Old Man Marcus, with a deep frown etched on his face, returned to the mancave.
The image of the desecrated grave replayed in his mind.
Old Man Marcus pushed through the heavy curtain of vines in an angsty manner and entered the main chamber of his mancave. "Pepe," he shouted with a sense of urgency creeping into his tone, and his shout echoed in the cavernous space.
No answer...
Old Man Marcus scanned the quiet mancave and murmured to himself, "He must be out fulfilling his mission." He turned his attention to the locked door in the back of the room. His face became pale, and a look of deep-seated fear and confusion filled his tired eyes.
The door remained slightly ajar with a strange, unsettling silence in the air. The metal knob and lock had been contorted to an abnormal shape.
Old Man Marcus took a step closer, and his heart hammered in his chest. "No," he whispered with dread. He cautiously pushed the door open.
The door creaked as it swung open. A faint light escaped from the room and illuminated the dust motes dancing in the air.
Old Man Marcus, with a heavy heart, entered. "Cassandra? Are you here?" he called out with a softer tone. He peered into the dimly lit space.
The room was in complete disarray. The shelves had been overturned, and the books had been scattered across the floor. A thick layer of dust covered everything, and a strange smell of decay hung in the air. Blood remained splattered on the stone floor and the messy bed.
Cassandra was nowhere to be found.
"She's gone," Old Man Marcus stuttered with a horrified tone, and his breath hitched. He looked around for any sign of his niece or any clue as to where she might have gone. He found nothing but more questions and a growing sense of despair.
Just then, a crumpled note on the floor caught his attention.
Old Man Marcus picked it up and quickly unfolded it. He read it with trembling hands.
The handwriting was elegant yet sharp. It read: Uncle Marcus, I can't stay here anymore. I need to find out the truth about my nature. About whom I really am. I'm sorry.
Old Man Marcus's face hardened into a mask of grim realization. His knuckles turned white as he crumpled the note in his fist. "My niece... No, she's going to go out of control," he whispered in a heartbroken voice. He stared at the empty room and declared, "I will find you, Cassandra, no matter what."
At The Orphanage, a group of orphans chased each other in the front hallway.
Pepi tagged Pepoto. "You're it," she announced with a giggle.
Pepoto frowned and ran after her. "I'll get you," he exclaimed.
Suddenly, the orphanage's front doors swung open with a creak.
The orphans stopped their game and turned to see who had come.
Pepe entered with dirt smudged on his face. He breathed heavily, and he took a slow step forward. His battle suit was torn in several places.
The orphans stared at them with wide eyes and open mouths.
"Pepe," Pepoto asked while raising an eyebrow.
"What happened," Pepi inquired.
Pepe replied with a groan and a mumble. Coughing to catch his breath, he eerily lurched closer. He held out a hand for balance.
The orphans gasped as they saw the deep, gory scratches across his arm.
"He's a zombie," an orphan shouted. He and the others panicked and ran away screaming.
On the other hand, Pepi and Pepoto stood their ground and furrowed their eyebrows.
Determined to face whatever was coming, Pepoto prepared a fighting stance. He growled and demanded, "Stop right there!"
Pepi stood by his side and urged, "I'll join you."
Pepoto glanced at her and nodded in approval. "Let's do this," he declared.
With a synchronized move, they lunged and launched a flurry of punches and kicks.
Pepe, despite his exhaustion, expertly dodged their attacks, and his eyes opened wide. He blocked a punch from Pepoto and grabbed his little brother's wrist.
Restrained, Pepoto struggled and proclaimed, "We'll show you what we're made of!" He jumped and headbutted Pepe's chin.
Pepe let go and stumbled back. He clenched his teeth and rubbed his jaw.
Just then, Pepi jumped and kicked him in the gut. "We're a lot stronger, now," she asserted.
Pepe fell back and groaned in pain.
"Did we beat him," Pepoto wondered aloud.
Pepi made a somber expression. "I can't believe Pepe became a zombie," she pointed out.
Simultaneously, Pepe slowly got back to his feet with a groan.
Pepi gasped and stepped back.
Pepoto gritted his teeth. He punched Pepe in the face and questioned, "How about this?"
In a blinding motion, Pepi also reemerged in front of Pepe and kicked him in the shin. "And this," she added.
Pepe, while enduring the blows, caught their wrists and held them up firmly. He smirked.
Pepi's face wrinkled with fury as she threatened, "Don't get cocky!" She threw a kick.
Pepe weaved to the side.
Pepoto and Pepi, in a struggling frenzy, attempted to pry free from his grasp.
"Stop. I'm not a zombie. It's me, Pepe," Pepe finally reassured with a smile.
Pepi and Pepoto looked at each other with confused expressions and sought to know, "Pepe, you're not a zombie?"
"I'm still human," Pepe affirmed. He finally released them and sighed in relief. "Both of you are a lot stronger, but a bit too hostile," he chuckled.
Pepi crossed her arms and proudly remarked, "We've been practicing what you taught us, big brother."
Pepoto rubbed his sore wrist and elaborated, "We'll beat you next time, zombie or not." He smirked.
Pepe patted their heads and asked, "Did you see our returning siblings pass by? Hafen, Matteo, and Stark?"
Pepi and Pepoto looked at each other and shook their heads.
"We haven't seen them. They haven't returned from school." Pepi answered.
"Mom told us that school was canceled because of a zombie attack. Is everyone alright," Pepoto continued and asked.
Pepe frowned. "Hopefully. I need you to get everyone together. There's something important I need to tell," he insisted.
Pepi and Pepoto nodded and rushed inside. They shouted for the other orphans to come out.
