Rick threw his massive sword. It spun through the air at Jason but buried itself in Hannah's body as he moved further behind it for cover. Rick held out his hand and the sword yanked itself from Hannah’s corpse, flying back to Rick’s hand.

Standing behind the dangling, macabre puppet that was the ravaged corpse of their companion, Jason’s laughter was filled with sinister mirth.

“So much for camaraderie,” he said.

“We’re going to kill you, you sick prick!” Claire said to Jason, who laughed again.

His response was to chant a spell, voice filled with malevolent relish.

“As your life was mine to reap, your death is mine to harvest.”

A dim red light shone from Hannah’s body, which was quickly devoured by Jason. As it did, Hannah’s skin grew dry, pulling tight over her skeleton as if years were passing in moments. Only a desiccated husk remained in her blood-stained clothes.

Claire screamed out in anger, raising the wand in her hand. A bolt of white magical energy fired at Jason, tracking him through the air. He stepped closer to the corpse, which intercepted the attack. The withered body fell apart, tumbling piecemeal to the ground. Claire watched in horror as her sister's body crumbled into dried-up chunks, splattering into the mud. When she looked up for the one responsible, Jason was already gone.

“You should be careful,” his voice mocked them, first from one direction, then another. “I thought I had the spiders riled up, but you really went and did it.”

Jason’s voice was playful and cruel as he taunted them. Each time he spoke, it came from a new direction.

“My friends are coming for you,” he said. “You might want to get out of these webs.”

His laughter rang through the trees.

“Rick?” Jonah asked.

“He’s not wrong about the webs,” Rick said. “Slow and careful. Claire in the middle and I’ll bring up the rear.”

“I’m going to kill the evil weasel,” Claire said.

“Hannah’s fine,” Rick said. “She’s already awake, back in the control room.”

“I hope she stabs him while he’s still in here,” Claire said.

Jonah yelled out, standing awkwardly in place. He had stumbled into a near-invisible web. At the same time, a thick stand of webbing launched out of the shadows to drag Rick stumbling back.