Before I could even calm my racing heart, the ground trembled again. My body froze as another guttural roar echoed through the villa grounds, louder and closer than before. My breath hitched. From the shadows between the trees, a second mutant emerged — this one larger, its grotesque form glistening under the moonlight, moving with a wild, uncontrolled hunger.
I could barely react.
But before it could take a single step toward me, a sharp gust of wind brushed past my cheek. In that fleeting second, Hugo was already there.
No, he didn't hesitate. He moved like a blur.
The next thing I knew, the terrifying mutant was pinned to the ground, Hugo's arm pressing against its massive neck. His eyes were cold, sharp as blades, his aura suffocating even from where I stood. That lime scent—thick, dense, yet oddly calming—flooded the air, overpowering the stench of the mutant's rancid breath.
