Mia pushed farther into the dark tunnel, her steps growing more hesitant as the darkness swallowed her whole. She could no longer see anything. The air was thick with a foul, decaying smell that made her gag. Reflexively, she covered her nose, but it wasn't enough to block the overwhelming stench. In a panic, she fumbled for her flashlight, her hands shaking as she pulled it out and flicked it on. The beam barely illuminated the surroundings, but enough to reveal what was ahead.
Her heart stopped when she saw it—a massive snake. Frozen in place, her body tensed in terror. She bolted, her breath ragged, her legs pumping in desperate escape, but then she halted, body jerking as she turned to look again. The snake had been mutilated. Only its head remained, and its body was shredded into small, unrecognizable pieces. It wasn't just one snake. Two lay scattered in pieces, their monstrous forms torn apart.
Whoever did this was even more terrifying, she thought, her spine tingling with fear. The horror of the sight gripped her, and she jumped back, her legs unsteady. The ground beneath her wasn't just dirt; it was a grotesque flood of blood and snake meat. She felt a wave of nausea rise in her stomach, but it wouldn't come. Instead, she ran, her only focus on escaping the terrifying scene. The further she ran, the more the fear twisted inside her, until a faint light in the distance gave her hope.
She pushed herself harder, moving toward the light with desperate determination. She couldn't take it anymore. The tunnel seemed endless, but then she saw it—a small opening ahead. Her heart surged as she reached it, pushing aside a cover, her hands slick with sweat. She jumped out, gasping for air, as if her lungs were too constricted to breathe properly. The wind only made it worse, chilling her to the bone, adding to her frantic state. Her body trembled, but her mind struggled to regain control.
What if they're still alive? What if I walked right into their lair? The thought sent another wave of terror rushing through her.
No... I'm safe. I have to be safe. She whispered to herself, trying to calm the whirlwind inside her.
But then another thought crept in. Whoever did this... they need help. How can anyone be so cruel?
"No," she muttered to herself, trying to drown out the voices in her head. "That person saved me." But her thoughts were interrupted as the memories of the horror flooded her mind. She ran, her body shaking uncontrollably, still haunted by what she'd just witnessed.
She ducked behind a black tank, her back pressed against its cold surface as she gripped her gun with both hands, the metal slick under her trembling palms. She tried to steady her breath, but the sound of approaching voices made her freeze. They were near. She listened, straining to hear their words.
"It's time, brother, but we have no food!" one man's voice cracked, laced with fear.
"The beasts will grow wild and hunt us down," the smaller man responded, his eyes wide with terror. His face was as pale as a corpse.
"I don't want to die, brother!" His voice was desperate, but before he could say more, a strong hand grabbed him and shoved him into the tunnel. He screamed in horror, but the figure who had done it was no man. It was a woman. She turned toward the other man, giving him a deadly look.
"Do you wish to join him?" she hissed coldly, before turning away and ordering him to wait and see if his brother was eaten.
Mia's stomach churned. The smell wasn't just from the beasts—it was from people who had been fed to them. The real monsters weren't the beasts. It was the people themselves. She took a step back, trembling, but her foot hit a water bottle, the noise echoing in the silence.
She cursed under her breath. She knew they had heard her.
"Sara, you're here? Mama, are you still alive?" A voice cried out, frantic. Mia quickly scrambled up a wall, using every bit of strength to climb, her heart pounding as she ran toward the other side of the factory. But she couldn't shake the feeling of being hunted.
The man stood frozen, his eyes red from tears as he waited, paralyzed, not knowing if his brother had been devoured or not. Mia kept running, her breaths shallow as she pushed herself faster.
Sara rounded a corner and found the tunnel ahead. "Open it! I said open it now!" she demanded, voice breaking.
The wind grew colder, almost biting her skin as the man stood frozen, fighting off the chill that seemed to freeze his bones. He tried to lift his hand to stop her, but it was too late. Sara was already inside the tunnel.
Inside, chaos erupted.
"Aghhhh! No!" The man screamed. He seemed to be losing his grip on reality, his mind unraveling in terror.
He hadn't sealed the tunnel because his boss was still inside. He sank to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I'm going to die," he murmured, trying to grab onto any bit of dust or dirt for comfort. "I'm good as dead."
The beasts were closing in, but then a shadow loomed in the tunnel. The man fell to the ground, waiting for death to claim him. But then, he heard Sara's voice.
"They're dead. You're lucky." Her voice was cold and firm.
Shaking, he raised his face and saw her—a horrific sight. Her body was drenched in blood, and in her hands were the severed heads of the two massive snakes.
"You killed them?" he gasped, his mind racing. "They will come back to avenge you. You're insane!"
Sara kicked him aside, walking farther into the factory, unfazed.
The man's body trembled, his legs giving way beneath him. He fell, stood, then fell again. Over and over, until he finally stopped, frozen in place. A hand gripped his shoulder, pulling him up.
