Five shelters were attacked that night.
Five.
The news spread through the ruined district like fire on dry leaves.
The survivors had gathered in the remains of an old community gym, now turned into a central meeting point. Jean stood near the cracked wall, watching as exhausted men and women argued in the dim glow of battery lanterns.
"—It was the creatures near the East Rail Tunnel, I'm telling you! I saw the tracks!"
"No! The shelter near Rivermouth Bridge was attacked too! Those monsters came from the water!"
"That's nonsense! They hit the Warehouse 17 safe zone on the west side as well—water has nothing to do with it!"
"The St. Claire Hospital Shelter collapsed halfway. People said the walls shook before the creatures broke through."
"And what about the group at Delta Parking Bunker? They were wiped out! Wiped out!"
Voices overlapped, sharp and panicked, echoing off the gym's hollow interior. People pointed fingers, shouted across the room, some trembling as they spoke, others angry out of fear.
"It was Shelter West!" an old man shouted, face red with anger. "They've always hated us. Maybe they wanted our supplies!"
"Don't be stupid!" a woman screamed back. "Wild scavengers did it — the mutated kind! You heard the claws! You saw the shredded walls!"
"No," another man muttered darkly, shaking his head. "This was the work of an ability user."
"Don't accuse someone you haven't even seen!"
The crowd grew louder — panic spreading like wildfire.
Jean stayed quiet, hugging her arms as she listened to the older people argue. They were terrified, angry, ready to point fingers at anything or anyone just to make sense of what was happening.
*****
The arguments outside finally died down, replaced only by frightened whispers. People drifted back to their makeshift shelters, clutching blankets and weapons, glancing nervously into every corner.
Jean slipped away from the group, tightening her jacket as she headed for the broken gate that led toward the eastern alley. Her steps were quiet but determined.
"Jean?"Ashlyn's voice stopped her.
Jean turned. Ashlyn and Mina were standing behind her, both tired, both still shaken, but alert enough to know something was wrong.
"Where are you going?" Ashlyn asked, stepping closer. "It's dangerous out there."
Jean hesitated only a moment before answering honestly."Alex," she said softly. "He's alone. I left him at the hideout yesterday morning… I need to know if he's safe."
Ashlyn blinked, surprised. "Jean… you can't go out there now. We just got attacked. Those things are still roaming the streets."
"I know," Jean whispered. "But Alex doesn't have anyone else. He's probably still waiting for me. Maybe he's injured. Maybe he's trapped."
Her voice cracked."I can't sit here while he's out there."
Ashlyn's eyes softened — she knew that feeling far too well.
"Then I'm coming with you," she said firmly.
Behind them, Mina's shaky voice rose. "I'll… I'll stay here."
The girls turned toward her.
Mina hugged her arms tightly. "There are so many injured. Even if people don't heal properly… I can at least stop bleeding. Change bandages. Give water. Something. I'm not strong like you two, but… I can help here."
Jean placed a hand on Mina's shoulder. "That means everything. They need you."
Mina nodded, biting her lip as fear shimmered in her eyes. "Just be careful. Please."
*****
Mina nodded, biting her lip as fear shimmered in her eyes."Just be careful. Please."
Jean pulled her close for a brief hug, then let go.
Ashlyn and Jean slipped out of the broken gate and stepped into the abandoned, sun-bleached street. The world outside felt harsher than ever. What was once a familiar road was now a long stretch of cracked pavement, half-collapsed buildings, and cars melted under the old explosions of two years ago.
The sky overhead glowed a dull, burning white — no clouds, no shade. Just a merciless sun that felt hotter every day since the world changed.
Sweat rolled down Jean's neck within minutes.Ashlyn lifted a hand over her eyes, squinting."Damn… this heat's getting worse," she muttered.
Jean nodded. "We need to move fast. If the scavengers don't find us… the sun will cook us alive."
They walked quietly, sticking close to the walls for what little shadow they could find. Every distant sound — the clatter of metal, the whisper of wind — made them tense.
Then they heard footsteps.Fast. Heavy.
Jean grabbed Ashlyn's wrist. "Someone's coming."
From the corner three figures suddenly burst out — sprinting full speed across the street.
Jean's heart nearly stopped.
"Reptile Gang…"
Ashlyn stiffened, ready to summon fire at any second.
