Hazie struggles against Kaiser’s iron grip, not too rough but strong enough to hold he in place, her voice rising in indignation and frustration. "Again, Kaiser, what are you doing?!"

  His hold only tightened, ensuring she stayed obedient in her place so he could drag her away when the moment demanded it. However, to his own dark amusement, he found her flustered reaction far more entertaining than it should have been. He replied with an annoying nonchalance.

  "Proceeding with your plan. This is how it’s supposed to play out in that big brain of yours eventually, right? I’m just speeding things up."

  It wasn’t hard to guess how two mere humans could hope to bring down an aerial predator of such caliber—its elusive flight and formidable power could only be countered by using its own strength against it. This much had been proven earlier through an experiment carried out under Hazie’s guidance—one that Kai had not even realized he was part of until it was already done.

  Kai despised being manipulated, tricked into doing something without his consent. And while Hazie’s actions had stoked his frustration, she wasn’t exactly thrilled with him either, harboring her own bitterness over what he had done. Still, Kai wasn’t the type to let things go so easily. Forgiving her deception outright felt too risky—what if she tried something like that again?

  Determined to make her face the consequences of her manipulation, he allowed his grudge to fester, even in the face of their dire situation. It wasn’t rational—grudges rarely are—but emotions have a way of overriding reason. Besides, he wouldn't do this if he did not have faith in his approach. His resolve was unshakable, even if Hazie didn’t agree.

  She snapped her head to glare at him, her pink hair framing her wide, incredulous eyes. "It is, but in a safer way than this!"

  Kai rolled his eyes, his smirk as infuriating as ever. "Safer? Coming from the ‘genius’ who dragged us into this mess without even asking me first. And now you’re lecturing me about safety?"

  Hazie clenched her fists, her voice trembling with urgency. "That’s not fair, and you know it! This is *different*! Staying here is suicide, Kai! If we don’t move, we’re going to die!"

  "Fine by me," he replied with a careless shrug, as if they weren’t moments away from being flattened by a prehistoric predator.

  She gaped at him, her voice faltering for a moment before she found her footing again. "What? Are you insane? Wait, wait, wait, *wait*! This feels... off. Shouldn’t you be the one inclined to play it safe? I'm fine dying here, Kai. But this is your only life! So for once, just listen to me. Let’s move while we still can!"

  Above them, the predator let out a deafening screech, its enormous wings slicing through the air as it dove toward them. Hazie’s breath hitched, her wide eyes darting upward to the shadow that threatened to engulfed them.

  Kai tilted his head, his dark eyes glittering with amusement. "What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you’re scared."

  Hazie straightened, her lips tightening into a defiant line. "Of course I’m not scared!" she snapped, though her voice betrayed the tiniest quiver.

  "Then why are you shaking?" he teased, his tone light and aggravatingly calm.

  "I—I am not shaking!" she shot back.

  Kai’s smirk deepened. "Really? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like your knees are about to give out."

  Her face went crimson, her words stumbling over each other. "I—I’m fine! You’re imagining things! Why are you even retraining me with you? Anyway?"

  Kai chuckled, leaning closer with maddening confidence. "Sure you are. Totally not panicking while a tiradactel is about to squish us into paste... Don’t worry, though. I’ve got this. Just trust me. You know—like you made me trust you."

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  Being forced to place your life in the hands of someone you barely consider a friend—reluctantly, with no other choice—was far from a pleasant feeling. Kai knew that frustration all too well; Hazie had made him experience it not long ago. And now, under his firm grip, she was probably feeling that same maddening helplessness.

  He grinned, his voice dropping to a taunting drawl. "How’s the taste of your own medicine?"

  Hazie opened her mouth to argue, but the creature’s piercing screech silenced her. The glider was seconds away, its talons extended, its gaze locked on them like a predator certain of its unmoving prey.

  Suddenly, Kai’s demeanor shifted in an instant. The playful glint in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, unyielding focus. His voice dropped, steady and commanding. "Brace yourself."

  "What are you—" Hazie’s question cut off as Kai surged into motion. Summoning every ounce of strength from his weary body, he exploded into action. With a swift, almost feral burst of energy, he yanked Hazie into his arms and spun away. The world became a dizzying blur as he pivoted sharply, pulling them clear just as the glider’s talons slashed through empty air where they had stood moments before.

  But the creature’s dive proved its undoing. Its deadly momentum carried it forward, straight into the jagged wall of obsidian stones behind them. As Kai and Hazie rolled aside, a deafening explosion of sound erupted behind them—a mix of shattering rock, a bone-rattling *crack*, and the creature’s horrifying screech as it collided headlong with the unyielding barrier of stones.

