Two hours prior to the time when an explosion occurred.
***
Leon's POV:
The sound of alarm bells blared in my head, making it hard to concentrate on anything else. My heart pounded so hard that I could feel the beats reverberating in my ears, causing a disorienting sensation.
The feeling was so strong that it sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn't help but rub my arms in an attempt to ease the goosebumps.
Something was definitely there. Something was definitely lurking in the shadows.
Sensing my unease, Tessia turned to me with a quizzical expression. "Brother?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. I turned to face her, trying to hide my apprehension behind a forced smile. I didn't want to worry her unnecessarily, after all.
Inhaling deeply, I attempted to calm my nerves by focusing on my breathing. "Everything is fine," I reassured myself, hoping to dispel the sense of dread that had settled over me. I reminded myself that we were safe inside the house, away from any potential danger that might be lurking outside.
Despite my efforts, however, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. The hairs on the back of my neck continued to stand on end, and I remained on high alert, ready to react at the slightest hint of danger.
"Is something going on?" my little sister asked, sensing my unease.
I tried to hide my fear and put on a reassuring smile. "It's nothing," I replied. "Let's continue playing our game."
But just then, a sudden movement caught my attention as something flew inside the room through the window.
"Hissssssssss!!!" a fierce and intimidating sound echoed in the room as the creature stood up. It was no ordinary creature, but a terrifying sight to behold.
It had a reptilian appearance, with large scales covering its body, and sharp claws protruding from its fingers. Its eyes glowed a bright yellow, and its mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth.
"Ah!"
My sister gasped in terror, and I couldn't help but feel small at the sight of its towering height.
As soon as the creature saw me, it sprang into action and jumped towards me, its muscular arm outstretched and its jaws wide open, as if it wanted to gobble me up. Driven by instinct, I quickly got out of the way just in time to avoid being caught in its deadly grip. However, the creature immediately stood up and leaped towards me again, with even more ferocity than before.
Thinking quickly, I scanned the room for anything I could use to defend myself. My eyes fell on a thick book on my bedside table, and I grabbed it with all the strength I could muster. Holding it out in front of me, I used it to block the creature's gaping jaws, preventing it from biting me. The book proved to be an effective shield, and the creature was unable to close its mouth, thanks to the thickness of the book's pages.
As the monster snatched the book from my grasp, I stumbled backward, my heart racing with terror. I could see the creature's razor-sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light of my room as it tried to close its mouth. But the thickness of the book prevented it from doing so.
"T-Take that!" I stuttered, trying to sound tough and brave, but my voice betrayed the fear that had taken hold of me.
As I turned towards Tessia, I saw that she was frozen in place, unable to move from her spot. The terror in her eyes was palpable, and I knew that I had to do something to protect her. With the creature still attempting to remove the book from its jaws, I motioned to Tessia to make her way towards the door.
"Quick, Tessia! Run to the door and get out of here!" I yelled.
But to my shock, Tessia wasn't looking at me, but rather behind me. "B-Brother!" she stammered, her trembling finger pointing towards the creature behind me.
I quickly turned around, only to see the monster had already ripped apart the thick book that I had stuck in its mouth. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized we were completely defenseless against this fierce beast.
Without a second thought, I positioned myself in front of Tessia to shield her from the creature's view. I knew that she was terrified, and it was up to me to protect her at all costs.
"Hisss!" the creature hissed, its yellow eyes darting between Tessia and me before finally settling on me.
Despite the gravity of the situation, I forced myself to remain calm and focused. I knew that panicking would only make things worse, and we were now in the boundary between life and death. Every moment counted, and we had to stay alert if we wanted to make it out alive.
I took a deep breath and looked straight at the creature. It was clear that it was after us, and we had to find a way to escape from its clutches. I quickly assessed our surroundings, searching for any possible escape routes or weapons we could use to defend ourselves. But the room was bare, and we were completely defenseless. My bed, my bedside table, and my bookshelf were the only pieces in the room, and I cursed myself for not having more.
I quickly glanced at the door, my mind racing with thoughts of escape. But I knew deep down that it was futile. The creature was too fast, too strong, and too powerful for us to outrun or overpower.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry with fear.
This was it, I realized.
This was probably the last time I would ever speak to my sister again. My heart felt heavy with the weight of that knowledge, but I refused to let it show on my face.
