{Casper’ Pov}
My eyes widened involuntarily, already seeing my life flash before my eyes…
But… nothing came. Nothing happened.
The beast simply collapsed.
Flat on the sand. In an instant, its body deflated like a lantern folding. Maggots, ooze, and all things wrong escaped its now rotten form.
An almost physical sigh of relief escaped my body, instantly making me feel lighter.
I took in a breath and instantly regretted it. I held back the urge to throw up when the smell… Oh the smell… crawled up my nose and violated my lungs. Yet all I could do was stand rooted, legs weak.
A hush fell over the arena. The crowd, the judges, the spectators — everyone was silent.
I didn’t move. Couldn’t really… Neither did the beast.
The drums had stopped. The horns had gone silent.
For a moment,
