"Axel!"
"Calm down, I'll get you out of here," he said.
But before he could free Nova, another sound echoed behind him.
The creature stared at them with its black eyes, its body trembling as if holding back rage, and lunged at Axel.
Axel watched the creature leap towards him, reflexively raising his iron rod.
THWACK!
The hard impact pushed him back. The creature growled, its sharp teeth glinting in the room's dim light. Its breath was heavy, filled with savage fury.
He slammed the rod into the creature's knee.
CRACK!
The creature howled, staggering backward. Axel seized the opportunity to rush towards Nova, still bound to the iron chair.
"Can you walk?" he asked quickly.
Nova nodded, though her face was still pale. "Hurry, get me out of here!"
Axel grabbed the handcuff on her wrist, trying to open it. But before he could figure it out—
RAAARRGGHHH!
The creature rose again.
The lab-coated man, who had previously fainted, also woke up, glaring at them with a crazed expression. "You're not going anywhere," he hissed in a shrill voice.
Axel gritted his teeth.
With one powerful swing, he struck Nova's handcuff. The metal didn't break immediately, but it loosened enough to be removed.
Nova quickly stood up and ran.
They both fled the room before the creature could catch them. The bunker corridors seemed longer and more winding, the sounds of footsteps and terrifying growls echoing behind them.
The exit stairs grew closer.
Nova almost reached the door when something grabbed her arm.
She turned quickly—
A man with scarred skin and strange tattoos on his face gripped her.
His eyes were empty, but filled with hunger.
Nova screamed, kicking the man with all her might, sending him stumbling back. Axel immediately pulled her away, and they burst out of the bunker.
They fled into the forest, leaving the horror-filled bunker behind them.
In the heart of the forest, they encountered something even more terrifying.
They numbered in the dozens, standing in a circle around a large bonfire. Their bodies were covered in the same tattoos as those in the cave—strange symbols that Axel didn't understand.
Some carried spears, others held knives and human bones.
And in the center of the circle…
There was a pile of raw, blood-soaked meat.
Nova swallowed hard. "Don't tell me that's…"
Axel tensed. He didn't need to guess.
This was a camp of flesh eaters.
One of the tattooed men turned towards them.
His eyes narrowed, then he grinned widely, revealing reddish teeth.
"Fresh meat," he said in a hoarse voice.
In an instant, the entire camp turned to look at Axel and Nova.
Axel felt his blood run cold as he saw the hungry gazes of the tattooed people. These weren't just a group of wild humans and hunters. They were something else. And they had found their prey.
One of them raised his spear high. "Catch them alive!"
SWISH!
The spear flew quickly towards Axel. Reflexively, he ducked.
THUD!
The spear embedded itself in the tree behind him, just inches from his head.
"We have to run!" Nova shouted, pulling Axel's hand.
They ran as fast as they could into the forest, branches and twigs whipping their faces as they plowed through the bushes.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
The hunters' footsteps grew closer. They moved quickly, the sounds of rough breaths and wild growls echoing through the trees.
"To the right!" Nova pulled him towards a steeper path, descending into a small valley.
Axel glanced back—the hunters were still in pursuit.
But then he saw something that made him grit his teeth.
One of them raised a bow.
"Watch out, arrows!"
SWOOSH!
An arrow flew, nearly hitting Nova. She screamed and fell to the ground.
Axel quickly helped her up. "Hurry!"
But the hunters were closing in.
One of them lunged at Nova with a raised knife.
SLASH!
Nova turned quickly, swinging a large rock in her hand.
CRACK!
The rock struck the man's face hard, sending him crashing to the ground with a bloody nose.
Axel seized the moment to grab a fallen spear. He swung it at two other men trying to approach.
WHACK!
One took a blow to the chest and staggered back, while the other jumped away.
But they were too many.
Axel and Nova knew they couldn't win against this group of trained hunters.
"Let's keep running!" Nova pulled Axel, and they fled deeper into the forest.
Ahead, Axel saw something—a small ravine with a rushing river below.
Nova looked at Axel, breathless. "Don't tell me we have to jump."
Axel glanced back. The hunters were getting closer.
"Do you have another choice?"
Nova clicked her tongue, then gripped Axel's hand tightly. "Let's go!"
Without thinking, they jumped.
SPLASH!
The forceful impact of the water hit their bodies. The strong current immediately pulled them away from the riverbank.
Nova tried to swim to the surface, but the current was too powerful.
Axel tried to reach her hand, but their bodies were swept away by the rushing water.
Above, the hunters watched them from the ravine's edge, some looking frustrated.
"Don't let them escape!" one of them shouted. "Towards the river!"
Axel finally managed to grab a large rock on the river's side and pulled Nova up.
They coughed, breathless.
Nova turned towards the distant sound. "They'll keep chasing us."
Axel nodded, gripping the spear in his hand. "This time, we have to fight back."
Nova looked at him doubtfully. "Fight them all? There are too many!"
Axel looked at her with cold eyes. "They think we're prey. It's time we prove them wrong."
Nova paused, then nodded slowly.
"Alright," she said, gripping her knife tightly. "We're not prey."
"We're hunters now."
In the darkness of the night, Nova and Axel moved along the riverbank, looking for a safe place to hide and strategize. The surrounding forest was silent, only the rustling of leaves and the flowing water accompanying them.
Axel stopped for a moment, his eyes narrowing into the darkness. "We have to think fast. They'll be spreading out to look for us."
Nova nodded, gripping her knife. "We can't keep running. They know this island better than we do."
Axel scanned the surroundings. Then, he saw something—a large tree with roots spreading into the ground, creating a narrow gap underneath. "We can hide there for a while," he whispered.
Without wasting time, they crawled into the gap between the tree roots. The space was large enough for both of them, though they had to squeeze together. From here, they could still observe the forest outside without being easily seen.
Nova took a deep breath. "So... what's your plan?"
Axel looked at her, his voice flat. "We set a trap."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "A trap? With what?"
Axel picked up a small twig from the ground. "They'll be looking for us all night. We'll use that." He drew something on the ground, a simple plan. "We lure them to the rocky area near the river, make them slip or get trapped."
"We need weapons, that would be better," Nova said.
Axel nodded, then pulled out his small knife. "We can make spears from sharp branches. I also saw some rocks that can be used as throwing weapons."
Nova smiled faintly. "So we're really hunting them now?"
Axel looked at her sharply. "If we don't hunt them, they'll hunt us."
They began working in silence, gathering anything that could be used. Nova sharpened the ends of branches, while Axel arranged rocks along the path they would use as a trap.
The night wind blew cold.
Then, the sound came.
CRACK!
Someone stepped on a twig in the distance.
Axel held his breath, signaling Nova to be quiet.
From the root gap, they saw a dark shadow moving among the trees.
They were coming.
Nova felt her heartbeat quicken.