Arlo, upon sighting the giant, was paralyzed with fear as echoes of his friends' voices slithered in his mind like a hissing snake.
"HISSS…"
The snake, sensing Arlo's terror, lunged at him, using a tree for leverage.
Blaze, noticing Arlo's petrified state, dashed towards the snake to intercept its attack. Wielding two kukris, he held his ground, attempting to immobilize the creature.
"THUD!"
The snake clashed with Blaze's kukris, but the small blades proved inadequate to halt the snake's momentum.
In an unexpected move, the snake lashed out at Blaze with its tail, sending him sprawling to the ground. Despite the impact, Blaze appeared unscathed, but before he could recover, the snake was already closed in on Arlo.
Engulfed in fear, Arlo felt the snake's aura, and its eyes brought back the haunting echo of Ryan's voice before he blacked out: