The monster growled

A piercing, guttural sound that tore through the forest like thunder.

It wasn’t just noise.

It was pressure.

A scream made to break lesser things.

Being this close to it — hearing it up close — was like standing inside an avalanche of teeth.

Kai tried to stand, but

Failed.

The air around him thickened — sharp and heavy, like gravity had turned personal.

Another strike was coming. He could feel it, like the world itself was bracing.

And then—

she moved.

A blur.

Dark hair. 

No scream. No warning.

Just a fist, flying on instinct and fury.

Impact.

The punch connected with the monster’s shoulder — hard enough to stagger it. Barely.

Her body spun with the recoil, knees hitting earth. She landed beside him, exhaling once.

Not out of breath — just burning off adrenaline.

“You alive?” she asked, voice low and rough.

“Mostly,” Kai muttered.

The creature hissed —

Not like a snake. Like a corpse remembering how to breathe.

Two legs. No eyes. Too many teeth.

Ten feet tall. Smelled like rust and wet stone.

It was still hungry.

It lunged.

She moved forward.

Kai reached up.

And then —

it happened.

The world didn’t slow down.

It snapped.

Something clicked between them — not physical. Not even magical.

Just pure resonance.

A flash behind his eyes. A thread pulling tight inside his ribs.

Her fist moved — and his magic answered.

Not on purpose.

On instinct.

When she struck again, her arm flared gold — Kai’s energy wrapping around her bones like armor.

The punch hit the creature’s chest.

This time, it didn’t stagger.

It flew.

The forest rang with the impact.

The monster hit trees, stone, air — and didn’t get back up.

Just pure silence.

what can be heard?

Only breath. Hers. His. Shared.