"I saved you—why are you trying to eat me!" Riley screamed in frustration as he slammed his hand down, freezing time once more.
The world around him came to a standstill, the monstrous octo-dog suspended mid-lunge, its grotesque maw open in a silent roar.
"It must be my doom attribute acting..." Riley concluded.
Riley's breath came in ragged gasps; he was teetering on the edge of his limits. He knew he'd have to wait ten seconds before he could freeze time again, and in those moments, every second felt like an eternity.
Despite his control over time, Riley was far from safe. The octo-dog, a monstrous amalgamation of writhing limbs and gaping maws, seemed unnervingly perceptive, as though it could sense his location even when time was frozen.
Each time he unfreezed, he was greeted by the creature's gnashing teeth and flailing limbs, an insidious reminder that he was in an impasse.
