Creekkk...creekkk...creekk...
Solaris fixed her gaze on the dark passage, not blinking. Silence enveloped the group as they held their breath, anticipating what lay within.
Suddenly, two large legs, roughly the size of an adult's arm, emerged. Four, five, six... twelve.
Solaris gasped, her eyes wide with terror.
It was a two-headed centipede, possessing two brains that communicated while sharing a single body. This grotesque creature had human-like eyes that were utterly horrifying, enough to send chills down anyone's spine. Its twelve legs were made of steel and adorned with razor-sharp spikes.
Creeekkk...creeekkkk....
The centipede emitted a creaking sound, causing Solaris to cover her ears in agony.
Without warning, it lunged forward, crawling towards the nearest person. In an instant, it struck, severing the head of a woman with a single bite and chewing it, blood splattering onto the ground.
"Everyone run!" Solaris shouted, snapping the others back to reality as they scrambled to escape for their lives.
The centipede was incredibly swift, quickly closing the distance. A blood-curdling scream pierced the air, and another person fell victim.
Two women rushed to the edge of the cage, pounding on it and pleading with the guards for help. Their faces were etched with fear and desperation as they cried out.
"Save me!"
"Please help me!"
Tears and mucus streamed down their faces, and their disheveled appearance made the guards recoil in disgust.
In that moment, Solaris noticed that the cage appeared less sturdy than she thought, they might be able to escape.
With that thought, Solaris dashed towards them, reaching for the cage when suddenly, a multitude of steel spikes shot out, impaling the women.
Their lifeless bodies hung, supported by the spikes.
"!!!"
Solaris stared in shock at the gruesome sight. That was too close!
Cheers erupted around them.
"Kill them!!"
"Run!! —aiyahh!! she's dead! What a bummer!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
Solaris turned to see the two-headed centipede racing towards the person who had bumped into her earlier, moving faster than the eye could see.
Oh no! Solaris took off running again.
The centipede was closing in on her, while the woman remained frozen in shock, eyes wide as she stared at the approaching monstrosity.
"Watch out!" Solaris shouted from a far.
Another woman who was still, also yelled and came to help her.
Everything unfolded rapidly. Just as the centipede was about to bite her, a flash of lightning struck, and in an instant, one of the centipede's legs was severed and fell to the ground.
The woman screamed and stabbed at the centipede's tough shell, swinging her knife wildly. Fortunately, her efforts paid off, and soon the centipede collapsed onto the ground.
A loud cheer erupted from the crowd.
"Whoooohhhhoohhhhhhhhh!!!"
Still in disbelief, Solaris and the other woman exchanged confused glances, both wondering the same thing: the centipede... was it dead? And how did the woman even even got a knife? Where did it came from?"
Breathing heavily, the woman released the knife from her shaking hands and knelt down, feeling drained. "Is it dead?"
"Is it all over?" she asked again.
Solaris shook her head, indicating she wasn't sure. After taking a few deep breaths, she decided to approach the centipede.
"Be careful..." the other woman whispered, just loud enough for Solaris to hear. Solaris nodded in acknowledgment, swallowing hard as her heart raced.
She extended her leg and poked the two-headed centipede's body with her foot. She glanced at it—no reaction.
Solaris poked the centipede again, waiting to see if it would move again, but there was no sign of life.
Finally, she let out a sigh of relief. Turning to face the others, she managed a faint smile. "It's over. The centipede is dea—"
"Behind you!!" the woman shouted, but it was too late. The two-headed centipede had already grabbed Solaris, its sharp legs slicing into her skin.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!"
"Hang on!" the woman yelled, quickly grabbing the knife from the sand. She rushed toward them, screaming as she swung the knife wildly, leaping forward to sever the other head of the centipede.
Green acid gushed from the wound, splattering onto the sand and turning anything it touched into molten goo.
The centipede writhed in agony, emitting a deafening screech. It lunged toward the woman with astonishing speed, radiating a deadly aura.
In the arena, one insect and one human clashed. Amid the chaos, Solaris seized her chance to escape when the woman managed to cut one of the legs that was pinning her down.
"Watch out for that green liquid!" the trembling woman shouted as a warning.
The two nodded and stood side by side, ready to confront the two-headed centipede. Solaris tightened her fist and gritted her teeth. While her companion wielded a knife, Solaris was relying solely on her fists.
Solaris was the first to strike, landing a punch on the centipede's tough shell. The impact felt like she had hit a wall, and she could sense some of her bones protesting.
Fortunately, with one of its heads already gone, the centipede was unaware of her position, giving her an edge. While it focused on Solaris, her companion attacked its tail, swiftly cutting off its legs one by one.
"Creekkk!!! Creeekkkk!!!"
Furious, the centipede lashed out with its tail in all directions. Solaris quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a strike that almost sliced her stomach.
However, she wasn't completely unscathed. The tail hit her, sending her flying several meters away. She crashed against the cage and fell to the ground, coughing up blood.
Seeing an opportunity, the woman wasted no time. She slid beneath the centipede and plunged her knife into its belly, dragging it upward to split it in half.
"C'mon you freak!!" she shouted.
The centipede let out a piercing cry and attempted to bite her, but with its legs gone, it struggled to evade her attacks. The woman continued to stab and slice at the creature with relentless fury.
After countless strikes, her efforts finally bore fruit as the lifeless centipede collapsed, its flesh and organs strewn across the ground.
Breathing heavily, the woman bent over, resting her hands on her knees. "Huff...huff.... it's dead."
She turned to face the audience and proclaimed loudly, "The centipede is dead! We survived!"
"Freedom....." she raised her fist, her eyes blazing with emotion as she shouted at the aristocrats, "...is ours!"
Without waiting for their reaction, she spun around, beaming at Solaris and her companion. "We won! We're finally free!"
Solaris cradled her dislocated arm and watched the two women embrace joyfully.
One of the women stepped in front of Solaris and offered her hand, saying, "Hey... we did an amazing job earlier. What do you think about becoming friends?"
Solaris was swayed by her smile, and her own lips began to curve into a small grin. She took the woman's hand and nodded. "I'm Solaris."
"Pleasure to meet you, Solaris. I'm Ast—"
Suddenly, a loud explosion interrupted her, and Solaris's eyes widened in shock as she saw a person's head explode, sending blood splattering onto her face.
The headless body collapsed to the ground, and the other woman screamed in terror while Solaris stood frozen, her eyes filled with horror.