The first knuckle crested the cliff's edge.
It was as thick as Aaren's chest, blackened with a chitinous sheen that reflected the pale, dying light. The fingers clawed into the stone like it was wet clay, pulling a body behind them that the mist refused to fully reveal. Only the eyes—those molten, predatory eyes—shone through.
Lenara stepped back until her boots brushed Aaren's. "That's… way too big for a welcoming party."
Tibbin was still pale, clutching his ribs where the creature's earlier strike had nearly broken him. "I vote we leave. Immediately. Like, before I finish this sentence."
Koro—normally the one making light of danger—was uncharacteristically quiet, watching the thing climb with furrowed brows. "I don't like this one. It's not just hungry. It's thinking."
The ground beneath them shuddered as another hand slammed onto the cliff edge, gouging trenches in the rock. Aaren's grip on Levitine tightened, the sword's weight steady in his hands, its voice low and urgent in his mind.
> "Do not let it touch you, Aaren. Not even for a breath."
"Why?" Aaren asked between clenched teeth.
> "Because then, it will know everything."
The monster's head emerged. Its face was a disturbing blend of bone and muscle, as though skin had never been part of its design. Rows of jagged teeth gnawed the air with every breath, and a voice like gravel dragged across steel rumbled out:
"Threadbearer…"
Aaren felt his stomach twist. He didn't know what that word meant, but it felt like it belonged to him in some way he didn't want to admit.
Withered Flame stepped forward, claws flaring with dark heat. "You want him, you'll go through me."
The creature smiled—or at least widened the gaps in its teeth. "Gladly."
It lunged.
Everything shattered into movement.
Lenara grabbed Tibbin and shoved him toward the right flank. "Tibbin! Keep low! Distract it if you can!"
"Distract it? Are you insane—" Tibbin's protest was cut short as Lenara shoved him harder.
Koro darted left, tossing small explosive talismans that detonated in sharp flashes of light. The monster flinched, the mist briefly parting to show its massive torso—stitched with scars that didn't look like they belonged to one creature alone.
Aaren's instincts took over. He swung Levitine in an upward arc just as the creature's arm came down, the blade carving a line of silver fire along its forearm. The monster hissed, pulling back.
> "Good," Levitine murmured in his mind. "You can wound it. That means it bleeds."
But there was no time to celebrate. The other arm swept across in a wide arc, catching Withered Flame and slamming him against the cliff wall hard enough to crack the stone. The impact echoed like thunder.
"Withered!" Aaren shouted.
"I'm fine!" came the strained reply—but the blood on his lips said otherwise.
The creature's eyes snapped back to Aaren. "You will not hide behind them."
It surged forward, faster than its bulk should allow. Aaren raised Levitine, but the ground under him gave way—chunks of cliff breaking off into the abyss. He stumbled, and the monster's hand reached out.
For a moment, Aaren's vision narrowed to nothing but that claw, those blackened fingers stretching toward his chest.
Then Lenara appeared, leaping between them with a wild grin. "Hey! Ever tried cliff diving?" She kicked the monster's knuckle, forcing it back just enough for Aaren to recover.
"Lenara—" Aaren started.
"Save it! I'm busy saving your hide!"
Koro's voice cut through the chaos. "We can't hold it here! Either we jump or it drags us all down!"
Aaren looked over the edge. Mist swirled below—impossibly deep, impossibly dark.
But the monster was already pulling itself up, ignoring the blood leaking from its wounds. It was going to reach them. Soon.
Levitine's voice returned, sharper now.
> "Jump, Aaren. Trust me. There is a path only I can see."
Aaren's heart pounded. He didn't know if Levitine was leading him to safety—or to something worse—but there was no other choice.
"Everyone! On me!" Aaren yelled.
Tibbin groaned. "Oh, this is the dumbest thing I've ever done…"
The monster's claw swiped again—close enough to graze Aaren's shoulder. He felt heat and pain bloom instantly.
And then—
They jumped.
The last thing Aaren saw before the mist swallowed them was the monster's eyes glowing brighter, as if it knew exactly where they were going.