There was smoke everywhere.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmXBi9jVaW
Soldiers were crying out—yelping in agony. Understandable.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBv2opCxOOS
Some had lost their arms, others their legs—and some even both.
Only Nicole had been fast enough to react.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6V8TIoVF5n
Yet even she wasn’t without injury.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQ3pUWwJ4E
She touched her chest—blood seeped from the wound and dripped to the ground.
She had already been in bad shape, but now... she was truly done for.
The commander still hovered in the air above them, watching like a predator.
Nicole struggled to her feet and staggered toward a wounded soldier.
‘Can you stand up?’ she asked.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8n6KnOxnT
The soldier nodded—his arm was gone, but he could move. Still, tears streamed down his face.
‘What happened to our commander? What happened to him? Daaamnn!’
Suddenly, something caught the commander’s attention.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3daTtI93Oz
Without a word, he turned and flew away.
The group felt a rush of relief—momentary delight.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oqf8mEYPu
But they knew he’d be back.
He was a predator.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVXB9CrYt7
And the way he had looked at them… he enjoyed the hunt. That much was certain.
Still, with him gone, they could finally breathe.
‘He’s become a beast,’ Nicole whispered, her voice cracking as her tears threatened to return.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCUMs8hhJI
‘He’s turned into a beast… and this time, for good.’
In the City
Sark and the others had no better plan than to follow the women.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mLXw33chy
Returning to the forest wasn’t an option—not with the pressure and the lights emanating from there.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSXtfZe3cy
People were fighting.
At the front, Jessie and Larah suddenly stopped.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkg1QzmeHH
They all ducked behind a truck, observing the incoming army of ghouls.
Leading them was a light priest.
‘What do we do now?’ one of the soldiers asked.
‘We capture that bastard and force the information out of them,’ Larah declared.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡza48NF4XCW
‘Aren’t you soldiers of the Special Forces—Alpha and Beta?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89nPVrDpXA
How come you're more scared than me?’
The soldiers remained silent.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUwILSes9O
Larah ignored the side-eyes Sark was giving her.
She stepped out from behind the truck. Her walk turned to a jog—and then to a sprint.
The priest spotted her and bellowed:19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwRxgibuFR
‘Attack!’
The ghouls charged.
Larah tightened her grip on her weapon and leapt over some of them.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcAd8ac7sv
She landed in their midst and started cutting down everything in her path.
She didn’t differentiate.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zpXXAHrc4
If it moved, it was the enemy. If it was alive, it had to be cut.
As she sliced, she bathed in blood—hers and theirs.
‘She’s totally snapped!’ Sark grunted.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0XVOUS7aW
‘Let’s go!’
The rest joined the battle.
Jessie fought her way toward the priest, who was clearly stunned that she had gotten so far.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjy5orveGO8
Even more shocking was Larah suddenly appearing behind him.
The priest pulled back their hood, revealing long blonde hair—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlQxoor91O
and eyes that shimmered gold and white.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCm11ww9Q8
A woman.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5jLWuoA6c
An immune one.
‘I can feel it! You two are crazy!19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgB8EPRhAj
Well, I’m crazy myself—hahahah!’
In the Forest
Nicole had placed the wounded soldiers beneath a tree, giving them something to lean against.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdVmBiCE6o
They had lost their light, their hope.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYbqofoAbZ
They were waiting for death.
One of them had already passed—his body completely drained of blood.
‘What’s the plan, Nicole?’ one soldier asked.
‘I—I don’t know! I’m sorry! I don’t know! I—fuck!’
‘Drink our blood,’ the same soldier suggested.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DYrnpUdxD
‘We’re already dead men. But you—you can still save the others.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2vEHnJd2s
And the commander—he’s wounded.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQcRDsnnbB
If you drink our blood, you might be able to defeat him!’
‘You mean kill him,’ Nicole corrected.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWCJtEwOPP
‘You want me to kill our commander?’
‘Yes. I do.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhh2tRyrYCq
He’s not our commander anymore—he’s an enemy.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcMtUfnp7c
And you’re the only one who can stop him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3labSVFkU
I can feel it—my body is reacting to something... something dangerous.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRdr6BQQPr
He’s coming. So what will you do?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqq1uq6SHAk
Die with us—or fight for us?’
The other soldiers said nothing.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyYybOjXSu
But their silence was not hesitation—it was unity.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdGO38x9GW
Their faces all said the same thing:19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGCJy5S8gj
We’re ready.
Nicole had to decide.
She rose, stepping back.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32A75xFHAP
Shaking her head.
‘First I lose the commander… and now I must kill my own men. I can’t—’
‘Get a grip, Nicole!’ one soldier shouted.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qcJ8aXnNA
‘You’re our commander now! We serve you!19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTPAgr0eTT
And we will gladly lay down our lives if it helps you.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJrgdDwgm5
So, Commander—what are your orders?’
Tears spilled down her face.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RpvwY9qSD
Nicole gave her order.
‘Die… for me.’
‘Yes, Commander!’ they all replied.
Suddenly, blood left their bodies—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9au1Zt7Ne1
and Nicole’s skin absorbed it.
Her wounds healed.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMelpo9fIT
Her strength returned.
Just in time.
Because the commander had returned.
He approached slowly.
‘You’ve come back… to be hunted like a beast,’ he said with a groan.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufVkEkGK4J
‘You’ve even lost the ability to speak.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVd7P9zvxVB
Let me end your suffering… my love.’
Somewhere in the Forest
Seraphina finally woke up.
‘Damn… that was a strong woman!’
She gasped for air and crawled toward a tree, leaning against it for support.
‘Guys… where are you?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7bvEaP4Eg
Shit’s about to get real here…’19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlgel8wnSI
