Midnight flung herself sideways, narrowly evading the lunging shadebeast with a desperate twist of her body. A primal roar of frustration and rage tore from her throat as she whirled around to face him. He had the discernible form of a beast on four legs. Twice the size of Midnight, he towered over her, his silhouette a cascade of ripples within the darkness, his hunger palpable in the air. For a moment, he stood and stared, then he surged forward once more, his form elongating into a grotesque manifestation of power and darkness. In an instant, Midnight recognised his intent. He lunged to strike, an outright attack, but he came too close, built himself up too high, as if to strike at something behind her — this was a superior predator fighting an inferior one; he expected her to back away, to dodge backwards. Instead, Midnight rushed in headfirst, her movement calculated evasion amplified by intuition. She jumped at him from below and ran her claws from his neck to his chest — but struck nothing; there was no resistance, no matter, her paws just went into the rippling black as if it were air.
Midnight landed off balance, scurried to the side before he came down on her, weaved past the onslaught of his paws and ran. Overtaken by raw panic, her body reacted before she could consciously grasp what had happened. Her paws were fine, just fine, all there, not injured, but upon touching the shadebeast, it had felt as if they were ripped apart.
The shadebeast chased her, matching her every leap, driving her into a frantic race along the narrow confines of the tunnel. She zigzagged between walls, contorting her lithe body to evade the relentless hunter. He pursued with an undeterred determination, not adhering to the twisting path but chasing her in a straight line, seamlessly traversing in and out of the walls.

Midnight’s breath came in quick bursts that matched her frenzy, her heart drummed fiercely in her chest, and her manoeuvres became increasingly daring as she fought to maintain speed. She could not slow down for any hindrances. With powerful leaps, she sought distance, her body repeatedly grazing against the jagged edges of protruding wall segments, leaving traces of crimson in her wake.
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