Fuuuucccck! Kaden felt his scalp go numb as the maw closed right above him. At the last possible second, he jerked his tiny rat body sideways, his claws skidding against the dirt.
The dragon's jaws snapped shut just inches from his head, the force of the impact creating a shockwave that sent him tumbling across the ground.
His vision spun. The world became a blur of red, black, and dust—until he slammed into a rock. Pain exploded through his tiny body, a squeak involuntarily escaping him.
No time to think. No time to breathe. He forced himself to move. His legs burned. His ribs screamed. But he knew he had to act now. Otherwise, he would be dead in the blink of an eye.
Kaden's tiny rat heart thundered against his ribs as he immediately activated bestial shift.
[Bestial Shift: Raven!]
The transformation hit hard. His body erupted into feathers, bones twisting and stretching at an unnatural speed. He barely had a second to adjust before—