The beast that stood below the rift was a nightmarish fusion of bear and tiger, its features a haphazard mix that spoke of unnatural origins. It stood at a towering height of 15 feet, its muscular form radiating an aura of primal ferocity that made even Gladius's battle-hardened instincts scream in warning.
The creature's most striking feature, however, was the wisps of insidious black flame that sparked across its fur. These embers seemed to possess a life of their own, reaching out hungrily towards anything that came too close. The very air around the beast appeared to melt and distort, as if unable to withstand its mere presence. It was a being of pure destruction, its very existence an affront to the natural order.
