He saw it clearly. In the blinding light, two massive wings unfurled, revealing spindly limbs. It was the same monster Uijae had pierced through countless times in the West Rift, the one he had killed over and over again.

*Thump, thump, thump*—his heart pounded furiously. Cold sweat ran down his neck and palms. His feet felt like they were cemented to the ground. The truth he didn't want to accept, he was recognizing faster than anyone else. He thought he knew this monster better than anyone. But now, he wondered if he had ever known anything at all.

Just as …