~Ciela
The creature’s head snapped toward us. Its body shivered once, like liquid reforming, then it bolted—straight toward the outer border of the district.
For a second, Lina and I just stared. Then instinct took over.
“After it!” I shouted, already running.
The cobblestones blurred under my feet. The monster—small, fast, disturbingly graceful—slid between lampposts and vendor carts, scattering loose paper and startled birds. The sound it made wasn’t a roar or a growl, but a low, pulsing hiss, almost mechanical, like air escaping a cracked pipe.
It darted down an alley near the edge of the city wall, and we followed, breath sharp in our throats. When it stopped, it turned.
For the first time, I saw it clearly.
The thing was child-sized—thin-limbed, hairless, its skin smooth and da
