Night came quickly.

  Anika picked up Eli from Thom’s place and returned to her house. Ilana was still at the Vos residence, where Jaren and Calla were trying—once again—to help her understand.

  “He’s not dangerous, Ilana,” Jaren said.

  Ilana folded her arms. “How do you two even know that boy is good? Jaren, you only met him yesterday. Calla, it was this morning—barely a few minutes. Why are you all trying to keep him here? He’s going to bring trouble.”

  Calla answered softly, but firmly, “Because he is the future, Ilana. That’s why we want to help him.”

  Ilana didn’t argue after that. She went quiet.

  In another room, Tobin sat huddled with Nico and Mira. They were flipping through one of Nico’s old fantasy books.

  “That man is scary,” Nico muttered.

  “You’re right,” Tobin said.

  Nico held up a page. A grotesque monster snarled back at them from the illustration. “I bet he’s actually like this guy.”

  “You think he eats people?” Tobin asked.

  “I don’t wanna think about it,” Nico whispered.

  Mira, who had been quiet the whole time, finally said, “We shouldn’t talk about him. What if he hears us? What if he comes?”

  The room fell silent.

  Then—click—the door creaked open.

  All three of them screamed, “It’s the monster! Run!”

  But it was only Ilana.

  She looked at the kids, half-confused, half-annoyed. “What are you three going on about?”

  Mira blinked, then sighed in relief. “Oh… it’s just Miss Ilana. Not the monster.”

  “You’re right,” Nico echoed. “Not the monster.”

  Tobin ran up and hugged her tightly. “Mommy, I was so scared. I thought he was coming to eat us.”

  Ilana crouched down and wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. He won’t hurt anyone.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  She stood and gently took his hand. “Let’s go home.”

  Outside, near the edge of town, Nero and Dorne sat by the fire. The flames crackled softly in the cold air. Dorne glanced around.

  “Huh. CH hasn’t come back yet. Maybe he’s staying the night at Thom’s.”

  “You should head inside, get some rest,” Nero said.

  Dorne scoffed. “If I do that, who’s gonna keep you company? You’re the one who looks like he hasn’t slept in days. You should close your eyes—just for a bit.”

  “I can’t,” Nero said, eyes fixed on the fire. “Every time I sleep… something happens. I don’t know what will happen if I sleep tonight.”

  Dorne frowned. “So what? You gonna stay awake forever?”

  Nero leaned back and stared up at the sky, stars scattered like dust across ink. “Maybe. I don’t know what else to do.”

  Neither of them spoke for a while.

  Then Dorne shifted slightly. His hand brushed against something in his pocket. He reached in and pulled it out—it was the tracker.

  “Oh, right.” He handed it to Nero. “Thom told me to give this back to you. I forgot.”

  Nero took it. The light was still blinking.

  As soon as it touched his hand, it grew cold.

  He handed it back to Dorne. “You hold on to it. I don’t want to freeze it and break the thing.”

  Dorne nodded, took it, and slipped it back into his pocket.

  A little ways outside the town, the scout team—Echo Needle—had arrived.

  Rhea brought Strider to a halt. “We shouldn’t go any closer. Vinn, Kato—sweep the area and report back. I’ll contact Iron Veil after you two are done.”

  Vinn and Kato nodded and disembarked quietly, weapons drawn. They moved through the darkness, eyes scanning the silent outskirts.

  Kato’s voice crackled over the radio. “Left side clear. No movement.”

  Vinn’s voice followed. “Same here. No signs of activity.”

  “Alright,” Rhea replied. “Return to Strider.”

  Kato began heading back. Vinn turned—then stopped.

  Something flickered at the edge of his vision.

  He raised his binoculars. Adjusted.

  “… Bingo.”

  Rhea’s voice came through. “You see something?”

  “I found our target,” Vinn confirmed. “He’s sitting by a campfire.”

  “Alone?”

  “No. Someone else is with him. Looks like a civilian.”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “You’re sure it’s him?”

  “It’s the white hair… and that face. No doubt—it’s him. He has a mark on his face now.”

  Kato arrived beside Vinn. “Let me see.”

  Vinn pointed toward the direction. Kato took his binoculars and scanned the area.

