had been overwhelming, sending him crashing into a jagged rock formation.
Pain exploded through his back, rattling his bones as he slumped to the ground.
Dust and debris rained down, filling his lungs as he gasped for air.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The moment he tried to tighten his grip—
His dagger was gone.
Not dropped.
Not knocked away.
Destroyed.
The blade had splintered into nothingness, dissolving into specks of fading light.
Then, a voice echoed in his mind—
"Your memory has been destroyed."
Hope's blood ran cold.
His first memory. The one he had gotten from Kelvin.
Gone.
His fingers curled into a tight fist.
He gnashed his teeth, a mix of frustration and desperation coursing through him.
He had never lost a memory before.
Cough it was he's first anyways.....
It was like a part of him had just been ripped away.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Because the Ant Fiend wasn't waiting.
The ground trembled as the massive creature lurched forward, mandibles snapping open with a metallic click.
Hope forced himself to move.
In one swift motion, he switched weapons, drawing his sickle-like daggers.
Their weight felt different in his hands.
A little heavier. More curved.
A different fighting style.
And he barely had time to adjust before the fiend was upon him again.
Hope charged forward—
Only to immediately regret it.
The Ant Fiend's movements were too fast, too erratic—
Its massive body shouldn't have been able to move this quickly.
But it did.
The moment Hope closed the distance, the fiend spun—
Its razor-sharp legs lashed out like scythes.
Hope barely had time to react.
He raised his dagger to block—
The impact sent him staggering, his arm numb from the force.
"Shit—!"
Then the fiend lunged again.
Hope tried to sidestep, but he was too slow—
A clawed leg raked across his chest, tearing through fabric and slicing into flesh.
A burning pain flared along his ribs as blood seeped from the wound.
Hope sucked in a sharp breath, his vision swimming for a moment.
This thing was too strong.
If he kept trading blows like this, he wouldn't last.
He needed space.
Hope kicked off the ground, flipping backward to put some distance between them.
His injured leg protested—sharp pain flaring as he landed, his stance unsteady.
The Ant Fiend didn't hesitate.
It lunged again, mandibles snapping like a guillotine.
Hope had no choice.
He dropped low, skidding beneath the attack.
The fiend's massive body sailed over him—
But even then, it lashed out with its hind legs, aiming to crush him.
Hope twisted, barely avoiding the full brunt of the attack—
But one of the legs clipped his shoulder, sending a fresh wave of pain through his body.
His entire arm went numb, his grip on the dagger weakening for a moment.
Too many injuries.
Too many mistakes.
He was being overwhelmed.
And the fiend was still at full strength.
Hope gritted his teeth, his breath ragged.
He was losing.
And he knew it.