The moment I stepped forward, the tension snapped.
Not loudly. Not all at once.
But enough.
Others started moving too.
Some cautiously, testing the edge of the light.
Others rushed in, driven by greed or desperation.
The moment the first few crossed into the center, the light reacted again.
It expanded.
Not outward
But inward.
Like a boundary forming.
"…It's locking us in," Rayan said.
I felt it too.
A pressure, subtle but undeniable.
No way out once you stepped inside.
"…Then we don't hold back," I said.
We crossed the boundary together.
The shift was immediate.
The air grew heavier.
Sound dulled.
Even movement felt… watched.
Around us, others had entered as well.
Some alone.
Some in small groups.
No one spoke.
Because the thing in the center moved.
It wasn't large.
Not towering.
But wrong.
Its shape shifted slightly, never fully clear, like something that refused to be understood.
Then it attacked.
Fast.
It didn't choose the strongest.
Didn't hesitate.
It went for the closest.
A man to the left tried to react, raising his arm too late.
The creature's strike cut through him cleanly.
No resistance.
No second chance.
"…We can't take a direct hit," she said.
"Yeah," I replied.
Obvious.
But necessary.
It moved again.
This time toward a group.
Three of them.
They tried to coordinate.
One stepped forward.
One circled.
One stayed back.
It didn't matter.
The creature broke their formation instantly.
One went down.
Then another.
The third ran.
Didn't make it far.
"Forget teamwork," Rayan said.
"That thing doesn't fight like us."
He was right.
This wasn't a human opponent.
No patterns.
No hesitation.
Just efficiency.
"We watch first," I said.
"Find the timing."
"…If there is one," she added.
We moved along the edge of the center, careful not to draw attention.
Others weren't as patient.
One rushed in from behind the creature, aiming for a blind spot.
For a moment
It worked.
His attack connected.
The creature paused.
Just slightly.
"…Did you see that?" I said.
"…Yeah."
That was it.
A reaction.
Not invincible.
"Distraction," I said quickly.
"Then strike," she finished.
Simple.
Dangerous.
But possible.
We weren't the only ones who noticed.
Others started moving again.
More coordinated now.
More desperate.
The creature turned, attacking one, then another.
But for the first time
It was reacting.
Not controlling.
"Now," I said.
We moved.
Rayan went wide, pulling its attention from one side.
I went straight.
She followed just behind, waiting.
The creature turned toward me.
Good.
I pushed forward, forcing it to commit.
Its strike came fast.
I dodged
Barely
Felt it pass close enough to tear the air.
No time to think.
I stayed close.
Too close for it to fully adjust.
"Move!" I shouted.
She did.
Perfect timing.
She came in from the side.
Her strike landed.
Clean.
The creature reacted
Slower than before.
Rayan followed immediately.
Another hit.
Not strong.
But enough.
It staggered.
Just for a moment.
But that moment
Was everything.
"Again!" I said.
We pressed forward.
No hesitation.
Others saw it.
Joined in.
Attacks came from all sides now.
Uncoordinated.
Messy.
But effective.
The creature started to fall back.
For the first time
It wasn't in control.
Then
It changed.
Its body shifted.
Faster.
Sharper.
More aggressive.
"Careful!" Rayan warned.
Too late.
It lashed out in a wide arc.
I barely managed to pull back in time.
But not everyone did.
Two people dropped instantly.
The others scattered.
The formation broke again.
Chaos returned.
"…We can't keep this up," she said.
"I know."
The window was closing.
Fast.
If we didn't finish this soon
We'd be next.
I looked at the creature again.
At the way it moved.
At the way it reacted.
Then I saw it.
A delay.
Small.
But real.
Every time it attacked
There was a fraction of a second before it could move again.
"…I see it," I said.
"What?"
"…Its reset."
She understood immediately.
"…That's our chance."
I nodded.
"One clean opening."
No room for error.
No second try.
We moved again.
This time
Not to test.
Not to survive.
To finish it.