Kaelion leaned against the kitchen counter.
The bandage on his back was still tight.
But at least the bleeding seemed to have stopped.
He took a deep breath.
The kitchen was silent.
Too silent.
He looked at the things on the counter.
A bottle of water.
Two cans of food.
A kitchen knife.
That was all.
Kaelion stared at them for a moment without saying anything.
Then he picked up one of the cans.
The metal surface felt cold between his fingers.
He turned it over.
Weighed it in his hand.
Then placed it back on the counter.
He shook his head.
"These…"
He paused for a moment.
"…won't be enough."
This apartment was small and quiet.
He could hide here.
But only for a while.
There was very little food.
Very little water.
And he had no idea what was happening in the city.
If he stayed here…
Sooner or later he would starve.
Or worse—
The monsters would find this place.
Kaelion grabbed his backpack.
He placed the items from the counter inside it.
• the water bottle
• the cans
• the kitchen knife
Then he looked around the kitchen again.
He opened the cabinets.
First cabinet.
Old plates.
Second cabinet.
Empty.
Third cabinet.
A broken glass and a few forks.
Nothing else.
"So…"
"…I'll have to explore."
Kaelion left the kitchen.
He walked into the living room.
A table had been knocked over in the center of the room.
Broken glass pieces glittered on the floor.
An old family photo hanging on the wall caught his attention.
A mother.
A father.
And a small child.
They were all smiling.
Kaelion stared at it for a few seconds.
Then looked away.
The fate of that photo was probably the same as everyone else in the city.
He walked toward the window.
He pulled the curtain aside slightly.
And looked out at the city.
The night was still dark.
But the city was not silent.
In the distance—
Smoke was rising.
A siren echoed somewhere.
And then…
A howl.
Kaelion's face hardened.
Werewolves.
They were still hunting.
He closed the curtain.
His decision was made.
He couldn't hide here.
He needed to find more supplies.
He walked toward the door.
Then paused.
Predator Instinct was still silent.
That was a good sign.
He slowly opened the door.
The corridor outside was dark.
A long, narrow apartment hallway.
One of the ceiling lights flickered.
The light trembled.
The paint on the walls was peeling.
Shoes and overturned objects lay scattered on the floor.
As if people had fled in a hurry.
Kaelion quietly closed the door behind him.
He began walking slowly.
Every step was careful.
The floor sometimes creaked.
In this silence, even the smallest sound felt loud.
At the end of the corridor was the first apartment.
Its door was slightly open.
Kaelion approached slowly.
He pushed the door.
It creaked as it opened.
The apartment inside was messy.
Chairs were overturned.
A drawer had fallen to the floor.
It looked as if someone had fled in a panic.
Kaelion stepped inside.
He opened the drawers.
Checked the cabinets.
And found a few things.
• an old screwdriver
• half a pack of biscuits
Kaelion took the biscuits.
He placed them in his backpack.
"Better than nothing."
Then he left the apartment.
And returned to the corridor.
The building was still silent.
But the silence didn't feel safe.
If anything…
It felt like something was hiding.
At that moment, Predator Instinct trembled slightly.
Kaelion froze.
He listened.
Silence.
But a few seconds later—
A sound came from the floor above.
As if something had fallen.
Kaelion slowly raised his head.
His eyes turned toward the staircase.
The upper floor was completely dark.
But one thing was certain.
Something was up there.
Kaelion tightened his grip on the knife.
And began walking toward the stairs.