Jelo staggered back, clutching his side, pain flaring with every breath. Each inhale felt like shards of glass grinding against his ribs.
His vision wavered at the edges, threatening to collapse into darkness, but he forced himself to stay present. Stay focused. Stay alive.
He disengaged fully, giving himself a moment to rethink his approach. The Dabba prowled forward slowly, its massive form casting a long shadow across the cracked earth.
His eyes tracked the creature's movements with renewed intensity, scanning its patterns despite the fog of pain clouding his thoughts. The way its weight shifted before it lunged. The slight dip of its shoulder that telegraphed which claw would strike first.
The brief moment of imbalance after it committed to a heavy attack. He'd been reacting before, fighting purely on instinct and desperation. But now, injured and running out of options, Jelo forced himself to think strategically.
