VALERIA

I had only ever heard of them in children's horror stories.

They were almost impossible to find, and nearly no one had survived after seeing them.

Beings of pure dark energy and evil—rotting, murderous magic.

Its red eyes, like two deep abysses filled with flames, stared at me from that shapeless face, making me tremble in fear.

Its body was made of a black mist, with long, dangling strands that hung from every part of it as it advanced toward me.

Its arms were far too long, disproportionate, with massive, razor-sharp claws that could slice me clean through.

I crawled backward, dragging myself across the ground. I couldn’t feel my legs.

My heart was pounding so fast I thought it would stop at any moment.

I tried to get up multiple times, failing each attempt.

It loomed over me, and through the darkness, I saw with terror as it opened a wide mouth filled with crooked teeth and grinned, making every hair on my body stand on end.

"AAAHHH!" I screamed, covering my face as the inti