The forest was unnaturally quiet
for a world ruled by giants.
Elias Rivers moved through the
undergrowth with practiced
silence, boots sinking into the
damp soil, every sense
sharpened by years of surviving
in the Primordial Valley. Even
after twenty-eight years of living
beneath the shadows of
creatures bigger than houses,
he never lost the instinct to stay
alert.
Tonight, though, something was
wrong.
Terribly wrong.
The moon above, normally
white and serene, was painted a
deep, unsettling red. A crimson
glow spilled across the canopy
like spilled blood, giving the
world a dreamlike—no,
nightmarish—atmosphere.
Even the insects seemed
hesitant to sing.
Elias ran a calloused thumb
along the shaft of his spear. He
felt the tremor in the ground
before he heard it.
Thoom.
Thoom.
A massive creature was near.
But it wasn't the tremor that
tightened Elias's chest—it was
the metallic tang of blood
drifting through the air. The
valley always smelled of earth
and rain… never like this.
He crouched behind a moss-
covered rock, steadying his
breath. The shadows between
the trees shifted as something
colossal stepped into the
clearing.
A Tyrannosaurus.
Its scales glistened under the
red moonlight, its muscles
rolling beneath its skin like thick
ropes. Its golden eyes scanned
the forest, alert and sharp—too
sharp.
Elias's pulse quickened.
Dinosaurs weren't supposed to
be this aware.
He pressed himself lower, back
against the rock. The Rex
sniffed the air, snorted, then let
out a low, rumbling growl that
vibrated through Elias's bones.
He held his breath until spots
danced in his vision.
Finally, the beast turned and
lumbered away, shaking trees
with each step.
Elias waited two full minutes
before rising.
"That thing's getting smarter,"
he muttered.
The blood moon was changing
the valley. He didn't know how,
but he could feel it in his gut.
And Elias had survived too long
to ignore his instincts.
He started toward the northern
ridge to gather moonvine—an
herb only found once a month,
and the only thing strong
enough to stop fever infections.
Their healer needed it urgently.
Their healer…
Her face flickered in his mind—
freckles like constellations,
blonde waves pulled into a
messy braid, blue eyes filled
with warmth even in a world that
tried to crush it out of her.
Rowan Hart.
The healer who had saved
countless lives.
Including Elias's.
The thought of her alone in the
village right now, under that
blood moon, made a knot
tighten in his chest.
He pushed onward, shoving
vines aside. The air grew colder
as he approached the ridge. A
strange mist crept along the
forest floor—thick, red-tinted,
swirling like it was alive.
A warning sign.
Elias tightened his grip on his
spear. "Just get the moonvine
and get back."
But just as he reached the
clearing where the herb grew—
Something slammed through
the brush behind him.
Elias spun, spear raised—but
froze.
"Elias!"
Rowan stumbled out of the
foliage, panting, hair tangled,
face streaked with sweat and
dirt. Her white healer's cloak
was torn, and blood stained the
sleeve.
Not her blood.
Elias rushed forward. "What the
hell are you doing out here? You
could've been killed!"
Rowan grabbed his arm, breath
shaky. "You need to listen—
there's no time. The village—
something attacked."
Elias's heartbeat spiked. "What
attacked?"
She shook her head violently.
"Not a normal dinosaur. Eli… it
looked at me."
He frowned. "They always look
—"
"No," she insisted, voice
trembling. "It studied me. As if it
understood me."
Elias's blood ran cold.
"Rowan… what exactly did you
see?"
She swallowed hard. "A raptor.
Tall, lean… but its eyes were
wrong. Red. Bright red. It
avoided traps. Killed two
guards. And when I ran…" Her
voice cracked. "It followed."
Elias felt rage rise hot in his
chest. "You shouldn't be out
here alone."
Rowan's eyes filled with guilt. "I
ran to find you. I knew you were
in the ridge. I thought—if that
thing is hunting… we need you
back home."
Elias almost argued. Almost.
But the fear in her eyes made
him swallow every stubborn
thought.
He touched her cheek gently.
"You shouldn't risk yourself for
me."
Rowan's voice softened. "I
would risk far more for you,
Elias."
Those words hit him harder than
any dinosaur.
But before he could speak, the
forest behind Rowan rustled.
Elias whipped his spear up—
—and a figure stumbled through
the brush.
"Elias! Rowan! Don't—hit me—"
Jace Kellan, their village scout,
crashed into view. His leather
jacket was ripped. Deep claw
marks scored his shoulder.
Rowan gasped. "Jace!"
He shook his head, chest
heaving. "It's following. It's fast.
It thinks like a damn human."
Elias grabbed him. "What did
you see?"
Jace's eyes were wild. "Not just
the raptor. Something else is
moving in the forest. Something
huge. I heard it beneath the
ground."
Rowan paled. "Beneath the
ground…?"
The forest vibrated suddenly. A
tremor rolled under their feet.
Birds exploded from the
treetops in panicked swarms.
Elias gripped Rowan's hand.
"That wasn't a dinosaur."
CRAAAACK.
The earth split open twenty
yards ahead.
Red light burst from the cracks.
The ground heaved upward.
Elias shielded Rowan as rocks
flew. The air filled with the
stench of sulfur.
Then—
A horned skull the size of a
cottage rose from the earth,
glowing red symbols etched into
its bone.
Rowan stumbled back, eyes
wide. "Is that—?"
Jace whispered, "An elder
beast. One of the ancient ones.
The guardians."
The creature's massive eyes
snapped open—glowing amber
like molten gold.
And they locked onto Elias.
Elias couldn't breathe.
The beast wasn't attacking.
It was… warning them.
A deep rumble vibrated in its
chest, not a roar, but a
message.
Rowan whispered, "It wants us
to run."
Jace cursed. "Oh, I am WAY
ahead of it—RUN!"
They bolted into the forest.
Branches slapped their faces.
Roots tore at their boots.
Behind them, the ground shook
harder—like something else
was rising.
Something terrifying.
Then—
Another sound emerged.
Fast. Sharp. Metallic.
The clicking of claws.
Rowan looked back. "It's
coming!"
A red-eyed raptor burst from the
shadows, sprinting after them
with impossible speed. Its
movements were coordinated—
too calculated.
It wasn't chasing.
It was herding.
Elias shoved Rowan aside as
the raptor leaped. Its claws
sliced his sleeve, scraping skin.
He gritted his teeth and jabbed
with the spear. The raptor
twisted unnaturally fast,
dodging.
Jace hurled a knife. It bounced
off the creature's armored
scales.
"Great," Jace yelled. "Evolved
dinosaurs. Because the old
ones weren't bad enough!"
Rowan grabbed Elias's arm.
"The village! The cave!"
They sprinted toward the distant
glow of fire torches.
But as they neared the
entrance, figures spilled out—
screaming.
Elder Maren, their leader, looked
pale as death.
"Inside!" she yelled. "Hurry—
something followed us!"
Elias dragged Rowan inside.
Jace slammed the wooden
barricade behind them.
But it was too late.
A shadow moved in the cave
darkness.
The red-eyed raptor stepped
forward, hissing.
But worse—
Behind it…
A taller figure emerged.
Humanoid shape. Dinosaur
scales. Burning red eyes filled
with intelligence and hatred.
Rowan whispered, "Elias… what
is that?"
Elias tightened his grip on her
hand.
"I don't know," he whispered.
But he knew one thing:
Whatever that creature was…
It didn't just want to kill them.
It wanted Rowan.
And Elias would die before he
let that happen.
———————————END—
STEVE—