2. Fear

Zilong's eyes widened in horror as he felt an overwhelming bloodlust. His unique ability to sense bloodlust, whether from humans or animals, had kept him alive through countless dangers on the streets.

As the crowd grew frantic, Zilong looked around helplessly. "Is it an animal? Maybe a shark?" he thought.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on, and an eerie silence enveloped the room. Shadows began to shift and merge into a monstrous figure—ten feet tall, clad in a black netted outfit with a basket hat and a veil covering its face. The imposing entity cast a chilling silence over the ship.

"What's this? Some kind of joke?" Mr. Shelly said, irritated. He walked toward the figure. "This is a gala, not a Halloween party," he snapped, pointing at the entity.

Zilong's heartbeat raced, and his breathing became shallow. The bloodlust from the being was suffocating him, making him tremble and sweat uncontrollably.

*Plop*

"ARRGH!!" Mr. Shelly's agonized scream filled the hall. The crowd watched in terror as Mr. Shelly, who had been pointing at the figure, clutched his mutilated left arm. Chaos erupted as people scrambled for the exit.

"Mr. Shelly!" Zilong shouted as the man desperately crawled away from the abomination. The creature raised a foot, sharp as an eagle's talon, and stomped on Mr. Shelly's back, sending blood splattering across the white tiles.

Zilong saw the exit—a massive gate—now nearly blocked by the frantic crowd. People, consumed by fear, abandoned their loved ones and trampled each other. The darkest side of human nature emerged as they shoved and crushed one another.

The entity seemed to revel in the chaos, standing motionless and silent, its veil-covered eyes watching. It made no move to kill further, letting the panic continue. Zilong, paralyzed by the bloodlust, was the only one left in the room.

"Ava," he called hoarsely. She was behind him, trembling like a fish out of water. "Run and hide," he urged. Ava sprinted away, leaving Zilong alone with the monstrosity.

The hall was now empty, strewn with the bodies of those who had been crushed. Zilong and the entity were alone in the desolate room.

Minutes turned into hours. Zilong could eventually move his fingers, but he knew that running would be fatal. The silence was so profound that even a pin dropping would have echoed.

"Hmm!" The gravelly voice of the entity cut through the silence, sending chills down Zilong's spine. The monster spoke, its voice reminiscent of a bleating goat. "You are commendable," it said, extending its hand. Shadows twisted into a monstrous scythe as it approached, each step scraping the ground with an ominous screech.

"Why don't I explain the nature of this game, since you're unaware," it continued, glowing green orbs appearing beneath its veil. Zilong instinctively took a step back as the entity grew nearer.

You hide, " it said with a glowing green smirk, its face just inches away from Zilong's...

And I seek