Just as James and Laura finally caught up to Harvey and his sister, ready to strike, their attention was drawn to something unexpected. Not far ahead of Harvey's group, an F-level alien species, low-grade, but still dangerous, was lounging on the path they needed to cross. Its dark form lay still, but its predatory instincts were likely just beneath the surface, waiting for its next victim.
James noticed Laura's hesitation. She was clearly troubled, her brow furrowed as she watched the scene unfold. He grinned and teased, "What's wrong? Why haven't you made a move? Looks like those two haven't even noticed the alien lurking up ahead. If you don't act soon, they're going to end up as its dinner."
Laura bit her lip, her fingers absentmindedly touching her lower lip as she considered her options. "Hailey… if she's desperate enough and takes those drugs she has, she could fight at half the strength of an F-level alien. Let's just wait and see what happens."
James chuckled, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Oh, I get it. You're not ready to kill anyone yet. How about I handle it for you?" His tone was light, but there was an edge of mockery in it.
Laura shot him a fiery glare, her pride clearly stung. "No way!" she snapped, crossing her arms and turning away in irritation, refusing to meet his gaze.
James just shrugged, his smile widening. "Fine, have it your way." He leaned back against the rocks, content to watch events unfold, his eyes flicking between the alien creature and Harvey's oblivious group.
---
Not far ahead, Harvey was blissfully unaware of the danger lying in wait. He patted the storage bag at his waist, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. "We really hit the jackpot this time, Hailey," he said, his voice full of greedy satisfaction. "Twenty-three kills in the past two days! The weapons, equipment, elixirs, and blood crystals we've collected are more than enough for me to live in luxury for a long time. Hahaha!"
Hailey didn't respond to his laughter. She merely smiled faintly, her mind clearly elsewhere. But as they walked, something shifted in her demeanor. Without warning, her expression became tense, and she stepped in front of her brother, blocking his path. Her hand slipped into her sleeve, and in a flash, a dagger was drawn, gleaming faintly in the dim light as she stared intently at the dark road ahead.
"What's wrong, Hailey?" Harvey's brow furrowed in annoyance. "Why are you being so jumpy?" His voice was impatient, not yet realizing the danger.
"Brother, run!" Hailey's voice was sharp with urgency. She quickly pulled out a red capsule, popped it into her mouth, and swallowed it in one swift motion. Almost immediately, her already pale face turned even whiter, as though all the blood had drained from her.
"What?" Harvey still didn't understand what she meant. But before he could press her further, he saw it; the alien creature, emerging slowly from the shadows.
It was about the size of a wolfdog, its jet-black fur gleaming in the faint light. Its fangs hung menacingly from its mouth, sharp and gleaming, while its green eyes glowed with a savage intensity. The creature's gaze locked onto them, and it began stalking forward, each step deliberate, each movement calculated.
Harvey's heart skipped a beat. Panic flooded his system as he fumbled for the storage bag on his waist. His hands shook as he pulled out a silver grenade, the cold metal feeling like his only lifeline.
"Beast, eat this!" he yelled, tossing the grenade toward the alien creature. Without sparing a glance back at his sister, he turned and bolted, his only thought being to save himself.
In the shadows, James watched the scene with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. He remembered the last time Harvey had thrown something similar, an explosion of thunder and fire and wondered what new trick the mercenary had up his sleeve this time.
But just as the grenade was about to detonate, James's world went dark. A pair of slender hands covered his eyes, and Laura's voice whispered urgently from behind him, "Don't look. It's a flash grenade."
Even though her hands shielded his eyes, the flash was so bright that he still felt a momentary blinding light pierce through. His vision turned white for an instant, and he could feel the disorienting effect of the grenade, even though he wasn't looking directly at it.
Laura let out a breath, her hands slipping away from his eyes. "Looks like Harvey is desperate. That's the second time he's tried to use a cheap trick to escape."
James shook his head, clearing the disorienting light from his mind. "Running again, huh? Let's see how far he gets this time."
"Hahaha! You think you can eat me? Go eat shit!" Harvey laughed maniacally as he ran, glancing back to see the alien writhing in pain, blinded by the flash grenade. It was stumbling around, its eyes clenched shut, struggling to recover from the searing light.
Hailey, though prepared for the blast, wasn't immune to its effects. Tears streamed from her eyes as she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. The flash had disoriented her too, but she could still see the alien, enraged, sniffing the air as it locked onto Harvey's scent.
With a guttural roar, the alien ignored its tears and charged recklessly toward Harvey, using its keen sense of smell to hunt him down.
"No! Don't!" Hailey cried out in panic, seeing the creature closing in on her brother. Desperation filled her voice as she rushed to intercept the alien, her heart pounding.
The creature reached Harvey in an instant, its savage roar filling the air as it leapt at him. Harvey barely had time to react, throwing up his right arm in a futile attempt to defend himself. The alien's claws tore through flesh and bone, shredding his hand into pieces.
