In the pitch-black night, Elizabeth's keen senses remained sharp. As soon as she got out of the car, she immediately scanned her surroundings. A stone this large wouldn't appear in the middle of the road without reason. She hadn't noticed it before under the vehicle's headlights, so it must have been silently moved here.
Wolves are known for their acute sensitivity to their surroundings. But despite her full concentration, she failed to detect anything suspicious. Her only option was to move the substantial boulder blocking her path. Whether the car was still drivable remained to be seen.
The rock stood taller than half a person's height and weighed heavily. However, to Elizabeth, this wasn't a challenge. After moving the boulder, she squeezed back into the driver's seat, started the car, and pleaded under her breath, "Please, please, work for me, darling!" Miraculously, the engine sputtered to life amid a series of rasping noises.
"I love you so much, darling!" Elizabeth patted the steering wheel and cheered joyfully. Though the car could still run, she would need to return home like this and call for repairs the next day. The insurance wouldn't cover this. Her father would inevitably scold her, but that wasn't a major concern. Ever since the zombie incident, he had changed significantly towards her, less stern, more tender.
Lightening at the thought, Elizabeth couldn't resist whistling. Despite her misfortune, she remained optimistic. Perhaps this was the power of love.
As the car resumed its journey, a dark figure flitted from one tree to another in the pitch-black night, its silhouette ghost-like, silent, and swift.
Elizabeth hummed a nursery rhyme that Sanna often sang to her, her fingers tapping along with the rhythm on the steering wheel.
Suddenly, something heavy thudded on the car's roof, causing the vehicle to sink abruptly. Before she could react, the car was thrown airborne, flipping over before crashing down with a loud bang.
"Damn—" Elizabeth managed to curse before the car, and she, hit the road hard. Despite her wolf gene, she was quite dazed by the crash and nearly lost her ability to move.
Though the car didn't fall apart, she sat inside for a while before regaining her senses. Her forehead was bleeding slightly, and her arm was injured, but they were minor wounds.
Strangely, the heavy object that fell seemed to have disappeared from the car's roof, with no further actions taken. Someone was definitely messing with her, but why did they not take the opportunity to attack her?
Elizabeth didn't have time to think about these concerns. Gathering all her strength, she kicked open the car door and staggered out. The vehicle's A-pillar hadn't deformed, and though the roof was distorted, there was enough space for her to crawl out.
"Damn—" Elizabeth cursed again, but before she could collect herself, a dark figure launched toward her. With quick reflexes, Elizabeth launched herself into the air, performing a front flip while transforming into a wolf mid-air. She landed ahead, quickly turning to face a massive dark figure coiled on the highway.
The long, thick body coiled up, larger than any python she'd ever seen. What's bizarre was that it had a human-like torso and head, with the snake's body only starting beneath the chest.
"Awooo—" Elizabeth let out a long howl.
Inside her, a wave of terror threatened to engulf her. She felt a massive threat—an aura of death. It was the first time she'd felt such panic.
The figure with the snake's body and human's head was terrifying. Its eyes glowing a mesmerizing green light, capable of inducing an irresistible sense of dread. It felt as though her very soul was being drawn into those eyes—a sensation Elizabeth felt strongest.
However, the deep wound on its chest that looked like a grotesque mouth, revealing some sickening red muscles and visible bones, added to the horror.
At this moment, Elizabeth had no time to ponder what had wounded the grotesque creature, half snake, half human. Her thoughts were not of fighting, but of fleeing. The eerie green glow of its eyes filled her with dread, compelling her to escape, to get as far away from this creature as possible.
With a swift growl, Elizabeth made a feint, her front paws planted firmly on the ground, her upper body bearing down, tail raised, ready to lunge at any moment.
The humanoid snake seemed momentarily stunned by her action, its icy eyes still radiating chills. But it allowed Elizabeth the perfect opportunity to escape.
With a sudden spin, she darted into the forest, her best route of escape. Wolves had a natural advantage within such terrains, while a snake's mobility was significantly limited.
Elizabeth moved quickly, feeling as though she was pouring all her strength into the sprint. Her only thought was to be faster, even faster still.
The whooshing wind and the snapping sound of breaking branches were the only noises accompanying her frantic escape. She was going all out to evade the dangerous creature.
The sense of impending doom, like a predator ready to swallow her whole, pressed heavily on her heart, driving her to run even faster. If she could cross this forest, she would reach the small town of Harrold. Once there, she could find Jason.
Seeing Jason would mean salvation.
Preserving this thought and the hope of reaching her savior was what fuelled her desperate flight. She couldn't risk leading the creature to her home, endangering her parents. Her intuition told her that not even her parents would stand a chance against this terrifying monster, its aura of death too overwhelming, diminishing any will to resist.
The forest night was as quiet as the one blanketing the town of Harrold, save for the erratic sounds of her breathless run. Meanwhile, in Harrold town, a police car patrolled its silent streets.
The night was so tranquil that Officer Patton and Officer Santos inside the police car couldn't help but yawn. Santos seemed particularly interested in Jason, asking Patton about him. His tenure in the town was not long.
On the outskirts of the town, Jason's brows furrowed deeply. He let out a long sigh, sensing a dangerous aura.
He hadn't picked up on the monster's presence but Elizabeth's. An almost suffocating pressure indicating she was in grave danger.
What could pose such a threat to Elizabeth?
In the town, the only real threat to the werewolf race, apart from the zombies already eradicated, didn't exist anymore.
Nevertheless, this pervasive sense of danger sent chills down Jason's spine. With a quick flick of his wrist, a shimmering small knife appeared in his hand. With a light tap, the knife transformed into a beam of light, piercing the night like a flash of lightning before disappearing into the forest.
Elizabeth was exhausted. She came to a halt, crawling on the ground. If she kept running, she would collapse from fatigue.