the chilling adventures of sabrina: The Rise of Levi Morningstar

The cracking branches sent a chill down their spines. The group instinctively huddled together, gripping their weapons—Steve with his signature nail bat, Lucas with his slingshot, and Max gripping her flashlight tightly. Levi took a deep breath, feeling the magic surge within him.

From the darkness, a low growl rumbled through the trees.

Eleven narrowed her eyes, stepping forward, her hand raised. "It's close," she muttered.

Levi could sense it too—something ancient lurked in the woods, standing between them and the rift.

Then, the shadows shifted, and it emerged.

A hulking, twisted creature, standing over eight feet tall, covered in blackened bark and pulsing veins of red light. Its face was featureless, save for two burning white eyes. Vines slithered across its body, writhing like they had minds of their own.

Dustin gasped. "That's not a Demogorgon…"

Levi's fists clenched. "No. It's a guardian."

Lucas gave him a sharp look. "A what?"

Levi's voice was grim. "Somewhere nearby, there's a weak point—a rift between our world and the Upside Down. This thing is here to protect it."

The creature let out a deep, guttural roar, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.

Steve cursed. "Okay, so, what's the plan?!"

Before Levi could answer, the guardian attacked.

With terrifying speed, the creature lunged—massive claws slashing through the air. Eleven threw up her hands, stopping it with her telekinesis, but the sheer force sent her skidding backward.

"El!" Mike shouted, rushing to her side.

Levi's eyes burned with energy as he thrust out his hands, sending a wave of fire at the creature. The flames licked at its bark-like body, but instead of burning, the creature absorbed them—its red veins glowing brighter.

Dustin's eyes widened. "It eats fire?! That's so unfair!"

Lucas loaded his slingshot, aiming for the creature's eyes. He fired—thwip!—but the rock bounced off harmlessly.

Max gritted her teeth. "Well, that's useless."

The guardian roared again and slammed its massive arm down, cracking the earth and sending shockwaves through the forest. The group was thrown off their feet, tumbling backward.

Levi groaned as he pushed himself up. "Alright, fire's useless… but maybe—"

He clapped his hands together, summoning a shockwave of energy that sent the guardian stumbling back. It wasn't much, but it gave them a second to regroup.

Eleven stood, wiping blood from her nose. She locked eyes with Levi. "We do it together."

Levi nodded. "On my signal."

The guardian roared again and charged.

Levi stretched out his hand, and the ground beneath the creature shifted, stone spikes erupting from the earth. At the same time, Eleven threw out both hands, sending the creature hurtling into the air with her telekinesis.

"NOW!" Levi shouted.

Steve, Lucas, and Max sprang into action—hurling whatever they had at the airborne creature. Dustin tossed a firecracker, which exploded in its face, disorienting it.

Eleven let out a scream, her power intensifying. Levi clenched his fists, his magic flaring as he twisted his hand—slamming the creature back down with bone-crushing force.

The impact shook the trees. The guardian let out a final, pained howl before collapsing, its body dissolving into dark mist.

Silence fell over the forest.

The group stood there, panting, staring at the spot where the creature had vanished.

Steve wiped his forehead. "So… that was horrible."

Dustin grinned. "That was awesome."

Levi took a deep breath, looking toward the trees. "The rift has to be close."

Eleven nodded. "I can feel it."

Mike swallowed. "Then we should hurry. If that thing was guarding it… there might be worse waiting for us."

Levi exhaled, tightening his fists. The real fight was only beginning.