FLASHBACK: TWO YEARS AGO, EVERGREEN ISLE
The creature's growl grew louder, a guttural rumble that seemed to reverberate through the very bones of the earth. The ground quaked beneath their feet, the air thick with the stench of rotting flesh and primal rage.
Etman, resolute but visibly shaken, faced the beast with a final, desperate cry. His stance, though courageous, was dwarfed by the beast's menacing presence.
The creature lunged with horrifying speed, its massive claws slashing through the air like deadly scythes. Its eyes, fiery and unblinking, locked onto Etman. With a brutal swipe, the beast's claws raked across his body, tearing through flesh and bone with sickening ease.
Blood sprayed in dark, viscous arcs, staining the sand beneath them. The creature's maw opened wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth as it clamped down on Etman, its savage hunger turning him into a grotesque, writhing mass.