The road back to the city stretched before them, cracked and broken like a wound that refused to heal. Weeds clawed through the asphalt, and abandoned cars littered the streets in tangled heaps, their windows shattered and doors left swinging in the breeze. Some vehicles were scorched black, as if entire families had tried and failed to escape the disaster that had unfolded without mercy.
Along the sidewalks, the remnants of a once-busy world clung stubbornly to life — faded posters fluttered from bent street lamps, grocery bags drifted like ghosts, and store windows gaped open, glass crunching under every cautious step.
Every so often, they passed collapsed buildings, the ruins gnawed by time and whatever horrors the disaster had unleashed. Scorch marks and strange claw-like gouges marred concrete walls, evidence of encounters that no one had survived to explain. The smell of burnt plastic, stagnant water, and something far fouler hung in the heavy air, making them breathe through their sleeves.
Silence ruled the city now — a silence so complete it pressed against their ears, broken only by the distant creak of twisted metal or the sudden scuttling of something unseen.
And yet, despite the desolation, they could feel it: they were not alone.
What they saw was terrifying .
These creatures were the size of a wolf when first encountered — lean, fast, and vicious. Their bodies looked stretched and unnatural, a grotesque blend of ancient nightmares and something newly born from chaos. Their skin shimmered wetly under the broken light, coated in a sickly, translucent slime that dripped onto the ground with every step.
They moved with terrifying flexibility, shifting between running on all fours to rising upright on two legs, their movements disturbingly fluid, almost boneless. Jagged claws curled from elongated fingers, and thick fangs jutted from snarling, split mouths that seemed too wide for their faces.
Their eyes burned with an otherworldly glow — not any natural color, but something wrong, something that seemed to pulse and shift in shade the longer you looked at them. Strange, bone-like spines jutted from their backs and shoulders, twitching as if sensing the air around them.
The worst part, however, was their resilience. Wounds closed before your eyes, the flesh knitting itself back together with obscene speed. No matter how much damage was done, unless completely destroyed, they would rise again, stronger and larger each time they survived an encounter.
These things didn't just survive — they evolved.
---
They all decided to group in two's and go find their parents and meet back at the pack which was at the middle of the town.
---
The town was a maze of destruction, buildings torn apart and streets littered with debris. The survivors' search for their parents became a desperate race against time, each step filled with a mix of hope and dread. They moved cautiously, staying low and out of sight, but there was no avoiding the monsters. Every corner they turned, every shadow that moved felt like it could be their last.
One of the survivors, Theron, was the first to spot someone he recognized—a familiar face in the crowd. His heart surged with hope. "Mom!" he shouted, stumbling toward her. Her figure was small, disheveled, and covered in dirt, but the moment he saw her, he knew.
She turned, her eyes wide with surprise. Tears welled up in her eyes as she rushed toward him, her arms open, as if everything would be okay. She didn't see the creature behind her.
A massive, scaled claw shot out from the darkness, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her into the air. Theron screamed her name, his voice breaking, as the creature's claws shredded through her flesh. His feet moved instinctively, but his body felt like it was made of lead. He watched in horror as the creature tore her apart in front of him, blood spraying across his face.
The others were too far behind to reach him in time. Theron fell to his knees, his sobs filling the air, but they were drowned out by the screech of the creature. He reached out, desperate to hold onto the last piece of his family, but it was already gone.
---
Elsewhere in the town, Egwene and Aurora were running down the alleyways, trying to stay ahead of the monsters. They didn't dare look back, but the sound of screams echoed behind them.
Suddenly, Egwene froze. "Aurora wait… I hear something."
Aurora turned to see Egwene already moving toward the source of the sound. It was a low voice, calling her name. A familiar voice. Her father.
Tears flooded Egwene's eyes as she broke into a run, pushing past the debris, weaving through the crumbling streets. She found him—her father—slumped against the side of a ruined building. His face was pale, his body battered, but he was alive.
"Dad!" Egwene cried out, rushing to his side. She knelt down, her hands trembling as she tried to help him. "We need to get you out of here. You're safe now, I promise."
Her father smiled weakly, the relief in his eyes clear. "Egwene… I thought I lost you…"
Before she could respond, the air was filled with a horrific, guttural growl. Aurora spun around, instinctively pulling Egwene out of the way, just as a giant creature leapt at them from the shadows.
It was too fast.
The monster's clawed hand struck with terrifying precision, impaling her father through the chest before they could react. Blood splattered across Egwene's face as he screamed, his body jerking in the creature's grip.
"No! No!" Egwene screamed, her hands desperately clawing at the creature's arm. But it was useless. With one swift motion, the creature ripped her father away, tearing him apart as though he were nothing more than paper.
Egwene couldn't move. Her legs turned to jelly. Aurora grabbed her, pulling her back into a narrow alley just as the creature loomed over them, its eyes glowing with hunger. The air was thick with the stench of death and the sound of Egwene's sobs as they staggered away.
"We can't save them," Aurora whispered, more to herself than to Egwene. Her heart ached as the weight of those words sank in. The world had changed. The monsters had stolen everything they held dear.
---
Meanwhile, Lucian and Sophia had moved toward the town square, hoping to find any sign of their families. They made their way through the wreckage, careful not to make a sound, but the sounds of monsters growling in the distance only grew louder.
As they moved through a park near the town square, Lucian spotted something in the shadows—a figure, crouched low, hiding behind a tree. His heart leapt. It was his younger sister, kara
"kara" he called, his voice hoarse from the fear and exhaustion. She turned toward him, her face covered in dirt and fear, but her eyes locked onto his, and the relief that washed over her face made everything else seem insignificant. She stumbled toward him, her legs weak, and she fell into his arms, shaking. where's is everyone? he asked, they're all gone, kara replied in a whisper
But the reunion was short-lived. The ground beneath their feet rumbled as the sound of something large approached. Kara gasped, her eyes widening in terror as the shadow of a creature loomed over them.
Before Lucian could react, the monster's maw opened wide, and in one swift motion, it grabbed Kara by the leg, yanking her from his arms. She screamed, reaching out for him, but the creature's claws dug deep into her flesh, pulling her toward its open mouth.
"Kara, no!" Lucian screamed, but it was too late. The creature snapped its jaws shut, and her body went limp in an instant.
Lucian stood frozen, staring at the space where his sister had been, his body shaking violently. Sophia grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the creature, but he couldn't stop shaking, couldn't tear his eyes away from the horror that had just unfolded.
---
Egwene,Theron, and Lucian, where the only ones to see their loved ones before they were killed, the rest never got to see theirs . they all made their way to the park, sad and at the same time thinking about how life would turn out for them , if they would even survive the night , they had no idea .
---
The survivors were left standing in a town ravaged by monsters, their hearts shattered by the loss of their loved ones. The weight of their grief hung heavy, but they had no time to mourn. The monsters were still out there, and their only chance of survival was to keep moving, keep searching, and keep fighting.
But in that moment, nothing would ever be the same again.