The gang members were recognizable by their mottled skin — patches of hardened, rough scales in green or brown, covering parts of their arms and necks. Their eyes were rounder too, almost reptilian.
One looked straight at the girls.
Jean stepped back, ready to run—
But the gang didn't slow.Didn't threaten.Didn't even look interested in them.
Instead, they sprinted past the girls, wild fear in their faces. One screamed something as he passed.
"Run—you idiots—just RUN!"
Jean blinked. "W-What—?"
But the sound that followed explained everything.
A deep, wet, dragging noise… like bones scraping against concrete.
Ashlyn froze."Jean… don't tell me—"
From the alley the Reptile Gang fled from, something enormous stepped out.
Jean's legs nearly gave out.
A Soul Walker.
But not like any they had ever seen.
It towered over them, easily three times the height of a normal walker. Its body was skeletal — ribs exposed, spine twisted, legs long and thin like sharpened bone. Through its translucent torso, the faint outline of screaming souls could be seen, writhing inside its chest like trapped ghosts.
Green liquid dripped from its bones — glowing, bubbling, hissing as it hit the pavement.
Jean gagged at the smell."Is… is that acid?"
Ashlyn's voice trembled. "Jean… it has… three heads."
At the top of its neck — or what used to be a neck — three skulls protruded, fused together by stretched, translucent tendons. All three skulls had empty eye sockets that burned with eerie green flames.
Each head moved separately.Each one stared in a different direction.Searching.
Hunting.
The creature let out a sound — a distorted, echoing wail that vibrated the ground beneath their feet.Like three voices overlapping, screaming from the depths of hell.
Jean covered her ears, dropping to her knees. "A-Ashlyn—!"
Jean covered her ears, dropping to her knees."A-Ashlyn—!"
The three-headed monster suddenly stopped screaming.
The air fell silent.Too silent.
All three skulls turned at the same time—slowlyunnaturallyuntil all six empty eye sockets locked onto the girls.
Ashlyn's breath hitched."H-He stopped…"
Jean felt every hair on her arms stand up.
Then—
CRAAAAACK!
The creature lurched forward with terrifying speed, its elongated limbs slamming against the ground as the acid dripping from its bones burned through the pavement.
"JEAN, MOVE!" Ashlyn screamed.
But Jean didn't need the warning.
She grabbed Ashlyn's wrist hard and yanked her up.
"RUN!"
The girls bolted toward the nearest narrow street—broken buildings leaning over it like jagged teeth. The creature roared behind them, the sound bouncing through the empty city like thunder.
Ashlyn's feet slammed against the hot pavement.Jean's lungs burned from the heat and fear.
The monster's three heads snapped and twisted as it gave chase, its bone claws tearing through abandoned cars and broken walls just to reach them.
They sprinted through the narrow street, shadows swallowing them up.
"Left!" Jean shouted.
They swerved into an alley lined with cracked walls and collapsed roofs. Dust fell from above with every footstep. Ashlyn's flames flickered weakly on her fingertips, giving them a little light.
Behind them—
BOOOOM!
The monster slammed into the street entrance, too large to fit.
The buildings shook.Chunks of concrete rained from above.
"JEAN LOOK OUT!"
Jean dodged a falling beam, grabbing Ashlyn's arm and pulling her with her. They sprinted past a collapsed storefront.
The monster began forcing itself in, pushing through the walls with its gigantic skeletal arms. Stone exploded outward as it pried the alley wider.
Ashlyn screamed as green acid splattered near her feet.
"Faster—FASTER!"
They ran across a broken walkway, then jumped over a smashed vending machine. Jean's breath came in sharp bursts. Sweat dripped down her back. Her legs shook but she didn't stop.
The creature let out another guttural roar as it tore through the alley and crawled after them, its three skulls scraping the walls as it pushed forward.
Jean pointed toward an opening."Through that door—GO!"
The girls slipped through a broken doorway into an old apartment building. The hallway inside was dark, filled with old furniture and dusty papers. Jean stumbled over a fallen cabinet but kept going.
Behind them, the building trembled.
CRASH!
The monster rammed the wall, sending cracks across the ceiling.
Ashlyn grabbed Jean's hand tighter. "He's breaking through!"
