Chapter 9: Feral Terror

[Roux].

The orbs moved closer, and as they did, my mind was set on the familiar encounter with the beast. Expecting to see the bipedal creature that haunts our entire town for decades.

However, something that does not quite add up. It’s eyes.

It moved stealthily through the darkness, its amber eyes reflecting on the flickering flames.

Slowly, it stepped into the soft hallow of light. Its striped fur blended seamlessly with the shadows of the night.

Realization seeped in.

It’s not the beast.

That formidable stripe pattern is hard to miss.

A tiger.

It might not be the creature I am expecting to see, but it doesn’t make it less dangerous.

A predator.

Its sleek body moved with predatory grace, eyes locked onto me—its inadvertently found prey.

Every instinct screamed at me to run, to flee, but my limbs failed to respond, heavy with shock and fear.

My heart pounded in my chest, but I didn’t dare move.

Fight or flight? I couldn’t possibly outrun the beast. The knife in my hand was laughable in the face of such raw power. Yet, as my survival instincts finally overrode my fear, I scrambled up, clutching the blade with a desperate hope that I could at least defend myself.

A low growl rumbled from its throat, sending vibrations through the cool night air. I couldn’t afford to make any sudden moves. Any mistake now could be my last.

Then, the snap of a twig somewhere beyond the tiger’s form drew its attention away from me.

With calculated precision, it circled the perimeter, studying me as its next potential victim with a predatory focus. The heat of the flames cast an eerie glow on its face, highlighting the lethal gleam in its eyes.

I could see the powerful muscles rippling under its fur, coiled and ready to strike. My heart pounded so loudly that I was sure the beast could hear it. I clutched the knife tightly, though it felt pitifully inadequate in my trembling hands.

“Stay back,” I whispered, my voice trembling with terror. The tiger paused, its ears twitching as it considered me.

I had to think fast.

I grabbed a burning stick from the fire, brandishing it in front of me.

“Stay back!” I yelled, trying to sound braver than I felt.

However, instead of scaring it away, I only made it angrier.

The tiger crouched, its massive body tensed, preparing to pounce, and I knew I was seconds away from a gruesome end.

My mind raced, searching for any last-ditch effort to save myself. Fervently praying for Adite’s help and mercy.

The fire flickered weakly beside me, and I prayed that, somehow, I could find a way out of this.

With a sudden lunge, it launched itself, its growl mingling with the crackling of the fire.

Feral terror nailed me in place, watching the massive fangs of death closing down on me.

I couldn’t even blink.

Just then, a dark figure burst out of the shadows, hurtling through the air with incredible speed. It collided in midair with the tiger, a blur of motion and ferocity. The force of their collision sent both of them crashing to the ground, snarling and growling.

I scrambled backward, eyes wider with shock and confusion. The figure that had tackled the tiger was not human.

It is a dark and menacing figure. A strange blend of man and animal, with powerful limbs and a muscular frame. It growled and snapped, wrestling the tiger with terrifying strength.

The beast!

Adite’s! If I am not going to end up on a tiger’s belly, I will definitely be the beast’s next course of meal.

The tiger roared, clawing and biting at its sudden attacker, but the beast was relentless. It fought with a savage intensity, its movements fluid and almost primal. I watched in stunned silence, my breath catching in my throat as the two creatures battled fiercely.

The beast managed to pin the tiger to the ground, its massive claws sinking into the tiger’s shoulders. The tiger roared in pain and fury, thrashing wildly, but it couldn’t break free. The beast leaned in, its glowing eyes fierce and determined, and let out a deafening roar that echoed through the forest.

It raises its dark claws, bringing it down swiftly into the tiger’s neck. The sound of flesh tearing underneath strength resounded the otherwise still night. Eyes glowing with rage into the animal’s trashing body. Its crushing grip on the tiger’s throat made the final blow, instantly turning the ferocious creature turned limp.

The beast stood, dropping the tiger’s lifeless body with a loud thud, its chest heaving with exertion, before turning its gaze toward me.

I froze every muscle in my body, tense with fear and uncertainty. The beast’s eyes, though fierce, held a glimmer of something familiar. It took a cautious step toward me, and I instinctively raised the knife, though I knew it was useless.

Adite’s!

I snapped back into my senses, the terror gripping me like a vise as I bolted into the night, hoping desperately to escape the lethal fate looming behind me.

My heart hammered in my chest, the sound of its frantic beats drowning out all other noise save for the thundering footsteps of the pursuing beast. I dared not glance back, knowing that to confirm its presence would only amplify the horror of the moment. The low growl echoing through the darkness was proof enough of its proximity.

But my fleeting burst of adrenaline could not sustain me for long. My legs burned with exertion, and my lungs heaved with each gasping breath. I felt the beast’s hot breath on my neck, its looming presence a shadow that seemed to engulf me entirely.

Then, with a sudden, brutal force, its clawed hand seized me, yanking me back with such ferocity that I tumbled to the ground, helpless and vulnerable. I screamed, a primal sound of terror and desperation tearing from my throat as I kicked and thrashed in a futile attempt to break free.

But the beast’s grip was unyielding, its strength overpowering mine with ease. I felt its weight pressing down on me, pinning me to the forest floor with a relentless force that stole the very breath from my lungs.

The beast loomed over me, its eyes gleaming with a predatory intensity that sent shivers down my spine. Tears blurred my vision as I sobbed, my entire body trembling with fear and anguish.

“Please,” I choked out between sobs, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Let me go.”

But the beast only growled in response, its grip tightening with a terrifying resolve. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the inevitable pain that was sure to come.

But it didn’t.

Only my raging heart and the beast’s sharp breath broke the silence.

I dared to open my eyes once more, my chest still pounding with fear and confusion. What I saw was the last thing I expected.

Only with the help of the moon’s waning light, right before me, the beast’s form began to shift and warp, its fur receding and its claws retracting until, in a matter of moments, it was no longer a monstrous creature but a familiar figure.

My thoughts become jumbled and chaotic, my body trembling uncontrollably. The world around me starts to spin, and the edges of my vision blur.

My breathing becomes shallow and rapid, and a wave of dizziness washes over me with the sheer weight of fear and confusion.

“Roux,” he rumbled, voice deep and guttural.

My heart skipped a beat.

“What…A—Aenon?” I whispered, barely able to believe my own ears.

The next thing I knew, everything faded into darkness.