The beast was closing in, Ren's mind wasn't in it's right place.
He didn't know what to do, he just kept looking around frantically, for a way out, any flicker of hope.
Up ahead, he saw a light, another fire? No it was a clearing, a place far away from the blaze.
He burst into the open, but collapsed on his knees, violently coughing. His hands were trembling, caked in ash and dirt. He wasn't built for this, his small body wasn't able to withstand this, he was still just a child.
"Mei..." he whispered, looking back at the woods behind him where he was with Mei.
What if she didn't make it?
What if she's gone?
These thoughts sank in his eyes like cold ice. His eyes burn, not from the smoke this time.
But before he could despair any longer, a figure emerged from the trees.
Mei, bruised and limping slightly, emerged, her clothes were even more torn than before, but she was alive.
Ren stood up too fast, nearly falling down "You-----! I thoug-----! I-I---"
"Hehe~You really are helpless without me" she teased, forcing a grin. "You okay?"
He nodded, albeit barely.
But the slight grin disappeared as quickly as it came.
"MOVE!"
A blast of black fire tore through the clearing, the beast, had found them, smashing into the trees.
And this time, it didn't seem like playing.
The black fire ripped through the clearing like a blade of heat. Trees exploded into nothing, grass turned to ash.
Ren dove.
The explosion rang behind him, a monstrous howl drowned everything around him followed. He hit the dirt hard, ears ringing, vision blurred and the breath was stolen from his lungs.
"Ren!" Mei's voice, strained.
He turned, she was still there, standing, barely. Her sleeves were on fire, but she slapped it out with a hiss. Her eyes were locked on him, teeth clenched, still carrying her same fierceness as she shouted.
"GET UP!"
"I--I can't" his voice cracked.
"YOU CAN!" she snapped at him, grabbing his hand and yanking him up."If you stay down, it wins, and you die!"
Behind them, the beast emerged from the trees, black scaled, it's jaw wide open. It's burning eyes showed no mercy nor thoughts.
They ran.
The legs pounded the earth, every breath was like a fire, every heart beat was like a hammer onto their chests.
But the beast was faster, stronger, louder.
The trees blurred as they ran, the braches tearing at their skin and what remains of their clothes. Ren's body screamed for rest, but the fear drowned that feeling as the beast kept chasing. Another roar followed shaking the forest, the fire following as the trees ignited like torches.
Then, the ground they were running on, disappeared.
A cliff, not visible due to all the darkness and smoke, was upon them.
They saw it too late.
Mei turned, trying to pull them back, but the edge beneath them gave out as they tumbled onto the void, swallowed by the night air and the blazing fire above.
Ren didn't even scream, he couldn't, his voice was gone.
They fell, watching as the world spun in smoke, fire and terror.
Then---
*Bloop*
Water.
It was freezing and consuming.
Ren hit the river like stone. The cold water prevented the breath from his lungs as the current pulled him under, tumbling like a rag in a storm.
Ren kicked, flailed, fought.
His hand had struck something, Mei's body, limp and falling deeper.
Latched on to her hand, pulling her with all his might, his lungs screaming for air.
And then, at last.
Light.
The surface.
They burst from the water, gasping for air, coughing, the beasts roar was now muffled by the river's fury.
Ren dragged Mei and his body towards a rocky shore, step by step, until they both collapsed together onto the cold hard stones, shivering from the cold and gasping for any bit of breath they could inhale.
They were alive, barely, yes, but still alive.
They weren't safe, not yet, not even by a fraction.
As the river's roar dulled in Ren's ears, limbs numb and breath shallow. His body refused to move, every bit of him cold, aching, bruised, but the world won't give him rest.
Not yet.
A thud.
Then another.
They were heavy.
Not far above them, the beast had reached the edge of the cliff. It's massive body blocked the firelight, twitching with agitation. The unnatural glow of it's eyes swept the ravine, searching for it's prey.