The girls dashed through the hall, past shattered windows and overturned tables, navigating the debris as fast as their feet allowed.
Jean slammed her shoulder into another door—It burst open into a stairwell.
Up or down?
She didn't think.She followed instinct.
"UP!"
They climbed, skipping steps, panting, slipping on dust and dirt. Above them, the ceiling groaned as the monster crawled into the building.
Ashlyn looked back once—and instantly regretted it.
"He's coming INSIDE, JEAN!"
Jean didn't look. She just pushed her legs harder.
They reached the rooftop door, kicked it open—
—and burst into blinding light.
The rooftop was cracked and uneven. The heat was intense, almost burning their skin, but at least there was space.
Jean fell onto her knees, gasping.
"We… we can't outrun that thing…"
Ashlyn turned back toward the door, fire sparking weakly in her palms.
"Then we fight," she whispered, voice trembling but brave.
But the monster's shadow grew larger—
As its three skull heads pushed through the stairwell darkness.
And they realized:
Escape was no longer possible.
The giant Soul Walker — its skeletal frame towering, its three skull heads dripping green acid — cracked its joints as it crawled onto the rooftop. All six of its hollow eye sockets glowed with burning green fire, flickering like torches in the darkness.
Jean's throat tightened.
Ashlyn raised her trembling hands, trying to summon flames even though her energy was nearly drained from the run.
"Jean…" Ashlyn whispered."We can't outrun this."
Jean slowly nodded, her breath shaking.They both knew.They both understood.
This wasn't a normal Soul Walker.This thing hunted differently.With purpose.With intelligence.And with hunger.
"Stay behind me," Ashlyn said, forcing courage into her voice. Fire flickered weakly at her fingertips. "Maybe—maybe we can blind it… or slow it down—"
Jean grabbed her hand."Ash… even fire won't stop that thing."
Still, Ashlyn lifted her arms — hands glowing faintly orange, ready for a hopeless fight.
The creature screeched, a horrible, overlapping roar from all three skulls. The acid dripping from its ribs sizzled on the rooftop, burning through the concrete like hot oil.
Jean stumbled back as the monster moved closer, its bone claws scraping the floor.
The girls pressed their backs against the far wall — nowhere left to run.
Jean squeezed her friend's hand."Ashlyn… in case—"
"No." Ashlyn's voice was firm despite her shaking."We're getting out of this. We promised Mina."
Jean swallowed, but nodded.
The Soul Walker lunged.
Its massive skeletal arm came crashing down toward them like a falling tree—
SHHHHK-CRAAAAAACK!
But something slammed into the monster from the side — hard enough to knock its entire upper body off balance.
Jean jerked her head toward the impact.
"What—?!"
A figure had crashed into the Soul Walker, legs digging into the rooftop gravel, shoulder driving into the monster's ribcage like a battering ram.
Not a human.Not fully.
The figure's body was covered in thick reptile scales — black and emerald green, armor-hard and shimmering. Long claws extended from his fingers. His eyes glowed yellow, vertical pupils narrowing sharply as he snarled.
A tail flicked behind him — long, powerful, and scaled.
"A Reptile Gang member…" Jean breathed, horrified."No… no, no—Ashlyn—"
Ashlyn pulled Jean behind her again, flames flickering defensively.They had been saved —but by a cannibal.
The mutated man shoved the Soul Walker backward with a roar far too deep and feral for any normal human.
The monster stumbled, cracking the rooftop as its knees bent.
Then the creature let out a booming screech, turning all three skull heads toward him. A wave of acidic mist burst from its jaws.
The reptile-mutant leapt aside just in time, landing in a crouch.
Jean whispered, "Ashlyn… what do we do?! He's going to attack us next!"
"I don't know!" Ashlyn hissed. "Just stay behind me!"
The mutant dashed toward them—
Jean gasped—
But he didn't attack.
"MOVE!" he barked, voice rough and deep.
He grabbed both girls by their arms and shoved them toward the rooftop edge.
Jean shrieked, "HEY—!"
Ashlyn flared her flames. "LET GO OF US!"
"Do you want to DIE?!" the reptile-man snarled.
Jean froze.
Ashlyn hesitated.
Behind them—
BOOOOOM!
The Soul Walker charged again, its three jaws snapping shut in the air where the girls had just been standing.
