Ren held his breath as the beast passed nearby, its senses completely focused on its domination ritual.
The mushrooms sent him a warning sensation, something wasn't right. The male stopped, its head turning slightly.
A scent had penetrated the skin barrier.
'The captured female,' the knowledge flowed urgently.
The knot wasn't perfect, a tiny opening, barely visible to the naked eye, allowing the dead creature's essence to escape...
The male turned completely, all its senses now focused on the anomaly.
It began moving toward Ren, each centimeter of its advance increasing the tension with growing menace.
'The broken flare,' Ren remembered his last possibility, fingers brushing against the device in his pocket. It wasn't just a signal, the crystal inside was designed to emit a pulse that the professor could detect from a significant distance.
