*QRRRUAAAAAAK*
A loud, sky-shaking shriek reverberated throughout the lands and swept through the forest, making every creature within it shake involuntarily.
Even I, as I ran for my life away from the creature and through the heavily tree-packed woods, could not help but shudder at the loud shriek that overcame my senses for the split second that I heard it.
Even the echoes that bounced off from tree to tree created a sense of gloom and fear.
The dread that I had been feeling for the last 7 to 9 minutes only grew to ache with even more intensity, shaking me to my core and making me exert more strength, agility, and perseverance.
If someone were to look at me in the eyes, they would have seen a flame within my pupils, that no matter how powerful the storm, burned with determination and stubbornness.
'Survive...'
Those were the words crystal-mouthed to me right before vanishing into the spectral light.
The only words that mattered...
"No" I muttered.
Something, a feeling, an emotion that I could not understand...
It took over me.
Without a second thought, I had already halted my movement and had turned to my right before sprinting in that direction with all the energy that I had left.
I could not understand it.
One second I was completely exhausted, and in the next, I was filled to the brim with vigor?
'I won't die'
Droplets of tears formed in my eyes, falling out and being left behind as I accelerated more and more by the second.
I felt like I was Usain Bolt, running at a speed that no other human being could have rivaled.
I jumped, ducked, and dodged trees, swerving from right to left, making sure to create an obstacle in between me and the creature where ever I could.
It was a mechanism that, while maybe sacrificing a lot of my speed in the process, had yielded results that no other plan I could have created in the time frame between leaving the cave and reaching the forest could have.
Every time I swerved past a tree, I would swerve back, making it difficult for something as big as the creature to attack me.
This was now a battle against time.
I didn't know how much time I would have left, but I knew that my best chance of not dying was for the flying creature to intervene, and from what I had seen and heard so far, I could assume that it would attack the larger prey rather than the small, two-legged one which was practically helping it catch the larger one.
As I swerved from right to left for over two minutes, I finally felt fatigued teach my knees while the constant heaving had caused my chest to become sore, making me feel plains that shook me to the bone.
Clenching my teeth with a glint of determination within my eyes, I jumped and sprinted with almost renewed vigor, yet unlike last time, this time I did not have the aid of adrenaline to numb my pain.
*ROAR*
A distant roar, one that was much further away from the last one forced me to smile widely.
Of course, the smile did not reach my eyes but it still shone with pride, and this was only the beginning.
'Now, let us proceed with the second stage of my plan...' My smile grew slightly wider, twitching at the corners as bolts of pain traveled through my body.
As if I could not feel them, I pushed and pushed until I found myself entering a part of the forest that was more lit than before. To be exact, the area itself was less dense in trees as well as having their heights reduced as I got closer to the light in the distance.
Of course, fewer trees also meant that the creature would have an easier time following me, but at the same time, it also signified my victory.
*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump*
The footsteps were growing closer, almost to the point where I could feel their vibrations through the solid ground.
'Just a little more.' I told myself, forcing my body to give a final push, knowing fully well that after this I might not be capable of moving a single muscle.
*THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP*
The footsteps were incredibly close now. I could almost feel the dread loom over me while the scent of death wafted into my nostrils.
At the same time, I could taste it... The taste of victory stood barely a few meters before me.
'JUST A LITTLE MOOOOORE'
The creature had already opened its maw, ready to chomp down on my head.
I could feel its warm and wet breath touching the back of my neck.
Every single hair on my body had now stood up.
Was this the end?
*WOOSH*
*Rattle*
*QRUAAAAAAAK*
*Pitui*
*ROOOOOOooooooaaa-*
*BOOM*
The winged creature had swooped down with a war cry that made me freeze in place and feel my eardrums come to the edge of rapturing.
Without hesitation, the winged creature had aimed its talons toward the neck of the creature that had its maw wide open but forced into being frozen in place.
The talons gripped onto the creature tightly, dug their claws deep within the scaly surface of its skin, and flapped its wings, catapulting both of them into the air.
The force from the ascend alone could have decapitated any creature. but this one was sturdy and stubborn, holding on to life by a hairbreadth and a half-destroyed neck.
It roared at the top of its lungs, or at least it tries to, but rather than coming off as intimidating, the roar was reduced to a pained growl which did not affect the absolute monstrosity that was holding it by the neck.
"QRUAAAAAAAK!!!" the flying monstrosity let out the same sound as before, but instead of sounding like a shriek, this one sounded like a dragon's cry. While I've been thinking of running this whole time, the thought had been immediately thrown to the back of my mind the moment I found my entire body paralyzed, not only due to the cry but even before that it had been forced into a halt after my exhaust finally caught up to me.
In the same instant, the flying beast clenched its talons harder and pierced deeper into the skin of the creature it was holding.
Its figure shot up to the boundless blue skies, becoming but a dot within the cyan blue ocean littered with patches of white we called clouds.
For some reason, I felt a horrible feeling overcome me, one that was similar but a lot more toned down than the feeling I felt before Crystal's, my girlfriend's death as well as the death of everyone I ever cared for.
I remember feeling the same dread whenever I looked at my girlfriend's best friend even though it was a lot less noticeable.
After blinking a few times and squinting my eyes, as my vision had become enhanced I began to see what the flying creature was about to do with a clearance that I would have never been able to accomplish in my last life.
'If that hits...' panic overcame me, causing me to freeze and drop to the floor. A second later I found myself clawing at the ground with my remaining arm, trying my hardest to move out of the way before-
*Whistle*
*BOOOOOM*
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