Dex hacks at the tree bark, his knife leaving jagged scars to mark their path through the endless forest.
Michael's voice slithers into the silence. "What do you think about this place?" His eyes gleam unnaturally in the filtered light. "This isn't Earth. Things exist here that shouldn't—things that would make your nightmares seem like lullabies." Dex's jaw clenches tight, refusing to engage with the creature who had devoured men, women—even infants—with those same lips now forming words. Michael leans closer, breath hot against Dex's ear.
"Want to know how I ended up in this hell? My own so—" He freezes mid-word, eyes widening. In one violent motion, he yanks Dex down behind dense undergrowth. Dex's heart hammers, but he doesn't struggle—knowing those hands that now grip his shoulders could tear him apart with powers that defied comprehension.
Michael's lips brush against Dex's ear, his voice barely a breath. "Don't. Move. A muscle." His grip tightens until Dex's bones creak. "Hunter's here. Those Upper Sector bastards I warned you about? That's his pet out there. It'll rip your spine out through your throat before you even scream. And if by some miracle you kill it—"
Michael's eyes lock onto Dex's, pupils dilated with terror. "He'll skin you alive for days , the owner."
After an eternity of silence, Michael rises slowly, blood draining from his face. "We're dead men walking. That thing marked its territory here. It's caught our scent." His voice cracks. "It'll track us until it's bathed in our entrails or until Hunter's bored with watching us run."
"What's your plan to get it off our trail?" Dex finally asks, voice barely steady.Michael's lips curl into something between a smile and a snarl. "You hate these guys anyway, right?"Before Dex can protest, Michael's hand becomes a blur. Three bodies collapse, hamstrings severed with surgical precision. Blood pools beneath them as they writhe, screaming silently."Always knew you'd betray us," one henchman laughs through gritted teeth. "Just didn't expect to be dog food.""Survival of the fittest," Michael shrugs. "Besides, you were planning to eat me for my abilities. Pathetic."Michael's iron grip finds Dex's wrist, dragging him away. Dex's mind races—run with this monster or die with these men? Both choices sicken him."We're fucked anyway," Michael hisses as a mass of twisted flesh emerges between trees. "The pet's here."Michael begins an otherworldly chant, wind swirling around them. "O' Lord of Great Titans...""RUN!" he screams suddenly. "I can only hold it briefly!"Dex hesitates, torn between fleeing and fighting—between owing his life to a creature he despises and certain death.