Vas's chest heaved with exertion, the pressure of holding El Hilo del Destino and Garra del Abismo against such a powerful being taking its toll. His vision blurred for a moment, his strength fading.

"I can't hold it forever," Vas muttered to himself, beads of sweat dripping down his face.The creature let out a thunderous roar, its many faces twisted in rage and agony. One of its massive hands broke free from the abyssal claws, crashing into the stone ground, sending debris flying in every direction. Vas was knocked back by the shockwave, tumbling across the rubble-strewn floor. He scrambled to his feet, his body screaming in protest.

It was too powerful. If he stayed and fought, he'd be killed. And worse, he would lose everyone he had fought to save.

"Anya, get them out of here!" he shouted, stumbling backward. "We can't beat it—not yet!"

The Hekatonkheires staggered forward, its grotesque form shuddering violently, its flesh barely holding together. Vas could see it—its body was breaking down, struggling to maintain the energy that coursed through it. But there wasn't enough time to wait for it to collapse.

He needed to retreat.

With a flick of his wrist, he recalled his chakrams and bolted after Anya, his heart pounding in his chest. He cast a final glance over his shoulder at the abomination as it continued to thrash and howl, the ruin trembling beneath its weight.

"We'll watch it," Vas muttered to himself. "If we're lucky, it'll fall apart on its own. If not…"His voice trailed off, dread seeping into his bones. There was no guarantee that the creature would weaken in time. But right now, survival was all that mattered.

As he and Anya fled the ruins, the deafening roars of the Hekatonkheires echoed behind them—a grim reminder that this was far from over.

Vas and Anya managed to get the unconscious group to safety, hiding in an abandoned building not far from the chaos. The distant roars of the Hekatonkheires still echoed through the ruins, sending waves of tension through the air. Vas sat quietly, his face hidden beneath the hood and mask provided by Madeline, while Anya paced back and forth, her anxiety clearly mounting.

Anya glanced at the unconscious group, particularly her niece Lily. Her heart twisted with fear—Lily, the one person she'd sworn to protect above all else, had been so close to becoming part of that nightmarish ritual. She was safe now, but Anya knew it wasn't over yet.

"What are we going to tell them?" Anya asked, her voice strained.

Vas, ever the strategist, spoke in a low voice. "Tell them we were camping nearby. Saw the lights, felt the tremors, came to investigate. Keep it simple. But whatever you do... don't mention my name. It's better they don't know who I am."

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Anya's eyes flickered with concern. "You don't think they'll ask?"

"They will. But we stick to the story. I'm just a friend who helped, nothing more," Vas replied, his tone cold, calculated.

Moments passed in silence before the first signs of stirring came from the group. One by one, Aleara, Beck, Amy, Lily, Zola, Kairo, Victor, and Carmilla began to wake, groggy and disoriented. Lily was the first to open her eyes, and Anya rushed to her side, kneeling beside her with an expression of overwhelming relief.

"Anya?" Lily croaked, her voice weak.

"Shh, it's okay," Anya whispered, brushing a hand through her niece's hair. "You're safe now."

As the others stirred, confusion filled their faces. "What... happened?" Zola asked, rubbing her temples. "Last thing I remember..."

Anya stood and quickly launched into the story they had prepared. "We were camping not too far from here when we saw lights shooting into the sky and felt the tremors. We rushed to see what was happening, and… we found all of you unconscious. We carried you to safety."

The group looked around, disoriented. Beck, his brow furrowed, asked, "Who's that?" He gestured toward Vas, who remained sitting in the shadows, the hood obscuring most of his face.

Vas leaned forward slightly, his voice altered by the mask. "Just a friend of Anya's. I helped get you out. Don't worry about me."

"Why are you still wearing that hood?" Kairo asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.Vas paused for a moment, then answered, "Scars. Trust me, you don't want to see them."The explanation seemed to satisfy the group for now, but the tension remained thick in the air. Anya, not wanting to dwell on it, quickly shifted the conversation. "We need to focus on what's outside. The... creature."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

"The thing is still out there?" Carmilla asked, her voice shaky.

"Yes," Vas answered bluntly. "And it's not going to stop looking for us. But for now, we've got time. This building is far enough from the center that it might take a while for it to find us. We need to figure out what to do next."

Anya glanced over at Lily, still shaken from everything. Her protective instincts flared. "We can't stay here too long. That thing—it's not just some monster. It's unstable, but it's still incredibly dangerous."

The weight of the situation pressed down on them all. They had escaped the immediate threat, but the Hekatonkheires was still out there, and it wouldn't be long before it found them.

The tension in the room was palpable as Vas processed everything. His mind raced with two options, each one more dangerous than the other. The first option—waiting it out. They had somehow been pulled into this place, and though the "how" remained fuzzy, he had a rough idea. His eyes darted to their wrists. The unfamiliar devices, those weren't there before. He was certain. Luther... it had to be him. If these bracelets were the key to their sudden appearance, then Luther had likely orchestrated it. A gift or a trap—either way, it all pointed back to him.

The thought gnawed at Vas. Waiting seemed like the safest move. Gerald would be reacting soon, and Abigail would undoubtedly raise the alarm once she realized the kids were gone. If Gerald unleashed the Hunting Dogs, Vas felt confident they wouldn't take long to find this hellish place. That was the "safe" option—wait for help to come. But Vas knew that leaving it up to chance, hoping Gerald's team would make it before the unstable abomination tore everything apart... it felt like gambling with their lives.

The second option? To fight. But how? He still didn't have a concrete plan for bringing down a god-like being made of three Hekhatonkheires. His thoughts were interrupted when Zola, one of the more clear-headed in the group, broke the silence.