One hell of a dreamer!

The world is not meant for you...

.....

This wasn't what I hoped for.....

None of us could have seen this coming....

This was just horrible....

Our footsteps echoing like gunshots in the silent night. My heart pounded in my chestmy mindstate was just blank.... blank as a white sheet. Horror was all I felt. 

RUN!

RUN FASTER!

FASTER!

Hitoshi was right beside me, his breath coming in ragged gasps, and I knew he was just as terrified as I was. But we couldn't stop. We couldn't slow down. The monster was right behind us, and I could feel its presence like a heavy weight pressing down on me, suffocating and unrelenting.

IT WON'T STOP...

I CAN FEEL IT!

THE BLOODLUST...

IT WANTS US DEAD....

Every instinct in my body screamed to keep moving, to put as much distance as possible between us and that thing. I led the way, my fox was defnitely giving me some advantages just like granting me speed and agility, but even with that advantage, the creature was gaining on us. 

Its growls echoed through the streets, a low, menacing rumble that sent shivers down my spine. It was getting closer. .... and closer...... and closer......I could hear its claws scraping against the pavement, the sound sharp and grating, like metal on stone.

We have to keep running... 

we can't let it catch us...

But no matter how fast we ran, it seemed like the darkness itself was closing in around us, the shadows growing longer and more oppressive. The air was thick with fear, a dreading presence that clung to my skin just like a shadow of death and made it hard to breathe. I risked a glance over my shoulder and instantly regretted it. The creature was right there, its red eyes glowing with a malevolent light, its twisted smile stretching impossibly wide just like a Cheshire smile but it was not smiling at all. It looked even more horrifying in the dim light, its monstrous form distorted and terrifying.

Hitoshi: Izu, it's getting closer!

NO SHIT!

I KNOW THIS!

SHUT UP AND KEEP RUNNING!

His voice was laced with panic which was honestly no wonders by now. I would have doubted him if he didn't sounded like that. Besides I could hear the desperation in it too. By now he should be able to feel Eri's animalistic instincts to kill.

I pushed myself harder, forcing my legs to move faster, but the fear was making my movements clumsy. I stumbled on the uneven ground, almost tripping over my own feet, and Hitoshi grabbed my arm to steady me, his grip tight and reassuring.

Hitoshi: We can't let it catch us! We have to keep going!

We turned a corner, ducking into a narrow alleyway that was barely wide enough for the two of us. The walls pressed in on us, the claustrophobic space adding to the terror that was already overwhelming us. The creature's growls grew louder, more feral, and I knew it was only a matter of time before it reached us. The alley seemed to stretch on forever, the end nowhere in sight, and with each passing second, the sense of dread grew stronger.

Me: It's toying with us... it's not even trying yet...

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.... I knew it all along but the moment I said it out loud, it just felt like a pang to my chest. The monster wasn't chasing us because it was desperate to catch us. It was chasing us because it enjoyed the hunt. It was playing with us, savoring our fear, and the thought made my blood run cold.

We finally reached the end of the alley, bursting out into a wider street. My eyes darted around, searching for any possible escape route, but the street was deserted, the buildings around us looming like dark, silent sentinels. I didn't know where to go, didn't know if there was anywhere we could hide, but we couldn't stop. We couldn't afford to slow down.

Hitoshi: There! The bridge!

He pointed ahead, and I saw it—a narrow bridge stretching over a murky canal. It wasn't much, but it was our only option. We sprinted towards it, our footsteps pounding against the wooden planks as we crossed. The bridge creaked ominously under our weight, and I could feel it swaying slightly, but we kept running, our fear driving us forward.

The monster was right behind us, its growls now a terrifying roar that echoed through the night.

 I could hear its claws digging into the wood, tearing through it as if it were nothing. My breath was coming in short, panicked gasps, and I could feel the exhaustion starting to set in, my muscles burning with the effort of running. But there was no stopping. Stopping meant death.

As we reached the other side of the bridge, I dared another glance back. The creature was halfway across, its eyes locked onto us, and I could see the hunger in its gaze. It wanted us. It wanted to tear us apart.

We need to find somewhere to hide!

But where? The streets were empty, the buildings around us all dark and uninviting. There was nowhere to go, no place that offered even the slightest bit of safety. The reality of it all was crashing down on me—we were trapped. There was no escape.

And then, without warning, the creature let out a deafening roar that shook the very ground beneath us. The bridge behind it splintered and cracked, collapsing into the canal with a massive splash, but the monster didn't even pause. It leaped across the gap with terrifying ease, landing with a thud on the street.

Hitoshi: We have to move, now!

But my legs felt like lead, my body frozen with fear. 

The monster was almost upon us, its growls now a guttural snarl that sent a fresh wave of terror through me. I could feel its breath on my neck, hot and foul, and I knew we were out of time.

 Someone... please... help...

But there was no one. 

It was just us and the monster, and the darkness was closing in fast. 

I could feel its claws reaching for us, and I knew we had only seconds left.