Oliver swiftly turns his head back. He traces the direction where his friend is pointing. It is at the grand staircase. As Oliver looks upon its steps, he sees a heart-falling sight.

     With a thunderous roar, a fearsome creature resembling an alligator standing tall on its hind legs hurtles down the grand staircase. Oliver's gaze fixates on the creature's jaw, a massive, bony structure protruding from its face. Its sharp, serrated teeth jut out, glinting with an ominous gleam, ready to rend flesh.

     The creature's elongated body stretches upwards, almost brushing against the lofty ceiling, yet it navigates the mansion's interior with uncanny agility. Reddish-violet spots adorn its thick, scaly skin, reminiscent of a shadowy veil. Its eyes burn an eerie glow, radiating crimson with violet corneas.

"Greg... go! Run with the others!" Oliver's voice rang out as he commanded.

"What!?" Gregory's eyes widened in disbelief, his grip tightening as he tried to pull Oliver.

Oliver forcefully pushed Gregory away. "I said go! I'll handle this!"

     Gregory's eyes glisten in tears, welling up in his eyes as he flees through the front door. Meanwhile, Oliver's gaze remains fixed upon the descending abomination. With steady, measured steps, he paces backwards without breaking eye contact with the approaching creature. Oliver then summons and ignites a fireball above his right hand, and its flames flicker.

     However, a sudden and low growl resonated in Oliver's right ear. He quickly snaps his head towards the noise, and his eyes widen. As his gaze shifts, the fireball above his hand vanishes, dissipating into thin air, leaving behind a void that mirrors his loss of confidence.

     Emerging before Oliver stands a towering, wolf-like monstrosity, its height reaching Oliver's neck. A sinewy tail sways back and forth like a pendulum. The creature's piercing violet eyes fixate on Oliver as it glows like magma. An abyssal blackness cloaks its slender form as a reddish-violet hue illuminates from its sharp, canine teeth.

     Oliver gasps as the monster lunges towards him from his side. Swiftly reacting, he steps back, narrowly evading the initial onslaught. The other creature's ferocious roar echoes from the staircase, and it hastens towards him. Panting, Oliver turns towards the front door, fleeing from the beasts, and rushes outdoors.

"Everyone, run for your lives!" Oliver's urgent cry pierced the air as he hopped off the porch and sprinted across the lawn.

Sophia, being pulled along by Gregory, fired back in confusion. "Run? Greg, you run!" she told Gregory.

Frederick placed his palm next to his ear. "What?" Frederick asked.

"Run!" Oliver reiterated, his words blending with his hurried footsteps.

"Rum...?" Frederick's voice trailed off as he snatched a bottle of rum from his pocket.

"No! For heaven's sake, no! I said run! Run!!" Oliver's exasperated shout reverberated through the air, shouting with frustration and urgency as he ran across the yard.

     Behind Oliver, the menacing creature obliterates the front porch in a devastating blow, shattering the walls into fragments. Its colossal frame collides with the sturdy front door, causing a resounding crash that reverberates. The impact annihilates everything in its vicinity, reducing once-solid structures to a cascade of disintegrated debris.

     The resulting force sends shards and splinters hurtling in every direction. As the monstrous entity unleashes a blaring roar, its voice rings the streets like a bell, igniting a wave of panic among the unsuspecting pedestrians. People scatter in all directions as their footsteps hasten on the road.

     Horror seized Frederick as his eyes widened, dropping his jaw open. The grip on his liquor bottle slipped from his grasp, and the glass dropped onto the ground, shattering into countless shards. Meanwhile, Sophia's eyebrows knit together as her mouth gaped in shock and surprise.

"Greg! Sophia! Dad! You must flee!" Oliver ordered as he united with them near the tall iron gate.

"No, Oli, I can't leave you!" Sophia shook her head.

"Greg! Go somewhere safe with my dad!" Oliver pleaded with his friend, pointing towards the gateway.

"Got it!" Gregory swiftly responded. Gregory then grabbed Frederick's arms, guiding him towards the gate. Together, they sprinted towards the streets filled with panicking mobs. "Hurry, sire!" Gregory's voice shuddered.

     Meanwhile, Sophia held her skirt high. She then pulled it upwards and tucked it on her black high-waist sash, exposing her white stockings. The fleeing crowds furtively saw her ankles, eliciting an audible gasp behind her.

"Forgive me!" Sophia quickly turned around and apologised. "I can't fight with a long dress!"

     Oliver raises his right arm high, leaving gaps in his fist. Within his palm, a radiant white light begins to form. Slowly, the luminosity extends, stretching out into a meter-long shape. As the shimmering brilliance dissipates, it reveals a magnificent sword, gleaming with an ethereal shine.

"Here! Catch!"

     Oliver swiftly hurls the sword towards Sophia, propelling it through the air as it sails towards her awaiting hand. Sophia then catches the weapon, locking them in her hands. Holding the sharp blade, she fixes her gaze on the beast with a fierce glare. Suddenly, her furrowed brows arch towards her hairline, and her jaw gapes open.

     Sophia's jaw drops as she watches Oliver sprint forward, charging at the menacing beast through the expansive yard. As the distance between Oliver and the monster narrows, Oliver abruptly halts in the middle of the lawn, crouching low. The monstrous creature hurtles towards him with relentless speed. But Oliver remains steadfast, standing motionlessly.

     Oliver bides his time as his gaze locks on the approaching monster. He remains still until the creature draws near. Then, Oliver springs into action. He launches off the ground, soaring through the air.

     As Oliver descends, his feet make contact with the earth. Then, a force answers his call. A sturdy pole emerges from the ground, carrying Oliver upwards and lifting him towards the heavens. The earthen pillar elevates Oliver into the clouds, bringing him away from harm.

     Caught off guard by the sudden emergence of the pole, the monster collided with the earthen pillar. Its forceful impact caused the dirt structure to crack under the strain. Then, the earth trembled as the pole shuddered.

     As the tremors reverberate through the atmosphere, Oliver senses the subtle shift in angle. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Oliver feels the pole's imminent collapse. His eyes widen in terror as he helplessly watches the ground below from the crumbling pillar.