The impact shattered a large chunk of the rooftop.
The reptile-mutant lifted both girls effortlessly — one under each arm — and jumped.
"JEAAAN—!!"Ashlyn screamed as the world flipped upside down.
They plummeted off the building—
—but landed only a few meters below on a hanging metal balcony. The metal groaned but held.
The reptile-man didn't waste a second.He dropped the girls onto the balcony and leapt again, smashing through a nearby window.
Jean and Ashlyn tumbled after him, scraping their hands on broken glass.
The three landed inside an abandoned apartment.
The reptile-man slammed the window shut — even though it was already broken — then crouched low as the Soul Walker's three skulls poked over the rooftop's edge.
Jean covered her mouth to stifle a scream.
The creature's skull heads sniffed the air, jaws dripping acid. Its bone claws stretched downward, reaching…
Ashlyn whispered, "Please don't find us… please don't find us…"
The reptile-mutant grabbed them both by the shoulders — surprisingly gentle for someone so monstrous."Don't breathe," he growled softly."Don't even move."
They listened.
The Soul Walker leaned farther down, green flames burning inside its skulls as it searched…
All three heads twisted…sniffed…snarled…
The air was so silent Jean could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.
The creature let out a rattling hiss—then pulled itself back up.
Its heavy footsteps shook dust from the ceiling as it crawled away across the rooftop.
They waited.And waited.Until the distant screech finally faded.
Only then did the reptile-man—still crouched protectively—finally breathe out a long, tired sigh.
"Good," he muttered. "It didn't scent you."
Jean and Ashlyn backed away instantly.
Ashlyn summoned fire into her palms."Don't come any closer! We know what your gang does—!"
The reptile-mutant raised his hands quickly, claws open but harmless."Easy! Hey—HEY—calm down!" he barked, stepping back. "If I wanted you dead, I would have left you for that thing."
Jean glared with shaking knees."Why SAVE us? Your gang eats people."
He winced in annoyance. "THEY do. Not me."
Ashlyn didn't lower her flames.
"Who are you?"
The reptile-mutant scratched the back of his head awkwardly — a strangely shy gesture for someone with razor-sharp claws.
"Skevin," he muttered. "Name's Skevin."
Jean narrowed her eyes."That your real name? Or one of those stupid names your gang makes up after mutating?"
Skevin grimaced. "It's my real name. I kept it."
"Why?" Jean demanded.
Skevin's scaled shoulders slumped slightly."Because changing my name means I'm one of them," he said quietly."And I'm not. I didn't ask to mutate. I didn't ask to be part of their tribe. I sure as hell didn't ask to eat people."
Jean and Ashlyn exchanged a glance — fear still in their eyes, but also confusion.
Skevin rubbed his arm, looking embarrassed, almost boyishly shy despite his monstrous form.
"My name's Skevin," he repeated softly."That's who I am. That's who I'm staying."
The girls didn't answer.
They were still terrified.Still unsure.Still wary.
Ashlyn's flames hovered in her palms, small but bright, casting flickering light over peeling wallpaper and broken furniture. Dust hung in the air like a thin fog. The apartment smelled of rust, mold, and something old that had long given up on being alive.
Skevin stood near the shattered window, his scaled hands raised in surrender, claws open and away from his body.
"I'm not your enemy," he said, voice low but steady. "Whether you believe that or not… I just kept you from being chewed on by that… thing."
Jean's throat was dry. She couldn't deny that. She also couldn't ignore the way his sharp teeth flashed when he talked or how his tail moved slowly behind him, heavy and reptilian.
Ashlyn's gaze stayed locked on him. "Then what are you?"
Skevin snorted softly. "Bad luck in humanoid form, apparently."
He shifted his weight, the scales on his neck catching Ashlyn's firelight. Up close, they saw more clearly—he wasn't entirely swallowed by the mutation. Patches of rough green-black scales crawled up his arms, neck, and jaw, but parts of his face still had human skin. His nose, though sharper, was still human-shaped. His eyes were slitted—but not completely cold. There was something restless, almost guilty, behind them.
Jean's jaw clenched. "Reptile Gang killed children near East Market. They tore a man apart for fun near the old bridge. Don't expect us to trust anyone with scales."
Skevin's jaw tightened. "I know what they've done."
