There was smoke everywhere.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYju91sByw
Soldiers were crying out—yelping in agony. Understandable.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAwkLnQqLR
Some had lost their arms, others their legs—and some even both.
Only Nicole had been fast enough to react.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDiV6bUtS0
Yet even she wasn’t without injury.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypGW62zq6K
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGBqnCTZu7
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRnp7TJlaE
Without a word, he turned and flew away.
The group felt a rush of relief—momentary delight.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdegbHD6x7
But they knew he’d be back.
He was a predator.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tAdggnRDN
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHRoP1qyur
‘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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8K3DaYnwP
Returning to the forest wasn’t an option—not with the pressure and the lights emanating from there.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMF10NZh7GT
People were fighting.
At the front, Jessie and Larah suddenly stopped.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVbJspgDf8
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixf9ScQ4Xt
‘Aren’t you soldiers of the Special Forces—Alpha and Beta?22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYWQ4RElaP
How come you're more scared than me?’
The soldiers remained silent.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOdAMicA5B
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:22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmdPIYL2wJ
‘Attack!’
The ghouls charged.
Larah tightened her grip on her weapon and leapt over some of them.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPy0TVSEcZ
She landed in their midst and started cutting down everything in her path.
She didn’t differentiate.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fAHKNlx99
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWDIgWeLtI
‘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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpZVQ9UOgm
Even more shocking was Larah suddenly appearing behind him.
The priest pulled back their hood, revealing long blonde hair—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfD7iGyHOoh
and eyes that shimmered gold and white.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jAhtVfgWP
A woman.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsss38dq71U
An immune one.
‘I can feel it! You two are crazy!22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQqj6CClnp
Well, I’m crazy myself—hahahah!’
In the Forest
Nicole had placed the wounded soldiers beneath a tree, giving them something to lean against.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEFbXiYQq1
They had lost their light, their hope.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCIhoijPDl
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtRLGnVfT3
‘We’re already dead men. But you—you can still save the others.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDAGa87Iiv
And the commander—he’s wounded.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixXrp0jbp7
If you drink our blood, you might be able to defeat him!’
‘You mean kill him,’ Nicole corrected.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuX9gRPbib
‘You want me to kill our commander?’
‘Yes. I do.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobCb0J9Dra
He’s not our commander anymore—he’s an enemy.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2RorhyJdg
And you’re the only one who can stop him.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCyODUrgIS
I can feel it—my body is reacting to something... something dangerous.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgSbzGjmR4
He’s coming. So what will you do?22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTKghzUbRN
Die with us—or fight for us?’
The other soldiers said nothing.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPaQgJ4hgc
But their silence was not hesitation—it was unity.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGN98vE3COV
Their faces all said the same thing:22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9f25IgJ9ty
We’re ready.
Nicole had to decide.
She rose, stepping back.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8qrwlod9y
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiP2fWdwWFA
‘You’re our commander now! We serve you!22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0N9KDlJfgC
And we will gladly lay down our lives if it helps you.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3d9vMWVfXY
So, Commander—what are your orders?’
Tears spilled down her face.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9IsLRQZKY
Nicole gave her order.
‘Die… for me.’
‘Yes, Commander!’ they all replied.
Suddenly, blood left their bodies—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjXjm5IoHg
and Nicole’s skin absorbed it.
Her wounds healed.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMSdFhLcr3
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEv1sOUC9d
‘You’ve even lost the ability to speak.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BeztVCs8n
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?22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9iIlKZOcK
Shit’s about to get real here…’22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0lX09EImL
