I stare at the monster closing in, each second stretching like an eternity, my heart pounding in my chest. "Why won't you move?!" I try to move my body again with no success. "Come on! I can't afford to die right now!" I glance back. The monster's massive strides are closing the distance. Each thunderous step echoes in my chest. Kirstine's bright smile ignites a flicker of hope in me. It pushes me to fight harder for my loved ones, whom I can't bear to lose... My limbs spring to life, propelling me forward as a newfound sense of purpose fills me.

crash-!

Its punch cracks the pillar behind me. I dodge by jumping aside. As I leap, the monster's fist whooshes past my face. "That was way too close." I look at the damage the monster caused. My body has a delayed reaction. The scent of dust and sweat fills my nostrils.

"Guess escaping isn't an option." I glanced around, a spark igniting in my mind as I turned back to the beast. I dodged just in time, adrenaline surging as I taunted, 'You missed me, you shithead!' The beast's fury ignited in its eyes.

roar!

I sprint for the next column; adrenaline surged through me. The beast lunges after me. "Come on, big guy, is that all you’ve got?!" I taunt with a playful tone with a hint of fear. A wild grin splits my face, adrenaline thrumming in my chest as I push faster. A quick look back shows my pursuer gaining ground. "Just how fast is this thing?!" I utter as its massive form closes the gap with each thunderous step.

Crash-! Thud-

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I step to the side, making the monster crash into the pillar, making the ground shake from its impact. "Aww, are you all right? You need a hand or something?" Taunting it more, the monster howled as its anger intensified; I rushed to the next one.

"I’ve got this brute figured out," I remark, as so far, the only thing it's been doing is charging at me. Feeling overconfident, I look back at the monster to provoke it even more. "Come on! Don't tell me this is the best you can do!" I yell, grinning. A monster glared at me, intent on killing. It then grabbed a boulder and crushed it with its fist. "What the...?" Its intentions baffle me completely. I question, wondering what it will do next.

whoosh-

Before I could brace myself, rocks hurtled through the air. A whistle of danger filled my ears, the sound of rocks crashing against the wall, followed by a gust of air. Dust clouds erupted as rocks ricocheted off the walls, obscuring my view. "Crap!" I flung my arms up, shielding myself from the onslaught of stony missiles.

Argh!

A sharp pain shot through my side with each impact, blurring my vision and igniting my fear, arm, and face. "Damn, I didn't see that coming," I hissed as the beast lifted another boulder. I ducked behind a column, wincing as the stones pounded my shelter. I gritted my teeth, cursing myself for underestimating the beast’s strength.

Frustrated, the monster ripped a tree from the ground. Its muscles strained as it turned to face me. "Don't tell me..." As my worst fears came true, the monster, with a mighty heave, uprooted a tree. The ground shook at the sound of it crashing as it hurled it at me. I had little time to react. "Damn it!" I leaped to the side as the tree slammed into the pillar, breaking it and making a dent in the wall.

Panic surged as I struggled to crawl away, but the monster leapt toward me, a shadow of doom. The monster leapt at me. It raised its fist, then slammed it down on my back. My spine and other bones broke, blood spilling from my mouth.

Uggh!

"Shit... At this rate I'm gonna die," I groaned in pain as the monster lifted me and hurled me against the column. The monster approached me with a deliberate pace. After it reached me, it raised its fist once again, ready to deliver the finishing blow. The punch landed with a deafening crash, echoing in the vast space.

At the last moment, I rolled away; its punch smashed the pillar behind me, and I dodged by leaping to the side. With the supports gone, the place collapsed onto the beast, crushing it as it met its end.

As I lay there, gasping, dust clung to my lungs like a heavy fog. Each breath was a struggle against the weight of the fallen debris. "Dammit, Rei, keep your eyes open," I struggled to keep my eyes open as my vision blurred and my heavy eyelids closed.

[end of chapter]