The word rested heavily in the air like a suffocating cold blanket, and for a moment, the world itself seemed to pause.Then the slow, heavy growl of the tiger rolled through the forest. It deep vibration crawled through the wet ground, to the students’ boots, then into their bones.Every single person froze.“W… What the fuck!” Peter’s voice cracked as his legs trembled beneath him. “It’s a it's a fucking tiger!” He screamed.No one told him to be quiet; no one even dared to breathe.The beast stepped out from the darkness of the trees, its massive striped body gliding through the mist like death itself had taken shape. The muscles underneath its fur were clear and its amber eyes glowed in the faint light, locked onto them with a cold, calculating hunger."Think, Mason!" his mind snapped back to life. Using the power of the celestial system in front of everyone would be another danger; instead, he snapped his head toward the weapons compartment beside the terminal.Behind him, the

Mason rose to his feet, the pain of slamming to the floor still evident. He turned to the tiger, lying faintly on the ground. Even with it being near death, it was as dangerous as ever. Mason adjusted his gaze to the girl staring at him in shock. He dropped his gaze to the uniforms and the tags on them. They weren’t from his university but rather Avaris University students. For whatever reason he had saved their competitor. The thought of a student actually dying in such activities made his blood turn cold. He didn't know who approved the university's participation in such a brutal course. “Move to the terminal,” his voice was hoarse and The girl immediately snapped from their shock, averting their gaze from the tiger to Mason. With a nod, they moved their shaking legs into the safe zone. “Is it dead?” Mason heard a voice call but didn’t bother to answer. He led the way back to the safe zone. He slipped his hand into the last compartment, reloading his short gun. He glanced back