Your Eyes
After the monster dog released a sonic scream, the father and son managed to dodge it just in time. However, before they could relax, it released another scream. Unfortunately, due to David's momentary distraction, he was struck by the second sonic attack, while Malachi successfully dodged it.
As a result of the powerful air columns generated by the scream, David was thrown backwards for several metres and collided forcefully with a tree, creating a small crater. He lay there motionless.
"David!" Seeing what had happened to his son, Malachi was about to rush toward him when the monster dog unleashed yet another sonic scream.
With his back turned to the creature, Malachi couldn't react in time, and, like his son, he was hit by the sonic attack, sent hurtling in a different direction, and ended up creating another small crater in a tree.
A wave of pain shot through Malachi's entire body, and a pained groan escaped his lips.
Despite the intense pain, Malachi's body seemed miraculously intact, with no broken bones or visible bleeding.
This was good news, but the pain Malachi was experiencing was still excruciating.
Malachi's pain tolerance had never been pushed to such limits before, but despite the excruciating pain he was experiencing, it couldn't knock him out.
From his crater, Malachi saw the monster dog suddenly charging in the direction of his son.
The creature's ferocious appearance made it clear that dire consequences would follow if it got any closer to David.
Gritting his teeth as he battled through the agony, Malachi surged out from the crater towards the monster dog.
Despite Malachi's ability to track the monster dog's movements with his eyes, the creature remained faster than him.
Had Anna been present to witness the monster dog's current movements, she would have experienced a mix of emotions.
The way the monster dog moved now far exceeded its agility when it had been chasing her.
Anna's quick thinking and the fire extinguisher she had thrown at the dog, in the beginning, had affected its eyes, without which she might not have survived long enough to reunite with her family, even if it was only for a brief moment.
Realising that the monster dog was about to reach his son and knowing he couldn't match the creature's speed, Malachi's mind raced for a solution.
Malachi spotted a large rock, roughly the size of a baby's head, just in front of him.
The sight of the rock sparked an idea, and with a single step, Malachi reached the spot and effortlessly grabbed it with one hand.
An average person would have struggled to lift a rock of this size with one hand, but Malachi handled it as if it were a mere pebble.
It was as if, in addition to gaining remarkable speed and strength, he now also had enhanced physical prowess.
Malachi didn't even need to aim when he threw the rock at the monster dog.
Malachi's unique vision captured the creature's movements and its surroundings so clearly that he subconsciously knew he couldn't miss – and he was right.
The rock, propelled with a speed that seemed beyond human, accurately struck the monster dog's head. The impact brought the creature to a sudden stop and drew its fierce attention toward Malachi.
In contrast to Anna, whom it had been chasing earlier, Malachi and David exuded an aura that made the monster dog somewhat cautious. Furthermore, due to David's power and offensive capabilities, the monster dog recognized him as the bigger threat.
Hence, the monster dog sprinted toward David's location to eliminate him first, but it hadn't anticipated the presence of the other two-legged creature, Malachi, whom it now regarded as an annoying "pest."
Growling aggressively at Malachi, who met its gaze with unwavering bravery while surreptitiously checking on his son, a faint smile graced Malachi's face.
The monster dog assumed a charging stance, but just before it could move, a familiar fiery attack struck its stomach area, coincidentally in the same spot as before, resulting in another explosion that sent the creature hurtling in another direction.
Unbeknownst to the monster dog, the perceived threat it had been on the verge of neutralising had recuperated from its prior assault and retaliated with an attack.
This was why Malachi wore a slight smile when the monster dog prepared to charge at him, for he had observed, out of the monster's field of vision, that David was readying another attack from where he lay.
Having struck the monster for the second time, Malachi seized the opportunity and boldly charged toward the creature struggling to get back on its feet.
Malachi sprinted through the woods at a pace that would seem superhuman to ordinary people, grabbing a fallen tree trunk that looked sturdy as he went.
Upon reaching the monster, which was attempting to rise, Malachi immediately began launching powerful attacks at the creature's head with all his might.
Bang!
The first blow landed, causing the monster to howl in pain and its body, in the process of rising, to fall back to the ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, Malachi noticed that the spot where David had struck the monster with the fiery spear seemed to have opened, leaving a red stain on the ground. However, this only fueled Malachi's ferocious assault; the monster was injured and vulnerable, which was the ideal moment to finish it.
Bang!
Malachi struck it a second time, causing a portion of the jaw to open slightly.
Bang!
With even greater intensity, Malachi delivered another blow to the monster's head, causing more blood to emerge.
Momentarily recalling that this beast had threatened to take his wife away from him forever, a surge of rage coursed through Malachi, intensifying the ferocity of his attack.
Malachi's relentless onslaught caused part of the monster's blood to splatter onto him.
On the nth strike, Malachi managed to shift the monster's jaw somewhat, albeit at the cost of the tree trunk in his hand being reduced to ruin.
