Velpion's legs burned. His feet slapped against the wet ground as he stumbled through the dense trees. He didn't know how long he had been running. Minutes? Hours? His mind had long given up on keeping track. His heart hammered against his ribs, every breath thick and desperate.
Behind him, the sounds were unmistakable—crunching leaves, heavy footfalls that didn't belong to anything human. The things chasing him were faster, heavier. They were close.
The forest was silent, except for the noise that followed him. The trees twisted overhead, thick branches clawing at the sky. Velpion barely noticed them.
His focus was on the narrow path ahead. The ground was damp and uneven, and each step felt like it could be his last. His palms were slick with sweat. He knew the creatures were close, too close. He could hear their breath now, wet and gurgling, like they were choking on something they shouldn't have.
A crack echoed, not far off. Velpion gasped, and his legs buckled beneath him. He barely caught himself with one hand on the cold, wet earth. The sound came again—closer this time. Something was getting closer.
His eyes flicked around, searching, but all he saw were the thick trees, their bark glistening in the dim light, their trunks spaced far apart enough to let him see between them. But there was nothing to hide behind, no place to escape to. The creatures would find him. They always did.
Another step. And then another. Something dark moved to his right, a low growl rolling from deep within the earth. It was getting closer. Velpion didn't think. He ran, arms flailing in front of him, pushing through the brush. He was too tired. He couldn't do this much longer.
The ground was suddenly softer, and Velpion's feet sank into the dirt. Something grabbed his leg. Cold. Slimy. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. His heart thudded faster than ever as he twisted his body, pulling at his leg. But the grip only tightened.
With a violent yank, he was pulled off his feet, his body colliding with the dirt. His head cracked against the ground, and his vision blurred. His vision cleared just enough for him to see the thing dragging him backward into the underbrush.
It was a humanoid creature. The body was thick and scaled, its arms long, ending in claws like knives. Its snout was stretched into a grotesque grin, the kind that reminded him of something in a nightmare. Its eyes—yellow and glowing—stared at him, the pupils narrow slits that shimmered like the moon. His blood ran cold. It wasn't alone.
There were more now, surrounding him, their long limbs stretching out like they were trying to pull him apart. The one holding his leg let out a wet hiss, its breath hot and foul against his skin. Velpion's heart stopped. The others watched, their eyes scanning him with hunger.
One of them crouched, its mouth opening wide. He could see its teeth, sharp and jagged. Velpion fought, but his limbs were weak, sluggish. The creature's claws sank into his arm, digging into his flesh. He couldn't scream. His lungs were empty.
The thing that had been pulling him let out a strange, guttural sound, like a laugh, before it jerked him closer. The others moved, crawling over him, pushing their cold, scaled bodies against him, suffocating him.
The claws scraped against his chest, digging into his ribs. He felt the wetness of his own blood, the warmth spreading beneath him, mixing with the earth, the last sensation he would ever feel.
Nothing else mattered.