The sky had cleared.
The dimensional rift devoured the light from the sky.
And the three pale moons hung, observing the city below.
Sweat clung to skin.
Soldiers panted.
But they persistently walked.
They carried laboratory instruments on their backs.
And many defended the group from zombies.
Each soldier contributed their utmost.
The commander walked at the back, exhaustion painted on his face.
His injuries were catching up to him.
Lucian walked in the front.
He led the group.
Occasionally, he glanced back at the soldiers carrying the tubes with the experiments. His eyes trembled.
'How could such terrible things be hidden in our city?'
His eyes flashed with emotion—deep compassion.
'Father was part of such experiments? He knew? And allowed them?'
Hatred ignited within him.
A deeply buried hatred.
But he suppressed it and continued walking.
'Do I announce those experiments to the entire base? Or hide them?'
The commander was in deep thought as he walked. Conflicted.
'The backlash of the soldier and the people is unpredictable. Not to mention...'
He glanced at Lucian at the front.
'The one to bear the blame will be the governor. It won't be bad if he disappears, but Lucian won't be able to escape unscathed. He is his son, after all.'
The commander deeply appreciated Lucian's qualities and strength.
He didn't want to cause his fall.
Thus, he abandoned the idea of targeting the governor with the experiments.
...
They continued walking, each deep in their thoughts.
Occasionally, they stopped to rest.
The hours flew by.
And as daylight slowly faded, they reached the vehicles.
The air was heavy.
The atmosphere crushed their spirits.
Exhaustion painted on their faces.
But the soldiers guarding the vehicles were safe. Not even a zombie in sight. Fortunately.
As soon as the commander's group arrived, they started loading the items.
The soldiers worked in silence.
'Save me! Save me!'
The terrified cries of the little child rang in their ears.
The child tried to move within the tube, but couldn't, as if the liquid was too dense.
The hearts of the soldiers ached.
But the thought that they would soon bring the subject to the base and let the scientist help them eased their hearts.
A soldier approached the tube with the child.
"Just hold on a little longer,"
He whispered.
The commander observed from the side.
The red in his eyes gradually intensified.
His lips turned black.
The pain increased. It grew increasingly difficult to suppress it. The commander had to use more of his ability.
'Something is wrong,'
His heart beat rapidly.
The grip around the sabre tightened.
'It's quiet. Too quiet.'
He glanced at the tower in the distance.
Unease descended on his heart.
His body shuddered.
'I feel as if something is prying on me,'
It was an inexplicable feeling.
"Everyone. Hurry up. Let's get out of here."
He urged.
In this dying world, trusting your gut was important.
'There are no zombies around. Shouldn't the scent of the soldiers Lucian left behind attract zombies?'
Each creature would release its scent whenever it walked. And the more one stayed in one place, the denser and more potent it became.
Especially human scent. Zombies were especially sensitive.
The commander looked around.
But nothing.
The unease grew.
Not a single thing in sight. A zombie or a demon.
Not even a sound from the surroundings.
The more he analysed the surroundings, the heavier his heart became.
Vrooom!
The engines roared as they started.
"Commander,"
A soldier saluted.
"We loaded the items."
The vehicles' trunks were full.
The massive tubes with subject Alpha and Beta portrude from the trunks, tied with ropes. This was the only way.
"Let's depart,"
The commander wasted no time.
The soldiers entered the vehicles.
They barely fit within the vehicles, and many had to even sit in each other's laps.
After all, they only had 17 vehicles and nearly 90 men.
SCREEEEEEEEECH!!
Then, a cry tore the air.
The commander and soldiers looked from the window.
A figure ascended into the sky. The wings spread.
A flying demon.
"Go! Go! GO!!"
The commander roared.
The soldiers stepped on the gas pedals.
The first vehicle drove off. The others followed.
Rubble crumbled under the tires. The vehicles jumped.
The items in the trunks dingled. And the massive tubes in the two vehicles at the back made them unstable.
The tube with subject Beta was within the trunk of Lucian's vehicle. While the Subject Alpha was in the commander's trunk.
...
The headlight lit the road.
Night descended.
The vehicles drove through the rubble, not stopping or slowing.
They encountered some zombies, but they only moistened the tires.
However, they didn't encounter a single demon. Not even the most common and weakest hound.
The commaner sat in the passenger seat, his expression grim.
The atmosphere was heavy. No one spoke.
Screech!
Another cry tore the sky outside.
They were growing closer.
"They are after us."
The commander muttered.
He had no doubt.
They were the last of the group. The tube slowed their speed.
And although they moved, the demonic screams only grew closer.
They continued driving.
Sweat clung to their skin—cold sweat.
Eyes hung heavy. This was their second sleepless night. Exhaustion was catching up.
The driver trembled in fear.
The only thing keeping them awake was pure adrenaline.
Shrrlllik!
A slurpy, demonic scream rang from the darkness behind.
"No..."
The commander's eyes widened.
He recognized that scream—that voice.
Tentacle demon.
Swoosh!
He turned back.
Through the back window, he saw it.
Eyes. Red eyes chasing them.
Dozens. Hundreds of demons.
"Drive! DRIVE!"
The commander urged, panicked.
Cold sweat crawled down his spine.
And for the first time, the soldiers saw him panicked.
The group in front of them moved farther away.
Their vehicle was too heavy. Unable to keep up.
Even Lucian, before them, was distancing.
'We have no bullets,'
The commander gnashed his teeth.
They had no way to slow the incoming demons.
Growl!
Grrr!
Grrrowl!
The demons approached their tail, so close that they could hear their hungry growls.
Clang!
A demon slammed against the back of the vehicle.
Teeth clattered in the air as the demon hounds bit.
The soldiers' hearts sank to their feet.
They saw no way out.
CLANG!
Suddenly, a demon hound jumped.
The teeth bit into the rope, tying the tube with subject Alpha.
The demon's body slammed against the back of the car.
The wind fluttered it.
But it refused to let go.
Riiiippp!
The rope tore.
Thud!
The demon rolled back.
But even more terrifying demons approached—several tentacle demons.
As the rope tore, the trunk completely opened.
The tube clattered up and down as the tires ran over rubble.
SWOOOSH!
Suddenly, Alpha's eyes flew open.
Murderous intent. Determination. Thirst for revenge flashed in his eyes.
The liquid swirled violently. Bubbles erupted.
Thud!
Alpha saw an opportunity.
He moved within the dense liquid.
His body contained far more strength than the child's.
The shoulder slammed against the side of the tube.
The tube bent over.
THUD!
With another hit, it fell off the trunk.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The commander roared.
He extended his hand desperately, but too late.
The tube fell out.
CRASSSH!
It shattered.