The backpack with Cutie inside was a solid weight against her spine, strapped so tightly it felt like part of her body.
For a moment, all she could do was survive.
Then—slowly, carefully—Kaya forced herself to crack her eyes open.
Just slightly.
Just enough to see.
And what she saw made her heart pound even harder.
Behind them, the serpent tribe—still in pursuit, still furious, still too blinded by rage to think clearly—was diving straight toward the same area they'd just left.
And below, the mongoose tribe was gathering.
More and more of them emerged from the rocky terrain, drawn by the commotion, their bodies coiled and ready. Their eyes tracked the incoming serpents with deadly focus.
The two tribes were on a collision course.
The snakes coming from above.
The mongooses waiting below.
Their trajectories were identical.
And if Kaya wasn't wrong—if she was reading this situation correctly—in just a few seconds, they would collide.