"Yeah?" Ashlyn demanded. "Were you there with them?"
His gaze dropped for a moment.
"I was there," he said. "But I wasn't… with them."
Jean's eyes narrowed. "That doesn't even make sense."
"It does," he shot back. "To me, it does."
He walked to the side, careful to stay where they could see him, and leaned his shoulder against a cracked wall. His tail flicked once in irritation.
"The mutation came first," he said. "I woke up with scales, claws… the hunger. The instinct. I tried to go back to my family." He gave a short, sharp laugh. "They slammed the door in my face before I could even explain."
Ashlyn's flames dimmed slightly.
"Reptile Gang showed up a week later," Skevin went on. "They 'invited' me in. Said I was one of them now. Said I had to earn food… by finding 'meat.'" His voice twisted around the word.
"You didn't say no?" Jean pushed.
"Say no to people who can rip your spine out through your throat?" Skevin snapped. Then he sighed, shoulders slumping. "I stalled. I pretended. I scouted ahead and 'lost' targets. I scared people away when I could. They started noticing. Called me soft. Weak."
Ashlyn studied him carefully. "…And today?"
He glanced at them. "Today I saw two idiots running from a three-headed Soul Walker and thought, 'Hey, let's make terrible decisions again.'"
Despite everything, Jean almost snorted. Almost.
Before she could reply, the floor gave a faint rumble beneath their feet.
All three froze.
Skevin's head snapped up, eyes narrowing. "We're not done yet," he muttered. "It's still close."
The faint, distant wail of the mutated Soul Walker rolled over the rooftops, muffled by the building walls but unmistakable. It echoed like a chorus of the dead.
Ashlyn's flames flared higher again. "How did it even find us in the first place?"
"They're drawn to strong energy," Skevin replied. "Soul residue. Ability usage. Fear." His eyes flicked to Ashlyn's hands. "You burned a lot of power earlier. It smells that."
Jean exchanged a quick look with Ashlyn.
"Can it… track us?" Jean asked quietly.
"Yes," Skevin said. "But it's not perfect. If we move fast and quiet, we can lose it in the ruins."
"We can move on our own," Ashlyn said immediately.
Skevin lifted a brow. "You almost died on that rooftop."
"We didn't ask for your help."
"Yeah," he said dryly. "That's usually how saving someone works."
The building trembled again—more violently this time. Plaster dust rained from the ceiling. Somewhere above them, a heavy object crashed.
Skevin straightened, all humor draining from his face. "We don't have time to argue. That thing's searching building by building. Once it scents you again, the walls won't matter."
Jean swallowed. "Where do we go?"
Skevin moved to the doorway, peeking into the dark hallway beyond. "There's an old stairwell that leads down to the laundromat level. From there, we cut through the back storage, cross the alley, and access the underground tram tunnel."
Ashlyn frowned. "You know all that?"
He shrugged. "You learn every exit if you spend your life being hunted. Now shut off the fire."
Ashlyn hesitated. Her flames were the only real comfort she had. But after a second, she curled her fingers, and the light vanished, plunging them into shadow.
Skevin's eyes glowed faint yellow in the dark.
Jean's heart pounded. "How are we supposed to see?"
"You're not," Skevin said matter-of-factly. "You're supposed to step where I step and not fall behind. Stay close, don't talk, don't scream unless I say so. If we're lucky, it won't find us."
"And if we're not lucky?" Ashlyn asked.
Skevin smiled without humor. "Then I'll buy you enough time to run again."
They didn't like that answer.
But they didn't have a better one.
He jerked his head. "Let's move."
He stepped into the hallway, his scaled feet surprisingly quiet on the broken tiles. Jean and Ashlyn exchanged a look in the dark—fear, distrust, a hint of reluctant hope.
Then they followed.
The hallway smelled like mold and dust. Their footsteps sounded too loud, no matter how carefully they stepped. Jean brushed a hand against the wall to steady herself. The darkness was almost absolute except when faint beams of light slipped through cracks.
Skevin moved ahead of them, barely making a sound. His tail never dragged; it lifted and shifted with his weight like a counterbalance.
He stopped once and held up his hand. They froze.
The building creaked.
Outside, a long dragging sound scraped across concrete, like bone claws clawing along the side of the structure.
The Soul Walker was close.
Jean swallowed her breath.
