As their sorrow began to fade, something far more terrifying began to rise.
They left their base in silence, paying their respects to Black Blazer's coffin. Yellow Springs remained behind, her shadow lingering in the dim light of the base.
When the group reached the outskirts of town, Nori Mirasata began to twitch. At first, it was subtle—a shiver through his arms. Then the sound came. Crack. Crack. Crack. His bones twisted unnaturally, each snap echoing in the stillness. The sound abruptly stopped, and the group slowly turned.
Nori Mirasata stood before them, his neck grotesquely bent to the side, as if it should have killed him. Yet, with a broken grin, he rasped, "I'm fine."
The words slithered into their ears, wrong and hollow. Sophia Cherry's voice trembled, "He's not fine…" Yori Yagasu's breath caught as he muttered, "No… he's not."
Then the true horror revealed itself. Nori's gaze sharpened, and the parasites surrounding the ruins stirred—moving at his command.
The group bolted, fear clawing at their lungs. In desperation, they scrambled up a ladder to a nearby house, their hands slick with sweat. Glass shattered as they dove through a second-floor window, then clung to the rooftop like hunted prey. Their hearts thundered as they fled, every shadow seeming to crawl closer.
By the time they returned to the base, they were gasping, their eyes wide with a terror they could not contain.
Yellow Springs stepped forward, confusion flickering as she saw their trembling forms—and realized one thing. Nori Mirasata was gone.
A chill swept over him, colder than death itself. In her mind, only one thought remained:
He's morphed.