The clouds over the city turned crimson by morning.
Not the scattered drizzle of the first storm, but a pulsing, roiling sky that glowed like blood under a blacklight. The red rain hadn't returned yet—but the pressure in the air told Marcus it would.
Soon.
Inside the gym, Danny stirred restlessly under a pile of gym towels Marcus had turned into a makeshift bed. His breathing was shallow, but steady. The half-mutation still hadn't finished transforming—or killing him—and Marcus didn't know which outcome the kid was drifting toward.
[Mutation Status: Unstable. Viral Load Contained Within Dormant Neural Cyst.][Chance of Host Survival (Without Intervention): 3%]
"That's not good," Marcus muttered. "There has to be a way."
[System Note: Data Incomplete. Cure Potential Requires Catalyst Sample – Class: Hive Alpha]
"Hive Alpha?" Marcus looked toward the broken window. "You want me to fight their… leader?"
[Affirmative. Hive Alpha Mutation Exhibits Controlled Evolution and Virus Stabilization Capabilities.][Warning: Risk Level – Terminal.]
He stared down at his hands. They looked the same. Fingers. Skin. Scars. But he didn't feel the same anymore. There was something humming beneath his skin now—some pulse of energy he couldn't shut off. And it was getting stronger every hour.
He wasn't the last human anymore.
Not really.
He was something new.
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He found the tracks near the football field.
Three-toed. Deep impressions. Whatever left them had weight—more than a car. The soil had been scorched in perfect circles, like radiation burns. At the edge of the field, old Harrow's body was gone. Drag marks trailed into the woods behind the school.
He followed.
The forest was quiet. Too quiet. No birds. No rustling wind. The trees stood like bones, stripped by the rain, their bark peeled back in layers like diseased skin. But Marcus wasn't afraid.
He felt the presence now. Felt it in his bones.
The Hive was close.
[New Threat Detected: Hive Cluster – Perimeter Proximity Breached][Environmental Modifier Engaged: Pheromonal Confusion Field Active]
Suddenly, he couldn't smell the rot anymore. Couldn't hear the birds that weren't there. His balance tilted slightly, like gravity was wrong. He blinked, and the trees seemed… taller. Closer. Alive.
"Okay," he whispered, gripping his axe. "Let's see what apex monsters are made of."
Then he saw it.
A clearing, scorched bare. In the center stood the Hive.
It looked like a cocoon—but built from flesh and bone and metal. A pulsing structure, six stories tall, vibrating with breath. Around it moved creatures—dozens—mutated dogs, birds, lizards… all circling, guarding, obeying.
But Marcus wasn't looking at them.
His eyes were on the thing in the center.
The Hive Alpha.
It stood hunched, at least ten feet tall, with elongated limbs and a face stitched with metal. Tubes pulsed in and out of its back. Its chest glowed faintly—bright red beneath translucent skin. It didn't move like the others. It stood still. Watching.
And then, without warning—
[Alert: Hive Alpha Has Detected You]
The thing's head tilted.
Marcus gripped the axe tighter. "Yeah, I see you too."
[Optional Evolution Unlocked: Predator's Gaze][Activate to Assert Dominance Signal?]
He hesitated—then nodded.
[Dominance Pulse Emitted]
The world froze.
For three heartbeats, nothing moved. Not the wind. Not the creatures. Not even the Alpha.
Then, one by one, the guards bowed their heads.
The Hive Alpha screamed.
A psychic shriek tore through the clearing. Birds fell from the sky. The trees cracked. Blood ran from Marcus's nose. He dropped to one knee, gasping.
But he didn't run.
[Evolution Level Insufficient For Complete Supremacy. Host Marked For Elimination.][Engagement Commencing: Hive Alpha Inbound]
The creature lunged.
Marcus raised the axe.
And screamed right back.