The dragging stopped.
The air stilled.
Then, slowly, Skevin moved again.
They reached a stairwell door, warped and half-broken. Skevin grabbed the rusted handle and pulled it silently, using only enough force to ease it open just enough to pass through.
The stairwell beyond was dark, the railings rusted and broken. Some steps were missing entirely.
"Careful," Skevin whispered. "Step where I step. Nothing else."
He moved down the stairs with fluid, practiced ease, testing each step before putting his full weight on it. Sometimes he stepped on the edges. Sometimes he skipped a step entirely.
Jean followed, copying his movements. Ashlyn kept one hand on Jean's shoulder so she wouldn't miss a step in the dark.
Halfway down, they heard it:
THUD.
Something heavy landed on the roof above them.
Then—
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
The sound of bone claws digging into concrete.
The Soul Walker was on the building.
Ashlyn's grip on Jean's shoulder tightened painfully.
Skevin turned his head slightly. His voice was just breath. "Don't stop. Don't speed up. Just keep moving."
They reached the bottom of the stairwell and slipped into a hallway that smelled faintly of old detergent and mildew.
"This way," Skevin whispered. "Laundry floor."
They stepped into a wide room filled with rusted, overturned washing machines and cracked tiles. Glass from shattered windows crunched softly underfoot.
Outside, the Soul Walker wailed again.
The sound was closer now, echoing through the broken walls. One of the windows shuddered as something heavy brushed past it.
Skevin's head snapped toward the sound.
It paused.
One of the three skulls appeared outside the cracked window, green flames burning in its eye sockets, jaw dripping glowing liquid.
Jean bit back a scream, her entire body going rigid.
The skull turned slowly, scanning.
Skevin reached behind him, grabbed Jean and Ashlyn by the back of their shirts and dragged them down behind an overturned row of machines.
"Don't breathe," he whispered sharply. "Not deep. Shallow."
Their hearts hammered as the skull's empty sockets seemed to stare straight into the room.
Acid dripped from its teeth onto the windowsill, burning sizzling holes into the metal.
The skull leaned farther in, as though sniffing.
Skevin positioned himself in front of the girls, one arm braced on the ground, ready to move. His tail curled around them slightly, shield-like.
Long seconds dragged by.
The skull hissed.
Then, slowly, it withdrew.
The heavy scraping of bone claws moved along the outer wall again as the creature crawled past the building.
Skevin waited three more breaths before he moved. "Now. Back door."
He led them to the rear exit — a broken metal door hanging crooked on its hinges. Through the gap, they saw a narrow alley: piles of trash, a toppled dumpster, and a low wall leading to another ruined row of shops.
Skevin slipped out first, scanning the rooftops and corners.
"All clear. Move."
They climbed over the fallen trash quietly, ducking under a twisted fire escape. The alley was hot and smelled terrible, like rot and chemicals.
"How do you even know where you're going?" Jean whispered as they crouched behind a burned-out car.
"You think Reptile Gang only hunts in one area?" Skevin replied. "I've had to stay one street ahead of them for months. I know every hole you can crawl into in this city."
He peeked around the edge of the car.
Far down the alley, beyond two collapsing buildings, the ground dipped sharply—where the old tram tracks ran underground.
"That tunnel." He pointed with a clawed finger. "Once we're inside, we can put distance between us and that thing."
"And run straight into more scavengers?" Ashlyn muttered.
Skevin's lips twitched. "One problem at a time, fire girl."
She bristled. "Don't call me that."
"If you don't tell me your name, I use what I have."
"Then don't call me anything."
Even whispering, they managed to argue.
Jean almost rolled her eyes. It felt… weirdly normal, given everything.
Skevin motioned again. "We go in bursts. Three-point cover. There." He pointed at a broken signpost. "Then the collapsed balcony. Then down the slope. Stay low. If we're lucky, it won't look down this corridor."
Jean frowned. "You keep saying 'if we're lucky'."
"That's because we're not," Skevin said. "Move."
He dashed forward, body close to the ground, tail flowing behind him. He dove behind the signpost, then waved them over.
Jean and Ashlyn ran, keeping their heads down, hearts pounding.
They reached the signpost in a rush of ragged breaths.
"Next," Skevin whispered. "Balcony."
