There was smoke everywhere.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEWwPRECDC
Soldiers were crying out—yelping in agony. Understandable.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K6E9Lp0Mm
Some had lost their arms, others their legs—and some even both.
Only Nicole had been fast enough to react.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoS7VTBb93o
Yet even she wasn’t without injury.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XexoJ0G3N
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESTkPchd3z
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzMbyv4rGE
Without a word, he turned and flew away.
The group felt a rush of relief—momentary delight.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWatEvkjzt
But they knew he’d be back.
He was a predator.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCqSlSDaYf
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TtqaeHZz0
‘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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkVRQQLDOy
Returning to the forest wasn’t an option—not with the pressure and the lights emanating from there.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCh5pi5Kffc
People were fighting.
At the front, Jessie and Larah suddenly stopped.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxpudTIPiL
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3oVn5yGDH
‘Aren’t you soldiers of the Special Forces—Alpha and Beta?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkUA0aeva8
How come you're more scared than me?’
The soldiers remained silent.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhDtUgFpM8
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:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RixKAzgZT
‘Attack!’
The ghouls charged.
Larah tightened her grip on her weapon and leapt over some of them.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuyRxR9TG6
She landed in their midst and started cutting down everything in her path.
She didn’t differentiate.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswrb0yQA6Y
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIJvW2PYZ1
‘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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPi6TawKwM
Even more shocking was Larah suddenly appearing behind him.
The priest pulled back their hood, revealing long blonde hair—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOS00Cg3Dh
and eyes that shimmered gold and white.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTla945lmdG
A woman.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9vAsckfYl
An immune one.
‘I can feel it! You two are crazy!20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOiGEaR6vE
Well, I’m crazy myself—hahahah!’
In the Forest
Nicole had placed the wounded soldiers beneath a tree, giving them something to lean against.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOu1aWNaM5
They had lost their light, their hope.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFm4ZZ0LiIg
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSOYjQmLpq
‘We’re already dead men. But you—you can still save the others.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV934ewzMpo
And the commander—he’s wounded.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsFfnFI7mV
If you drink our blood, you might be able to defeat him!’
‘You mean kill him,’ Nicole corrected.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPUrMpBD3y
‘You want me to kill our commander?’
‘Yes. I do.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnnFq1eOTP
He’s not our commander anymore—he’s an enemy.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1V9H5EKaKc
And you’re the only one who can stop him.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcu8Oq8wMJh
I can feel it—my body is reacting to something... something dangerous.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKtao8mU4l
He’s coming. So what will you do?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRQRILWDzs
Die with us—or fight for us?’
The other soldiers said nothing.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVgomlpYS5
But their silence was not hesitation—it was unity.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBoECywJaf
Their faces all said the same thing:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPJW1JlkgB
We’re ready.
Nicole had to decide.
She rose, stepping back.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvCEcMmByV
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7cwwlJC6F
‘You’re our commander now! We serve you!20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ3KsprK0n
And we will gladly lay down our lives if it helps you.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1kk4N6VuM
So, Commander—what are your orders?’
Tears spilled down her face.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGMPGYbdU3
Nicole gave her order.
‘Die… for me.’
‘Yes, Commander!’ they all replied.
Suddenly, blood left their bodies—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrpR4k4Amt
and Nicole’s skin absorbed it.
Her wounds healed.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTxYSUXbDP
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0caQ1Okq3O
‘You’ve even lost the ability to speak.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ObfO73wpF
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?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBduCwtem4e
Shit’s about to get real here…’20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40dSFUylye
