The roots held Akhil immobilized.
"Let go of me!" He struggled fiercely, but his efforts were futile. The roots' grip was unbreakable.
A mouth-like root, identical to the one he had tried to destroy with blood bullets, shot toward him at a rapid pace.
It latched onto his head like a large suction tube, the impact muffled and sickening.
He felt the soft, viscous, jelly-like innards as the root entirely swallowed his head.
His vision became fuzzy, and his muscles weakened instantly.
His eyes slammed shut, and no amount of effort could pry them open. It felt as though a large, cold tape had been pressed down on his eyelids.
Slowly, he could barely feel his body at all. His mind began to drift.
At that same moment, Hale and Samxon were facing the exact same fate.
'I can't hold on for much longer,' Akhil fought desperately to keep his consciousness intact.
Inside the root, a feeling of nausea washed over Akhil as a wave of hot, fetid air hit his face.
