Kael sprinted through the densest part of the forest.
Low branches clawed at his face while thick roots twisted across the ground beneath his feet.
Behind him, the beast crashed through everything in its path.
CRASH!
A young tree snapped in half.
BOOM!
A boulder rolled down the slope after being struck by its massive body.
Kael didn't look back.
He couldn't afford to.
His breathing came in ragged gasps.
Every muscle in his body screamed for rest.
But stopping meant dying.
Ahead, two enormous boulders stood barely a body-width apart, forming a narrow passage.
Kael's eyes lit up.
"There..."
He pushed harder.
The gap grew closer with every desperate stride.
The beast roared behind him.
It sensed something.
At the last moment, Kael dove through the narrow opening.
His shoulder scraped against the stone, tearing the fabric of his tunic.
He rolled onto the other side and spun around.
The beast charged straight for the gap.
For a split second, Kael thought it would fit.
Then—
BANG!
Its shoulders slammed into the rocks.
The entire passage shook.
Dust rained from above.
The beast snarled and tried to force its way through.
It couldn't.
Its size worked against it.
Kael didn't hesitate.
He scrambled toward the undergrowth, searching frantically.
"My sword..."
Leaves.
Broken branches.
More leaves.
Then—
There.
The hilt.
He snatched it from the ground just as the beast let out a furious roar.
With a violent heave, it tore itself free from the rocks.
One shoulder was scraped raw.
Fresh blood ran down its side.
Kael stepped back, sword raised.
His hands trembled.
Not from fear.
From exhaustion.
The beast limped slightly now.
The injured foreleg and torn shoulder had begun to slow it.
But not enough.
Not yet.
It lowered its head.
Kael lowered his stance.
Neither moved.
The forest fell silent once again.
A cool breeze stirred the leaves overhead.
One heartbeat.
Two.
Three.
The beast exploded forward.
Kael didn't dodge.
He ran straight at it.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
At the last possible moment, Kael dropped to one knee and slid beneath the beast's outstretched claws.
As he passed underneath, he drove his sword upward with everything he had left.
The blade bit deep into the beast's chest.
The creature howled in agony.
Its massive body crashed into a tree behind Kael, splintering the trunk.
Kael tumbled across the ground, barely holding onto his sword.
He staggered to his feet.
Blood dripped from the blade.
The beast was still standing.
Breathing hard.
Its chest rose and fell unevenly.
Kael's own vision blurred.
He tightened his grip.
Neither of them could endure much longer.
The next exchange...
Would decide which one walked out of the forest alive.
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