The creature crashed into the mountainside where I had been fighting the Burning Men, sending rock and debris flying in all directions. It threw back what passed for its head and unleashed a scream that seemed to vibrate the very air, a sound of hunger and rage that made my blood run cold.

Then it locked eyes with me.

The reaction from the Burning Men was immediate and telling. Without hesitation, they scattered like leaves in a storm. Some leapt from the edge of the plateau, plummeting down the mountainside with reckless abandon. Others dropped to the ground and began burrowing back into the volcanic soil with unnatural speed, disappearing beneath the surface as though the solid rock were loose sand.

Their panic told me everything I needed to know: this was a predator that even the monstrosities of the volcano feared.

I didn't waste time wondering what to do. I was already deep into a sprint as fast as I could.

The boost provided by the Council's blessings surged through my muscles, propelling me forward at speeds no ordinary human could match. My feet barely touched the ground as I sprinted along the narrow trail that wound around the volcano's slope.

Behind me, I heard the monster give chase. It moved with horrifying speed for something so massive, its tiny legs somehow propelling it forward in bursts of unnatural velocity. It crashed into the mountainside repeatedly, swaying from left to right as it charged, occasionally leaping into the air to cover greater distances.

Despite my enhanced speed, the monster was gaining. The rhythmic impacts of its body against the mountain grew louder, the heat of its presence more intense at my back. I pushed myself harder, legs burning with effort, lungs screaming for air that wasn't superheated by the volcano.

Could I fight it? The thought flashed through my mind. I dismissed the idea almost immediately. Even with my enhancements, my chances against such a creature were minimal at best. My only hope lay in escape.

As I rounded a bend in the trail, my eyes caught sight of something below—a flat outcropping of rock jutting from the volcano's otherwise sheer face. It was far below my current position, but not so far that a fall would be fatal, especially not to my enhanced body.

A desperate plan formed in my mind as the trail curved sharply to the right, momentarily placing me out of the monster's line of sight. This was my only chance.

Without slowing my pace, I hurled myself off the edge of the trail. For one heart-stopping moment, I was airborne, the heat of the volcano's breath rushing past me as gravity claimed my body. Then I hit the slope and began to slide, the rough volcanic rock grating against my clothes as I plummeted downward at a nearly ninety-degree angle.

After what felt like an eternity but could only have been seconds, I crashed onto the flat outcropping, the impact driving the air from my lungs. Pain flared across my body from a dozen minor injuries, but nothing felt broken. I scrambled to my feet, frantically scanning my surroundings for the next step in my escape.

When I turned to look behind me, where there should have been nothing but the solid rock face of the volcano, I found something else entirely—something that made me wonder if my luck had finally turned.

Set into the mountain was the entrance to a cave, its opening just large enough for me to slip through but far too small for the monstrosity that pursued me. Without hesitation, I dashed toward this unexpected sanctuary.

Darkness engulfed me as I ducked inside, the sudden shift from the bright glow of volcanic light to near-total darkness momentarily blinding me. The only illumination came from the reddish hues filtering in from the entrance, casting everything in blood-tinted shadows.

The cave extended only a short distance into the mountain—perhaps twenty-five feet at most—before ending in a solid wall of rock. It was less a proper cave and more a shallow indentation in the volcano's side, but it would serve my purpose. The space was just tall enough for me to stand upright and just wide enough that I could stretch out my arms without touching both walls.

I pressed myself against the back wall, my breathing gradually slowing as I listened for signs of pursuit. The ground trembled as the monster passed overhead, its frustrated screams echoing down through the rock. For several tense minutes, I remained motionless, sword still gripped in my hand, ready to fight if somehow the creature found a way to reach me.