The night was too quiet.
No more golden explosions. No more shadowy creatures lurking in the darkness.
Just the distant sound of crumbling buildings and the occasional crackle of fire.
Ethan pushed himself up, wincing. His ribs felt bruised—maybe cracked. Olivia and Noah helped him to his feet, their faces still pale with shock.
Blaze whined, pressing his nose against Ethan's leg, as if checking to make sure he was real. Shadow, the stray cat, had somehow perched on Olivia's shoulder, its tail twitching anxiously.
Adrian was gone.
The man who had once ruled this wasteland with godlike power had been dragged into an abyss.
So why didn't it feel like they had won?
Uncertainty
Noah exhaled, running a hand through his dirt-streaked hair. "So… what now?"
Ethan glanced around. The city was still in ruins. The infected were still out there. And Adrian—wherever he had been taken—was probably not gone for good.
"We find a place to rest," Ethan said. "Regroup. Figure out our next move."
Olivia nodded, but there was tension in her eyes. "Do you think they'll come back?"
"The shadows?" Noah asked.
She shook her head. "Him."
Silence.
No one had to say his name.
Adrian had been too powerful, too stubborn. Ethan doubted he would just… fade away.
"We prepare," he finally said. "Because if he does… next time, we finish it."
A New Threat
The group moved carefully through the ruined streets, navigating around collapsed buildings and burned-out cars.
They weren't just looking for shelter.
They were looking for signs.
For anything that hinted at what those shadow creatures really were… and why they had come now.
Valerie, who had been mostly quiet since the battle, finally spoke. "They weren't here for us."
Ethan glanced at her. "No. They wanted Adrian."
Noah frowned. "That's what worries me."
Ethan understood what he meant. If those creatures were powerful enough to drag Adrian away, it meant one thing—
There were things out there even stronger than him.
And if Adrian was afraid of them…
What the hell were they up against?
Hope in the Dark
After an hour of walking, they found an abandoned building sturdy enough to use as a temporary shelter.
Ethan slumped against the wall, exhausted. Olivia checked their supplies. Noah kept watch at the window.
Blaze curled up beside Ethan, resting his head on his lap. Shadow, true to its nature, disappeared into the shadows.
For the first time in what felt like forever—they could breathe.
But Ethan didn't close his eyes just yet.
Because out there, beyond the shattered city—something was watching.
And whatever it was…
It wasn't done with them yet.