Coco's entire body locked up— every muscle coiled tight.
Her eyebrows furrowed, her breath freezing in her lungs, then she saw movement.
Just a flicker, right at the edge of her vision.
Her eyes snapped toward it, widening slightly and through the thick mist, something was there, a shadowy figure? A gaulter? She couldn't tell yet, but it moved on purpose.
Coco's head turned slowly, tracking the shadow as it slid through the mist, circling her like a predator sizing up prey.
It never stepped into full view, just a dark blur drifting.
Then, to her surprise, it split— one shadow became two and they moved in eerie sync, flanking her from different angles.
Her pulse spiked. Gaulters? Enemies? Or something worse? Either way, she's surrounded and the thought of it makes her swallow hard, her throat becoming more dry as the seconds pass by.
One thing is for sure though. Gaulters don't split.
