The beeping ended quickly. Saeda pressed it once more, silencing it, though she wondered if whispering through her telecom would have been safer. Would her voice have been too faint? And would the beeping have doomed Zod?

  When Zod suddenly froze, she felt relief—though it wasn’t the sound that stopped him. It was the vibration from his arm. His telecom.

  Tee and Kie halted at the alarm as well. Miko clamped her hands over her mouth and nose to stifle any noise. Below, the air darkened as black fog spun into tiny tornadoes. When the smoke cleared, two figures in dark attire appeared—and with them, another cloaked in bandages.

  "We know you're all here," boomed a chorus of deep, unified voices, shaking the air.

  At that sound, Zod stalled mid-leap on a branch, paralyzed by shock. The others froze too, trapped in silence.

  The slender figure—stood apart from Legion, yet he still called himself ‘we.’ How many beings lived inside him? Tee couldn’t guess. His regenerated hand betrayed a body beyond pain, nearly immortal, like the Xenosapians. She envied it, though at least he didn’t seem eager to devour them alive. That was a small comfort.

  But the bandaged one was worse. Its skeletal frame looked inhuman, its form born from Legion’s back. Its mere presence sent a chill crawling down Tee’s spine. The tips of its long, razor-sharp arms grazed the ground, its sinister grin stretching wide alongside piercing green eyes. Unlike the others, that one seemed capable of eating them alive.

  The sound of faint tears resonated as Tee's spiked boots tore into the branch beneath her feet, widening her eyes in terror. The strain caused the branch to splinter closer to its breaking point, the echoing crackle filling the air.

  Kie's notion was confirmed by the next words that escaped their enemy's lips. "Don't worry, we'll make this quick. We know you're in excruciating pain, and death is your only escape. Who wants to go first?" His sinister proposition hung heavily in the air, freezing their hearts with dread.

  Saeda shut her eyes and pressed her fingers into her ears until blood dripped down her hands. She didn’t want to hear whatever was coming. Maybe if she couldn’t see or hear it, it would be quick—maybe even painless. The pain she felt drained every ounce of hope from her.

  A sudden eruption of agonizing pain tore through Tee’s body, leaving her completely immobile. In that moment, the trees that had blocked her view were violently ripped aside, revealing the nightmarish figure—bandages wrapped tightly around its skeletal frame, long spiked arms swinging. The creature’s grotesque form sent shivers down her spine, a haunting image she couldn’t shake.

  The creature slashed twice through the air. Blood spurted from her wounds with each strike. As she fell, the grass seemed to rush toward her, and strands of her once-pristine white hair flew in every direction. Darkness crept in from the edges of her vision until everything was consumed by pitch black.

  The thud of her body hitting the ground drew attention. Tee lay motionless, her eyes briefly glowing with blue light before fading. Blood streamed from the side of her head, forming a crimson pool on the vibrant green grass. Her pale eyes remained wide open, fixed on something unseen. The lack of movement confirmed it—she was lifeless.

  Stolen story; please report.

  That was only the beginning of the bloodshed.

  A chorus of eerie voices rang out, thousands speaking as one. "Let’s make this a bit more interesting, shall we? Let us see how many of you must die before your comrade hands over the fragment."

  The fragment.

  Kie had thrown it away long ago. Had that been a mistake? No—he realized the hooded one had held the fragment before, insisting on “having fun” with them.

  "I swear on my nine million souls that I won’t kill anyone else," Legion said, his voice heavy with resolve.

  The hooded figure vanished again. His movements were lightning fast—Saeda never stood a chance.

  Something slammed into her, a jolt that sent shockwaves through her body. When she forced her eyes open, the scene around her was incomprehensible. Her back slammed against one tree, then another. She was falling. Finally, she came to a stop, catching a glimpse of the forest floor through one eye. She couldn’t move—and every part of her hurt.

  The hooded one approached her lifeless body. Gripping her by the hair, the sound of cracking bones echoed as he lifted her onto her knees. Her left hand dangled limply, while the other was bound in blood-soaked bandages. Blood streamed down her face, dripping from her chin.

  Legion’s voice cut through the air. "We advise you to consider your friend’s life. All we require is the fragment."

  The remaining cadets knew Kie had thrown it away. They were trapped, unsure who would admit the truth—and risk getting killed.

  Saeda remained captive, a cruel testament to the pain she had endured. Legion’s voice dripped with malice. “Anytime now would be great,” he sneered, and then he yanked Saeda’s hair, treating her like a doll in his twisted game.

  Miko jumped down. One hand clutched protectively to her chest as she faced the looming figure, her gaze fixed on the unforgiving ground beneath her.

  The hooded figure’s voice sliced through the air, a venomous blend of anticipation and menace. “Finally, someone comes forward,” he sneered, his gaze boring into Miko. “Do you have the fragment?”

  Miko shook her head, defiant and unwavering. The hooded figure chuckled, twisted satisfaction flickering in his eyes. “Too bad,” he hissed, the words dripping with sadistic pleasure. That was her death sentence.

  But unexpectedly, Miko muttered, “You said you wouldn’t kill anyone else.”

  He replied, “Yes, but my friend here did not.”

  As her plea faded into the wind, a shift occurred—a movement from his so-called friend. The bandaged creature appeared behind Miko, radiating an otherworldly dread. Its long, blade-like arms poised like a predator, ready to strike her neck.

  In a flash, Miko summoned two swords and spun like a razor disk. White shreds of bandages fell through the air with an ear-piercing shriek as her blades struck the creature.

  The bandaged figure tumbled backward, black smoke billowing from its body like a tire set ablaze. Yet oddly, Miko was thrown to the ground, rolling as if hit by an invisible force. Silence fell. Then she rose again.

  That time, she summoned a sword from within her own torso, yanking it free in a gory display. Blood gushed as black smoke rose from every inch of her body, then transforming into a blackbird. It flew and perched on the shoulder of the silver-haired one—Sade.

  Ignoring the two lifeless bodies sprawled on the grass, Legion released Saeda’s hair and spread his arms wide. “Who will die next?” he asked.

  Still on her knees, Saeda bit his hand the moment it swung down. Legion roared, yanking it free. A piece of black flesh remained lodged between her teeth. As his hand tore away, a jet-black liquid oozed out, splattering onto the grass. Where it landed, sizzles and smoke rose.

  The flesh on Saeda’s face burned and fell away, exposing bone beneath. His blood burned like molten lava, and in that moment, Saeda welcomed death.

  Legion, his voice a chorus of many, bellowed, “You pestilence!” and raised his hand to strike. The next instant, her body flew into a nearby tree, the impact like being hit by a bulldozer. The hooded figure stood with his hand still raised—but it never touched her.