"We have to move."
The urgency in Lake's voice was unmistakable. Even he couldn't face 'that'.
SWOOOSH!
Like threads unraveling at the seams, the intertwined vines slowly untwisted from top to bottom, each root peeling away like the petals of a grotesque, blooming flower.
"Get up!"
Gwen was still disoriented from the impact, but Lake's sharp command snapped her back to focus.
"Ugh." She grunted, forcing herself off the ground.
Lake rose beside her just as the coiled vines finally moved—their sheer force triggering a disaster.
BOOM!
The shockwave uprooted trees and shattered rocks, hurling debris into the air. Lake and Gwen were flung backward, the wind pressure alone nearly crushing them.
Lake reacted instantly, seizing Gwen's arm and using the momentum to propel them away from the roots. His expression darkened as his senses dissected the monstrosity before them.
