It started with the scent.
A sudden, bitter smell on the breeze—like rot, ash, and rusted blood.
Jackie froze mid-step.
She and Kael had been tracking along an overgrown freeway, moving quietly toward what Kael claimed was a "safehouse" further out of the city. Jackie had finally gotten the hang of her claws and could almost walk without her tail knocking over every piece of debris in her path.
But now, even Kael was tense.
"Something's wrong," she whispered.
Kael crouched and touched the concrete. It was warm.
"Too late," he muttered. "They're already close."
A low, gurgling howl echoed in the distance.
Jackie's blood chilled. "Unmade?"
Kael nodded once. "A swarm."
More howls answered the first—dozens, maybe more. Then came a faint cry, carried by the wind:
> "Help! Someone—please—they're coming!"
Jackie's eyes widened. "That was human."
Kael's jaw tightened. "A camp. They'll be overrun in minutes."
Without waiting, Jackie took off toward the sound.
Kael cursed under his breath, then followed.
---
They found the camp half-hidden in the ruins of an old stadium.
Sheets strung as tents. Scavenged gear. People—maybe a dozen of them—scrambling to block entrances with overturned bleachers and old vending machines.
Too late.
The Unmade came over the hill like a flood.
Some crawled on all fours, twitching unnaturally. Others staggered upright, faces split open like cracked masks. Their eyes glowed faint red.
Screams erupted.
"Jackie—stay behind me!" Kael shouted.
But Jackie wasn't listening.
Something in her chest snapped open. Her body moved on instinct—heat rolling off her skin like smoke.
One of the creatures lunged for a child.
She was there—before even thinking.
She grabbed the thing by its face, slammed it into the ground, and roared.
Fire erupted from her mouth, igniting a half-circle around the camp's edge. The Unmade shrieked, some backing off—others charging through the flames.
Jackie's hands were blazing. Her vision sharpened. She could feel the creatures. Smell their rotting breath. Hear their bones creak.
She fought without thought—slashing, dodging, spinning.
But the more she fought, the less she felt like herself.
Voices started whispering in the back of her mind:
> "Burn them all."
"Let go. You are flame."
"No fear. No mercy."
Jackie gritted her teeth. "Shut up. I'm me. I'm not a monster—!"
Her claws dug too deep. Fire coiled too long. One Unmade exploded into ash with a scream—and Jackie stood over its remains, trembling.
The people were staring at her.
Some in awe. Others in terror.
Kael landed beside her, sword slick with blood.
He looked at her with a mixture of pride—and warning.
"You held back," he said. "But barely."
Jackie's hands still smoked. Her eyes glowed faint gold.
"I could've lost control," she whispered. "I wanted to."
Kael nodded. "You'll want to again."
She looked out at the people—their fear, their gratitude, their confusion. A woman nodded toward her with tears in her eyes. A boy clung to her leg, wide-eyed.
Jackie crouched down and smiled softly.
"It's okay," she said. "You're safe now."
He didn't answer. But he didn't run, either.
---
Later, when the camp was quiet and the bodies were burned, Jackie sat alone on a ledge, staring at the scorched earth.
Kael approached.
"You saved them," he said.
She nodded, slow. "But part of me liked the fire too much."
"That part will always be there."
Jackie looked up at him.
"I'm not going to lose," she said. "Not to it. Not to the Rift."
Kael gave a rare, approving smile.
"Then we fight together."