The Tiger, regal and impossibly intelligent, surveys his worshippers with languid calm, tail tip twitching in the incense-heavy air. The cultists move with reverent precision, passing golden bowls of sweetmeats and water, never daring to meet the tiger's gaze. Their whispered prayers grow in intensity, weaving a tapestry of sound that vibrates through the marble floor.
The Intruder, face gaunt and eyes rimmed red, breathes in shallow bursts, sweat slicking his brow. He edges forward, footsteps silent, heart hammering with vengeance for his lost sister. The cultists, entranced, do not notice his approach, their murmurs swelling as he draws ever closer to the tiger.
the Intruder[/@ch_2] moves between pillars, each step measured and fraught with purpose. The chanting crescendos, the air thick with anticipation and fear. The Tiger's ears flick, nostrils flaring as if sensing a disturbance.]
The Intruder glances at the cultists, doubt flickering in his gaze, but rage steels his resolve. He inches closer, his target lounging in regal indifference, the gap between predator and prey closing. In the tense stillness, a single drop of sweat falls from his brow, splattering on the cold stone.
the Intruder[/@ch_2] lunges, knife raised, a wordless cry torn from his lips. The cultists gasp but do not intervene; instead, their chanting shifts, voices rising in frenzied unison. The Tiger rises to his feet, eyes blazing with unnatural fire.]
A guttural, otherworldly roar erupts from the Tiger, shaking the very foundations of the temple. The sound reverberates, accompanied by a surge of shimmering, blue-tinged energy that ripples outward, extinguishing several candles. The air crackles as unseen forces seize the Intruder, yanking him off his feet and slamming him to the marble floor.
the Tiger[/@ch_1] as he advances, his form swelling with mystical energy. The Intruder struggles, invisible bonds pinning his limbs, terror etched across his face.]
"No! This beast murdered my sister! He can't—he can't—"
"Your pain is but a ripple in the ocean of my power."
The tiger's voice booms, layered with ancient echoes, as his eyes glow brighter, the cultists' devotion fueling his sorcery.
the Tiger[/@ch_1] prowls forward, jaws parted in a predatory snarl. The Intruder's screams are drowned by the chanting, his knife skittering uselessly across the floor.]
"Please—someone—help me!"
But the cultists only bow deeper, voices reaching a frenzied climax as the Tiger looms over his prey. With a final, soul-chilling roar, the mystical energies converge, and the intruder's cries are silenced, hopelessness and horror echoing in the candlelit dark.
