"Tsk."

  Lucius muttered under his breath as he pocketed the spare change he’d just scored from an elderly couple.

  “Still short a dollar, can't even buy a cup of coffee.”

  The convenience store’s parking lot was his usual haunt on warm days. From his favorite spot, he had a clear view of the customers but stayed out of sight of the store clerk. He plopped down, massaging the soreness in his legs—a cruel souvenir of yesterday’s long walk across town. After a moment, he patted his pocket to check the coins again and stood up. Maybe he could bug that couple one more time.

  Then the images hit.

  They came out of nowhere, unbidden and vivid. Lucius froze as his vision filled with the image of a tall, gaunt man in medieval garb standing before a magnificent crystal palace. The man’s solemn figure was dwarfed by the towering structure, its battlements glowing with runes and spires refracting a kaleidoscope of light.

  “What the hell? Am I falling asleep...”

  He rubbed his eyes and tried to shake the images out of his mind, but the scene only grew sharper. It wasn’t just visuals now—the images carried emotions that crashed into him like waves: despair, anger, sadness, regret. They weren’t his, but they radiated from the man in the vision.

  “Did I finally lose it?” Lucius glanced around. Everyone in the parking lot had stopped, their startled faces mirroring his own.

  In the vision, the man raised a staff, shouting as a shadowy creature emerged from the distance. The towering figure of darkness exuded a sickening dread, its shape shifting and undulating like living nightmares. Tentacles lashed out toward the man, who stood his ground, his staff glowing with brilliant white light.

  Lucius’ stomach churned. The sheer malevolence of the shadow creature seemed to claw at him, and he clenched his hand over his chest as he continued staring at the strange scene unfolding in his mind.

  The man’s lips moved, murmuring words Lucius couldn’t recognize but somehow understood. He was asking for forgiveness. Resolve etched itself onto the man’s face as he charged into the heart of the writhing mass. Tentacles wrapped around him, the sound of crunching bones soon followed as the bottom half of the mans body was crushed. He was soon dragged, still alive into the writhing mass of shadow, until even the last inch of skin could not be seen. A long moment of silence filled the vision, before a blinding explosion of light ripped through the darkness, nearly blasting the towering monster in two. Then, just as suddenly, the vision vanished.

  Lucius staggered backward a few short steps with eyes wide open, his heart pounding. He wasn’t the only one shaken.

  “What was that, Jimmy?” the elderly woman near the store asked, clutching her husband’s arm. “Who was that man?”

  Jimmy’s hands trembled as he replied, “I… I don’t know. I don't like it, let’s get home.”

  Lucius barely registered their words. A surge of panic filling his chest, it was the same unnatural unease he’d felt when he first saw the shadow creature. Then, like a slap to the face, glowing text appeared in his vision:

  Latent talent detected.

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  You have unlocked the talent Sense Danger.

  Sense Danger – Level 1.

  “No way.”

  He didn't have time to ponder the meaning of the sudden words. The new talent's magical warning was blaring inside of him, it was too loud to ignore.

  “Wai... wait a minute!”

  The old man didn’t even turn his head as he shouted back, “Leave us alone! We already gave you money!”

  “No, that’s not what I—” Before Lucius could finish, the sky darkened as if a great shadow had swallowed the sun. The alarm in his chest cranked up to eleven. His legs started to shake, change jingling in his pocket, as he felt his palms turn clammy with sweat. “Something’s wrong. We… n-need to hide.” He wanted to scream, but the words barely came out as a mumble. He couldn’t think clearly as fight or flight was kicking in, and his feet started to move before he realized where he was going, bolting toward the store's entrance.

  Bounding up to the doors he grabbed the handle, yanking them open and darting inside. He glanced around the small store: a young man stood behind the register, and a middle-aged woman waited in line with a boy who looked about ten or twelve. Lucius slammed the door shut behind him. The same instant screams erupted outside.

  The loudest came from the old woman and her husband. The old man knelt near their car, a strange creature the size of a housecat clamped to his face. The insect-like monster resembled a giant flying crab with clawed legs, but it had a sharp proboscis-like mouth, like a mosquito. The creature’s proboscis pierced the man’s left eye. He screamed, his fingers clawing at its body, but his struggle didn’t last long. As the proboscis sank deeper, his movements stopped. Blood streamed down his face as he went unnaturally still, his higher brain functions destroyed.

  “Someone help him!” The young boy stepped toward the door, but his mother yanked him back.

  “You aren’t going out there!” she said firmly, gripping his arm.

  The clerk grabbed a broomstick from behind the counter and charged toward the door. Lucius blocked his way, pressing a hand to the man’s chest.

  “Don’t go!”

  “What are you talking about? Get out of my way!” the clerk snapped, shoving Lucius’ hand aside.

  “Just listen! I can’t explain, but—”

  A deafening buzzing cut Lucius off. Outside, an entire swarm of the oversized insects descended on the parking lot. The elderly woman tried to run toward the store, but the swarm overtook her. She flailed and clawed at the creatures, but they quickly covered her completely.

  “They’ll get inside! We need to seal the building!” the boy’s mother shouted, clutching her son.

  “We have tables in the break room; they’ll cover the glass!” the clerk yelled.

  Lucius and the clerk rushed to grab the tables. They taped them over the windows with duct tape, but as Lucius worked, his danger sense flared. He dropped the tape, grabbed the broom, and scanned the room. His eyes landing on the bathroom door as the magical sensation in his chest pulsed the moment he looked in that direction.

  “What’s wrong?”, The clerk saw Lucius' actions and looked around quickly with furrowed brows as he asked the question.

  Lucius didn't respond as he moved toward the bathroom, shoving the door open with the end of the broom. Glancing inside, he saw that a window was propped open on the far side of the room, just enough for one of the creatures to squeeze through. Which it was currently doing, moving too quickly for Lucius to stop as it crawled inside before taking flight.

  “Help!” Lucius yelled, swinging the broom wildly as the creature buzzed past him.

  The creature flew into the main room of the store and quickly selected the smallest human as it's target, shooting across the store with a loud hum as it dive-bombed toward the young boy. His mother tried to block it's path, holding her purse up like a shield, but the insect easily veered around her. Its claws latched onto the boy’s face, but before its proboscis could pierce his skin, a blast of white powder knocked it away. The boy looked up to see the clerk holding a fire extinguisher.

  “Keep spraying!” Lucius shouted as he smashed the broom into the embattled insect. The creatures armored carapace was strong, and the first swing barely harmed it. Again and again, he struck, fueled by adrenaline and panic. Finally, with a sickening crunch, the creature’s shell gave way.

  You have defeated juvenile abyssal insectum level 1.

  You have reached level 2. You have 1 attribute point available for distribution.

  Through effort, you have gained +1 to the Strength attribute.

  Through effort, you have raised Sense Danger to level 2.

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