A colossal, snake-like body followed the fin’s path, its sinuous form rising from the depths like something born from a nightmare. Its shimmering scales caught the light of the twin suns, reflecting hues of bronze and deep obsidian as it slithered forward with terrifying grace. The fins, now fully exposed, ran down the length of its spine, like a serrated crest, twitching as if sensing the air itself.

As its enormous head lifted from the sand, I caught sight of its draconian features, elongated jaws lined with serrated fangs, flaring nostrils that exhaled bursts of hot dust, and eyes that burned with an eerie, predatory intelligence. The slit pupils contracted as they locked onto us, a gaze so piercing it sent a primal chill down my spine, urging my body to run.

"What in the actual hell is that thing?!" Ethan's words seemed to echo through my thoughts as I stared, dumbfounded, at the beast, and then common sense kicked in.

"Run, now!" I shouted, already sprinting before the words had fully left my mouth.

The ground trembled beneath my feet as I ran, the rocky terrain offering a small reprieve from the soft sand that had slowed us before. I didn’t dare look back; the sound of the creature’s monstrous body moving through the desert was all I needed to know. My legs burned, my lungs screamed for air, but I kept running, the only way we were going to make it out of here would be getting to the safety of the mountain. 

Just ahead of us stood a stone structure jutting out of the sand, forming a makeshift path around us. Right as our feet made contact, the ground exploded beneath us.

The impact was like a localized earthquake, sending shockwaves through the stone. Staggering forward, I collapsed onto the stone beneath me, sharp rocks digging into my knees and hands— then shaking hands grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up to my feet. 

Just as I was about to make the last desperate run to the mountain, someone pulled me back. 

“Don't Move!” Ethan hissed as he let go of my arm and motioned to the sand ahead of us, just beyond the stone pillar. The thing was circling us, moving slowly around our sanctuary as if it couldn't move on land. With a ripple of sand, its head came above the surface, its eyes staring us down with an almost calculating gaze. Then it dove under and for a moment all was still, and then–

Crack! The stone beneath us shook as the thing slammed into the pillar once more. The rocks above began to crumble and fall as cracks started to form.

“This isn't going to last much longer!” Amelia shouted, “We have to make a run for it as soon as it goes under again!” 

Giving a sharp nod, I prepared myself, and just as it dove under once more, we made a frantic dash forward–

Crack! The stone sanctuary behind us started to shudder and then tip, as it slowly sank into the sand like a capsized ship going under. 

And then the thing emerged, scanning the rocks in confusion and frustration, only for its fins to ripple and vibrate once, then, as if on cue, it turned straight towards us. Before diving under. How did it know where we were?   

A strangled cry from behind me made my blood run cold.

Henry.

The sand beneath him had begun to shift unnaturally, parting in a widening spiral. My breath caught as I saw it. An enormous set of jaws rising from the earth, fanged ridges snapping open like the gates of hell itself.

"Henry, MOVE!" I bellowed, but he couldn’t; his legs had locked as if paralyzed from terror.

Then, in a blur of motion, Benjamin lunged forward.

His hands clamped onto Henry’s collar, yanking him backward with all his strength. The force sent them both sprawling across the ground just as the creature’s jaws slammed shut where Henry had stood a second before. A spray of sand shot into the air from the sheer force, dusting us in a fine golden mist. The sound was deafening, a monstrous crunch that rattled my bones. Had Benjamin been even a second slower, Henry would have been gone.

Henry hit the ground hard, coughing violently, his face pale as death. His breath came in rapid, shallow gasps as he realized how close he had come to being devoured. Benjamin, still gripping Henry’s shirt in a death grip, panted heavily, his expression a mix of shock and anger.

“Don’t–” Benjamin’s voice shook, his usual calm demeanor cracking. “Don’t ever freeze like that again.”

But we had no time to recover.

A guttural roar erupted from beneath the sand, the creature furious at losing its prey, circled back for a second try. 

