SPIRIT GARDEN

Ariel took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that the jaguar was a master of ambush, striking with blinding speed and deadly precision. She had to be ready for anything. Slowly, she crouched down, her eyes focused on the shadows at the edge of the clearing.

Then, without warning, it struck.

A flash of lightning illuminated the clearing, blinding in its intensity. In that brief moment, Ariel saw the jaguar—a massive, sleek form, its fur alive with crackling electricity, its eyes glowing with a fierce, predatory light. The beast was mid-leap, its claws extended, aiming straight for her.

Ariel barely had time to react. She threw herself to the side, rolling across the ground as the jaguar's claws slashed through the air where she had been standing. The creature landed with a growl, its body crackling with energy, the air around it humming with electricity.