If I had known I was going to wake up to the sound of an explosion, I probably would've slept in an extra five minutes. But no. Boom. That's how my day started—like a Michael Bay movie, minus the cool soundtrack and slow-motion walking away from the fire.
"Get up!" Adrian yelled, bursting through the tent flap. He was covered in soot and holding what looked like a smoking toaster. "They found us!"
I blinked, still tangled in my sleeping bag, and tried to understand whether I was dreaming or actually about to die. My instincts went with the second option.
"Found us? Who?!" I scrambled out of the bag and tripped over my boots.
"The Scourge," Adrian snapped. "They're bombing the ridge. We need to move now."
Great. Just another calm morning in the apocalypse.
I grabbed my pack, slung it over my shoulder, and bolted after him. The air outside was thick with smoke and the distinct metallic scent of burning synthetic material. Our makeshift camp was in chaos—people running, shouting, and dodging falling debris. Somewhere behind me, I heard another explosion, followed by the shriek of a Hollowed.
My beast stirred immediately.
Not now, I warned it. We've got enough problems without going full were-creature before breakfast.
But it wasn't listening. It never did when it smelled blood.
We dashed downhill, toward the emergency exit tunnel we had scoped out two days ago. A few stragglers followed us, some injured, others dragging supplies. As we passed the edge of the treeline, a series of explosions lit up the sky behind us. The forest was engulfed in flames.
And in the middle of it all stood a figure. Tall. Armored. Familiar.
"Is that…?" Adrian gasped.
"Yes," I said, my voice flat. "It's him."
The Shadow Captain.
The last time I saw him, he tried to skewer me on a jagged bone blade. Judging by the way his glowing red eyes locked on to us through the fire, I was pretty sure we weren't going to be exchanging friendship bracelets anytime soon.
We barreled into the tunnel entrance, a hidden door behind an overgrown rock face. Adrian slammed it shut behind us just as a bolt of dark energy blasted past.
Inside, it was pitch-black. I activated a flashlight, and the narrow tunnel stretched endlessly ahead. Wet roots dangled from the ceiling. Water dripped from cracks above. The smell was a charming mix of mold, rust, and despair.
"We're not going to make it," someone whimpered from behind us.
"Yes, we are," I snapped. "Move. Now."
For once, no one argued.
We ran. We didn't stop until the air changed, until the darkness behind us felt thicker, heavier, like something was following. That's when I heard the whisper.
"Elias…"
My heart did a backflip.
"What was that?" Adrian asked.
"Nothing," I lied.
Because that voice? It was mine.
But twisted.
Broken.
Other.
The beast wasn't just stirring. It was speaking.
After twenty more agonizing minutes, the tunnel spat us out into a collapsed metro station. Broken tracks, rusted turnstiles, and ancient vending machines greeted us like a welcome party from 1998.
We were catching our breath when the wall exploded.
You heard me right. Exploded.
The Shadow Captain stepped through the rubble like he was on a Sunday stroll.
"I don't suppose you're here to talk things out?" I asked.
He raised his hand. Black tendrils snaked forward.
Did I mention I hate Mondays?
I didn't wait. The beast inside me tore through, and before I knew it, I was shifting. Claws, fangs, glowing eyes—the whole shebang. But this time, I didn't lose control. I let it in.
Adrian and the others scattered as I launched myself at the Captain.
Our clash was seismic. His blade against my claws. His shadows against my fury.
We fought through the wreckage, tearing up concrete, smashing beams, and kicking up clouds of dust. I barely registered the others shouting until I saw the ceiling start to crack.
The station was coming down.
"Get out of here!" I roared, shoving the Captain back.
But he didn't retreat.
He smiled.
Then he said something I'll never forget:
"You think you're the only one who changed, Elias?"
His form shimmered, and for a moment—just a heartbeat—I saw his real face.
It was mine.