and then it finally shows itself.
Out of the shattered bushes, the creature steps forward, and whatever hope the recruits had left dies instantly. This thing isn’t just big — it’s wrong. Limbs too long, body twisted like it was built from spare parts, jaws stretching wider than anything natural should allow. Its skin looks thick and scarred, like it’s survived more battles than the soldiers standing in front of it.
For half a second, nobody moves.
That half-second is the most dangerous mistak