"Gahhh!" Zed shouted, his voice raw with pain as he tried to keep his ground. His sword trembled violently in his hands, the pressure crushing him from every side. His arms shook, his knees buckled, and finally his body gave out. His sword slipped from his grip and he collapsed flat against the ground
"Hm," Grayslake muttered coldly, his eyes calm.Without hesitation, he thrust his sword forward. The blade pierced through Zed's back, with sound of flesh and bone breaking
"Ahhh!" Zed screamed, the pain rushing through his body. His blood spilled onto the floor.
"Wait!" Kochi cried out, desperation in her voice. She forced herself up, her body trembling as she prepared to run forward and help Zed.
Grayslake's head turned sharply. His eyes locked onto her with a stare that froze her in place. His voice dropped. "Kochi… don't tell me. Do you want to betray us?" His glare deepened, his tone sharper. "No… are you choosing to betray us?"
Kochi froze in terror. Her lips quivered, but no words came out. Her chest rose and fell in panic as the weight of his gaze alone nearly crushed her.
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled, his voice booming. "I asked you a question!"
Suddenly, the pressure around Kochi multiplied. It slammed down on her shoulders, forcing her to her knees. She gasped, her arms shaking. "No… no, sir…" through trembling lips.
"As I thought," Grayslake said quietly, his eyes cold and unchanging. He pulled his sword free from Zed's back with a wet sound. Zed let out another shout of agony.
Through the pain, Zed lifted his head, his voice weak. "Why… why are you doing this?"
Grayslake stopped for a moment. Then a faint smirk tugged at the edge of his lips. "Why?" he repeated, before letting out a laugh that echoed in the broken air. "Because… we are all the same."
Zed's eyes blinked in confusion. "?"
Grayslake paced slowly, his blade glinting in the dim light. "Nothing separates a man from a monster, just like nothing separates a lion from its kind. They are bound by blood, by nature itself." His eyes narrowed sharply as they fell on Zed. "However…"
He stepped closer, his presence heavier than before. "Without a leader… the lion's kind becomes weak. They scatter. They lose their strength. They have no direction. And when that happens, they become prey. Exposed. Soft." His smirk widened
"That… doesn't answer my question…" Zed coughed, blood dripping from his mouth, his voice faint but stubborn.
Grayslake leaned closer, his smirk unwavering. "It will. Soon enough"Far away, a massive dome protecting a vast nation within its walls. Thousands of people moved inside, unaware of the terror approaching them.
Kochi's eyes widened as her body trembled. Her gaze followed the horizon. Hundreds of monsterstwisted, growling, furious charged in the same direction. Their footsteps thundered like a storm rolling across the land.
"No way…" Kochi thought, fear gripping her heart as she watched helplessly.
"Soon…" Grayslake's voice carried over "We will evolve."
The monsters did not stop. They ran faster.
"Soon… we will operate under one strong rule," Grayslake continued, his laughter growing deeper.
The monsters were closer now. Their shadows stretched over the fields as they sprinted
"Soon…" his laughter burst out. "No man, no monster, no beast will ever stop us!"
The first wave of monsters collided with the great dome. Their bodies slammed against it with brutal force.
CRACK.
The sound split the air. The dome shook. Lines of cracks spread across its surface.
The people inside looked up in horror as their shield began to break