There was smoke everywhere.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIf3WY5DHRI
Soldiers were crying out—yelping in agony. Understandable.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg8QFcvfIf
Some had lost their arms, others their legs—and some even both.
Only Nicole had been fast enough to react.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYqkslY72a
Yet even she wasn’t without injury.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJs5CpwizN
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CaICYnaZd
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iGEdouvB7
Without a word, he turned and flew away.
The group felt a rush of relief—momentary delight.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC05Te4MjMW
But they knew he’d be back.
He was a predator.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZY2mvgiBN
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTQ1QVWrTJ
‘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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ97dNk0VD
Returning to the forest wasn’t an option—not with the pressure and the lights emanating from there.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuf7KEUDi3W
People were fighting.
At the front, Jessie and Larah suddenly stopped.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcER8EHbkVz
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7ka2lYn1r
‘Aren’t you soldiers of the Special Forces—Alpha and Beta?75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmw78VQKbNb
How come you're more scared than me?’
The soldiers remained silent.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbgoNxaYiC
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:75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYei779m8VV
‘Attack!’
The ghouls charged.
Larah tightened her grip on her weapon and leapt over some of them.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pVHbm6pcl
She landed in their midst and started cutting down everything in her path.
She didn’t differentiate.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ocWF0XnEQ
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD06Gk5YAuW
‘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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4Ae6jlqML
Even more shocking was Larah suddenly appearing behind him.
The priest pulled back their hood, revealing long blonde hair—75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXY8GMlBxuI
and eyes that shimmered gold and white.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vS9CadIXu
A woman.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5A84UJkUj
An immune one.
‘I can feel it! You two are crazy!75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YFNx3Qn9l
Well, I’m crazy myself—hahahah!’
In the Forest
Nicole had placed the wounded soldiers beneath a tree, giving them something to lean against.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxa6woRdyj
They had lost their light, their hope.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡez2VuDdQv0
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyYWr4WyMA
‘We’re already dead men. But you—you can still save the others.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaHVftfAAj
And the commander—he’s wounded.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkT25vocKv1
If you drink our blood, you might be able to defeat him!’
‘You mean kill him,’ Nicole corrected.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdIYA0C24f
‘You want me to kill our commander?’
‘Yes. I do.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz18R3Tb2Il
He’s not our commander anymore—he’s an enemy.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1ybJhtFZh
And you’re the only one who can stop him.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIZbn0yPh3
I can feel it—my body is reacting to something... something dangerous.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuY2tOLs7dl
He’s coming. So what will you do?75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NGxwpzwpe
Die with us—or fight for us?’
The other soldiers said nothing.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNevK3ihI6T
But their silence was not hesitation—it was unity.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNYpQAvtuo
Their faces all said the same thing:75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISxCKjrlWW
We’re ready.
Nicole had to decide.
She rose, stepping back.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOhYil5BLk
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltWMSMDxWx
‘You’re our commander now! We serve you!75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0q0EsLp4m
And we will gladly lay down our lives if it helps you.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPmVWKwkTP
So, Commander—what are your orders?’
Tears spilled down her face.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8yc4kBHQW
Nicole gave her order.
‘Die… for me.’
‘Yes, Commander!’ they all replied.
Suddenly, blood left their bodies—75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvjxtoJ2uv
and Nicole’s skin absorbed it.
Her wounds healed.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwqV8atsh7
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLKxpAfCCr
‘You’ve even lost the ability to speak.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ241HGyy6cN
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?75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbM8WXoGCf
Shit’s about to get real here…’75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITYBzPxg6A
