Kael crouched behind a shelf, the fluorescent lights flickering above him as if uncertain whether they wanted to illuminate the chaos. The air smelled of wet asphalt, crushed vegetables, and fear. Every scream that cut through the hum of refrigeration chilled him deeper than the wind outside ever could.
He could see them now, clearly. Not just the shadows from yesterday's premonition, but full forms—human shapes warped into grotesque monsters. Limbs bent at impossible angles, heads twisted so far to the side they almost touched their shoulders. Their eyes glowed with a dull, unnatural light, pulsing rhythmically like hearts gone rogue. They were hungry. Terribly, violently hungry.
And they were closing in.
Kael's hand tightened on a shelf, feeling the cheap plastic vibrate under his grip. He hadn't brought a weapon—not today, not even a knife. He hadn't expected this. And yet… he had been trained for this, had lived for this, even if he had tried to forget.
The first monster lunged at a terrified cashier, teeth snapping, fingers clawing. Kael reacted without thought. Years of reflexes surged through him. He grabbed a metal broom handle leaning against the corner and swung it with precise, controlled strength, striking the creature's jaw. The impact echoed like a gunshot. It stumbled, but it didn't fall.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
The monster turned toward him, jerking in a way no human body should. Kael could see the faint glow in its chest, a small orb of energy throbbing like a heartbeat. Curiosity surged alongside the adrenaline. He had trained to kill, to survive, but this… this was new. Something alive in a way he didn't understand.
People screamed, stumbled over fallen carts, pushing themselves into the chaos. Kael didn't move toward them. Not yet. Observation first. Precision second. Survival third.
Another creature tore through a stack of cereal boxes, sending cornflakes raining down like golden snow. Kael's eyes narrowed. Its chest pulsed again, brighter this time. Without thinking, he lunged, swinging the broom in a wide arc, knocking it off balance. It hit the ground hard, glowing orb cracking beneath his strike. The pulse ran through him, sudden, electric. Pain. Heat. A rush of something raw and dangerous. His vision sharpened. Colors intensified. Movements slowed, yet his thoughts raced faster than ever.
Kael staggered back, gripping the shelf for support. His body trembled—not from fear, but from the surge of strength he suddenly felt coursing through his muscles. He clenched his fists, flexed, tested the power. Everything was… heightened. Reflexes, awareness, speed. The mall around him—the screaming, the chaos—snapped into a kind of clarity he hadn't known in years.
A woman screamed nearby. Kael's eyes tracked a small child, no older than six, frozen by fear. Without hesitation, he moved. Every step was deliberate, measured, silent. He reached the child, grabbed her wrist gently, and pulled her behind him. She clung to his jacket, shaking.
"Shh… it's okay," Kael murmured, voice low, calm. "I've got you."
The monsters were aware of him now. They paused, tilting their heads unnaturally. Their glowing eyes focused, scanning. One of the larger creatures—the Alpha, Kael realized instinctively—stepped forward. It moved differently than the others: slower, more deliberate, intelligent. The pulse in its chest was brighter, more pronounced.
Kael tightened his jaw, feeling the surge in his veins sync with the creature's presence. Something inside him told him that survival wasn't just about fighting—it was about understanding, anticipating, and harnessing the strange power that pulsed within those orbs.
The Alpha lunged. Kael ducked low, rolled, and brought his fist down on the creature's glowing chest. Light exploded beneath his hand, a burning sensation coursing through every nerve. He gritted his teeth against the shock, feeling muscles coil tighter, reflexes sharpen. The creature staggered, growled—a sound deep and resonant, unlike anything human.
Kael realized with a start: the orb, the energy—it could make him stronger. Not just stronger, but something more. Something capable of fighting this… new world.
He lunged again, precise, calculating, striking with a force that should have killed a man. But the creature was not a man. It screeched, staggered, then collapsed in a heap, the orb shattering under his hand. Heat burned through his veins, a violent rush of power he had never known.
The mall was chaos. Screams, overturned carts, broken glass. Kael's senses were hyper-alert. He moved through the aisles like a shadow, precise and lethal. Smaller creatures fell with each strike, and with every shattered orb, he felt his body respond—faster, sharper, stronger.
He reached the main entrance. The street outside was littered with fleeing civilians, cars abandoned in panic. The wind carried the metallic tang of blood, ozone, and something… unnatural. Kael knew instinctively that this was just the beginning.
A shadow loomed across the broken glass of the doors. The Alpha hadn't fully fallen. Its massive form rose, taller than any man, eyes blazing. It tilted its head, focusing on him, aware. Its growl shook the building, rattling shelves, scattering merchandise.
Kael didn't flinch. He clenched his fists, feeling the new power within him. Every instinct, every muscle memory from years of combat, fused with the raw energy he had absorbed. He could fight this. He had to. He would survive.
The Alpha lunged again. Kael squared his shoulders, stepped forward, and whispered to himself:
"Let's see what you've got."
The night outside the supermarket stretched long, filled with screams, chaos, and the pulsing glow of something beyond human. And in the center of it all, Kael stood—not a man, not yet, but something else. Something awakening.