Salvation? The word, spoken by Matthias, felt alien on his tongue. Odelliana almost wondered if some imposter had stolen his face. But her astonishment was cut short by a guttural growl that ripped through the stillness. Glowing red eyes pierced the darkness, one set, then two, then five, then seven. Countless eyes gleamed in the night, a predator’s gaze cold and calculating. The oppressive silence of the mountain pressed down on them, thick with a chilling dread that sent shivers down Odelliana’s spine.
Under the lantern’s meager light, a hulking form emerged from the shadows. Odelliana’s breath caught. A wolf, yes, but a wolf the size of a bear, its fur bristling with a predatory snarl. ‘Monstrous beast,’ she thought, the term sending a jolt through her. Higher-level creatures, she knew, were said to mimic humans, hunting under a stolen guise. These wolf-like abominations, then, must be lower-level beasts – less cunning, perhaps, but no less dangerous. They might be considered weak compared to their monstrous kin, but they were still apex predators. Their sheer size dwarfed even the mightiest bear, making them formidable foes.
Over ten hulking shadows stalked from the darkness, each easily surpassing three meters in length. These weren’t solitary hunters; Odelliana knew the monstrous beasts operated in packs. Panic clawed at her throat. In Lerusha’s formidable form, she could have cleaved through them with ease. But trapped in this frail human shell, even a single one of these beasts seemed insurmountable, let alone a pack.
Her meager arsenal mocked her. A pouch of doubtfully effective poison, a flimsy dagger, and a cane with a hidden blade – a pathetic joke against such monstrous foes. Poison offered little hope – these creatures were notorious for their resilience. The blade, then? But her borrowed body was a liability. Ten minutes of walking had left her breathless, sweat slicking her skin, her muscles screaming in protest. Wielding a weapon in this state was folly. Her fragile wrists wouldn’t withstand a single powerful swing before breaking, let alone pierce their thick hides.
Flight offered no solace either. To turn her back was to invite a swift and brutal demise.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Trapped, outmatched, overpowered. This, it seemed, was the end.
Despair coiled around Odelia’s heart. Coming here prepared for death felt different from facing it as mere prey. Odelliana stood frozen, a statue sculpted from resignation.
Matthias might overpower the beasts, but hope for his intervention was a luxury she couldn’t afford. He was a fortress of apathy, so devoid of compassion it felt like his veins ran with ice, not blood. A dying soul beside him wouldn’t stir a flicker of empathy – his fallen comrades were a grim testament. In his past life too, he followed orders with a robotic efficiency that chilled her.
The thought of him stepping forward now was a cruel joke.
A startled yelp escaped her lips as Matthias swept her off her feet. Despite his gaunt appearance, his grip was surprisingly strong, the breadth of his shoulders undeniable.
“What are you doing?” she sputtered.
“You weren’t exactly planning on dodging them, were you?” he replied. “You seemed content to become dinner.”
Facing the monstrous pack, a calmness washed over his features, as serene as a sun-dappled lake in summer.
“Are you running away with me?” Odelliana blurted, the question tumbling out before she could overthink it.
Their eyes met for a fleeting moment. “If we’re leaving,” Matthias replied, his voice a monotone, “we do it together.”
He pivoted, cradling Odelliana close, and her heart hammered against her ribs. A glance back revealed the monstrous shadows. They crouched low, muscles coiled, a chorus of growls vibrating in the air. One beast, immense and primal, tensed like a predator about to spring.
Then, Matthias turned his head. Not in fear, but with a chilling indifference.
The monstrous beast, poised for the kill, froze mid-leap. A whimper escaped its throat, a sound utterly devoid of the previous ferocity. The other beasts followed suit, their savage growls replaced by whimpers and pained whines. Their eyes, once burning with predatory hunger, now flickered with a primal terror.
Within moments, the pack had vanished into the shadows, leaving a silence so profound it felt like a scream.
