# A loud scream echoed from behind me. "Boy, behind you!!" I spun around quickly to see an ugly, massive creature standing right behind me, raising its arm back to strike. Its height was at least twice my own, and the arrangement of dark, bulging muscles was clearly not human. All four of its eyes burned with rage, and red liquid dripped from its protruding fangs. Even though I could predict that an instant later, the sharp claws attached to its arm would come down and tear my body apart, my body wouldn't move. Understanding that dodging or defending was impossible, I—shamefully—closed my eyes. It wasn't that I had given up. But my body understood there was nothing else I could do. There was no time to see a parade of memories. I was only aware that the emotion of regret was consuming me. In an instant, a flash of light pierced through my closed eyelids and reached my retinas. Almost simultaneously, an impact like being struck by a hammer and a roaring explosion assaulted my e