Then, the creature's hyena-like laugh cut through the chaos once more. This time, it carried a final, chilling intent. An invisible force, vast and unyielding as the void itself, clamped down on Cleo.
It was not a physical grip, but a paralysis of space, locking her wings and limbs in place, holding her suspended in the air like an insect pinned to a specimen board.
Helpless, she could only watch as the colossus reared back its massive head. Its jaws yawned wide like a cavern of darkness, and deep within its throat, a sphere of concentrated black energy began to glow.
It pulsed with the promise of absolute erasure, spinning and gathering power, preparing to unleash a blast that would end her.
"You dare!?"
The voice was not a shout but a thunderous declaration that shook the very fabric of the void. It came from the abyssal darkness behind Cleo, from the direction where Rex had been hurled.