There was smoke everywhere.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFR2O58zZpx
Soldiers were crying out—yelping in agony. Understandable.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEpiRu3JBX
Some had lost their arms, others their legs—and some even both.
Only Nicole had been fast enough to react.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGl6Z5NooeZ
Yet even she wasn’t without injury.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Xjg76rhmC
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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBF5v7uXKV
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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkc5XczfSyD
Without a word, he turned and flew away.
The group felt a rush of relief—momentary delight.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTo8GOPJgxQ
But they knew he’d be back.
He was a predator.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecJT5S0dru
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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiiFZMhY28
‘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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6izD46lCrO
Returning to the forest wasn’t an option—not with the pressure and the lights emanating from there.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiN8oj8jlt
People were fighting.
At the front, Jessie and Larah suddenly stopped.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1fpf9peXK
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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkn268eiCSM
‘Aren’t you soldiers of the Special Forces—Alpha and Beta?199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmD04dqjWF2
How come you're more scared than me?’
The soldiers remained silent.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkL7OpLuXe
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:199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKeeABhpTZ
‘Attack!’
The ghouls charged.
Larah tightened her grip on her weapon and leapt over some of them.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJ4HG1GRCF
She landed in their midst and started cutting down everything in her path.
She didn’t differentiate.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl132vgMb36
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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7j8yQ69Yi
‘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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR73Ud592MO
Even more shocking was Larah suddenly appearing behind him.
The priest pulled back their hood, revealing long blonde hair—199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXPZGX94LL
and eyes that shimmered gold and white.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDu3SopbDDL
A woman.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtZ8q0Vtcp
An immune one.
‘I can feel it! You two are crazy!199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZckBf8CgHQ
Well, I’m crazy myself—hahahah!’
In the Forest
Nicole had placed the wounded soldiers beneath a tree, giving them something to lean against.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mb9l6Vqfl
They had lost their light, their hope.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkRaDXxBSF
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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdt9zdVr1Y
‘We’re already dead men. But you—you can still save the others.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MQ3vLRJUP
And the commander—he’s wounded.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmn3RVgLXx
If you drink our blood, you might be able to defeat him!’
‘You mean kill him,’ Nicole corrected.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjn8KzXDxz2
‘You want me to kill our commander?’
‘Yes. I do.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuZ6riZQNz
He’s not our commander anymore—he’s an enemy.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYC8E4UuE4
And you’re the only one who can stop him.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVWYoKNOGk
I can feel it—my body is reacting to something... something dangerous.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiC41Dcl6ZG
He’s coming. So what will you do?199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYU85oopG2L
Die with us—or fight for us?’
The other soldiers said nothing.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ654XJPcUzR
But their silence was not hesitation—it was unity.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTxKmZTMn4
Their faces all said the same thing:199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAHOi5bIqk
We’re ready.
Nicole had to decide.
She rose, stepping back.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6XGJU5GIj
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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqJi1RkjNR
‘You’re our commander now! We serve you!199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpZslOWD7J
And we will gladly lay down our lives if it helps you.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovwogy30vR
So, Commander—what are your orders?’
Tears spilled down her face.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMdytiWjyw
Nicole gave her order.
‘Die… for me.’
‘Yes, Commander!’ they all replied.
Suddenly, blood left their bodies—199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc08HaVMjjE
and Nicole’s skin absorbed it.
Her wounds healed.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYD5msGBgrb
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.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5u2veU8x4e
‘You’ve even lost the ability to speak.199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJL0wVbAKZJ
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?199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡef6H347c1i
Shit’s about to get real here…’199Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXGWDVXhb2
and then Add to home screen.