The Struggle Within
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A War Between Two Minds
Brian sat on his porch, blood still clinging to his skin. The night air was cool, but it did nothing to settle the heat inside him.
Ghost lay beside him, licking his wounds, but his eyes never left Brian.
They had hunted. Killed.
And Brian had enjoyed it.
That was the part that unsettled him.
Not the fight. Not the kill.
The thrill.
A year ago, he was just a man. An outsider to society, sure. Someone who preferred solitude over the mess of civilization.
But still human.
Now?
Now he wasn't so sure.
His breathing was slow, measured.
His heart rate steady, unshaken.
His muscles ached, but not from fatigue.
It felt like his body was waiting. Preparing.
For what, he didn't know.
And that was the part that terrified him.
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The Physical Changes
The next morning, he washed in the river.
That was when he truly saw the difference.
✔ His face was leaner. Sharper. Like his features had been carved deeper into his skull.
✔ His muscles weren't just larger—they were denser. Coiled, powerful, built for movement.
✔ His veins ran darker, pulsing like something lived beneath his skin.
✔ His eyes…
His eyes weren't his anymore.
They glowed faintly in the morning light.
Not a bright, unnatural glow—but there was something there. A predator's awareness.
Something watching. Calculating.
Ghost stared at him.
Not in fear.
In understanding.
Brian ran a hand through his thick beard.
His fingernails were harder now. Sharper.
What the hell am I becoming?
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The Logical Choice
He sat on the riverbank, staring at his own reflection.
Part of him wanted to fight this.
He had left the world behind because he wanted peace. Simplicity.
Now, his world was war.
If he gave in to the change, he knew where it would lead.
✔ He would become faster. Stronger. A better hunter.
✔ He would lose parts of himself.
✔ The part that was just a man would fade.
But if he fought the change?
✔ He would be weaker.
✔ He would risk losing everything.
And Brian Wallace was a pragmatist.
Survival came first.
Always.
He exhaled.
The world had changed. He had to change with it.
But that didn't mean he had to lose himself.
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Pushing the Limits
For the next few days, Brian pushed his body. Tested himself.
✔ Strength – He lifted a fallen log that should have taken two men to move.
✔ Speed – He could run miles without tiring, breath steady.
✔ Instincts – His body reacted before his mind did. A sixth sense warning him of danger.
✔ Senses – He could hear the heartbeat of a rabbit twenty feet away.
He was evolving.
Not like the infected, twisted and broken.
But something else. Something better.
And if this infection had changed him, how far had it spread?
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Territorial Instincts
Something in his mind had shifted.
Before, his land was just a home. A retreat.
Now?
It was his territory.
✔ He patrolled the perimeter daily.
✔ He reinforced every trap, every defense.
✔ He marked his territory. He didn't even realize it at first—scratching into trees, leaving physical warnings to anything that tried to cross.
When he spotted an infected bear wandering too close, he didn't think about it.
He hunted it. Killed it. Burned the remains.
And the moment it was gone, he felt at ease again.
As if he had removed a challenger.
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Resisting the Call
But he wouldn't let it take him completely.
✔ He still cooked meals, not just ate raw meat.
✔ He still slept in a bed, not outside like an animal.
✔ He still spoke to himself, kept his thoughts sharp.
He wouldn't let himself become a beast.
He was still Brian Wallace.
For now.
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The Next Step
The mountain was his.
But something else was coming.
✔ The infected were changing faster.
✔ The land itself was reacting to whatever had come down.
✔ He wasn't alone in this anymore.
And sooner or later, something stronger would come to challenge him.
He needed to be ready.
He needed to be more.
And he had to walk the line between man and monster.
Because if he didn't—
He would lose everything.
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