Author Becomes Character (Revised version)

Chapter 6: Crocodile-monster

"Don't you dare go near that blacksmith's shop again," he added with a warning tone, clearly still concerned about the sword's deadly sharpness.

I just rolled my eyes, grabbed the dead Rabbimon, and shoved it into my space bag. Dad had given it to me as a birthday gift, joking that a whole castle could fit inside. 

"Whoa, my sister's a born savage! Not even phased by blood!" Brother Cal said as he stared at my bloodied hand.

Without missing a beat, I walked up to him and wiped my hand on his royal blue cape.

"Ah!" He jumped back, looking horrified.

I couldn't help but laugh. His face was a mix of surprise, anger, and disgust, and he was clutching his cape like it was a rare treasure.

For the record, Brother Calvin's cape was important to him—it was attached to his armor and made him feel like a hero. He always talked about how legendary heroes in stories and paintings wore capes, so I guess it made him feel special. Guess the cape wasn't so heroic now, though, huh?

The hunt went surprisingly smoothly, and now I had four creature bodies to show for it: a Rabbimon, a Deer, a Bird, and a Bear. The bear was the first to make the mistake of attacking me, so, naturally, I took care of it. No big deal.

But honestly? This was way too easy and—dare I say it—kind of boring. I mean, where's the thrill? Where's the danger? I wanted a challenge! So, I decided to go after something more aggressive. A lion? A tiger? Maybe even a bear with an attitude problem! Something that would actually make this hunt feel like, you know, a hunt.

I took a closer look around, my attention fixed on the fairies fluttering about. They zipped around like sparkly little annoyances, but they didn't approach me or anything. Instead, they were just gossiping among themselves, probably about how cool I looked with all these creature bodies around me.

I was so caught up in their tiny, glittery drama that I didn't notice the small hole right in front of me. Before I even realized what was happening, I was plummeting—faster than a falling apple—and thinking, Great, just what I needed. A hole.

I looked up just in time to see Brother Cal's panic-stricken face staring down at me like I'd just thrown myself into the deepest pit of despair.

"ANYA!" he bellowed, his voice echoing dramatically through the cavernous space, but by then, I was already way below the tiny opening, like some kind of free-falling action hero.

As I plummeted, I glanced around and realized with a sudden sense of "Oh great, what now?" that I had somehow stumbled into a Cenote. It was like nature's own version of a trapdoor to the underworld. Before I could even process what was happening, I splashed into the icy water below with all the grace of a rock being tossed in a pond.

My senses were on high alert, though, despite the cold shock. I mean, sure, I'd just fallen into a freezing water pit, but I couldn't help but think, Well, this is new.

Not too far from me, I spotted a shadow lurking underwater. At first, I could barely make out its shape—just a dark blob in the murky depths, with the only light coming from the hole I fell through, which was rapidly becoming a distant memory. I was kind of regretting the whole "let's go look for more aggressive creatures" thing right about now.

It moved through the water with ridiculous ease, like it was gliding on air, and my brain immediately went into panic mode. I mean, sure, it looked smooth, but there was something unnervingly purposeful about its movements. It was like a predator stalking its prey.

Then, I saw its teeth. Sharp. Glistening. Like a lot of teeth. Too many teeth. And its eyes—those cold, laser-focused eyes—were locked onto me. Great. Not only was I about to die, but I was going to die with that intense stare.