Chapter 12 --12
Seeing this, Kaya knew she didn’t have much time. A knife wouldn’t cut it—not against something like that.
Without hesitation, she pulled out her gun.
Even then, a flicker of disbelief passed through her. She’d seen danger, fought in more battles than she could count—but something about these creatures, about this place, didn’t sit right with her. It wasn’t just fear. It was the sinking feeling that... this wasn’t her world. Not the one she was born into. Not anymore.
Because no matter how far she’d traveled, no matter how wild the forests or deep the caves—she had never seen animals this size. This unnatural.
Her boots slammed into the mud as she sprinted forward, closing the gap between her and the man. Just as one of the massive hyenas lunged at him, she raised her weapon.
BAM!
The gunshot shattered the silence. The first bullet tore through the beast’s skull and it collapsed, heavy and lifeless.
Kaya dropped to the ground immediately, her chest heaving, breath caught halfway between fear and adrenaline. Her heart pounded so loudly it almost drowned out the river beside her.
She stayed low, eyes scanning the clearing.
And then—something shifted.
The hyenas—those monstrous things—froze. Their glowing eyes met hers. And then, slowly, one by one, they backed away. Fear flickered across their faces. Real fear. As if for a second, they didn’t see a human... they saw something far more dangerous.