Oliver ran with whatever strength was left in his body, even though he felt extremely exhausted.
His feet slammed against the ground as they sank into the mud scattered across the forest floor.
Behind him, that massive creature charged without slowing down, and the sound of its horns cutting through the air pushed Oliver's nerves far beyond their limit.
The horns drew so close they nearly touched his back, but before his insides could be torn out, he leaped forward in pure desperation, grabbed onto a tree trunk and started climbing. His fingers slipped and his legs shook as he pulled himself upward.
He barely reached the top, but relief was the last thing he found. He did not get even one second of it.
The creature struck the tree from below with its enormous horns. The impact made the entire tree tremble.
Oliver clung tighter, wrapping his arms around the trunk until his knuckles turned white from the strain.