  “Why is he that close to the fire?” he asked. “He's almost leaning into it.”

  “Can you even call it a campfire?” Vinn muttered. “It’s way too big.”

  “Alright, sweep the whole town,” Rhea ordered. “Let’s see what else we’re dealing with.”

  Vinn and Kato scanned the rest of the ruined settlement. They noted the standing structures, the broken homes, everything.

  Rhea tapped her comms. “Iron Veil, come in. This is Echo Needle. We’ve located Angelo Walker. I repeat: we’ve located Angelo Walker.”

  Inside the Warden, a soldier picked up the call. “This is Warden of Iron Veil—”

  Before he could finish, Colonel Yara Veltin appeared and took the radio. “This is Colonel Veltin. You’ve found Angelo?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Rhea replied. “We have eyes on him.”

  “Excellent work, Echo Needle. Keep visual contact until we arrive. I’ll inform the General.”

  Rhea added, “He’s currently in a small, rundown town. There are others here—maybe civilians.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “Not yet. So far, we’ve only seen one person with him. Doesn’t appear armed.”

  “Understood,” Veltin said. “Keep watch. Update me every hour.”

  She ended the transmission and turned to inform the General.

  Rhea relayed the new orders to Vinn and Kato.

  Rhea brought the Strider up the hill where Vinn and Kato were still observing.

  “Vinn, keep eyes on Angelo and the town,” she said. “Kato, cooking duty. We’re staying here until backup arrives.”

  Kato didn’t argue. He nodded and got to work. Vinn resumed his watch while Rhea began setting up camp.

  Before long, the smell of food drifted through the air.

  Deep in the forest, something stirred.

  The same creature Dorne had warned Nero about caught the scent. It shifted, silent and deliberate, and began moving toward the scout team.

  By the time Kato finished cooking, the forest behind them had gone unnaturally quiet.

  They ate quickly. Then Kato switched with Vinn, taking the binoculars while Vinn sat down with his plate.

  “Great as always, Kato,” Vinn said after finishing.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Kato muttered, eyes still scanning. “Now go wash the gear.”

  Vinn and Rhea cleaned up while Kato kept watch.

  As they were packing the cooking equipment away, a faint thud echoed from the treeline.

  All three froze.

  Weapons came up. Stances lowered. Every sense sharpened.

  Then—without warning—the monster struck.

  It burst from the woods, nearly six feet tall, moving on all fours. Claws swung in a blur of motion. They dodged just in time.

  Kato opened fire. The rifle cracked softly, the suppressor barely containing the sound—but the creature was too fast. Vinn and Rhea joined in, shots snapping past it as it darted between trees.

  “What the hell is that?!” Kato shouted.

  “I think it’s one of those monsters!” Vinn yelled. “Keep shooting!”

  The creature didn’t slow. It struck whenever they left an opening—missing by inches—and vanished into cover before they could line up a clean shot. Tree to tree. Hit and retreat. Over and over.

  Rhea snapped, “This is going nowhere. Fall back to the Strider!”

  They fired as they retreated. Kato threw open the door, and all three piled inside. The hatch slammed shut.

  Claws scraped against the hull.

  “Where did this thing even come from?” Kato muttered.

  Vinn shot back under his breath, “Why don’t you ask it yourself if you’re that curious?”

  Rhea turned on them. “Shut the fuck up. Both of you. Stay quiet and think.”

  They fell silent.

  Seconds stretched.

  Then—suddenly—the scratching stopped.

  “Is it gone?” Kato whispered, glancing at Vinn.

  “I don’t know,” Vinn said. “You check.”

  But the monster had already lost interest.

  Far below, a bright fire burned at the edge of town.

  The creature let out a deafening screech—then bolted toward it.

  Everyone in the town heard it.

  Nero’s head snapped toward the sound. “What was that?!”

  Dorne went rigid. “The monster I was talking about. We need to get inside—now—and lock everything!”

  He grabbed Nero and pulled him away from the fire.

  Almost immediately, Nero’s condition worsened. The cold came rushing back—fast, brutal. His steps faltered.

  Dorne swore, dragged him back toward the fire, and froze, panic flooding his face.