Soon, all the orphans gathered in the front hallway. They sat on the floor and stared at Pepe with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
Pepe stood in front of them and cleared his throat. He looked at their innocent faces and hesitated for a moment. He took a deep breath and began, "We're in danger. A war is here, and it will become the worst conflict we've ever faced."
The orphans gasped and whispered among themselves.
"What kind of war," Pepi queried.
"Against who," Pepoto inquired.
Pepe solemnly explained, "Against the zombies. A zombie army wants to destroy everything and kill everyone."
The orphans' eyes widened, and their faces turned pale.
"What are we going to do," a little boy questioned with a trembling voice.
Pepe looked around and declared, "I have trained you to defend yourself. Now, we have to prepare to fight and defend our home! We are the last line of defense of The Sacred Forest!"
The orphans exchanged glances and nodded. They stood up and raised their fists in the air. "We're with you, Pepe," they chanted in unison.
Pepe smiled and felt a surge of pride. He joined them and cheered along.
Just then, a loud noise came from outside. It sounded like a stampede of heavy footsteps.
Pepe and the orphans rushed to the windows and peeked outside. Their eyes opened wide with shock and horror.
A dozen zombies marched toward The Orphanage. Their feet trampled the flowers without any restraint.
Their leader, a girl from The Dark Depths, stood out from the rest. She grinned with madness. Her hair was disheveled, and dark markings etched on her body.
Snaky slithered to the window and peeked. "Why is she with them," he sought to know.
"Cassandra," Pepe muttered. His breath hitched.
Cassandra roared, "Kill! Kill them all! Let their blood satisfy my rage!" She pointed at the orphanage with slobber falling from her face.
The zombies roared back and charged forward with an insatiable fury.
Pepe's heart raced. He turned back to the orphans and ordered, "Get ready to fight! Remember your training!"
The orphans scurried back, further inside. They grabbed whatever they could use as weapons. Some picked up brooms, others picked up pans, and others held sticks.
Pepe reached for his elemental lance, but it was gone. He groaned in frustration and picked up a metal rod from a broken shelf. He gripped it tightly and looked at the orphans. "Stay together. Don't let them separate us. We can do this," he encouraged.
The orphans nodded and formed a circle around him. They braced themselves for the impending battle.
The zombies crashed through the doors of The Orphanage. They stumbled in and growled with malicious intent. They clenched their teeth and snapped their heads in random directions.
Pepe shouted and swung his rod at the first zombie. He hit it on the head and pushed it back.
The orphans followed his lead and fought with all their might. They screamed, and they swung their makeshift weapons. They kicked, punched, and bit. They used every trick they learned.
Snaky, using his stretchy body, entangled and tied a zombie to a pillar. "How do you like that," he remarked with a proud smile.
Another zombie came from behind and grabbed his neck. "I'll rip your head off," he threatened and tightened his grip.
Snaky gasped and choked. His vision blurred.
Just then, Pepi and Pepoto jumped the zombie and punched its face.
The zombie roared and let go of Snaky.
The zombies were stronger and more numerous than the orphans. They overwhelmed them and pushed them back.
Some of the orphans fell, and some were wounded.
Cassandra watched from the doorway with a wicked smile. She clapped her hands and cheered, "Yes! Yes! More blood! More pain!" She laughed maniacally.
Pepe saw her and glared. "I have to stop her," he noted.
Cassandra noticed his gaze and chuckled. "You think you can stop me, Pepe? You're nothing to me," she taunted.
Pepe ignored her provocation and focused on his task. He had to protect his family. He couldn't let Cassandra hurt them. He raised his rod and charged at her.
Shockingly, the metal rod itself froze in place, holding Pepe back.
Pepe glanced at it with a confused expression. "What? How," he asked.
"You're stuck," Cassandra pointed out and focused her gaze.
The metal rod distorted and pinned Pepe's wrist to the ceiling.
Pepe groaned in frustration and queried, "You're doing this without an elemental weapon?"
Cassandra nodded with a smirk and approached him. "You're weak, Pepe. You always were," she asserted. She lifted her hand, and her fingers turned into sharp claws.
"Cassandra, listen to me. You don't have to do this. You can fight this. You can be yourself again," Pepe pleaded.
Cassandra shook her head and smirked. "I don't want to be myself. I like being a zombie. It's fun. It's freeing. It's what I am now," she insisted.
"Cassandra, please. Remember who you are. You are a protector of The Sacred Forest. Remember, master and me. Remember your mom," Pepe begged.
Cassandra paused in surprise and looked into his eyes. Her dark markings faltered for a second.
Suddenly, a lantern flew through the air and struck her head.
Cassandra fell to the floor with a thud and groaned.
Pepi stood behind her with a determined look. She held another lantern and threw it at another zombie that was about to attack Pepoto.
Pepoto saw her and smiled. He dodged a zombie's punch and kicked it away. "Thanks, Pepi," he muttered.
Pepi nodded and ran to Pepe. "Are you okay," she asked with concern.
"Stay back," Pepe ordered. He gritted his teeth and pulled on the metal rod.
Pepi backed away, and part of the ceiling crumbled.
Pepe fell off with the rod. He pried it off his wrist.
Pepi kept an eye on Cassandra, who lay motionless on the floor.
Cassandra, barely conscious, whispered a word, "Mother." She, in her delirium, recalled a moment in her life.
In her crazed state, Cassandra has attacked The Orphanage. What has happened to her psyche? Will she ever return to her old self? Will Pepe and the orphans survive the onslaught? Where are Hafen, Matteo, and Stark?