The second strike came down harder than the first. I didn't even have time to breathe properly before it hit. The shield shattered completely this time, fragments flying out of my hands as the force crushed into me. I felt myself lift off the ground and slam into the cavern wall. Something cracked in my chest. I slid down slowly, vision shaking, ears ringing so loud it drowned out everything else. For a moment, I couldn't tell if I was still conscious or if my body just hadn't realized it was supposed to stop.
I tried to inhale and tasted blood again. My arm wouldn't move. My legs felt distant, like they belonged to someone else. The creature's footsteps echoed closer, steady and unhurried. It didn't see me as a threat. Just something stubborn that hadn't fallen yet. I thought about the surface again. About how easy it must've been to say, "We can't all die." I wondered if they slept well after. If they convinced themselves it was necessary. My chest tightened, not just from injury, but from that memory. I wasn't angry the way I thought I'd be. I just felt… small. Replaceable.
The creature's shadow covered me. It lifted its arm for the finishing blow. I looked up at it through blurred vision and let out a shaky breath. "I'm not done," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if I believed it. The arm came down. Something inside me gave way—then something else locked into place. I felt it. Not healing. Not comfort. Adjustment. My body reacting in a way it never had before, reinforcing, tightening, hardening under unbearable pressure. The impact landed, but it didn't crush me. The stone behind me cracked instead. The blue glow flared brighter than before. [Critical Structural Failure Prevented.] [Major Adaptation Complete.] I felt strength surge through my limbs—not explosive, not dramatic, just solid and undeniable. The creature paused, its burning eyes narrowing slightly.
I pushed myself up slowly. My ribs still hurt, but they weren't collapsing anymore. My arm responded when I told it to move. I wiped the blood from my mouth and steadied my breathing. The fear was still there. The pain was still there. But beneath both was something new. I stepped forward instead of back. "You hit hard," I said quietly, meeting its gaze. "Now it's my turn."