He went first again, darting to the shadow under the balcony of an old café. As they ran after him, the building shook—
A chilling wail ripped through the air above them.
The Soul Walker had found a scent again.
Ashlyn stumbled, panic flaring in her chest. "It knows—!"
"Don't stop!" Skevin snapped. He grabbed her arm and yanked her behind the balcony just as a stream of green acid spewed down from the rooftop above.
It hit the ground where Ashlyn had just been.
The pavement hissed and melted in seconds, leaving a bubbling pit.
Jean stared, horrified. "That… that would have—"
"Dissolved you. Yes," Skevin said curtly. "Now you see why we move when I say move."
The Soul Walker's three heads leaned over the roof edge again, scanning the alley. Spits of green liquid dripped like glowing rain.
Skevin squeezed into the darkest part of the shadow and pulled the girls closer. His scales brushed their arms—hard, slightly cold. It sent a shiver through Jean, but she didn't pull away.
The creature's heads turned slowly, flames in its skulls casting ghostly green across the walls. It sniffed. Hissed. One skull snapped at a flying crow-like mutant that flapped too close.
Then, with another rattling growl, it crawled onward, its heavy steps drifting farther away.
Jean exhaled shakily. "It's like it… knows we're here, but can't pinpoint us."
"It knows someone like you is here," Skevin corrected softly, glancing at Ashlyn. "Fire. Fear. Both smell strong. It's confused by mine. I still smell like predator. Like them."
Ashlyn stared at him. "So you're using your… cannibal scent… to hide us?"
He shrugged awkwardly. "Guess I'm good for something after all."
She didn't quite know how to respond to that.
Skevin peeked around the corner again. "Tunnel entrance. Now. Run."
They bolted.
Their shoes pounded the cracked pavement as they raced to the dipping ground beyond the buildings. The world seemed to tilt as they reached the edge of a collapsed stairway leading down.
The old tram tunnel yawned below—dark, wide, smelling like dust and rusted metal.
"Down we go," Skevin said.
Jean hesitated. "We're just… going into a different kind of death hole."
"Would you prefer the three-headed acid skeleton?" he asked.
She grimaced. "...Fair point."
They climbed down carefully. Stones crumbled under their feet, sliding into the dark tunnel. The air was cooler inside, heavy but not as suffocating as the streets.
Once they reached the tram tracks, the sound of the outside world dulled—the monster's distant roars now muffled echoes above.
Skevin exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping. He rubbed the back of his neck, his claws scraping lightly against his scales.
"Well," he muttered. "Congratulations. You are now officially deeper in the city's intestines than most people dare go."
Jean looked around. The tunnel stretched endlessly into black on both sides. Rusted tracks, old warning signs, a few decayed benches.
"What now?" she asked.
"Now we put distance between us and that thing," Skevin replied. "This line runs parallel to several districts. We can surface near a safer zone."
Ashlyn narrowed her eyes. "And what do you want out of this?"
He blinked. "What?"
"Why help us more than you already did?" she said, voice suspicious. "Fine, you saved us back there. Maybe you didn't want us eaten. But why keep guiding us? Why risk your neck again and again?"
Skevin looked away, expression tightening.
"…You really want an honest answer?" he muttered.
"Yes," Jean said instantly.
He scratched the back of his head again, visibly uncomfortable. It was almost comical seeing this scaled, clawed, sharp-toothed mutant look like a nervous teenager.
"Because if I leave you," he said quietly, "that thing will hunt you. And if I let that happen when I could've done something…"
He shrugged, gaze on the tracks.
"Then I become exactly what they say we are."
Ashlyn studied him. Her flames remained extinguished, but her eyes were as sharp as ever.
"And what are you?" she asked.
Skevin gave a half-smile, tired but genuine.
"I'm Skevin," he said simply. "Just Skevin. Not 'Fang', not 'Scale King' or 'Skin-Taker' or whatever stupid titles those idiots give themselves. I'm not a monster with a fancy name."
He looked at Jean and Ashlyn directly now, his yellow eyes steady.
"I'm just a guy who got stuck in the wrong skin."
Silence settled over them.
The tunnel hummed with distant vibrations—dripping water, distant rats, the moan of shifting metal—but for a moment, none of it mattered.
Ashlyn crossed her arms, sighing.
