**MOM!! DAAAAD!!**
Jack stumbled through the wreckage of Hangzhou City, flames towering around him like infernos summoned from the darkest corners of a forgotten realm. Massive plumes of smoke spiraled into the burning orange sky, painting a scene straight out of a nightmare. Screams of terror and the wails of despair echoed across the blood-stained streets as devastation consumed everything in its path. The acrid scent of destruction clung to the air, choking any hope of survival. Crumbling buildings, once symbols of pride and achievement, now lay as smoldering ruins, shattered dreams reduced to ash. Military planes streaked overhead, their engines roaring like harbingers of doom, while monstrous roars reverberated through the skies, a constant reminder that the world had plunged into chaos.
Tears streaked Jack's soot-covered cheeks, carving paths through the grime and ash that clung to his face. His once beautiful brown hair was now singed, streaked with burns and scorched from the relentless fires that raged around him. His clothes were riddled with burn holes, some still flickering with embers, and his lungs burned from the smoke he inhaled with each breath. "MOM!" Jack screamed again, his voice hoarse and broken, a desperate cry lost in the symphony of destruction. "DAAAAD!!"
"OVER HERE!!" a frantic voice called out, cutting through the cacophony. "JACK, HONEY, OVER HERE!"
Through the hazy smoke, Jack spotted his mother, her figure distorted by the heat waves rising from the inferno. She was struggling to free his father from beneath a pile of debris, her movements frantic and strained. His father was pinned under a massive slab of rubble, groaning in agony as he tried to shift the weight.
"HELP ME WITH THIS!" his mother screamed, her voice trembling with fear and desperation. The flickering light from the fires cast shadows on her face, highlighting the terror in her eyes.
With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Jack rushed to her side. Together, with terror-fueled strength, they pushed against the wreckage, their muscles burning as they strained to move the unyielding slab. Miraculously, the rubble shifted just enough for his father to scramble free, his body battered and bruised.
Jack's father adjusted his shattered glasses, his face pale and haggard. His clothes, much like Jack's and his mother's, were burned and smoldering, remnants of the life they once knew. "We need to move fast," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos surrounding them. "The lifeboats are this way. The Sovereign's evacuation order is guiding everyone to the ports—"
"ROOOOOAAAARRRR!!"
A deafening roar shook the ground beneath their feet, reverberating through the air with an otherworldly power. It was closer this time, more terrifying than before. Cold sweat trickled down Jack's face as he looked up at his father. "Are… are we going to die, Dad?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
His father's smile was both kind and urgent as he pulled Jack close, his words laced with determination. "No, we're going to survive. The Shenwu *{神武}* family never gives up that easily. We'll run, Jack, and we'll run as fast as we can—not because we fear death, but because we cherish life. Do you understand?"
Jack nodded, swallowing the fear that threatened to paralyze him. His father grabbed his hand, and together with his mother, they sprinted down the fire-strewn streets, their footsteps echoing in the burning landscape. The city, once a bustling metropolis, had been reduced to a hellish war zone. The air was thick with the stench of burning flesh, and charred corpses littered the streets, victims of the rampaging jushou *{巨兽}* that had torn through the city like an unstoppable force of nature.
"DON'T LOOK!" his father shouted, his grip tightening on Jack's hand. "Just keep running… keep going."
But their escape was abruptly halted as a massive, scaly crimson leg—thicker than any skyscraper—crashed down in front of them, shaking the very ground. They froze, their hearts pounding in their chests as the colossal figure loomed above them.
From the fiery darkness emerged the towering silhouette of Goridezula, the legendary crimson-red dragon. Its back was lined with blazing spikes that crackled with molten energy, like rivers of magma coursing through its veins. Its glowing eyes burned with an ancient fury, surveying the destruction with a cruel indifference. This was no mere creature; it was an elemental force, a being of unimaginable power, whose very existence defied the laws of the mortal realm.
The military planes circled above, firing volley after volley of missiles at Goridezula's impenetrable hide. Each explosion was as futile as the last, the dragon's scales absorbing the impact like raindrops on stone. Jack's breath caught in his throat as he watched the scene unfold, his mind racing with disbelief. How could they fight something like this? What hope did they have against a dragon whose very presence bent reality itself?
Then, from the direction of the coast, a new presence made itself known. Jack spun around, his eyes widening as another massive figure approached. This one was a black-golden serpent beast, its massive scaled body slithering through the city like a living nightmare. It had four heads, each one exuding a glowing mist of golden energy that shimmered with a deadly light. Acid dripped from its jaws, sizzling as it hit the ground, and its hiss was like the sound of death itself.
The two colossal beasts locked eyes, and the air between them crackled with animosity. Their mutual hatred was palpable, filling the space with a tangible tension. The ground trembled beneath their feet as they let out bone-shaking roars, preparing for a battle that would shake the heavens and rend the earth.
"GO! RUN!" Mr. Shenwu shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "NOW!"
Jack and his mother took off, their hearts pounding in their chests. But in her haste, Jack's mother stumbled, her foot catching on a piece of debris. She fell to the ground with a cry of pain, her body trembling as she struggled to get back up. Mr. Shenwu skidded to a halt, turning back to help her, his face pale with fear.
Before Jack could react, the ground erupted in a violent quake, and a deafening BOOOOMMMM echoed through the air. Jack's eyes widened in horror as he watched Goridezula's massive clawed foot descend upon his parents, crushing them beneath it.
Time seemed to slow. Jack fell to his knees, the world around him fading into a blur of sound and color. His mind could barely comprehend what had just happened. His parents—his entire world—were gone in an instant, snuffed out by the unstoppable force of Goridezula's rampage.
Tears streamed down Jack's face as grief gave way to anger. His heart pounded in his chest, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He looked up at the dragon that had taken everything from him, his voice trembling with rage.
"You…" he whispered, his voice cracking. "I HATE YOU! You take and take from us humans until there's nothing left! So what if you've been here longer? We have as much right to survive as you!"
Jack stood, his body shaking with fury. "COME ON THEN! TAKE ME! I HAVE NOTHING LEFT BUT MY LIFE, SO JUST TAKE IT!"
But Goridezula paid no attention to him. The dragon and the black-golden serpent clashed in a titanic battle, their roars shaking the heavens as they fought for dominance. Jack braced himself for the end, expecting the dragon's wrath to consume him.
And yet… when he opened his eyes, he wasn't dead. He was somewhere else, somewhere far from the devastation, and he was still alive.