The cavern trembled as the Venomfa out a guttural hiss, its elongated form slithering from the shadows, jagged scales glistening in the dim light. Its forked tongue flicked through the air, tasting them—prey in its territory.

  Feiyin barely had a moment to react before the beast lunged.

  With a sharp inhale, he sprang forward, twisting his body as the massive maed shut where he had just been standing. The dispced air from the force of its bite sent dust swirling around him. His heart pounded, his muscles tensed—but his mind was clear. It’s targeting me first.

  The beast's osciltions were erratic but terrifyingly powerful, surging like a chaotic tide. It was fast, far faster than anything they had fought before.

  "Get back!" Feiyin shouted over his shoulder.

  Behind him, Yue and Ren had hesitated for only a heartbeat before snapping into a.

  "I’ll help you!" Yue called, darting forward.

  Ren clicked his tongue, his voice carrying a grumble nation. "I knew something like this would happen…"

  Despite his words, he moved in.

  Feiyin's feet slid across the rocky ground as he dodged again, eaent precise, calcuted—but he could feel the disadvantage already. We don’t have ons. We don’t have armor. And we ’t afford injuries.

  The Venomfang shed out again, this time with its tail, sending shards of stone flying as it smashed into the cavern floor. The three barely dodged, rolling across the ground in different dires to avoid being crushed.

  Yue was the first to attempt an attack. With her beastkin reflexes, she sprang toward the Venomfang, twisting her body mid-air to nd a kiear the base of its head. But the moment her foot ected, it was as if she had struck solid rock. The impact reverberated painfully through her leg, and she barely mao nd without stumbling.

  Ren, not wanting to be left behind, surged forward . He dodged under a swinging tail, twisted around the beast’s fnk, and smmed his fist against its thick scales—only for the attack to barely make a dent.

  “Tch, damn thing’s too tough,” Ren spat, jumping back before the Venomfang could retaliate.

  Feiyin exhaled sharply. We o find an opening. The beast’s defenses were too solid for them to ih brute force alo was stroougher, and faster than them—if they kept fighting head-on, they would eventually be overwhelmed.

  But before they could rethink their approach, something ued happened.

  A rock sailed through the air and struck the Venomfang’s snout.

  Another followed. Then another.

  Feiyin’s eyes darted toward the soure of the older children who had been hiding further back had picked up whatever stohey could find and were hurling them at the beast. Their faces were pale, fear still etched into their features, but their hands didn’t stop moving.

  They’re trying to help.

  The distra did little damage, but it was enough to momentarily divert the Venomfang’s attention. It paused, its slitted eyes flig toward the small figures throwing rocks. And then—it shed out.

  The beast reared back, venom glistening at the edges of its fangs.

  Feiyin’s breath caught. It’s going to—!

  With a violent hiss, the Venomfang spat.

  A dark, acidic liquid shot through the air like an arrow.

  The children barely had time to react. Some dove to the side just in time—but not all.

  Agonized screams filled the cavern as the venom spttered across exposed skin, sizzling upon tact. The acrid st of burning flesh filled the air.

  Feiyin's heart pounded in his chest as he watched in horror.

  "NO!"

  One of the children—a boy who had been standing at the front—colpsed to his knees, clutg his arm where the venom had struck. His skin bubbled, the poisoing through flesh, and his cries echoed in the darkness.

  Anirl had gotten caught across her leg and was sobbing as she curled into herself, pain overwhelming her.

  Ren, who had been closest to the group, reacted instantly.

  Without thinking, he luoward one of the children who was frozen in pce, pushing them out of the way just before another venom strike could hit.

  But he wasn’t fast enough to dodge pletely.

  The sizzling sound came before the pain.

  Ren gritted his teeth as the venom spshed against his shoulder, burning through fabrid skin alike. His arm throbbed violently, but he refused to make a sound.

  Feiyi his stomach twist. We o stop this now.

  The Venomfang was more than just dangerous—it was enraged.

  It coiled its body, readying to strike again, fangs bared, its focus once again on the vulnerable children.

  Feiyin ched his fists, his breathing sharp.

  No more hesitation.

  No more sed-guessing.

  This wasn’t about fighting to win anymore.

  It was about proteg those who couldn’t fight at all.

  “Yue! Ren!” Feiyin’s voice was steady despite the sting inside him. “We’re taking this thing down. Now.”

  Ren hissed as he gripped his injured shoulder, but he didn’t pin. “What’s the pn?”

  Yue’s tail flicked anxiously behind her, ears ft against her head, but she nodded heless. “Tell me what to do.”

  Feiyin’s eyes darted across the cavern, assessing every possible angle, every movement of the beast. He could hear its osciltions—the rhythm of its attacks, the subtle shifts in its stance.

  If they couldn’t overpower it…

  They would have to outma.

  “Ren, you still move your arm?”

  Ren rolled his shoulder with a wi nodded. “Yeah, but I won’t be hitting anything hard for a while.”

  Feiyin exhaled. “Then you’ll be the distra.”

  Ren raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue.

  “Yue, you’re the fastest. I need you to bait it into striking and then dodge at the st sed.”

  Yue’s ears twitched. “And you?”

  Feiyin’s gaze hardened. “I’ll finish it.”

  her of them hesitated further.

  Ren darted toward the beast first, kig up dust and rubble as he zigzagged in uable motions. His injuries slowed him down, but he made up for it with erratients, keeping the Venomfang’s focus split.

  The beast hissed, its massive body twisting as it tried to track his movements.

  That was when Yue made her move.

  With a burst of speed, she dashed in from the side, swiping at its fnk before immediately darting away.

  It struck.

  The Venomfang lu her, fangs aimed directly for her throat—

  But she wasn’t there anymore.

  At the st sed, she twisted her body, barely skimming past the lethal strike.

  And in that moment—

  Feiyin moved.

  He surged forward with every ounce of speed and strength he had, inner energy coiling within his body like a tightly wound spring—

  And then, with pinpoint precision, he drove his fist into the beast’s vulnerable throat.

  The impact reverberated through his arm, through his bohe Venomfa out a strangled hiss, its massive form vulsing as its windpipe colpsed uhe sheer force.

  For a moment, the cavern was filled with nothing but the sound of bored breathing.

  Then, slowly—

  The Venomfang crumpled to the ground.

  Dead.

  The silehat followed was deafening.

  Feiyin didn’t move for a long moment, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath.

  It was over.

  But even as relief washed over him, his gaze flickered to the wounded children—

  To Ren, clutg his burned shoulder—

  To the quiet sobs that still lingered in the air.

  No.

  It wasn’t over yet.

  They had survived this battle.

  But there would be more to e.