  Shards of crystal-like obsidian flew in all directions, glittering in the faint light like a deadly storm. Acting purely on instinct, Kai rolled again with Hazie clutched tightly in his grasp, narrowly avoiding the barrage of razor-edged fragments. Twisting his body, he shielded her, his back absorbing the brunt of the debris pelting the ground around them.

  Though Kai wasn’t one to consider himself a good person—especially after all he’d done to her—he wasn’t heartless either. Letting Hazie’s already battered body endure further injuries was not something he could allow. He didn’t claim to understand women deeply, but one thing he knew for certain: they hated scars. That much had stuck with him. Besides, any additional harm would make her even less useful in their dire situation.

  For a moment, chaos reigned. The air was thick with dust, and the sound of crumbling stone echoed like distant thunder. Then, abruptly, there was silence.

  Kai remained still, his body coiled with tension as he kept Hazie securely beneath him. She felt his chest rising and falling against hers, his breath heavy but steady. For a brief, awkward moment, the only sounds were their shared breathing and the pounding of their hearts. Their eyes met, close enough to see every detail of each other’s faces.

  It might have been a romantic scene in another time, another place—but here, with death lingering in the air, there was no space for such thoughts. The moment passed quickly, practically overriding any sense of awkwardness.

  Kai shifted first, his movements slow and deliberate. Easing his weight off Hazie, he rose cautiously, his gaze sharp and alert as it swept over their surroundings. His every muscle remained taut, ready to react at the first sign of danger.

  As the dark haze of the impact settled down, he saw the monstrous glider lay slumped on the ground, rubles spread around its pale, sinewy body. A stark contrast to the dark stone. Its wide wings hung limply at its sides, and its neck was twisted at an unnatural angle.

  For a moment, neither of them moved. The beast was still, eerily so.

  "Is it...?" Hazie whispered, her voice barely audible.

  Kai’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "I don’t know," he murmured. His tone was measured, but there was an edge of uncertainty.

  The pale monstrosity was a vicious and relentless adversary, its elusive flight making it hard to slay because they can't engage in their advantageous grounded combat. It could swoop down, snatch its prey, and drop them from deadly heights with terrifying ease. However, this time, it had made a critical error.

  Whether due to its dulled vision, feral beastial judgment, or sheer overconfidence, the creature failed to anticipate the terrain behind its prey. The natural wall of jagged obsidian stones loomed directly in its flight path, a barrier it could neither maneuver around nor recover from. Its deadly dive, fueled by its own immense momentum, turned into its downfall. The collision was devastating—a monstrous crash as flesh, bone, and sinew met the unyielding surface of the rocks. The impact shattered the stillness of the air, the glider’s own strength and speed carrying it headlong into its doom.

  The creature’s pale, sinewy body lay motionless. At first glance, it seemed lifeless, but the tension in the air was suffocating, each second thick with uncertainty. Every nerve in their bodies screamed for them to remain still, to stay silent, as though the faintest sound might shatter the fragile stillness and awaken the predator.

  However, the two options presented make them feel conflicted, neither without its risks. They could seize the moment, attempting to finish off the vulnerable beast and gamble their lives on the hope that it truly was incapacitated. Or, they could flee, taking the safer route to ensure their survival, but leaving the monstrous threat behind them in the hopes it is dead.

  It was a grim choice, made all the more difficult by their original goal. Killing it hadn’t been the plan; immobilizing it had been enough. But seeing the creature there, battered and seemingly broken, made leaving feel like a gamble of its own, for they could end this now.

  Kai shifted slightly, his body tense as he kept Hazie close by his side. His dark gaze remained locked on the predator, unwavering, every muscle in his frame coiled tightly, ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger.

  The silence stretched unbearably, a maddening void filled only by the sound of their shallow breaths and the faint crackle of settling debris. They waited, watching for the slightest movement, the smallest hint that might help them decide. If it was weak enough, they could finish it. If not… they'll die trying.

  Then, it stirred.

  A faint twitch of its taloned foot, almost imperceptible, followed by a shudder that rippled through its body. The silence shattered as a low, guttural growl rumbled from deep within its chest—a sound that vibrated in their bones, primal and foreboding.

  Kaiser and Hazie took a step back.

  The creature’s head shifted, lifting ever so slightly as its wings twitched weakly against the ground. Blood seeped from the jagged wounds across its pale hide, pooling beneath it, but its movements, though slow, were deliberate.

  It wasn’t dead.

  The realization sent a chill through both of them. And now, there was no time left to debate. Fight or flee—the decision had to be made.