From beneath the massive banyan tree came another low, furious roar—
one that clearly did not come from the king cobra.
It sounded, unmistakably, like a human man's voice.
Albert had no time to think about it, because in the very next moment, he and Hayes were already airborne.
The vines coiling around them—binding them tight—were aware.
Even thinking that felt strange to Albert, but there was no denying it.
As soon as the unfamiliar man's words fell, the vines lifted them up, hoisting them higher and higher, carrying them straight through a long stretch of lush, dense green canopy.
And then—
Splash.
They dropped into a well.
It took only a moment for Albert and Hayes to realize that this was the inside of the banyan tree.
Their bodies plunged downward at terrifying speed.
Halfway through the fall, Hayes tried to dig his claws into the inner wall of the trunk, attempting to slow them down. Sparks flew from the tips of his claws—but it was useless.
