There was smoke everywhere.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G1aOepNyT
Soldiers were crying out—yelping in agony. Understandable.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxqKn0DWZY
Some had lost their arms, others their legs—and some even both.
Only Nicole had been fast enough to react.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5q940snxu6
Yet even she wasn’t without injury.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbskcTbLBsL
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pVtpQSV8I
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakdmJmP3za
Without a word, he turned and flew away.
The group felt a rush of relief—momentary delight.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItvjESn8xb
But they knew he’d be back.
He was a predator.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJK43cmNNXJ
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J8ENjxbsQ
‘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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eVE8P3hsI
Returning to the forest wasn’t an option—not with the pressure and the lights emanating from there.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyW2ddf5Gag
People were fighting.
At the front, Jessie and Larah suddenly stopped.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTzT0MLOlV
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cj3RHDJgu
‘Aren’t you soldiers of the Special Forces—Alpha and Beta?23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1svQxn2uz
How come you're more scared than me?’
The soldiers remained silent.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAA8rYqyRW
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:23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBt7VvwNka
‘Attack!’
The ghouls charged.
Larah tightened her grip on her weapon and leapt over some of them.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6O3sm6RE5
She landed in their midst and started cutting down everything in her path.
She didn’t differentiate.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvVBbGvqNt
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkIIxU1Rl3
‘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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYp1hcMR3pt
Even more shocking was Larah suddenly appearing behind him.
The priest pulled back their hood, revealing long blonde hair—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOHzLNvd8i
and eyes that shimmered gold and white.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmtb8RV5mD
A woman.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVa1bszpN08
An immune one.
‘I can feel it! You two are crazy!23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpuXNWwlZO
Well, I’m crazy myself—hahahah!’
In the Forest
Nicole had placed the wounded soldiers beneath a tree, giving them something to lean against.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5taelbexT3
They had lost their light, their hope.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8y6GGLksvU
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ5ahROlQF
‘We’re already dead men. But you—you can still save the others.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeaDv8CaoKy
And the commander—he’s wounded.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1Oc1VPox6
If you drink our blood, you might be able to defeat him!’
‘You mean kill him,’ Nicole corrected.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhs3LZvKdK
‘You want me to kill our commander?’
‘Yes. I do.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxlAKgWZhg
He’s not our commander anymore—he’s an enemy.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOajhzEW1w
And you’re the only one who can stop him.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgMrZk7FXB
I can feel it—my body is reacting to something... something dangerous.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89MniktNsR
He’s coming. So what will you do?23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihZUhwdCUK
Die with us—or fight for us?’
The other soldiers said nothing.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEU44qkQ8W
But their silence was not hesitation—it was unity.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCjGhqemGC
Their faces all said the same thing:23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PiFrJ3BuE
We’re ready.
Nicole had to decide.
She rose, stepping back.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2voNsSlsy9
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZRwTExjbU
‘You’re our commander now! We serve you!23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFL3Rvubyu
And we will gladly lay down our lives if it helps you.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXU3kRxclgh
So, Commander—what are your orders?’
Tears spilled down her face.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eljCfHCfT
Nicole gave her order.
‘Die… for me.’
‘Yes, Commander!’ they all replied.
Suddenly, blood left their bodies—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvbTnhKTcl
and Nicole’s skin absorbed it.
Her wounds healed.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVyHU7x1Y1
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmCqGN6kNF
‘You’ve even lost the ability to speak.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTocClG9lF
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?23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9UWOQDC0D
Shit’s about to get real here…’23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEotK9h0gXC
