Aaditya's heart was pounding. His breath was ragged, and his legs ached so much that every step felt like a struggle. Vajra Sher was still behind him, its fiery eyes locked onto him. But summoning every last ounce of strength, Aaditya kept running.
The jungle echoed with eerie sounds—somewhere in the distance, an Indimon screeched, and a monstrous bird let out a chilling cry from the sky. This planet was a death trap.
"I can't keep running... My body is giving up..." Aaditya thought desperately. "I need to find a way out!"
Just then, his foot slipped on the damp ground, and he tumbled down a steep slope. His body rolled over jagged rocks and thick roots until he crashed into a muddy clearing. Pain shot through his limbs, but he didn't have the strength to move.
The Vajra Sher reached the edge of the slope, snarling, its glowing fangs bared. It took a step forward—then suddenly, it stopped.
A chilling growl echoed from deep within the shadows. Something else was here. Something powerful.
The Vajra Sher hesitated, its ears twitching. For the first time, it looked... uncertain. Then, without warning, it turned and disappeared into the trees.
Aaditya lay still, his mind barely grasping what had happened. Why had it left? What had scared it away? His vision blurred, exhaustion dragging him into unconsciousness.
His last thought before darkness swallowed him: Did I survive... just by luck?