Ross crawled to his knees, coughing up blood. His intent had been shredded by the beast's strike — there wasn't enough strength left in him to summon it back His armor was also desummoned since it was damaged and it'll draw blood from him to heal, worsening is already terrible condition.
He glanced around.
Most of them lay unconscious… or half-dead.
His gaze locked on Quinn — impaled, limp, a breath away from death.
Above them, the beast hovered with folded arms, gazing down with pure disdain in its six malevolent eyes.
'Is this how I die?'
He watched as the beast descended, grabbed Quinn by the hair—and ripped his head clean off.
The sound was sickening. Quinn's lifeless body dangled on the beast's bloodied spear, crimson spurting from his neck like a fountain.
Ross choked. His breath caught in his throat as the beast turned its gaze on him.
Six eyes. Pure hatred.
He wanted to stand. Run. Scream.
But his body wouldn't move. His already pale face lost what little color remained as the beast stepped forward—toward him.
'I'm going to die.'
'I don't want to die.'
The beast stopped in front of him. Silent. Still.
It looked down at him with something worse than anger — disgust.
Ross trembled. He felt like a rabbit before a starving wolf, utterly cornered and powerless.
Tears streamed down his face.
Then, the beast's massive hand dropped on his head.
His skull cracked beneath the pressure. His neck stretched—bones popping—until suddenly…
It stopped.
The air grew colder.
Silence pressed against his ears like the weight of a mountain.
'Am I dead?' he wondered.
'Dead people don't feel pain... so I can't be dead.'
He suddenly felt the beast hand leave his head, his heart thundering in his chest.
He opened his eyes to see snow falling upon the desolate battlefield.
'Lady Vex'
'I'm saved'
The beast looked up, eyes narrowing. It stretched it hands, weapons materializing in them.
The spear embedded in Quinn's body vibrated violently before shooting off to the beast's waiting hands tearing Quinn's corpse apart.
It was… a tragedy.
Quinn had been a Paragon.
No Paragon had fallen in over a decade.
They were the pillars of humanity—just beneath the Legends.
And now he was nothing more than scattered flesh and blood.