Anthesis of Sadness

He had seen me.

Or maybe sensed me. The faint fire of my life, that spark nestled deep in my bones, had been enough to betray my presence.

The infected titan slowly turned its three-mouthed head toward me — three fused skulls, screaming in a silent agony — then, without warning, it lunged at me.

The mountain roared.

I dodged in a leap, muscles screaming, bouncing from rock to rock. One more second, and I would’ve been crushed.

Behind me, the ground exploded in a deafening cacophony, a burst of rocks and molten lava tearing through the air.

A burning shard slashed my side.

Fuck.

I kept moving.

Claws out, Stealth activated, I danced around the colossus. I had to strike precisely: joints, outgrowths, those pulsating pockets of flesh where the stone gave way.

But already, it belched.