Tia woke with a gasp.
His hands immediately shot to his chest.
No wound.
No blood.
Nothing.
His breathing uneven.
For seconds, he sat there.
Staring.
The pain still felt real.
The claws.
The darkness.
Ding.
A screen appeared before him.
[Penalty ....Activated]
Tia froze.
His heartbeat quickened.
Then—
[Death Count: 1]
[Repetition: 1]
[Begin]
Silence.
The words hung before him.
Unmoving.
Tia's pupils trembled.
"No..."
His voice barely escaped.
The memories crashed into him.
The monster.
The fight.
His death.
Everything.
It wasn't a dream.
He had really died.
Grrrrrrk...
The sound echoed through the cave.
Tia's entire body stiffened.
He didn't need to turn around.
He already knew.
Run.
The thought exploded inside his mind.
Tia bolted.
His body moving before his brain could catch up.
The cave blurred around him.
His breathing became ragged almost instantly.
Behind him—
the giant ant followed.
Relentlessly.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Tia glanced back.
A mistake.
The monster was nearly on top of him.
His heart nearly stopped.
He forced his body forward.
Then—
the monster suddenly stopped.
Tia didn't.
He kept running.
Huff.
Huff.
Huff.
His lungs screamed.
His legs hurt.
Then—
GIIIIIIIKKKKKK!
A horrific screech tore through the cave.
Arghh.
Tia collapsed immediately.
Both hands covering his ears.
Too late.
Warm liquid trickled between his fingers.
Blood.
His ears were bleeding.
The ground began to tremble.
Pebbles bounced.
Dust fell from above.
Something was moving.
Not one thing.
Many.
Cold sweat slid down his neck.
Run.
RUN.
RUN.
But his legs refused.
The sound grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
Then—
he saw them.
Not one ant.
Not two.
A colony.
Dozens of crimson eyes stared back at him.
Tia's face went pale.
Death.
It stood right in front of him.
He forced himself to move.
His knees buckled.
One ant lunged.
Tia rolled aside.
Barely.
The mandibles snapped shut where his head had been moments earlier.
He scrambled to his feet.
A mistake.
Something wet landed on his shoulder.
Sticky.
Warm.
His hand slowly touched it.
Then—
he looked up.
His blood froze.
An ant clung to the ceiling directly above him.
Waiting.
Its massive mandibles opened.
Tia couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
CRUNCH.
Darkness.
Ding!
[Death Confirmed]
[Time Used: 00:10:00]
[Repetition: 2]
[Penalty ....Activated]
[Begin.]