As the ground loomed ever closer, Al's panic reached its peak. Desperation flooded his mind as he flailed wildly, dodging the relentless monster snapping and clawing at him mid-air. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his limbs burned from the constant effort to twist and evade.
"This is it! We're gonna die!"
he shouted, his voice almost drowned by the rushing wind. The monster lunged at him again, its teeth just inches from his face as he narrowly twisted away.
A short distance away, Melina was locked in her own life-or-death struggle. Unlike Al, she fought to maintain her composure, her mind racing for a way to survive. Her instincts screamed at her to keep moving, avoiding the swipes of the beast attacking her.
"Think, Melina, think!"
she muttered under her breath, narrowly dodging the creature's claws. She stole a glance downward, estimating the distance to the ground. The speed of their descent gave her little time, but she refused to accept defeat.
"Al!"
she shouted through the chaos, her voice cutting through his panic.
"Stay alive just a little longer—I've got an idea!"
"That's easy for you to say!"
Al yelled back, narrowly ducking another swipe.
"This thing's trying to eat me alive!"
Despite her own peril, Melina gritted her teeth, determined to find a way to save them both before time and altitude ran out.
Then a thought sparked in her mind all while she was twisting and dodging the relentless attacks of the monster. She suddenly remembered the transmission rune stones she had stolen before being chased by Dinio.
Her heart pounded as her hand shot to her pouch, fumbling to retrieve the smooth, engraved stone. With a jolt of relief, her fingers closed around it. But that relief was short-lived.
Melina's eyes darted to Al, who was tumbling through the air some distance away, still locked in a frantic struggle to avoid the snapping jaws of his own monster. Even if she activated the rune stone, she realized grimly, it would only transport her. The range was too small—it couldn't encompass them both.
Worse yet, throwing the stone to Al was impossible. The wild winds of freefall and the chaotic flailing of the monsters around them made any attempt futile. It would simply be lost to the void.
Her mind raced as she clenched the rune stone tightly. Sacrificing herself to save Al wasn't an option she would accept—not like this.
"Think, Melina. There has to be another way!"
she muttered to herself through gritted teeth, determined to find a solution before time—and the ground—ran out.
As the ground raced closer and closer, Melina clutched the rune stone tightly, her heart sinking with the weight of her decision. She looked at Al, flailing against the relentless assault of the monster, his desperation clear in every movement. For a brief moment, their eyes met through the chaos.
Melina's grip tightened on the rune as tears stung her eyes. Her lips trembled as she whispered, so faintly it was almost swallowed by the wind,
"I'm sorry…"
Without hesitating further, she activated the rune stone. A bright, swirling light enveloped her body, and in an instant, she was gone.
Al's eyes widened in shock as he watched her vanish before his eyes. "Melina!?" he screamed, his voice cracking with disbelief. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.
"Did she… did she just leave me here!?"
For a fleeting moment, betrayal cut through his panic, a deep ache settling in his chest. Al's movements faltered, nearly allowing the monster to sink its teeth into him before instinct snapped him back into survival mode.
"Unbelievable!"
he shouted angrily, his voice shaking with frustration and fear.
"You actually left me behind!"
But there was no answer. Melina was gone, leaving Al alone to face his fate as the ground came closer and closer.