Ethan's mind raced as they descended the fire escape. A variant this early? That wasn't supposed to happen. In his past life, mutations had taken weeks—now, it was happening in mere hours.
Something was very, very wrong.
And if they didn't move fast, they wouldn't live long enough to figure out why.
Blaze landed beside him, his golden eyes scanning the alley. Olivia checked her ammo. Noah kept his rifle raised. All of them knew—this was no longer just survival.
It was war.
The Hunter in the Dark
The city was collapsing around them. Everywhere they turned, death lurked.
They kept low, weaving through backstreets and alleyways. Cars burned on the roads, their owners either dead or worse. Shadows moved between buildings—some human, some not.
Then, Blaze tensed.
A low, guttural snarl echoed from the darkness.
Something was hunting them.
Ethan froze. His grip on his rifle tightened. Olivia and Noah immediately pressed against the wall, their eyes scanning the shadows.
The growl came again—closer this time.
Ethan raised a fist, signaling silence. If it hadn't attacked yet, that meant it was studying them.
Which meant it was smart.
Then—a flicker of movement.
From the rooftop, something dropped fast.
A blur of claws and muscle.
Noah barely had time to react before the creature slammed into him, sending him crashing into a pile of debris. His rifle skidded across the pavement.
Olivia fired. A direct shot to the chest.
The creature barely flinched.
Ethan saw it clearly now—it was bigger than the others. Stronger. Faster.
And worst of all? It was smiling.
The Alpha
"Move!" Ethan roared, firing a burst into its shoulder. The creature recoiled slightly, but its eyes—black, endless voids—locked onto him.
It lunged.
Ethan dodged at the last second, rolling as its claws ripped into the concrete where he'd been standing.
Blaze charged. His fur crackled with golden lightning as he sank his fangs into the creature's arm.
The air exploded with energy.
The infected let out a horrific screech, muscles spasming under the surge of electricity.
That was their chance.
Olivia fired again—straight through its skull.
Noah, groaning as he pushed himself up, grabbed his fallen rifle and sent a final shot through the beast's chest.
The monster collapsed. Dead.
For a moment, silence.
Then, Ethan exhaled.
This was just the beginning.
The Real Enemy
Noah wiped blood from his forehead. "Okay. That was new."
Ethan looked down at the body. The virus was evolving. He had seen variants before, but this one? This was different.
Stronger. Smarter. More controlled.
Someone was behind this.
He clenched his jaw.
This wasn't just an outbreak.
This was a test.
And they were running out of time.
"We need to get to the safehouse." Ethan's voice was hard, unshaken. "Now."
They didn't argue.
With Blaze leading the way, they disappeared into the night—heading straight toward whatever nightmare waited for them next.