Fay held his ground.
There was nowhere left to run. His sister was behind him, trembling, and the massive hound was in front of him, snarling its head low, eyes locked on him with a mix of hatred and hunger.
He gripped his broken wooden stake, the jagged tip shaking in his hand. It wasn't much, but it was all he had.
His gear lay scattered across the ground.
His bag was torn, and his arm throbbed with pain.
With no tools and no real plan, Fay was relying solely on instinct and the will to protect his precious sister.
So, he didn't just wait.
Fay lunged.
If he could land the first hit, maybe, just maybe, it would buy Mira time to run. It would buy her time to escape.
He aimed for the beast's chest, but the dog twisted aside, surprisingly fast despite its injured leg. It growled, low and menacing, its breath hot and foul.
Still, Fay didn't retreat.
He kept moving, darting to the side, feinting low, leaping wide whenever the beast swiped. His only real advantage was the hound's injuries.
It still refused to put full weight on its right leg, limping while fighting with Fay.
It snapped again, teeth flashing, missing by mere centimeters.
Fay's heart shook violently in his chest. His injured arm from the fall ached, but he didn't slow down.
He couldn't, not while Mira was behind him.
And somehow, the hound understood.
With a sudden bound, the beast lunged past Fay, straight for his sister.
"No! Mira, run!" he shouted, spinning on instinct.
He dove after it, seizing the dog's tail and yanking with all his strength. The creature snarled, and Fay drove the broken stake into its leg, forcing the splintered wood as deep as it would go.
A pained howl split the air.
The hound whipped its gaze back to him, eyes blazing.
"Damn it!" Fay stumbled as the stake snapped, the jagged end still buried in the dog's limb.
Without hesitation, he bolted to Mira, scooping her into his arms. Behind them, the hound limped forward, growling with relentless determination.
The boy kept running, his breath ragged and his grip tightening on Mira as he forced his legs to keep moving despite the burning in his muscles and the pounding in his chest.
For a fleeting heartbeat, he thought it was over, that the last stab should have been enough to stop the beast.
But it hadn't.
From behind came a deep, blood-chilling howl, and only a few seconds later another answered from somewhere farther away.
Fay froze in place, his pulse quickening as the truth sank in.
There were more of them.
Looking ahead, he could see through the broken fences and across the abandoned road three shapes charging toward him, their lean frames built for speed, their movements quick, each one just as deadly as the first.
"No… no, no…" he muttered under his breath, the words barely audible over the sound of his own breathing.
He turned back to find the injured hound still coming, slow but steady, dragging its paw across the ground as if it existed for no other reason than to have its revenge.
Trapped.
His breath caught in his throat, his mind flashing through the realization that there was nowhere left to run.
The newcomers were closing in and fast, only seconds away from reaching them.
Fay tightened his hold around Mira, placing himself firmly between her and the danger, and with a desperate glance at the first hound, he thought that maybe, if he could circle around it and draw its attention for even a moment, there might be a slim chance to break through it and have Mira climb a nearby tree.
With that thought burning in his mind, he ran to grab on to his sister, every muscle straining, forcing his legs and lungs to the very brink.
And then reality broke.
Darkness appeared before him, and a surface like obsidian glass bloomed into existence in midair.
With no time to stop, he ran straight into it.
Just heartbeats later, one of the wild dogs leapt in after him.
Fay clutched his sister Mira tightly as they passed through, the sensation like plunging into water.
But they hadn't.
Sunlight poured over them, warm and golden enough to blind, and they stood in a place unlike anything they had ever known.
Towering trees rose around them, their leaves swaying in the breeze.
Lush, vibrant grass spread in every direction beneath a vast sky, where floating islands drifted lazily and jagged mountains pierced the clouds.
The air was fresh and rich, filling Fay's lungs with a purity he had never imagined could exist.
For the first time in his life, he truly felt alive.
There was beauty in every direction, and for a fleeting moment, there was only peace.
"Fayfay…" Mira whispered, her eyes wide. "So much green…"
Fay smiled faintly. But the moment didn't last.
A low growl echoed behind them.
Two of the dogs had followed them through the strange black surface.
One stood a few meters away, shoulders tense, saliva dripping from its open jaws.
Another lingered further back, frozen and sniffing the air as though confused, its eyes darting around warily.
Panic surged through Fay once more as his eyes darted around for a way to escape.
If he could get Mira into the branches of a tree, she might be safe. He clutched her tighter and prepared to run, only for the chance to vanish before he could take a step.
A massive shadow swept across the clearing, draping it in darkness. It didn't come from the trees. It came from far above.
Before Fay could react, a violent gust of wind slammed down, flattening the grass and knocking him and Mira to the ground.
The air was filled with the rustle of colossal wings and a deep, resonant roar not from a hound, but from the sky.
The creature, like that of a dragon, descended with terrifying speed, seizing the growling dog mid-leap.
The beast yelped once before being carried effortlessly into the clouds, struggling in the predator's talons.
The second dog was already gone, fleeing with its tail tucked the instant it sensed its companion taken.
Fay stayed where he was, too afraid to move. The tall grass draped over him and Mira, hiding them as they lay low, barely breathing to make no noise.
"I think… we're safe now, Mira," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Just wait a little, okay? We need to make sure nothing else like that creature comes looking for us."
Mira gave a small nod against his chest, and they stayed hidden for several moments before Fay dared to rise. His gaze swept the clearing, then the sky, searching for any sign of danger.
"Let's go, Mira. We need to find somewhere safe…"
Behind them lay the forest; beyond it, open plains, landscapes he had only ever seen in books.
For now, all he needed was a good meal to make this strange new place feel just a little more perfect.