There was smoke everywhere.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOjfJ0yRwf
Soldiers were crying out—yelping in agony. Understandable.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyFumhYQxE
Some had lost their arms, others their legs—and some even both.
Only Nicole had been fast enough to react.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgyYrdrCus
Yet even she wasn’t without injury.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5gnIEmqTF
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTbDWUl5gK
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMKRuVZ29j
Without a word, he turned and flew away.
The group felt a rush of relief—momentary delight.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5ynR3VTqu
But they knew he’d be back.
He was a predator.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFC6hs1cSSf
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxE2INxWSC
‘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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8sNS34MoA
Returning to the forest wasn’t an option—not with the pressure and the lights emanating from there.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDJHaglpAh
People were fighting.
At the front, Jessie and Larah suddenly stopped.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGtKe7mrX5
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XAUeF8IkG
‘Aren’t you soldiers of the Special Forces—Alpha and Beta?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCclJgv568x
How come you're more scared than me?’
The soldiers remained silent.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4ezO40G6U
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aeIhZ4lZX
‘Attack!’
The ghouls charged.
Larah tightened her grip on her weapon and leapt over some of them.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUTEQUg4aF
She landed in their midst and started cutting down everything in her path.
She didn’t differentiate.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtizs1ZYJqZ
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriCfPWAAe8
‘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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Yw92RuqYk
Even more shocking was Larah suddenly appearing behind him.
The priest pulled back their hood, revealing long blonde hair—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50XqGIZrI0
and eyes that shimmered gold and white.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnPQmW9QRH
A woman.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqqzfyFp99
An immune one.
‘I can feel it! You two are crazy!20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqwtdX1jKY
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3M5x0rsgR3
They had lost their light, their hope.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6CuCfW1qD
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gHqgVbSiv
‘We’re already dead men. But you—you can still save the others.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZ3dJbEzTF
And the commander—he’s wounded.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FL2IZEvu1
If you drink our blood, you might be able to defeat him!’
‘You mean kill him,’ Nicole corrected.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53em6vNyq6
‘You want me to kill our commander?’
‘Yes. I do.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3oRNj817k
He’s not our commander anymore—he’s an enemy.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmIWFWzcLm
And you’re the only one who can stop him.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqmsHL1Cvj
I can feel it—my body is reacting to something... something dangerous.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcMBYsfImf
He’s coming. So what will you do?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIa6cYkx40U
Die with us—or fight for us?’
The other soldiers said nothing.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1TA4Uuvsn
But their silence was not hesitation—it was unity.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNagqFUXlK
Their faces all said the same thing:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZH2YkX5E6R
We’re ready.
Nicole had to decide.
She rose, stepping back.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMCCOev6J2
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdAH7TSb3M
‘You’re our commander now! We serve you!20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5v9bXBxyej
And we will gladly lay down our lives if it helps you.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9pAKfseVI
So, Commander—what are your orders?’
Tears spilled down her face.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVTdYG3San
Nicole gave her order.
‘Die… for me.’
‘Yes, Commander!’ they all replied.
Suddenly, blood left their bodies—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTaOkOWJ8T
and Nicole’s skin absorbed it.
Her wounds healed.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZHiRbI4zi
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOaTrSpo98
‘You’ve even lost the ability to speak.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kGCIEoqzs
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡod3o50UK2e
Shit’s about to get real here…’20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyo9qnvU9bY