"Brother, we need to leave. There's no one left here," a voice whispered in his ear. Together, they ran back into the tunnel, desperate to escape the demon who had killed the two beasts. They were escaping, but the terror would haunt them forever.
Meanwhile, Jake didn't leave the tunnel where Mia had entered. He sat on the cold, gritty ground, watching intently as Nicky and James communicated over the phone, trying to arrange for more help if necessary. Jake nodded occasionally, his gaze never leaving his watch, every second feeling like an eternity.
Inside the factory, Mia moved further into the vast, open space. As she walked, the sounds of men fighting echoed through the factory. But she moved with the cold, detached pace of someone already lost. Her mind replayed Sara's cruel actions. "They fed people to snakes," Mia muttered to herself. Her disbelief was too strong to process, yet she couldn't escape the images or the sounds. She clapped her hands together, trying to ground herself, but it only seemed to mock her disbelief.
Mia sank to the cold floor, indifferent to the chill. The world was so cruel, she thought bitterly, her mind drifting back to Sara's face when she pushed a man into the tunnel. "What if they were still alive?" she wondered, but the thought quickly overwhelmed her.
Mia tugged at her hair, desperately trying to quiet the storm of thoughts raging inside her.
Meanwhile, on the road, Uncle Timmy and Alex's father raced toward Alex's location. "Hurry up, Timmy," Alex's father urged. "But you never told me... who has Mia's mother? Who kidnapped her? And why?" The wind howled against them as he turned to Timmy for answers, but there was no response.
"Answer the damn question, Timmy!" Alex's father pressed, frustration clear in his voice.
Timmy sighed and glanced at him. "Hey, Boss, you want to drive, or should I get some space to think?" He smiled weakly, the tension between them.
The car screeched to a halt, the tires skidding against the road. Timmy took a deep breath, his mind heavy with the questions he still couldn't answer. The silence stretched, the air growing colder with each passing second.
At that moment, Alex reached the Mia in time to see her teetering on the edge of breaking. He called her name, concern flooding his voice. He stood beside her but felt a deep, gnawing worry as he saw the blankness in her eyes. "Mia," he called again, desperate.
A few men, noticing Mia's state, eyed her like vultures. One of them whispered, "Ha, she's just a lady… you know what that means, right?"
As they laughed and moved past her, Alex stepped in front of Mia, blocking their path. "Don't be fools," he warned. "She's not in her right mind. Take a good look at her."
The men scoffed and ignored him, moving on, but Alex could feel the tension building. As he stood protectively in front of Mia, his coat stained with blood, he knew this wasn't just about his safety anymore.
The moment Alex's attention was diverted, one of the men reached for Mia, grabbing her hair. With a surge of fury, Alex sprang into action, kicking the man hard, sending him crashing to the ground. He didn't hesitate, breaking the man's hand with a swift move, the bone snapping with a sickening crack.
"I told you not to make me upset," Alex growled. "But now, you've got my attention."
But as he fought, Alex's eyes never left Mia. "Mia," he called softly, his voice breaking through the chaos. "Listen to me, please."
He took blow after blow, punches and kicks raining down on him from every side, but his focus was solely on her. She was slipping further into herself, her gaze fixed on the brutal scene in front of her. Confusion clouded her thoughts, but something else was starting to grow within her. Fear. Anger. And a desperate need to protect the one person she cared about.
Mia's breath quickened as she stood up, her mind spiraling. She didn't know what was real anymore. She only knew that Alex was being hurt, and it was breaking her. Her heart raced, and her eyes flared with something dark.
The men laughed, thinking her fragile, easy to break. But they didn't know what was coming.
With a flicker of movement, Mia's rage boiled over. She glanced at one of the men, her eyes narrowing with lethal intent. Before anyone could react, she moved with a fluid grace, stabbing the man in the side.
The others froze in shock.
"You were saying?" Mia smirked, her voice cold as ice.
The man who had been taunting her staggered back, shocked that she'd fought back. "Ha, okay, fine," he muttered, stepping forward again. "You think you can take me?"
Mia didn't wait for his next move. She struck again, her aim perfect. The man didn't stand a chance, crumpling to the floor in a heap.
Alex stared, wide-eyed, in disbelief. "You... you stabbed him?" His voice was thick with shock. "You dare to hurt Alex... and you think you'll live to see another day?" Mia shouted. Her eyes darkened. "No one has the right to hurt him," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "I wasn't involved until you caught my attention."
The men took a step back, realizing they had underestimated her.
"Let's play," Mia declared, a smile curling on her lips, but it wasn't a kind one.
"Stop, Mia!" Alex cried out, trying to break free from the hold of the remaining men. But Mia didn't listen. She was beyond caring now. Her mind was set on one thing: protecting Alex. No one would touch him again.