CAUGHT

Nadia's heart was racing like a rabbit's, her breath caught in her throat as she gazed into the den. The air was heavy with the stench of damp earth and decaying leaves, but beneath that, she detected the sweet, metallic scent of venom. Her fur stood on end, every hair follicle screaming with tension. Her ears, once perked and alert, now lay flat against her skull, as if trying to block out the soft, ominous rustling of the snakes. Her eyes, fixed on the Shadow Serpent, felt like they were drowning in its unblinking gaze. The serpent's scales seemed to absorb the faint moonlight, radiating an aura of malevolence. Nadia's paws felt rooted to the spot, her claws digging reflexively into the earth as if searching for an anchor to hold her in place.

Her mind recoiled in horror, her thoughts tumbling over each other in a chaotic jumble. She was afraid because she knew that one misstep, one miscalculation, would mean certain death. The Shadow Serpent's venom was legendary, capable of killin