The purple beast leaped after the tossed-away Karl, its shadow stretching like a looming omen across the shattered ground. Karl fought against the wild force that hurled him, carving control from chaos as he landed on his right knee and left foot, the impact trembling through his bones. Before he could draw a full breath, the beast appeared before him, towering and relentless.
Without hesitation, it swung its right hand axe downward toward Karl's head, the blade howling through the air. Just a heartbeat before contact, Karl gently tilted his head to the side, the edge grazing past and slicing only a few strands of hair, close enough for death to whisper.
