A heavy silence lingered in the ravine, thick enough to taste. The shadows at the far end remained still, yet none of the three dared to turn their backs.
"Should we retreat?" Fatty Kui whispered, eyes darting around like a squirrel in a lightning storm.
Han Yu narrowed his eyes. "No sudden movements. We don't know what's watching us."
Wu Shuan, ever calm, nodded in agreement. "If it wanted to attack us by surprise, it would've done so already. Let's wait and observe. Retreating now might provoke it—or worse, make us look weak."
"You mean we aren't already?" Fatty Kui muttered, clutching his snack basket like it might serve as a shield.
Then, from the edge of a jagged rock, something shifted.
A wet scraping sound echoed—like raw meat being dragged over stone.
Han Yu and Wu Shuan instinctively stepped in front of Fatty Kui, weapons ready.
