It collapsed into the moss with a heavy thud that sent a small spray of dew jumping from nearby leaves.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Not because they were frozen, but because experience had taught them that the first kill was rarely the only one that mattered.
Predators that lived in places like this did not do so by accident. They followed patterns. They nested near resources.
They hunted in ways that made sense for the terrain. And most importantly, they rarely lived alone unless they were strong enough to never need help.
This creature had not felt like a solitary ruler of its territory.
It had felt like part of a system.
Ethan kept his eyes on the fog where the beast had come from, letting his vision soften just enough to catch movement without locking onto shapes that were not there.
