Escape
Shiva rode frantically through the dense, shadowy forest, his mind a whirlwind of regret and desperation. The blood-red mane of his wolf companion, Virupa, glowed eerily in the moonlight as they sped forward. His breath came in ragged gasps. "Huff... huff... Where did everything go wrong? Damnit."
He couldn't shake the memory of the trap that had ensnared him. Shiva had signed a blood pact with a woman, intending to exploit her after helping her, just as they had agreed. Yet, she had outwitted him, leading him into a trap that had cost him dearly.
***
"Ahh!!!"
Blood splashed across the ground as Shiva screamed in agony, clutching his bloodied left eye. Through his pain, he forced himself to look at his companions, only to be met with a horrifying sight.
"Karna...!" His heart nearly stopped at the sight of Karna's severed head, held by an unknown man. Shiva's body shuddered as a chill ran down his spine. 'When did he get there?'