Our passage was rough and painful, but we exited the other side in only a few seconds.

Taking in lung-fulls of air, I reoriented to my new surroundings.

A fight was taking place between humans and a large gathering of cats over a pile of dwarven corpses. A rude Canadian woman and a gruff plaid-wearing lumberjack called out to them.

"Eh! You found her. Congrat-u-fucking-lations."

"Hey, asshole! What was that announcement? What did you-"

The answer presented itself as the Celestial Parasite burst through the crack in the wall with a resounding shriek, sending small rocks flying in all directions. Its main body reared up like a python eyeing a cornered rat. The fighting stopped as all the humans craned their necks back, mouths open.

The cats bolted, their fight-or-flight instincts screaming at them to run far, far away. Unfortunately, the movement attracted the beast's attention as it split into several appendages, lashing out like whips and scooping up the tiny felines. They screeched and became enveloped by the ever-shifting glass, dissolving and assimilated.

Two Matrons tried to fight back. They lasted a few scant moments because of the blood on their paws. However, they too were ripped away, claws scrapping against the rocky stone floor.

Running alongside my temporary companion, I jumped over a lashing appendage as he rolled low. We both ran for the pile of corpses. I shouted to the strangers.

"We only need to last forty seconds! Coat your weapons in blood."

A teenager in a onesie was the first to comply, reaching the pile of dwarven bodies and shoving her sword deep inside. The lumberjack, a blond girl, and a Chinese woman were next as the rest followed suit, cursing under their breath or loudly at no one in particular. An archer dipped some crossbow bolts in blood before shooting them into the air.

The entity gulped each of them down like an eager retriever catching frisbees. It devoured the blood and let the pristine bolts clatter against the ground. Seeing this action slow the beast down, many chose to throw their weapons instead of keeping them. Getting near the crystalline monstrosity that continued to decimate ComCats was at the bottom of their bucket list.

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I defended a panicking young man the best I could, but my stamina drained alongside my will to fight. My blows were the only ones that did any measure of damage, and even those were negligible. There was no way to kill this thing.

A thick shadow blew past me. The body of a thin dwarf flew. The creature snatched it like a child hungry for more. It took much longer to devour the dwarven corpse than the blood-soaked weapons and miniature cats.

"Lukos. Help me."

"Shit. Shit. Shit!"

"Everyone! Grab a limb and throw it."

The united humans made their effort seem feasible as they satiated the Parasite for fifteen glorious seconds. Except it was insatiable. It would devour the universe until nothing was left as if it were anti-life itself.

The beast's snacks soon dwindled to almost nothing. All the cats were dead. Everyone defended themselves with regular shitty weapons. The Celestial Parasite backed them against a watery grave with no hope of escape.

My internal clock told me we had ten seconds. I was all out of ideas.

I heard a splash.

The Canadian girl fell backward into the pool of water. She floundered in the murky and bloody liquid.

The gears in my head clicked into place.

"The water. Into the water!"

One by one, they fell back. The strongest and most able-bodied acted as rear guards as each diver delved deeper. An older man threw himself in the way of an attack to protect a diving youth. His life ended quickly and without a word.

There were five of us left. Me, the lumberjack, the blond girl, the Chinese woman, and the man without whom we'd all be dead.

There seemed to be a moment of hesitation about who'd go next. We were all busy defending against our own sides, bleeding from various wounds as we were forced to supply our weapons with more blood.

The decision was made as the lumberjack carried the petite blond into the water with a loud splash. The Chinese woman gave us a glance and followed after.

The creature screeched and charged me.

I was thrown off my feet. My weapon, the faithful branch I'd been fighting tooth and nail with all this time, dropped helplessly into the water.

My heart stopped as I watched my end.

The prisms in front of me dilated like an eye. Multiplying outward, doubling in size. Tripling. The rainbow patterns of a kaleidoscope were hypnotizing as they billowed outward.

Something tackled me, and I felt water overtake me.

Holding my breath, I allowed our combined weight to carry us downward. The creature pranced along the surface of the water, seeping into it like quicksand through an hourglass. It suffused into the dark liquid, following the trail of smoky blood.

I thought the water would stop it.

It multiplied and attached itself to a wound on the man's shoulder.

I thought we'd be safe.

It slithered around him, lashing out at a cut on my cheek.

I felt an arm hold me tighter.

And I saw a bloody hand snatch the appendage and squeeze.

The Parasite shuddered.

[Local Announcement: 60 seconds have elapsed. Congratulations. You're alive.]

The Parasite resisted. Something was pulling the creature back like a dog on a chain. It lingered, holding on for its life. Something even more terrifying ripped it away.

It vanished like a bat out of hell.