Chapter 5: Saints, Sinners, and Survivors

Everett paled. Cal reached for his weapon, hands shaking.

Everyone rushed out to the parking lot, adrenaline spiking.

Boots thundered on the tile, voices barking orders. The air snapped with fear and excitement. I felt a chill run down my spine.

A sentry ran up, panic in his eyes.

His face was white, eyes wide. “Monster! At the gate!”

“Mr. Brooks, there... there’s a monster!”

The words tumbled out in a rush. Everett took charge, barking orders.

“See, I told you it was real.” Lila spread her arms, unable to hide her smugness.

She looked around, basking in the admiration. I watched, feeling oddly detached.

So cute, I thought, glancing at the others out of the corner of my eye. Their eyes sparkled like they’d fallen into a galaxy.

It was almost funny, how quickly people latched onto a new savior.

But now isn’t the time to be starstruck. I silently reminded the others, then turned my gaze to the entrance.

I squared my shoulders, ready for whatever came next.

It was a humanoid monster, covering its eyes and making strange noises, its internal organs clearly visible through its belly.

Its skin was stretched thin, organs pulsing beneath the surface. The noise it made was somewhere between a sob and a growl, sending shivers down my spine.

It looked like an ordinary zombie.

But nothing was ordinary anymore. I braced myself.

Lila curled her lips in a bright, challenging smile.

She looked at me, eyes shining with challenge.

She knew better than anyone that this was no ordinary monster.

Her posture was relaxed, confident. She’d seen this before.

After a moment’s thought, Everett and the others drew their weapons.

Everett unsheathed his blade, Cal readied his seeds, Jace gripped his knife. The air felt charged, ready to explode.

Cal placed a seed in his palm and tossed it far away. The seed quickly grew roots, tightly grabbing the monster’s head.

The vines twisted, snaking up the monster’s body, binding it tight. The monster thrashed, but the roots held firm. I could hear the wet snap of tendons beneath the skin.

Vines sprouted, binding the monster, which fell powerlessly to the ground as the seed absorbed its nutrients.

The color drained from its skin as the vines sucked it dry. The monster’s struggles slowed, then stopped.

“That’s it?” The ability holder on guard sighed in relief and stepped forward to finish the monster off.

He let out a shaky laugh, lowering his weapon. I felt a chill run down my spine, dread pooling in my stomach.

“Wait! Don’t go!” Lila shouted, but it was too late.

Her voice was sharp, urgent, but the guard didn’t listen.

The ability holder turned back, only to see the corpse on the ground suddenly split open at the chest. A worm shot out, latching onto his face.

The worm was huge, pale and glistening. It wrapped around his head, jaws digging in.

The worm dug its claws deep into his flesh, its mouthparts gnawing at his head.

Blood sprayed, the man’s screams echoing through the hall. The sound was raw, animal.

He screamed in agony, desperately clawing at the thing.

His fingers tore at the worm, nails breaking on its slick hide. The worm only squeezed tighter.

“Help me! Help me!” He reached for us, voice ragged.

His voice was raw, desperate. I took a step forward, heart pounding.

I rushed to help, but someone blocked my way.

Lila’s hand shot out, iron-strong, holding me back.

Lila grabbed my hand, her eyes cold and threatening.

Her grip was bruising. Her eyes dared me to try her patience. I met her gaze, fury rising in my chest.

“He’s beyond saving. If you go, you’ll only make things worse.”

Her voice was icy, as if the dying man wasn’t even human.

I was furious—her attitude so callous, so dismissive of life.

My jaw clenched, anger simmering. I wanted to scream at her.

The ability holder screamed, and my heart ached with pity. What a pitiful, pitiful human.

His cries echoed in my head. I wanted to help, but I was powerless.

His fingers dug into the dirt, blood streaming from his eyes, both eyes pleading as he looked at me.

I couldn’t look away. I felt his pain as if it were my own.

“Save... save... me... Mara...”

His voice broke on my name. I felt something inside me crack.

I tried to break free from Lila’s grip, but it was useless. She was much stronger, pinning me in place.

I struggled, my nails digging into her skin, but she didn’t flinch.

“Jace! Everett! Cal! Go save him, why... why are you just standing there?”

My voice rose, desperate. But they only stared, faces blank.

The three stood there, cold and emotionless.

Their eyes were hard, their mouths set. I didn’t recognize them.

Only Jace glanced at me, his expression apologetic.

He looked away, shame flickering in his eyes.