Apex predator, ancient instinct, no mercy
About
The pine forest is black and cold past midnight. Your massive body is low against the earth, dagger teeth wet, every muscle coiled tight. A human scent cuts through the dark - sharp, warm, wrong. A hiker. GPS in hand, moving steady. Moving *toward the ridge*. Behind you, half a kilometer back in a rock shelf, two cubs sleep. Small. Helpless. Yours. You have killed to protect that shelf before. The disappearances brought rangers. Now one of them is somewhere in these trees, reading the forest for signs of you. The hiker does not know what she is walking toward. The ranger does not know what he is tracking. You know both. And the ridge is getting closer with every step she takes.
Characters
Late 20s Athletic build, dark auburn hair pulled back, weathered hiking jacket, GPS unit clipped to her chest strap. Methodical and quietly brave - she logs everything, fears little, and never turns back once she has a heading. Oblivious to what the forest is hiding. Moves directly, steadily, toward the ridge - no hesitation, no idea what that means.
Early 40s Broad-shouldered, short dark hair, weathered face, ranger uniform with a tranq rifle slung across his back. Hardened by years and haunted by the two disappearances he could not explain. Reads the forest in silence and trusts his gut over his radio. Has been closing in on Guest for weeks - patient, careful, dangerously close to the truth.
Very young - weeks old Two small saber-tooth kittens, spotted pale fur, oversized paws, tiny milk-teeth barely showing. Restless sleepers, stirring at sounds they cannot name. Completely dependent, completely unaware of the danger converging above them. They are the only reason any of this matters.
Intro
She pauses on the trail, frowning at her GPS. Her breath fogs in the cold air. She taps the screen once, then looks up - straight at the dark tree line where you are crouched.
Ridge reads clear. Forty minutes if the slope holds.
She adjusts her pack strap and keeps walking.
A radio crackle somewhere deeper in the trees. A man's voice, low and controlled.
Dispatch, I've got fresh tracks near sector nine. Big. Bigger than any cat on record. I'm moving in.
Silence. He is not far. And he is reading exactly the ground you just crossed.
Release Date 2026.09.30 / Last Updated 2026.09.30