"You're still creepy," she muttered.
"Yeah," he replied. "I know."
"Try anything," she added, "and I'll burn your face."
He smirked slightly. "Fair deal."
He turned and started walking along the tracks, tail swaying behind him.
After a short pause, Jean and Ashlyn followed.
They kept a few steps of distance between them and him—close enough to benefit from his guidance… but not close enough to forget what he was.
Mutated.
Dangerous.
Half-monster.
But also the reason they were still alive.
Jean glanced at his back, then at Ashlyn.
"Do you think we can trust him?" she whispered.
Ashlyn didn't answer right away.
Finally, she said, "I don't know."
Then, softer:
"But for now… we don't have a choice."
As they walked deeper into the dark tram tunnel—heading toward whatever passed for safety in their broken world—the distant roar of the three-headed Soul Walker echoed faintly from somewhere far above.
It would hunt again.
It would track again.
And somewhere, watching it all unfold—
someone else was testing the limits of what remained of humanity.
Far above the ruined streets and collapsed buildings, on the rooftop of a half-destroyed tower, two figures stood under the ashen sky.
One was a girl cloaked entirely in black. Her hood was pulled low, hiding her face, but long strands of silver-white hair slipped out from beneath it. In her hands, she held a crystal ball, swirling with mist and green fire.
Inside the orb, the image shifted like liquid—showing the three-headed Soul Walker rampaging through the district, tearing through walls and shredding metal with its bone claws. Every scream, every collapse of concrete, echoed faintly inside the crystal.
The girl sighed loudly."Why did you mutate another Soul Walker?" she asked, sounding more irritated than afraid. "That's the third one this week. You know the rules. You're not allowed to create more high-class abominations."
A boy stepped out from the shadow behind her.
He was tall, wearing a torn military jacket splattered with dried green stains, and his hair—messy, almost silver—fell over eyes that glowed faintly blue. Something about his smile was too sharp, too casual.
He shrugged lazily."What's the fun in rules?" he said. "Besides… watching the original Soul Walkers wander around aimlessly is boring. The spectators want excitement."
"The spectators," the girl muttered. "Always the spectators. Can't they enjoy silence for once?"
The boy leaned beside her, hands tucked in his pockets as he watched the distant monster slam another shelter wall into rubble.
"You were supposed to be quiet this century, right?" he said teasingly. "Isn't that what you begged for?"
The girl glared at him—not that he could see it under the hood, but the energy around her dropped in temperature.
"I was supposed to be sleeping," she snapped. "Resting. Not standing in this abandoned world surrounded by rotting buildings, chasing mutated trash because you can't control yourself."
He smirked. "Oh, come on. You hate pretending you don't enjoy the chaos."
"I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I really—"
"Yes," he interrupted again, grinning widely, "you do."
The girl made a small growling noise and tapped the crystal ball harder than necessary. The image inside rippled and changed, showing another angle of the Soul Walker dragging its bone limbs through the ruins.
Green acid dripped from its jaws.Windows shattered under its roar.
"This one is too strong," she said. "It'll destroy too much too fast."
"That's the point," the boy replied. "Master said we need to make things interesting. The old world collapsed already. There's nothing left but the game."
The girl tilted her head slightly."And this 'game' requires making new monsters? Twisting souls even further? Violating the balance?"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice."It's his order."
Those words silenced her.
Even the air seemed to still.
After a long breath, the girl whispered,"…I hate this."
"I know," he replied. "But we don't choose. We obey. Master creates the rules. We just move the pieces."
She looked into the crystal ball again.The giant Soul Walker slammed its skeletal arm through an abandoned store, sending chunks of brick falling onto the empty street.
Another building collapsed.Another echo of destruction.
"Poor humans," she murmured. "They don't even understand they're entertainment now."
"Some do," the boy said quietly. "A few always notice."
"And the others?"
He smiled.
"They scream, they run, and the spectators clap. That's how it's always been."
The girl tightened her grip on the crystal.
"And when it ends?"
The boy turned to leave, walking toward the edge of the rooftop.
"When it ends," he said, "Master resets the board."
He paused, glancing back at her with a sharp grin.
"And we start again."
The girl watched him disappear into the shadows of the broken tower, her hands trembling around the crystal ball.
Below them, the monster roared—and the world continued breaking.