The pressure kept rising.
That thing didn't need to move.
It was movement.
From the moment they saw it, time felt slower. Like the chamber had sunk underwater.
And then it stepped forward.
Out of the shadows.
One foot.
Then another.
Massive. Towering. Coated in glistening black scale that shimmered with elemental charge. Each step cracked the floor beneath it, and from its shoulders rose five heads—each shaped like a twisted version of a dragon's crown.
Five necks.
Five heads.
Five colors.
Flame.
Frost.
Lightning.
Stone.
Wind.
An SSS-Rank Hydra of the Five Major Elements.
Each head moved independently. Eyes glowing, not with hunger—but awareness. It knew they were weak. And it liked that.
Lucian's breath stilled.
His body moved on instinct.
Time froze.
Everything stopped.
Air.
Sound.
Light.
Reia's hair froze mid-motion.
Vyn's lips still parted in shock.
Evelyn's threads were mid-flutter. Silas hadn't even blinked yet.
But the hydra?
It turned slowly.
