It's in the eyes. Always the eyes.

Chapter Twenty-four| Separated

        The journey across the overgrown, seemingly abandoned landscape had been mostly quiet, with nothing more than the occasional rustle of leaves or the croak of distant frogs. As they made their way across a stretch of water, hopping from one giant water lily to another, Penny's focus was on maintaining her balance rather than examining the peculiar surroundings too closely. She jumped onto one particularly large lily pad, not noticing its slightly discolored hue or the faint outline of sharp teeth lining its edges.

Crash, however, did notice. His sharp instincts kicked in as he realized that Penny had stepped onto something far more dangerous than a regular lily pad. His heart leaped in his chest. Without wasting a second, he launched himself across the lake, his feet hitting the soft surface of a nearby pad as he extended his arm toward her.

Just as the pad beneath Penny began to quiver, Crash wrapped his arm securely around her waist, pulling her away with a swift motion. They landed together on a safer, more ordinary water lily, his grip steady as he held her close. A split second later, the discolored pad snapped its jaws shut where Penny had been standing, revealing itself as a cleverly disguised creature.

Penny's breath hitched, her heart racing as she processed what had just happened. The near miss left her shaken, and she stared wide-eyed at the creature that had nearly swallowed her whole. "Crash... thank you," she said, her voice trembling slightly. She looked up at him, gratitude and shock written all over her face.

Crash, panting slightly from the effort but relieved that she was safe, gave her a reassuring smile. "No problem," he replied in his familiar, broken English. His eyes softened as he looked at her, though his tone carried a hint of caution. "Be... more careful next time, okay?" he gestured to the lake. "Some things... not what they look like."

Penny nodded, her hand still gripping his arm as the reality of how close she had come to danger sank in. "I'll be more careful. I promise." She took a deep breath, still shaken but grateful to have Crash by her side.

As the group made it safely across the lake, the unsettling signs of a disturbance became more evident. Pink and green puddles, remnants of the mutagen used by N. Brio, stained the ground around them. What disturbed them more were the giant claw marks etched into the stone walls. Something large and dangerous had been here, and the unsettling thought crossed their minds: it could still be watching them.

Lani-Loli trembled, his mask form shivering uncontrollably as his eyes darted around. "Oh, this is bad, really bad," he whispered. Meanwhile, Akano narrowed his eyes, scanning the beautiful yet eerie architecture around them. Off in the distance, he spotted a dark opening where the doors of a building had been violently broken off their hinges. In that darkness, he saw two pairs of glowing green eyes.

"Beware," Akano warned the trio, his voice grim. Everyone followed his gaze, their hearts racing as they caught sight of the glowing eyes.

Lani-Loli immediately floated backward, wedging himself between Coco and Crash. "It's just one, right? Please tell me there's only one," he begged, his voice rising in panic.

Penny's ears flicked, a sure sign she had picked up on something. Her brow furrowed, her gaze scanning the area with more urgency. There were footsteps—heavy and deliberate—from all directions. She gripped the hilt of her sword instinctively, her body tense.