Bani swallowed. Her throat felt dry.

  The creature took another step.

  The wood cracked further beneath its weight. The small table beside them trembled from the vibration.

  Sora finally spoke, forcing his voice to stay steady.

  “Who are you? What do you want?”

  The creature let out a short sound. It was not laughter, but something close to it — a rough scraping sound.

  “Food.”

  Then it added, looking at them as if they were the only thing in the world:

  “You… food.”

  Sora stepped back quickly and grabbed Bani’s hand.

  “Behind the table. Now!”

  They moved quickly and crouched behind the broken table. It was not real protection, but it was the only thing between them and the heavy body moving toward them.

  The creature walked slowly.

  It was not fast, but it was confident, as if it was not afraid they would escape.

  It raised its large arm and reached toward the table.

  At that moment, Bani stepped back in fear and hit the edge of the table with her leg.

  The table shook, and the things on it fell.

  The box dropped to the floor.

  It opened violently, and small bones scattered across the ground. The old picture slid away.

  Bani’s breath caught for another reason.

  It was not the bones that drew her attention.

  It was something else.

  Between the bones, under the dust…

  A stone shone.

  Then another one.

  Without thinking, Bani bent down, her hands shaking, and picked up the first stone.

  It was green — not the color of plants, but a deeper green, cold and faintly shining.

  Then she picked up the second stone.

  It was not one color. Lines and shades moved inside it, as if it held more than one layer, or more than one time. A color that appeared, then disappeared, shifting into something she could not name.

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  The moment her fingers touched the surface of the second stone—

  Her head shook suddenly.

  Not pain.

  A rush of images.

  Quick flashes:

  A child running through green fields…

  Laughter…

  Small hands lifting her…

  A voice: “finally …”

  Sunlight…

  Then a scream.

  The color vanished.

  The air tightened.

  Frightened eyes.

  Bani could no longer see the cabin clearly. It felt as if she stood in two places at once.

  She heard Sora shouting her name, but his voice sounded far away.

  “Bani! Bani, look at me!”

  Then suddenly—

  Another scream.

  Sora’s scream. Close. Real.

  The stone trembled slightly in her hand.

  She lifted her head quickly.

  And saw what drained the color from her face.

  The creature was holding Sora.

  It lifted him with one massive hand. Sora struggled, gripping the creature’s arm, trying to free his throat.

  He gasped for air.

  “Run… Bani… run!”

  Bani screamed, her voice breaking.

  “Sora!”

  The creature pulled him closer to its face. Its mouth opened.

  It was wider than she expected, unnaturally wide. Its teeth were uneven — some broken, some sharp.

  “Fooood…” it said slowly, as if enjoying the word.

  Sora tried to strike it, but his hand barely reached its cracked skin.

  The creature released a heavy breath, then slowly pushed Sora toward its mouth.

  Slowly. Deliberately.

  As if enjoying the fear before eating.

  Sora screamed again, a long scream, his voice fading as he disappeared inside.

  Bani stood frozen. Her eyes did not blink.

  Then the creature closed its mouth.

  One heavy movement.

  It swallowed.

  Sora was gone.

  The stones fell from Bani’s hands and hit the floor.

  Her legs almost gave out beneath her.

  A sound escaped her — not a word, not a clear scream, but something broken.

  “No… no… no…!”

  She reached forward, as if trying to grab the air that had swallowed him.

  The creature stepped toward her.

  And just as she was about to collapse…

  She felt a touch on her hand.

  Warm.

  A warm hand, sudden heat against her skin, like a small flame waking her up.

  Bani gasped and turned sharply.

  Sora stood in front of her.

  Alive.

  Breathing.

  His eyes wide with fear, his hand gripping hers tightly.

  “Bani! What’s wrong with you? Why are you screaming like that?!”

  She stepped back once, then again, staring at him as if she could not believe he was real.

  She quickly looked toward the creature.

  It was still there… but not close as in her vision. It stood farther away inside the cabin, moving slowly. It had not touched Sora at all.

  Bani trembled from head to toe.

  “I… I saw…” she whispered. “I saw you…”

  Sora tightened his grip on her hand.

  “Saw what?! There’s no time! That thing is coming!”

  She looked at him again, tears filling her eyes but not falling.

  “I saw it… swallow you.”

  Sora did not understand, but he saw the fear in her face — fear that did not belong only to this moment.

  The creature stepped forward again. The cabin shook beneath its weight, the wood cracking louder.

  But Bani was not looking at the creature.

  She was looking at Sora, as if making sure he was still there.

  That what she saw… had not happened yet.

  The creature’s rough voice filled the space again.

  “Hungry…”

  The cabin fell silent.

  The air felt heavy.

  The sound of the creature’s breathing filled the emptiness.

  And Bani still felt the warmth of Sora’s hand in hers — the only thing that brought her back from the vision.