A long moment lingered in the dense forest, the air thick with tension. Kieran had the woman firmly pinned against the damp earth, her hand forced open, the knife clattering to the ground. Surrounded by towering trees and the distant echo of wildlife, she defiantly claimed,
"No, way. Our tech is set up to stop any creatures from getting through this area," her voice a mix of fear and resolve, "the only way it could have grabbed you is if you weren't human so why don't you just stop ly—"
Her words were abruptly sliced by a sharp, almost ethereal whisper through the air. In a swift, unexpected motion, Kieran was thrown off. She rolled across the leaf-strewn ground, leaving a disturbing trail of blood behind her, before crashing into the rough bark of a nearby tree. The impact echoed through the otherwise silent woods.
As she staggered to her feet, her breath ragged, a chilling presence loomed over her. A creature with skin like translucent crystal, devoid of eyes, stood imposingly. Its presence seemed to make the very air around it grow colder, its smile a grimacing twist of anticipation. "Food?" it queried in a voice that seemed to resonate with the eerie stillness of the forest.
The woman, her back against the unyielding tree, stepped back instinctively. She clapped her hands, a desperate defiance in her eyes. From the shadowy underbrush, an array of metal spikes emerged, propelled towards the creature with a lethal intent. But the creature moved with an otherworldly grace, effortlessly weaving through the deadly barrage as if dancing with the shadows themselves.
Closing the distance with unsettling speed, it grasped her jaw with a cold, unyielding grip. "Do you taste good?" it asked, its grimace deepening, revealing teeth as sharp and merciless as the spikes that had sought to impede it.
In the shadowed forest, terror was painted starkly across the woman's face. With a swift motion, she unclipped her dagger, its dark camo design melding with the surroundings. She lunged to slash at the creature, but in a horrifyingly quick moment, it severed her hand. The air was filled with her agonized scream.
The creature, with its unsettling smile, promptly devoured the severed hand, relishing it grotesquely. "Good, high quality meat," it remarked, its grin broadening.
The woman, still in shock, managed to stammer, "Y-you really aren't one of those?"
Kieran's response was tinged with indignation. "No, why would I be something that disgusting? I almost take it as an insult," she remarked, a slight huff in her voice.
The woman, her gaze now fixed on Kieran, noticed something unusual. "How about you tell me what's going on here," Kieran prompted, as the woman observed three intersecting lines in Kieran's right eye, their light blue hue contrasting starkly against the red glow.
"We're the national defense force, stopping these monsters from leaking into civilization," the woman explained, "but this has been the strongest creature yet."
Kieran, with a sense of urgency, helped the woman to her feet, wrapping the woman's arm around herself for support. "Well, let's get you back to wherever you normally rest so you don't get hurt anymore," she stated, ready to escort her away from the dangers of the forest.
Kieran, confident in her victory, was ready to lead the injured woman away from danger. "Uh, did you not see me pop its head?" she asked, her tone indicating she believed the creature was dealt with.
"That's not how this works," the woman explained urgently. "Those creatures regenerate slowly. The only way to kill them is by removing all of its flesh and crushing its orb. After you've 'killed' it, they typically lie motionless and can't fight back."
Before they could react further, the sound of snapping branches echoed. Kieran and the woman turned sharply, only to see the severed half of the snake flying towards them, the creature's face behind it, half-regenerated.
Kieran acted quickly. "Sorry, if this hurts," she said, giving the woman a soft tap on the chest, sending her flying 20 feet to the side for safety.