The moment Clayton saw the towering wall of water, his body tensed. Only one thought echoed in his mind: Run!
Shaking with panic, he scrambled to his feet and bolted as fast as he could. But the fear gripping him was so intense, his legs felt like jelly.
He moved sluggishly, stumbling several times, nearly falling flat on his face. Yet, driven by a desperate will to survive, each time he fell, he forced himself back up.
He kept glancing back, heart pounding, watching the state of the water wall. Though it hadn't collapsed yet, it was still growing—both in volume and pressure.
Clayton silently thanked the heavens that the tsunami's formation was taking long enough to buy him time. But that same fact terrified him. If the wave truly broke loose, the devastation would be unimaginable.
Fueled by raw survival instinct, Clayton pushed himself harder, racing toward the trial gate. The sight of it growing closer filled him with hope.
