Xin's chest heaved, blood still trickling from the slash on his shoulder. His fist clenched, staring at the twisted thing standing in the doorway. But something felt… off.
The creature twitched and tilted its head. Its massive eyes blinked unevenly. Then it spoke again, but not like before.
"Did… you… hurt… Daddy?"
The voice was clearer this time. Not glitched. Not robotic.
It was Melina's voice.
Xin's eyes widened.
"…Melina?"
The creature gave a crooked smile—too wide, too human. Then, without warning, black tentacles shot from its arms and slammed into Xin's chest. He flew back, smashing through the hallway wall like a ragdoll and crashing onto the wooden floor with a loud CRACK. Dust rained from the ceiling as splinters and broken drywall surrounded him.
He lay there, stunned, gasping, eyes rolling back.
Scene Shift
Kaila was dreaming.
Her body rested peacefully, but her mind was somewhere else. A white field. Endless. Calm.
Her mother stood in front of her.
"Kaila," she said softly. "You've always been the strong one. Don't… don't become like me."
Kaila couldn't move. Her lips quivered.
"I don't—Mom, what's happening?"
"You have to protect them. Protect him. And the Skate… don't forget the Skate."
"What's… Skate?" Kaila asked, her voice trembling. "I don't understand!"
But her mother was already fading.
"Don't end up like me," she whispered, dissolving into light.
Kaila bolted upright in bed, covered in sweat.
CRASH.
A loud bang echoed from the hallway.
Her heart dropped. She jumped out of bed, yanked the door open, and rushed out. Her breath caught in her throat.
Xin was lying on the floor, half-buried in broken wood and dust, bleeding and groaning. Across from him stood that thing—Melina. Or what used to be her.
Its face was stretching and deforming, a mess of flesh and teeth. Its arms hung long and twitching, tipped with writhing black tendrils.
"XIN!!" she screamed, running to him.
She dropped to her knees, shaking him. "Xin! Wake the fuck up, please!"
His eyes slowly opened. "...Sis?"
"Yeah, it's me. Come on, we need to move. Now!"
He winced. "The thing… it's her. Melina. She's… not human…"
"I know. I know. Just hold on—"
Suddenly Andy burst from his room, shirt half-off, hair messy, face pale. "What the hell is going on?! What is that?!"
Kaila turned to him. "Shut up! No time! We're escaping. Out the window. Now!"
"But—"
"MOVE, Andy!"
Andy looked at the creature once, then turned and ran like hell. Kaila helped Xin up and dragged him along as they stumbled toward the back.
The monster let out a disgusting screech and launched another tentacle, narrowly missing Kaila's head as it impaled the wall behind her.
They burst into the kitchen. Andy had already cracked the window open.
"Go!" Kaila shoved Xin through first, then climbed out with Andy's help. The three of them tumbled into the mud and grass outside.
"Fuck… she's still inside," Xin panted.
"We can't leave her like that," Kaila said, her eyes burning. "We kill that thing. Tonight."
"You serious?" Andy asked. "With what? Prayers?"
Kaila scanned the yard, her mind racing. Her eyes landed on the old fuel barrels near the garage.
"No. We use fire."
Ten minutes later, Andy returned with a dusty shotgun he found in the jeep's back compartment. Kaila was dousing the walls of the house with gasoline. Xin stood guard, holding a crowbar, still injured but standing.
"You sure this works?" Andy asked, wiping rain from his eyes.
"It has to," Kaila said.
Suddenly, the creature appeared in the upstairs window, watching them. Its face was twitching violently. It let out a horrific, gurgling laugh.
Andy raised the shotgun and fired—BOOM!
The window shattered, but the creature didn't flinch.
"FUCK! It didn't do shit!" Andy yelled.
"Plan B," Kaila said.
She struck a flare and tossed it through the kitchen window. A second later—FWOOOM—flames erupted inside the house, spreading fast with the gasoline trail. Smoke belched out of every crack.
The creature screamed from within—its voice twisting between Melina's, Joden's, and something else entirely.
"We GO!" Xin shouted.
They ran for the backup jeep Joden had near the woods. It looked older, rusted—but the keys were inside. Andy jumped in the driver's seat, started the engine, and they sped off into the rainy night as the fire behind them engulfed the home.
Next Morning
Ash floated through the sky.
Dive officials stood around the charred remains of the Palton residence. Black-suited agents, armored soldiers, and scanning drones moved silently, documenting everything.
One officer—tall, with a cybernetic eye—examined a scorched CCTV camera pulled from the wreckage.
"There were three," he said, watching footage. "A male shopkeeper. A girl. And a younger male. Outsiders."
Another agent adjusted his earpiece. "They burned it all. House is unsalvageable."
The cyber-eye man narrowed his gaze. "No matter. We'll find them. HQ needs the footage reviewed. Now."
Back to the Forest
The trio had spent the night inside the old jeep, parked in a quiet clearing deep in the woods. Xin lay curled in the back, still recovering. Kaila sat beside him, holding his hand. Andy sat outside, smoking, eyes hollow.
But peace didn't last.
Footsteps crunched on the wet leaves.
Xin jolted awake as Kaila looked outside.
Five figures surrounded the jeep—cloaked, armed, precise. They didn't look like Dive soldiers. They looked like rebels.
One of them stepped forward. A tall woman, sharp-eyed, hair tied back, armed with a rifle and a sidearm. She radiated authority.
"Step out of the vehicle," she said.
Andy stood, hands raised. Kaila followed, helping Xin out.
The woman looked them over with cold calculation. "Who the hell are you three… and what the hell were you doing in my territory?"
The group said nothing.
Tara narrowed her eyes. "I asked a question."
[To Be Continued]