"Aooo—"
A Parasaurolophus hatchling stood beside its mother, nudging her body repeatedly. But its mother, covered in jagged gashes, could no longer respond.
Step... step... step...
Heavy footsteps approached, startling the little Parasaurolophus and sending it scurrying into the nearby woods.
Carlo entered the area. The scent of blood was thick here, near the Great Lake, a place that had once been a sanctuary of peace and quiet. Now, it had become a mass grave for the Parasaurolophus herd.
Carlo knew them. He knew every single one.
There was the "Coward," who always stopped mid-graze to look around nervously; the "Brave One," who had once foolishly tried to chase Carlo away; and the Mother, who often lingered near him with her five offspring.
They all lay dead here.
He didn't stop. He pressed on toward the territory of the Carnotaurus. Along the way, he saw more carnage. Diplodocus had fallen mid-flight; Stegosaurus lay dead in the riverbeds where they usually bathed; Gallimimus were scattered like dismembered dolls; and the Ankylosaurus, having lost their leader, wandered aimlessly across the plains.
He halted at the border of the Carnotaurus territory, sensing something was wrong.
Carnotaurus Two was gone.
Carlo moved further in, reaching the site of the final showdown between the two Carnotaurus and the Indominus rex. Carnotaurus One was still lying there, but the rise and fall of its chest had ceased.
Carlo stepped forward and nudged its head. The Carnotaurus's body swayed slightly before settling back into the dirt. There was no response.
Carnotaurus One hadn't made it. It had died, inexplicably, right next to its favorite sunbathing spot.
Why did it happen like this?
Why did the Carnotaurus challenge the Indominus?
This defied every behavioral pattern these dinosaurs had ever shown. This was Carnotaurus One, the one with the sharpest combat instincts, the one who knew at a single glance whether a fight was winnable. Why would it throw its life away like that?
Carlo wanted to kill the Indominus because she would kill everything she saw; she would kill everything he cared about. The Carnotaurus had felt the same.
The Indominus was no predator. She was the common enemy of both predator and prey, a killing machine that hindered the survival of all living things. Her slaughter had crossed the line for every apex predator on the island. At this point, hunting, survival, victory, territory, and "training" no longer mattered. If she wasn't stopped, everyone's death was just a matter of time.
Carlo's obsession with killing her had, ironically, turned him into a true predator. Because a true predator is never bloodthirsty; they are part of nature, the balancers of the ecosystem, not its destroyers.
Carlo slowly crouched beside the corpse of Carnotaurus One, beginning to formulate a plan.
Oh, Carnotaurus... without you, how am I supposed to stand against her?
He nudged the body again. No response.
I'm getting more useless the more I grow. When I was a hatchling, I could chase down deer. Now, I can't catch you, and I can't catch the Indominus.
I guess I've been too lazy. I should have chased you around more often.
Carlo lay down slowly, resting his head against the cold flank of his former rival, continuing his internal monologue.
She's out of my scent range again. It won't be long before I lose her entirely. How does she erase her smell? That's just cheating...
Hey, Carnotaurus... you fought her. Tell me what to do, okay?
He wanted to protect the Giganotosaurus parents, but it wasn't just them anymore. The dinosaurs of the Primeval Ecological Zone shouldn't have to die like this… meaninglessly. He wanted to protect all of them.
On the Carnotaurus's spine, the poultice of mugwort paste Carlo had applied earlier was peeling away. Red-black, necrotic blood seeped from the wound. The scent of blood, tinged with a hint of decay, instantly stimulated Carlo's nostrils.
!
A flash of inspiration struck him.
Carnotaurus! I love your guts! You really are my best buddy!
Carlo scrambled to his feet and ran back toward the Parasaurolophus killing fields. A single sycamore leaf fluttered down, landing on Carnotaurus One's head, a final welcome back to the earth.
Carlo snatched up a Parasaurolophus carcass and dragged it to one of the valley exits. He tore the body open, letting the blood flow freely. Then he did it again with a second, a third, and a fourth.
Slowly, he saturated every entry and exit point with the heavy scent of blood, ensuring that any creature passing through would be stained by the gore.
When he was finished, Carlo walked to the body of the Parasaurolophus Mother and knelt down.
Sorry, I'm borrowing your friends for a bit. You're not mad, are you? Hehe.
Thanks for keeping me company these past few months.
I'll tell you a secret: you were my favorite herbivore. I couldn't even bring myself to eat you.
I'll make sure your baby gets to a good, friendly herd. Get some rest now. Bye-bye~
He looked up toward the bushes where a single Parasaurolophus hatchling was hiding. Traumatized by the loss of its kin and the Indominus's massacre, the little one was too terrified to approach him.
…
"I told you we shouldn't have left the kids for so long!"
"Oh, please! How was I supposed to know the dinosaurs would break out today of all days? And Claire is still MIA!"
On the grasslands of Gyrosphere Valley, a Jeep sped along. The roadside was a grim gallery of dinosaur carcasses and abandoned staff vehicles. Seeing Dave's frantic state, Roxie was equally worried about the kids, but she tried to stay calm.
"It'll be fine. The kids are in the treehouse. They're safe up there."
Dave rubbed his forehead, trying to steady his breathing. "You're right. Ha... these last few days have been surreal. Why now? It's like the main character of some story showed up and triggered a bunch of plot events."
Thinking of the treehouse, which no dinosaur could reach, Roxie relaxed slightly. "What kind of weird metaphor is that? Is that some of that 'Dave-speak' Kenji and the others talk about? Though, we really are living in surreal times."
Dave ignored the jab about "Dave-speak" and gazed out the window. "Yeah... Dinosaurs. Things I only ever saw in books as a kid, and now you can see them alive for the price of a ticket. What could be more surreal than that?"
Suddenly, Roxie slammed on the brakes, sending Dave's head snapping forward into the headrest.
He was about to ask what happened when he saw the look of pure shock on Roxie's face. He followed her gaze.
"Am I... am I dreaming?"
A small Parasaurolophus hatchling darted out of the grass, blocking their path. Startled by the vehicle, it immediately ducked behind Carlo, peeking out timidly from behind his massive leg.
Carlo didn't hesitate. He gently took the hatchling's crest in his lips, pulled the little creature to his front, and nudged it toward the Jeep with his massive head.
"The world has officially gone mad..."
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