Derek reappeared on the opposite side of the rift. This time, he found himself standing in the middle of a dense forest.
"What's it gonna be this time?" he muttered under his breath, scanning the surroundings.
Apart from the occasional chirping of birds, there was nothing, no wind, no movement, no sign of life. After waiting for a while and seeing nothing unusual, Derek decided to move forward.
But just as he took a few steps, an overwhelming pressure suddenly surged from behind.
He spun around, only to see a massive serpent lunging straight at him, its jaws wide open.
Derek reacted instantly, leaping sideways at the last moment. He narrowly avoided being devoured, but the creature's body still brushed against him, the impact so strong that it sent him flying through the air.
He crashed into a thick tree, snapping it in half before sliding down and coughing up blood.
