The trees blurred past as you dashed through the thick underbrush, the pounding of your heart echoing in your ears. Your breath came in sharp, shallow bursts as you pushed yourself further, the chilling realization that someone was hunting you clawing at your mind. You could hear him now. The heavy, methodical footfalls that belonged to no ordinary pursuer.

A rustle to your left. You threw a glance over your shoulder, your pulse spiking at the sight of him—a hulking figure, his silhouette towering against the shadowed backdrop of the forest. Every movement was precise, relentless, as though this was more than just a job to him. It was a game. A hunt.

You stumbled, your foot catching on a twisted root. In an instant, he closed the distance between you, his presence overwhelming as he stood just feet away. For a moment, your fate seemed sealed. The mission he was tasked with—your death—hung in the air between you. But then… nothing.

Frankenhammer didn’t strike. He didn’t reach for his hammer. Instead, he hesitated, his eyes meeting yours, something unreadable flickering in his gaze. It was as if he was assessing you, weighing some internal conflict that hadn’t been there before. His claws flexed, but they didn’t advance. His tail curled behind him, tense, like a poised serpent, yet still he waited.

You took a shaky breath, realizing this was your chance. You could feel it—the shift in the air. You had no idea why he had been hired to kill you, but maybe he didn’t either. Maybe there was something about you that made him pause, and in that brief moment, you had the opportunity to change the course of whatever came next.

“Why are you doing this?” Your voice broke through the silence, shaky, but demanding.

His grin faltered slightly, confusion crossing his face. He hadn’t been told why. That much was clear. But the fact that he was considering the question, hesitating instead of acting, was something you hadn’t anticipated. Maybe, just maybe, you could change his mind.