Then another lunge.

The ground caved in slightly, and for a moment, I thought it was going to break through right under us.

"We need to move–NOW!" Amelia shouted.

Still dragging Henry to his feet, Benjamin shoved him forward, and we all bolted. The jagged rocks ahead were our only salvation. The shifting sands beneath us threatened to pull us under with each step.

Come on, we can make it! We just had to reach the mountains.

Then, a deafening whoosh.

I turned just in time to see Ethan stumbling, his foot catching on an uneven patch of sand. His arms flailed as he fought to regain his balance, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His eyes locked onto mine for a split second – pure panic etched across his face.

The ground beneath him began to shift.

“No–” I started, but it was too late.

The sand caved inward, collapsing like a sinkhole. A monstrous mouth erupted from below, its gaping maw stretching impossibly wide as it surged up from beneath him. Ethan barely had time to scream before the massive jaws clamped shut, swallowing him whole.

The world froze. My body locked up as I watched, unable to move, unable to process the sheer brutality of it. Just seconds ago, he had been right there. And now… gone.

There was no trace of him. No blood. No struggle. Just the smooth, undisturbed sand, as if he had never existed at all.

A stunned silence fell over the group, our sprint momentarily forgotten as horror settled in our bones. But the creature didn’t stop; it burrowed back into the sand, circling for another round.

It wasn’t done yet.

The beast burst from the sand once more, its massive body arcing high into the air, casting an impossibly large shadow over us. It crashed down just beside us, its fin carving through the dunes like a blade, narrowly missing Henry as he dove out of the way.

We ran. We ran like hell.

Even when we ran on solid ground, we kept moving farther and farther until there was no possibility of the creature catching us. And only when we were as far up the slope as our legs could carry us did we collapse. All of us were gasping for air that we desperately needed.  Behind us, the creature still loomed at the desert’s edge, thrashing against the rocky mountainside, its massive form barely held back by the natural barrier.

Even then, my body refused to relax, every nerve still on edge, waiting for another attack.

Looking to the side, I found Emily trembling, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees as she stared into the distance, horrified. “H…He just died,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Just like that. He was right there…” The words broke apart into a choked breath.

Ella moved to her side, pulling her close. “We’ll be okay,” she murmured, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Owen let out a shuddering breath, pressing his hands against his face. He was shaking, his whole body wracked with barely-contained sobs. 

I swallowed hard, my throat dry, but forced myself to speak. "We made it." The words felt empty even as I said them, but they needed to be said. "That’s what matters right now. We’re still here."

No one answered.

Benjamin stood off to the side, silent. He hadn’t moved since we collapsed, his expression unreadable as he stared off into the distance. His jaw was tight, his fists clenched at his sides, but his eyes… His eyes were somewhere else. Then, slowly, like someone dragging themselves out of deep water, he blinked, refocusing on the present. He took a slow breath before straightening up, shaking off the dust clinging to his clothes.

His voice was steady, but something had shifted in it. "Atlas is right. We're alive, and that's what matters most right now." Then his tone hardened. "If anyone’s hurt, cuts, scrapes, anything, tell me now."

It wasn't a suggestion; it was a command. But underneath the firmness, I could hear it. Desperation. Not fear of the creature, but fear of losing anyone else.

No one spoke, nor did they move.

Ethan had been right there. Running with us. And then, in an instant, he was gone. The sand had swallowed him whole, leaving behind nothing but the echo of his last, terrified scream.

After checking everyone over and finding only a few cuts and scrapes, Benjamin exhaled and slid down against a rock. “We’re all okay,” he muttered, the words heavy with exhaustion as his gaze drifted back toward the endless stretch of desert beyond.

Amelia took a deep breath and forced herself to stand straighter. “Alright,” she said, her voice steadier than the rest of us, but only just. “Let’s try to rest for now... We need to regain our strength and think about our next steps… carefully.”