  “There has to be something we can do,” he said, voice shaking. “I could call the others, but that’ll put them in danger.”

  Nero saw the fear in him. “Don’t worry about me,” he said quietly. “Go lock yourself inside.”

  “Are you insane?” Dorne snapped. “I’m not leaving you out here—it’ll kill you!”

  They argued, voices rising. Finally, Dorne broke.

  “I’m not letting you get killed by that thing,” he said. “Wait here—I’ll be right back.”

  He turned and ran.

  “Lock the door and stay inside!” Nero shouted after him. “Don’t come out!”

  From inside, Dorne yelled back, “FUCK YOU! I’LL DO WHATEVER I WANT!”

  He returned moments later with a rifle and a handgun, shoving the smaller weapon into Nero’s hands.

  “We’re killing that son of a bitch tonight.”

  “You’ll die for no reason!” Nero shouted. “There’s still time—get inside!”

  “I’m not letting that thing kill you!” Dorne yelled back.

  One by one, lights across the town went dark. Doors slammed shut. Locks clicked.

  Then came the sound of thunderous footsteps—closing in fast.

  Dorne raised his rifle. Nero stood beside him, gun steady despite the shaking in his hands.

  Out of the tree line, the creature emerged.

  A hulking, four-legged beast—six feet tall at the shoulder. Jagged, scale-like armor covered its body, dulled and chipped from old battles. Deep scars ran along its flanks, one tearing up the left side of its face where two of its six eyes were clouded and ruined. The remaining eyes gleamed—three on the right, one on the left—locking onto them with animal focus. Its claws clicked against the brittle earth as it stepped forward, tail dragging behind in slow, rhythmic swings.

  It stopped when it saw Nero.

  “Why did it stop?” Dorne whispered.

  “I think…” Nero said, barely audible. “I think it won’t attack us.”

  Dorne didn’t wait.

  He fired.

  The monster twisted aside and leapt.

  Dorne dove right, barely clearing the strike. It turned and slashed—claws tearing into his shoulder. He cried out as blood splashed onto the dirt.

  Nero opened fire, trying to draw its attention. The monster dodged, charged, weaving side to side. Dorne joined in.

  One shot connected—Nero’s bullet punched into the beast’s shoulder. It recoiled, retreating a step.

  Then both guns clicked empty.

  The monster lunged again—straight at Nero.

  Dorne moved without thinking, throwing himself between them.

  The left claw hit him full force.

  He flew across the ground, rolled, and skidded to a stop in the dirt, unmoving. Blood pooled beneath him.

  Nero froze.

  Seeing Dorne collapse ripped something open inside him—memories flashing back. Helpless again. Just like that night. Screams. Blood. Powerless.

  “Doooorne!” he screamed.

  The monster turned and began walking toward him.

  Nero didn’t run.

  He faced it, his face hardening with rage. “COME ON, YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

  He charged.

  With every step, the freezing pain intensified—like knives digging deeper, twisting with each breath. His body screamed to stop.

  The monster swung from the right.

  Claws tore into Nero’s chest.

  This time, it hurt.

  Real pain. Not numbed. Not distant. Not sealed away behind void.

  He staggered. Nearly fell. But he kept moving—through the pain, into the cold.

  The monster growled—then froze mid-snarl.

  Its claws, still buried in Nero’s chest, began to ice over.

  The cold wasn’t clinging to Nero anymore.

  It was spreading.

  The creature’s limbs trembled. It tried to pull free—but couldn’t. Ice spiderwebbed up its claws, creeping along its arms.

  For the first time, fear flickered across its face.

  It tried to retreat.

  Nero grabbed it.

  “You’re freezing with me,” he growled, a manic grin cutting across his face through the pain.

  It thrashed, clawed, sliced into him—but Nero held on. Teeth clenched, he seized its other arm.

  Panicking, the monster lifted him and dragged him toward the fire.

  Nero realized what it was doing and wrapped his legs around it, tightening his grip.

  More contact.

  More freezing.

  “DIE ALREADY, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!”

  They reached the fire.

  “No… don’t you fucking dare—”

  With a deafening screech and monstrous strength, it hurled him straight into the flames.

  The fire roared. And the world went white.