You are in the forests of North America, 81 million years ago.

The humid air of southern Laramidia felt heavy. You crouched behind the sprawling roots of a conifer, the trees offering little cover. The mud beneath you was still warm. Then, the silence broke. A loud, crushing snap of wood signaled the arrival of a Lythronax.

It didn't roar—it didn't need to. It was roughly 24 feet of muscle and terror, its reddish-brown feathered hide blending into the swampy, subtropical setting. You saw its most terrifying feature: the face. Unlike other predators with eyes on the side of their head, the "Gore King" had a wide back-of-the-skull, allowing its eyes to face forward.

You are directly in its line of sight. The binocular vision narrowed onto your hiding spot. Its snout was short, narrow, and armed with nearly 5-inch, dagger-like teeth. You felt paralyzed as it turned its head, the muscles in its neck bulging, analyzing you with the same terrifying depth perception as its descendant, the T. rex…