The moment the dark light swallowed him, Ethan knew what was coming.
'Here we go again.'
The sensation of teleportation, or perhaps of being torn apart and rebuilt molecule by molecule, was no longer unfamiliar. For one terrifying instant, he felt his entire body ionize, his consciousness stretched thin across countless drifting particles.
Then weight returned. Shape returned. His vision slammed back into place as his body reassembled, and a wave of violent nausea rolled through him, so intense he nearly blacked out.
He was on his knees. Lying motionless on the scorched ground in front of him was the withered monkey-creature that had chased him for hours. Its twisted limbs were still. No health bar hovered above it. It was dead.
"Heh… heh… lookin' the wrong way, kid."
The raspy voice sounded like dry feathers scraping stone. It came from behind him.
