As soon as Kael sensed the turbulent movement of the water that was beneath him, he realized that the titan had begun his march towards its prey.
There wasn't any ripple. It was a violent shift—like a dislocation of the river in a natural rhythm. That kind of change only happens when something big and ferocious begins to rise.
He turned his head and found that it was —too late.
The surface of the river began to rise.
A massive shadow surged from the depths of the river, its massive mouth wide open like a gateway to hell. That gateway had rows of uneven, jagged teeth—Like demons from hell waiting for their food.
Like a beast from the abyss.
It wasn't just big. It was humongous. Everything about it seems wrong. It resembled predatory behaviors that nature had overlooked.
Kaelvren had a second to react butno time to think. Only thing he could do was move.
His Instinct kicked in—it was a raw, unfiltered terror of death laced with the iron will of survival.
Using his left hand, he twisted the Branch, angling it toward the beast like a makeshift spear.
It wasn't just a strategy move but a survival gamble.
In a few seconds the monster lunged forward.
In an instant, its jaws snapped shut with a thunderous crack—like a body being torn apart, like a tree splitting from the thunder's crash. The branch exploded under a brutal force, bursting into splinters, fragments flying past Kael's face, creating many small and medium-sized cuts on his face.
But that single instant of snap was enough for him.
He kicked with everything he had left, ignoring numerous new cuts on the face, fire on his ribs, numbness of his legs, the cold needles into his bones.
His fingers brushed against mud. It was Slippery, wet and real.
I am so close. Hehehe just a second and I will reach the shore.
Then pain came once again.
The monster's tail struck his battered body, a surge of water slamming his body sideways.
With that strike Kael was sent flying into the air like a ragdoll. That strike exploded his battered body and made his mouth spat a thick stream of dark, clotted blood and then—— he crashed into the surface of water and began to sink beneath it.
And once again he was in gasp of Silence. Darkness. Cold.
—
As Kael hovered over the edge of death,he began to fight against life taking the river. Which was relentless trying to pull, his battered body was violently thrashing beneath the surface of the river. Every single motion of his muscles sent a wave of pain that flared through his limbs. His lungs burned and screaming for a single breath of air.
The monster was still there—circling like a phantom of a dog, without giving a notice of-present.
This wasn't the Kael domain.
He didn't belong here.
He was the prey. He was bleeding and dying.
His vision became hazy,as if death was dancing at the corners of his eyes. His mind consciousness began to fade, whispering of his consciousness telling him to let go.
But something inside him rebelled against his wish.
"No. Not like this."
With a final, primal surge of amber will, he started to kick and claw, thrashing with everything he had left to reach the shore in his muddled-headed situation.
And then—light shone in front of his hazy eyes.
Just as his head burst out from the surface, water cascaded over his face as he inhaled unsteadily. Air slammed into his chest like flames, searing and painful.He coughed, choking on the river water, his each breath was like a fight against death but he was happy about something that Somehow, he was still breathing and he was still alive.
With that he saw the shore that was only a few metres away.
His body was barely responding to his command, his every movement started to become sluggish but he forced his body to obey. Muscles screamed. Bones protested. But he still lunged forward towards his goal.
As he lunged forward he found himself grabbing onto the rocky surface of the shore. with his last shred of strength, he gripped on the wet stone tightly, fingers digging in.
He was refusing to let go.
He clung to the earth like a drowning man who'd finally found a solid ground. His arm was trembling as he tried to push himself up—but his vision was hazy, the world spinning in front of his eyes. He collapsed onto his knees and his left hand like a broken beast, then with a violent surge that started to gag out—everything that was left in his stomach, mixed with bile and blood clots on the mud of the shore.
Behind him, was the river with the monster that was lingerie beneath the surface of the water and watching his prey running with helpless eyes.
Because he couldn't follow his prey.
But on the other side of the shore kael was out of the river's grasp out of the gasp of death.
For now.
Let not jinx once again.
With that, he rolled onto his back,onto the cold surface of the muddy ground. His chest rose and fell in rough gasps. Exhaustion swallowed his entire self, and before he could think or move —he was in the embrace of peaceful sleep.
In the Real World
The old inspector sitted on a chair of the VIP awakening hall, his fingers were searching inside his coat. He pulled out a small, coin-shaped device with smooth corners; it has many fading symbols. With a flick of motion, he stretched it from all four corners. The coin expanded, unfolding like liquid metal until it was the size of his palm.
He tapped the center.
With a faint whirr, a holographic screen transformed from the liquid metal, casting a pale blue glow onto his face.
"Hello," the inspector muttered, his voice low .
The scene shifted.
—
On the other end of the line, far away in the real world, a raven flew from the dark sky through the wide and open skylight and entered a door in front of him.
A woman in veils sat alone in a chair, back straight, gaze fixed on the empty space ahead. Her long coat hung off her shoulders like a mantle, and her presence radiated dominating presences.
The raven that entered the room landed gracefully onto the polished floor and in the blink of an eye—transformed. Feathers scattered as a slender boy with pale skin and dark eyes took its place, kneeling before the woman.
"My lady," he said respectfully, head bowed, "we've received a call. From the Outer Awakening Center... in our sector."
With that darkness fell.