— LUNA HéLEN

  When I saw Mr. Júlios advancing toward Erick, I stepped in front of him, already bracing myself for the devastating attack that was about to come…

  Everything happened very fast.

  Behind him.

  The tank had exploded.

  The Man who had been inside it was now walking toward Mr. Júlios, who was kneeling on the floor, his body in complete submission.

  He placed his hand over Mr. Júlios’s face and, in that instant, I could see the golden liquid tearing itself free from within him, flowing like luminous veins being ripped out by force.

  The aureate compound flowed into the being, draining every trace of light from Mr. Júlios’s body — who collapsed to the ground seconds later, motionless, apparently lifeless. The tattoos on the being’s body lit up with a golden glow, as if a small sun were being born.

  My heart raced when he looked at me.

  His eyes were bifurcated, like those of a feline.

  They shone with a golden, metallic light. I felt a pressure, as if my body were becoming heavier and heavier in his presence.

  I fell to my knees.

  He walked toward me.

  The world seemed to stop as he approached.

  He grabbed my arms, lifted me against the wall, and bit my neck.

  I felt it… I felt that something inside me — at least a part of it — was being drained along with my blood.

  When he finished, he raised his head, and a black mist like smoke poured from his mouth, as if he had burned whatever it was that existed in my blood.

  I thought…

  No — I was certain that this would be my end.

  But then, right before my eyes, the tattoos on the being’s body began to fade slowly, like embers losing their heat.

  The intense glow in his eyes softened, and the suffocating pressure around me diminished.

  He released me, and as he stepped away, the weight lifted and air finally filled my lungs again.

  — WAIT! — I shouted, my voice breaking.

  He kept moving forward.

  Erick’s body began to collapse; he trembled until he fell to his knees on the floor.

  The being was now standing in front of him. He extended his hand.

  — NO, PLEASE! DON’T HURT HIM!

  Tears streamed down my face as the markings on his body flared to life once more, and golden threads stretched along his arm toward Erick’s face.

  I could see those threads pierce my brother’s skin.

  Erick screamed in pain, his entire body fighting to resist; it looked like he might succumb at any moment.

  When the lights finally ceased, Erick collapsed to the ground.

  But this time it was different: I could see his breathing, and the crimson veins on his face had vanished — or at least faded, nearly transparent compared to the rest of his body.

  I didn’t know what to think. Everything had happened so fast. I ran to Erick and held him in my arms.

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  — Sister… I’m back.

  Those were Erick’s first words. He was smiling, tears on his face, as he hugged me tightly.

  I was more confused than ever, but my brother was alive.

  Nothing else mattered.

  The Being began walking toward a door.

  He entered a code, and the door opened.

  It was an elevator — more rustic than the others, probably an emergency elevator.

  He stepped inside without hesitation.

  And, for the first time since I had seen him, I felt something new coming from him.

  Not threat.

  Purpose.

  After he entered, something unexpected happened.

  He stood there, looking at us with a confused expression, until he spoke.

  His voice reverberated throughout the room — unlike anything I had ever heard.

  It was ancient… powerful.

  I froze for a moment, until I finally understood what he had said:

  — Aren’t you coming?

  My mind locked up.

  Would I go? Should I? Could I really go?

  I was afraid of hesitating too long and losing the chance to leave that place.

  I grabbed Erick’s hand, and we entered the elevator.

  There were three of us… in absolute silence as it ascended.

  I looked down — he was still naked — and my entire body felt stiff, unsure of what to do or say.

  I looked at Erick, who was staring at me with a stupid smile on his face.

  I felt like I had to say something.

  — So, sir… what is your name?

  I called him “sir” even though he didn’t look much older than me, maybe around 22 or 24, but I didn’t want to risk being disrespectful.

  — S-Saklas… I think.

  His tone was one of genuine confusion, as if he were groping through his own mind for a lost memory.

  As if the name were only a distant echo, a shadow of who he once had been — or who he believed he was.

  He was different from the being I had seen exploding the tank and causing all that chaos. More serene, restrained… almost human.

  If it weren’t for the eyes, I might have mistaken him.

  — General Edmond Crox

  I watched my men turn into beasts.

  Welkers.Carlos.Daris.Sara.

  Each name echoes in my mind like a gunshot.

  One after another, they charged at the creature, driven by an irrational impulse I couldn’t comprehend.

  One by one they fell — Carlos… then Sara… until, finally, they managed to tear the monster’s head off.

  But something even stranger happened.

  As soon as the creature fell, they turned on one another.

  Welkers and Daris clashed like two titans in a blood-soaked arena.

  The sound of impacts, of bones breaking, still haunts me.

  It was brutal, primitive, devastating.

  And then, only one survived: Captain Anthony Welkers — the platoon leader, the man I trusted the most, the one who always stayed calm even in impossible situations.

  Now he stood there, gasping, covered in the blood of one of his own soldiers.

  I thought there was nothing left for him to destroy. That the madness was over.

  I was wrong.

  Welkers turned on himself.

  The armor was shattered, but he kept tearing off every piece.

  His fingers ripped through the metal as if it were fabric.

  He reached his chest — and did not stop.

  He plunged his hands into his own flesh, tearing the skin open in long gashes until he reached his heart…

  Which he crushed without hesitation.

  He fell to his knees, his chest spurting blood in irregular pulses.

  And then, finally, he stopped.

  Witnessing that scene shattered me inside.

  An overwhelming mix of emotions consumed me: hatred, sorrow, and fear.

  Hatred for the entire situation, for this invisible curse devouring my men.Sorrow for my comrades, for lives destroyed in seconds.And fear… a cold, profound fear for humanity — and for the impossible decisions I would have to make from that moment on.

  Dr. Helena was sitting at the edge of the table, her eyes red.

  Her breathing was short and shaky.

  Her hands covered her mouth, but they couldn’t hide the despair.

  I approached her, trying to maintain my composure.

  I could see the panic in her eyes — she was sobbing, barely able to control herself.

  — I… I’m so sorry.

  I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her with what little strength I had left.

  — Let’s go. We still have a lot of work to do. The creature has been neutralized. I need to release the remaining units.

  I need to contact Dr. Lúcios. We must assess the damage caused by this thing and repair the internal monitors…

  I kept talking, listing tasks mechanically, almost automatically.

  The truth was that I used words to fill the silence, to keep my mind from revisiting what had just happened.

  When I finished, Helena had stopped crying.

  She remained silent for a few seconds, taking deep breaths, and then simply nodded before leaving the room without saying a word.

  I sat down and used the communicator to speak with Dr. Lúcios.

  He was already working.

  He and his team were repairing the damage to the reactor and rerouting energy to the most critical areas, doing the impossible to keep the base functioning.