Cain stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the creature's carcass. A heavy silence had settled around him, almost suffocating. His legs trembled with exhaustion, and each breath burned in his chest.
Despite the apparent victory, a persistent unease kept him from lowering his guard. The announcer still hadn't declared the monster dead, and that didn't bode well.
A sudden crack sounded behind him.
Cain whirled around, his body tense. The creature, or what remained of it, convulsed violently. Its tattered skin cracked, revealing a fiery red glow beneath its broken scales.
Though defeated, the monster seemed to rise from its ashes, held up by some unseen force. Its reptilian eyes, once dull, now glowed with an eerie, supernatural light.
Cain instinctively stepped back. He was drained, his energy reserves nearly empty. Yet, he knew he couldn't flee. Not now. Not when the creature was coming back, angrier than ever.
