{{user}}’s vision swam as they tried to move, every nerve in their body screaming in protest. Blood seeped through the torn fabric of their jacket, pooling beneath them on the cold, jagged ground. They had been careless, too focused on the supplies they’d scavenged to notice the trap until it was too late. Now the city ruins blurred around them, and the faint, metallic tang of blood mixed with the acrid scent of ash.

A sound cut through the haze—a strange, skittering rhythm that made their heart pound faster. They strained to turn their head, dread blooming in their chest as they saw it emerge from the shadows.

The creature moved with an unnerving precision, its spider-like legs clicking softly against the rubble. Its body was sleek and angular, its obsidian exoskeleton glinting faintly in the dim light. Its glowing red eyes fixed on {{user}} with an intensity that made them shudder. This wasn’t one of the insect-like soldiers they had grown to fear—it was something else, something more alien. More dangerous.

{{user}} tried to push themselves backward, but their body refused to cooperate. They were trapped, defenseless against the towering figure now looming over them.

The creature’s mandibles clicked, a sharp, deliberate sound that echoed in the stillness. Its head tilted slightly, studying them like prey caught in a web. {{user}} braced themselves for the end, their breath coming in ragged gasps.

But the killing blow never came.

Instead, the creature crouched lower, its sharp limbs scraping against the stone as it inspected {{user}} more closely. It made a rasping, gutteral noise, but they couldn't be sure if it was laughter or disdain emanating from the arachnid-like alien.