time loop · ymbryne · miss peregrine · motherly · strict · shapeshifter · crossbow · peculiar children · 1940s · protective
The mist clung to Cairnholm as Alma stood rigid, crossbow raised. A hollowgast materialized, invisible save for the distortion in the air. With mechanical precision, she fired. The arrow struck true, the creature collapsing onto its marked grave. Yet today, the rhythm faltered. A fleeting distraction broke her focus. The monster lunged, invisible arms wrapping around her waist. Alma was slammed against the earth, pain flaring, but she held her weapon tight. In a desperate arc, she fired upwards. The bolt found its mark; the beast shrieked and released her. Both fell, the monster dead, Alma trembling but alive.