"Scarlett?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the growls and wails of the retreating monsters. His heart raced, hope flickering to life amidst the terror. "Could she have returned?"
As the light intensified, Kato's eyes began to water, but he refused to look away. He squinted, his vision blurred by tears, desperate to see through the blinding radiance. The monsters, meanwhile, stumbled about in pure agony, their guttural growls growing weaker with each passing moment.
Finally, their horror forms exploded like living bombs, showering the cave in their vile, blackened fluids. Startled, Kato instinctively raised his other arm to shield his face from the onslaught.
The air grew thick with the sickening stench of monster gore, a smell so overpowering that Kato's stomach churned violently. Louise, gagged before doubling over, unable to contain the wave of nausea. Both of them retched, their bodies rebelling against the noxious fumes that clung to the cavern walls.