With adrenaline surging through his veins, Malachi was prepared to take things to the next level since his "weapon" was destroyed, and he intended to use his legs instead.
However, Malachi was a step too slow, as the monster dog capitalised on the moment the tree trunk shattered into pieces.
Without hesitation, the creature unleashed its sonic scream on Malachi, sending him hurtling through the air.
It wasn't that Malachi didn't see what was happening inside the monster, as he had before when he somewhat predicted something was about to occur. It was simply that he was a fraction too slow to react, and that was all the monster dog needed.
Nevertheless, the battle's dynamics remained unfavourable for the monster dog.
It wasn't just pitted against a father; it was facing a father and son team.
While Malachi grappled with the weakened monster dog, David had also managed to recover and emerge from the crater formed by his body's impact.
Once out of the crater, David charged toward the monster's location to assist his father.
By the time he reached the scene, though, his father was already soaring overhead.
Despite his concern, David focused on the task at hand before him.
With another fiery spear at the ready, David hurled it toward the monster's bloodied head.
Upon impact, the spear detonated, causing an explosion.
David, being near the blast, was thrown back a few metres and landed on his back.
"Ugh," David groaned audibly.
Despite the pain, he quickly pushed himself to his feet and turned his gaze in the direction his father had been thrown.
David saw Malachi walking toward him with slightly unsteady steps, his left hand clutching his right shoulder as he approached.
"Are you okay?" Malachi asked, his concern evident in his voice. They weren't far from each other, so his voice didn't need to be particularly loud.
Malachi asked this question instead of immediately charging back at the monster because even from the distance he stood, which wasn't substantial thanks to his improved eyesight, he could see that a significant portion of the monster dog's upper body in its current location was missing.
Exhausted, Malachi and David leaned against the nearest tree to rest. Their chests rose and fell as they panted loudly, recovering from the intense battle.
After managing to collect themselves and regain control of their breathing through a breathing exercise, David spoke first.
"So, what do we do now, Dad?"
"We need to return to your mom and sis. I have a very bad feeling that something is wrong," Malachi stated as he straightened his posture, no longer needing support.
Upon hearing his father's words, David nodded wearily and stood up straight, walking closer to his father. However, he suddenly came to a halt.
"Y-Your iris is red, Dad," David stuttered.
"Huh?" Malachi was taken aback by his son's unexpected observation. This momentary distraction caused his peculiar ability to perceive the world differently to deactivate.
Unprepared for the sudden shift in his vision, even though it was returning to how it was before, Malachi closed and opened his eyes repeatedly to readjust to seeing the world in colour once more, all the while under his son's curious gaze.
"What did you say again?" Malachi asked David as he turned to face him once he had adapted back to his normal vision.
"I said your irises are red," David began speaking but suddenly stopped, appearing uncertain. He then continued, "It's blue again," with a puzzled look on his face, as he began to doubt what he had initially observed from his father.
"Your irises are red as well," Malachi calmly replied, causing David to startle, and his red irises seemed to glow a bit brighter.
Malachi observed David's eyes without panic, having already come to terms with the fact that they had both undergone some change.
Based on their recent actions, he even began to wonder if they were still entirely human. So, he remained composed upon learning that his son's irises were red as well.
Malachi surmised that his red irises were likely a result of his unique ability being active at the time. He reasoned that the reason David's eyes hadn't returned to normal, unlike his own, was probably because the boy was still on guard.
Malachi never considered his son a monster or an alien upon seeing his red eyes and witnessing his unusual powers. To do so would make him feel like a bad father. Besides, he recognized that his son's situation mirrored his own, and whatever he thought of David applied to himself as well.
Before David could panic or overthink, Malachi spoke again.
"Relax," Malachi said in a calm, soothing tone. He added, "Calm yourself down, breathe in, and breathe out. The monster is already dead, so just breathe and relax."
Malachi's composed and reassuring voice had a calming effect on David.
David closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing.
After a moment, David opened his eyes, and his irises had returned to their normal black colour.
"They're normal now," Malachi informed David, who appeared visibly more at ease.
"Let's return to Mom and Mia. They must be really worried by now," David suggested, and Malachi immediately responded.
"Wait. I need to see something," Malachi stated, offering no further explanation before closing his eyes.
When he reopened his eyes, his irises were red, causing a momentary stir of anxiety in David's heart. However, his reaction was more composed this time.
Malachi, paying little attention to David, used his unique vision to observe the location of the monster dog's body.
Malachi noticed something peculiar.
Although the monster should have been dead, something was emitting a red light near its side.
Seeing that David had not reacted as if something unusual was there, Malachi surmised that he was the only one who could see it with his unique vision.
Isn't its heart supposed to stop beating after it died, or was I mistaken, and it wasn't the monster's heart emitting the red light, just like David's and mine?"