"Tessia," I said, my voice low and steady. "Listen to me carefully. I need you to do something for me."
Tessia's eyes widened with fear and she took a step closer to me. "What is it, brother?"
"I need you to run," I said firmly. "As fast as you can. Out of this room, out of this house, and never look back. Do you understand?"
"Eh?" Her expression indicated that she didn't understand at all.
"Tessia, on the count of three, you're going to run, okay?" I said, my voice firm and resolute.
Tessia's eyes were wide with fear, and her voice sounded worried. "What about you, brother? I can't just leave you here!"
I gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. I'm going to stay and buy you enough time to escape, no matter what. You're more important than anything else, Tessia. You have to make it out of here alive."
Tessia stood frozen in shock, her shoulders trembling with fear.
"Brother—" she began, but I cut her off.
"Tessia," I said firmly. "Just like what we always do when we play tag, you're going to run away from me as fast as possible. This time, though, it's not me you're running from—it's this creature. You have to do whatever you can to get away from it. Understood?"
"But—" Tessia's shoulders were trembling.
"No buts," I said firmly. "Just do what I say. Okay?"
Tessia nodded, her tears streaming down her cheeks. I could feel my heart breaking at the sight of her sadness, but I had to be strong for her.
She was a natural learner and excelled at everything she put her mind to. She was so much better than me in every way. She was so much better than me in everything, and she was much more important than a talentless brat like me. But that's exactly why I knew that I had to be the one to stay behind. If anyone had to die here, it should be me.
"I'm going to count now, okay?" I said to Tessia, my voice slightly trembling.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, and then started counting.
"One," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
The creature slowly approached us, but I didn't avert my eyes. I just looked at it head on, determined to protect my little sister.
"Two," I said, my voice gaining more confidence.
I could hear my heart pounding in my chest. No, it was probably Tessia's heart that I could hear. Despite the gravity of the situation, I was surprisingly calm. Maybe it was because I had already accepted my fate, to die here for Tessia's sake. But no, now was not the time to think about such things. All I should think about at this moment was how to buy more time for Tessia to escape.
"Three!" I shouted, putting all my energy into the final number.
With that, I pushed Tessia toward the door and turned to face the creature. It let out a deafening roar and charged at me, its massive claws swiping through the air.
I dodged its attacks as best as I could, trying to keep it away from Tessia.
That was close!
I sprinted towards the creature, my heart pounding in my chest. It let out an ear-splitting screech, stretching out its hand in an attempt to grab me. I quickly ducked, narrowly avoiding its grasp, and seized a thick book to use as a shield.
"Not again!" I cried out, feeling a pang of regret as I realized that the book I had chosen was one of my favorites.
The creature snatched the book from my grasp, but this time it didn't bite it in half. Instead, it hurled the book aside and took a step closer towards me. I frantically searched for something to use as a weapon, but my hands met with empty air. Regret washed over me for not having more furniture in my room.
The creature began to advance towards me, and I slowly backed up, feeling my back press against the wall. Panic seized me as I realized I had nowhere left to run. I swallowed hard, fully aware that this could be the end. But I had to buy some more time, hoping that the creature would give up its chase of Tessia.
I felt my back hit the wall. I had nowhere to run now. I gulped, knowing that this might be the end. But it could possibly chase Tessia after this, so I still had to buy some more time.
Desperately grasping at anything within reach, my hand came across a wooden toy sword that Tessia and I had been playing with earlier. It was a flimsy weapon, but it was better than nothing.
I tightly gripped the toy sword, trying to steady my shaking hand. Sweat trickled down my forehead as I prepared to face the creature head-on.
With a fierce determination, I lunged forward and plunged the toy sword into the creature's eyes.
"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
It let out a blood-curdling scream, thrashing about in agony. I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest, and watched as the creature writhed in pain.
"How can you chase your prey now without your eyes?" I taunted, even though I knew full well that the creature wouldn't be able to respond.
The creature glared down at me, its jaw hanging open in a menacing growl. I knew I was in trouble, but at least I had bought some time for Tessia to escape, even if it was only a few precious moments. If I could just distract the creature for a little longer, maybe Tessia could make it to safety.
I looked towards the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tessia as she made her escape. But to my shock, Tessia was just standing there.
"What are you doing?! I said run!" I shouted, my heart racing as I watched my sister standing frozen in fear.
"N-No! I won't!" she stammered, her voice trembling with fear.