Screams.
Tears.
The wet sound of something being chewed.
The smell of blood filled the air.
She tilted her head back—to warn, to shout, to do something—
But the sight shattered her thoughts.
Her vision blurred.
Like cracked glass.
"NOOO—AAAH—SAVE ME—OH GOD—NO—!"
The man near the door—
Half his body was already inside the creature's mouth.
Bone snapped.
A sickening crunch echoed through the room.
The child trembled, backing into the farthest wall, unable to even scream.
The burly man stood there.
Short army hair.
Broad shoulders.
Eyes red.
Frozen.
For a second—
No one moved.
Then—
He moved.
Not away.
Forward.
"HEY!"
His voice exploded through the room.
Loud.
Sharp.
Intentional.
The creature paused.
Its head jerked—
Toward him.
"Over here!"
He grabbed a broken piece of metal from the ground and slammed it against the wall.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
Too loud.
Deliberate.
The Gemini girl's breath caught.
No…
The creature shifted.
The man in its mouth—
Forgotten.
Dropped.
Like trash.
And then—
It lunged.
Straight at the burly man.
"RUN!" he roared.
This time—
His voice didn't shake.
It commanded.
Something in it forced movement.
The child stumbled to his feet.
The others broke.
They ran.
She ran.
But her split mind stayed—
Watching.
Tracking.
The man didn't run.
He stepped back once.
Twice.
Buying time.
Every movement loud.
Every step intentional.
A distraction.
A sacrifice.
The creature reached him.
Too fast.
Too sudden—
A limb pierced through his side.
He choked—
But didn't scream.
Didn't beg.
Just one last push—
Shoving debris toward the creature—
Slowing it.
Even for a second.
That was enough.
She turned.
Forced herself to stop watching.
Because if she didn't—
She wouldn't move.
After what felt like half an hour of running—
Hiding—
Breathing too loud—
Thinking too fast—
She finally stopped.
Collapsed behind a broken wall.
Her chest heaved.
Air burned going in.
Burned coming out.
Her stomach turned.
Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
And beneath all of it — something else.
Something cold.
Calm.
All of it crashed into her at once.
Her head spun.
Nausea twisted her stomach.
Her vision flickered—
Not from exhaustion.
From her mind.
Two thoughts.
Still running.
Still active.
We need to move.
No—stay. Listen first.
Her fingers dug into the ground.
"Stop…"
She didn't know which thought she was talking to.
Her breathing stuttered.
Too fast.
Too uneven.
Calm down.
If we don't, we die.
"…Shut up…"
Her voice came out weak.
But it worked.
Barely.
The noise in her head dimmed.
Not gone.
Just… quieter.
She swallowed.
Forced herself to think.
Not panic.
Think.
What do we know?
The creature—
Tracks sound.
Moves fast.
Doesn't hesitate.
Her other thought added:
And you saw it before it moved.
Her body stiffened.
That moment.
That split second.
She saw it.
Before it attacked.
"…That wasn't luck…"
Silence.
For a moment—
Even her two thoughts agreed.
That was her ability.
Not strength.
Not speed.
Something else.
Something—
Useful.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Not from fear this time.
"I can… survive this."
The words felt wrong.
Too early.
Too dangerous.
But also—
True.
A distant sound echoed through the ruins.
Faint.
Unclear.
Her head lifted instantly.
Both thoughts aligned—
Move.
This time—
She didn't hesitate.
She stood.
Carefully.
Quietly.
And stepped forward into the ruins.