Jason jumped back at the sight of the wolf-like creature, his tentacles reacting before his brain even caught up. They lashed out instinctively, slicing across its glowing flesh. Strange markings flared along the creature's body, pulsing with a sick, pale light as it let out a distorted growl that echoed through the forest.
"What the actual fuck is that thing!?" Jason shouted, his voice cracking between panic and adrenaline.
Lilya spun toward him, eyes wide. Her orb shimmered, shifting in a blink into the shape of a gleaming spear as she braced herself.
The beast lunged at them, bloodlust burning in its hollow, glowing eyes. It went straight for Jason, but at the last second his tentacles snapped out, latching onto a nearby tree and yanking him back just in time.
While the creature was distracted, Lilya went on the offensive. She dashed forward, driving her spear deep into its back. The beast howled, its body twisting unnaturally from the blow.
That was all the opening Valocity needed. He launched himself off a tree trunk, flipping through the air before bringing his leg down in a brutal axe kick that cracked against the creature's spine.
And after all that… the creature still stood tall.
"Wait— is it healing?" Lilya said, her voice tight.
The beast's shattered spine convulsed, bones snapping back into place. Then, with its clawed hand, it slammed Jason with a powerful strike, sending him crashing into a nearby tree.
His tentacles blocked most of the impact, but Jason was out of the fight for now.
"Shit…" Lilya thought as the veins in her hand tensed and pulsed. She could feel herself shaking, afraid they were about to lose.
Valocity, using his battle experience, prepared to repeat the same move as before—another axe kick aimed at the glowing blue rune on the creature's head. But as he pushed off toward the tree, the beast noticed his intention. It slashed the tree apart, knocking it down instantly.
Jason, finally able to stand with what little strength he had left, heard Valocity shout:
"Aim for the rune on its head!"
Suddenly, a tree trunk flew toward the beast, slamming into its stomach and forcing it to stagger. Valocity turned to see where it came from—Jason, using his tentacles to whip himself from tree to tree. His legs were armored in writhing tentacles, mixed with bits of broken branches. Using pure momentum, he hurled himself forward and drove a strike straight into the creature's head where the rune glowed.
Jason landed and stumbled back as the beast reeled, stunned.
"Get back now!" both Valocity and Lilya shouted.
Then Lilya said to Val—calling him "Val" for short—that it was time to attack while the creature was stunned for Jason.
"Naw, I think I got this," Jason said stubbornly.
But as he finished speaking, the creature's body twitched. It snapped out of its stun, its massive maw opening wide, razor-sharp teeth ready to take a chunk out of Jason.
"I SAID get the fuck back, you idiot!" Lilya yelled.
Her orb shifted into a shield, and she slammed it into the creature's spine. It wasn't enough to injure it, but it knocked it slightly off balance.
Valocity blurred forward with immense speed, striking the creature with a barrage of hits. Each blow landed before the beast could react, and he aimed directly at the runes on its body, forcing pained roars out of it.
With the relentless assaults being unleashed from every direction, the beast staggered—but refused to fall.
Even while being hit, it moved like it didn't care about the pain. Using its sharpened senses, it tracked Val's location, then swung its claw and landed a crushing blow on him. Valocity crashed into Jason, sending both of them flying.
The creature turned its hollow gaze toward Lilya. Her body froze; her muscles locked, refusing to move. The beast vanished into the treeline, into the living darkness of the forest.
"Fuck, fuck—where is it? Where is i—"
Before she could finish, the creature burst from the shadows, claw first.
Her orb reacted on its own—its magic forming a barrier shield since the physical orb couldn't move fast enough.
The monster collided with the shield, shattering it. The force crippled Lilya's body and sent her flying several meters back.
Badly wounded, the beast scrambled away into the forest once more.
Lilya pushed herself up, breathing heavily. Her body throbbed with pain and her vision blurred.
"At least it's fucking gone…" she muttered before collapsing onto the ground.
Val and Jason arrived moments later—Val barely holding himself up while also helping Jason's half-conscious body stay standing.
"You good?" Valocity asked, dragging Jason with him.
"Yeah… but I've seen better days," Lilya groaned. "Is he alright?" She pointed at Jason with her chin, trying not to move.
Jason whimpered like a baby, "Uh… where am I? Mom? Is that you…?"
Val shook him off. "No, I'm not your fucking mom, idiot."
Val sighed. "How are we even here? The last thing I remember was the sky cracking open and swallowing us."
"Well… I think we should at least look around. You think you can manage him?"
"Jason? Yeah. I'm good. But honestly, we should rest—the thing did a number on us."
"Oooooooo-woo!"A haunting howl echoed through the forest.
"On second thought… we move. Now." Valocity said, stumbling forward into the woods—tense, exhausted, but ready to fight again if he had to.