~Laurent
The forest was alive with sound — snapping twigs, the rush of breath, the steady rhythm of pursuit. The monster moved fast, a blur of motion between branches, claws scraping bark. Denzel’s lightning illuminated the dark in short, fierce bursts as we ran, shadows leaping and twisting in the flashes.
“Left!” I shouted.
He veered just as the creature dropped from above, landing where he’d been a moment earlier. The ground split under its weight.
“Persistent bastard, isn’t it?” Denzel panted, sparks dancing around his hands.
“It’s running,” I said, low. “Means it’s hurt.”
“Then we better finish it off before it recovers.”
We picked up speed. The forest thinned, the trees pulling back to reveal a slope that dropped sharply into an open pit. The monster didn’t hesitate — it leapt
