Sebastian's boots skidded against the dirt as he came to a stop in the middle of the clearing. The ground was torn and uneven, trembling beneath the monstrous weight of the obsidian-coated mammoth barreling toward them. The creature's roar rippled through the forest, shaking branches loose and sending a wave of dust through the air.
Sebastian glanced back at Annalise, who was already gasping for breath, sweat glistening on her forehead. "Annalise," he said, voice steady despite the chaos, "I need thirty seconds."
She blinked. "What—what do you mean thirty seconds!? That thing just evolved!"
He didn't answer. He just gave her that infuriatingly calm smile.
"Sebastian, don't you dare—"
"Sorry, you're faster than me when it comes to stalling," he said casually, and before she could react—
He grabbed her by the wrist and threw her forward.
"SEBASTIAN, YOU PSYCHOPATH!" she screamed, twisting midair as she landed hard on the cracked ground.
