Seeing how effortlessly Hades bent the barrel of the shotgun into a warped hook that curled back toward its owner, the young hunter let out a shrill scream. It was not merely fear, it was the raw, breaking cry of someone who had finally measured the difference between his own strength and that of a creature he could never oppose, not now, not ever.
"Mrs. Ratnik!! HELP!"
Ratnik did not freeze.
Her grip on the shotgun was steady, her posture firm. Her eyes met Daniel's, and with her finger curled around the trigger, she had a perfect angle, a clean shot to Hades's arm. She could have stopped him. She could have saved Daniel. The opportunity was there, clearly enough chance for her to act that everyone could see it.
But she didn't fire.