"Ahhh!" Harvey screamed in agony, clutching his mangled arm. Just as the creature prepared to strike again, Hailey arrived. Without thinking, she grabbed the alien by its tail and, with surprising strength, hurled it away from her brother.
But her efforts were met with rage. "My hand! You stupid bitch! What are you waiting for? Kill it!" Harvey roared, his face twisted in pain and anger, blood pouring from his destroyed hand.
Hailey, panting and exhausted, positioned herself between Harvey and the alien, holding her dagger with trembling hands. She glared at the creature, knowing it wouldn't stop until it had its prey. The alien, relentless and determined, ignored her entirely. Its glowing green eyes were fixated on Harvey, its hunger evident.
It lunged again, faster than she could counter, and Hailey found herself barely keeping up, forced to shield Harvey as they ran. She could feel her strength waning, every step a battle to stay ahead of the creature.
"What the hell are you doing?! Get that thing away from me!" Harvey yelled, fear and desperation dripping from his voice. He was panicking, and his panic was contagious.
But Hailey was too exhausted to respond. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her legs felt like lead. All she could do was focus on keeping the alien at bay, her body straining with every movement.
Finally, the inevitable happened. The alien found a weakness in her defense. It slipped past her guard and lunged at Harvey with lethal intent.
"No!" Hailey shouted, turning her body in an attempt to block the attack. But before she could react fully, Harvey made a choice; an unforgivable, cowardly choice. He grabbed her, using her momentum to pull her in front of him.
With a sickening crunch, the alien's fangs and claws tore through Hailey's fragile body. Blood exploded from her wounds, spraying across Harvey's face like crimson rain. Her small frame, as fragile as paper, was no match for the creature's savage strength. She felt the cold steel of its teeth pierce her deeply, her vision blurring as blood poured from her.
Harvey didn't even flinch. Without a second thought, he kicked Hailey's broken body toward the alien, using her as a shield to save himself. She was thrown to the ground along with the creature, her limp form crashing into the rocks.
The alien, sensing Harvey had fled, let out a furious roar. Enraged by the loss of its true prey, it turned its attention back to Hailey, sinking its teeth into her already bleeding body.
Despite the excruciating pain, Hailey managed to turn her head slightly, her fading eyes catching a glimpse of Harvey's silhouette as he disappeared into the distance. A bitter smile crept onto her lips as the last of her strength drained away. She had always known her brother was selfish, but this… this betrayal cut deeper than any wound.
She tried to hold on, but her body was growing colder by the second. Even as her vision dimmed, she refused to close her eyes, staring after the man who had abandoned her to die. Her final breath escaped in silence, her life ebbing away, but her eyes, filled with sadness and betrayal; remained open, staring into the void where Harvey had disappeared.
"Damn it! I can't take this anymore!" Laura snapped, stomping her foot in frustration. Without waiting for a plan or permission, she charged out from the shadows, her determination set like stone.
The alien, sensing the sudden movement, turned toward her and let out a ferocious roar, a deep, guttural warning. Its sharp green eyes locked onto the beautiful figure rushing at it.
"Wind Line!" Laura shouted as she leapt into the air. Instantly, the very air around her seemed to tremble. The alien, known for its terrifying speed, froze in place, as if caught in an invisible snare. It struggled, its muscles twitching, but it couldn't move. All it could do was watch in helpless fury as Laura descended on it from above.
"Stop the wind and cut the water!" she called out in a cold, clear voice. As she fell past the creature's side, an invisible force sliced through the air, brushing against the alien's neck. Its body stiffened unnaturally, and a second later, its head slid cleanly from its shoulders, hitting the ground with a thud.
Laura didn't spare the fallen creature a glance. Her focus had shifted. She walked straight toward Hailey's broken form, kneeling beside the girl. Gently, she reached out and stroked the pale, blood-splattered face, her expression softening with something like regret.
"Honestly, I admire you," Laura whispered, her voice almost tender. "If things had been different, I think we could have been friends."
To her surprise, Hailey, barely clinging to life, summoned the last of her strength and grabbed Laura's hand. Her wide eyes were filled with desperation, her lips pale and trembling. She tried to speak, but no sound came. Her mouth moved silently, her message lost in the air.
Laura leaned in, pressing her ear close to Hailey's mouth, straining to catch the faint whispers.
"…Please… please… please… spare… him… please…"
Laura clenched her jaw, the muscles in her face tightening with rage. Her eyes darkened, a storm of emotions swirling within her, but as she looked down at Hailey's pleading face, her resolve cracked. With a heavy heart, she nodded.
"I promise you," she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "I forgive him."
At those words, Hailey's entire body relaxed, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her. Her grip on Laura's hand slackened, her eyes fluttering shut, her final breath escaping her lips.
Laura remained kneeling there, holding Hailey's lifeless hand in silence. She didn't move for a long time, lost in her own thoughts. Eventually, she reached out and gently closed Hailey's still-open eyes. Then, with slow, deliberate movements, she stood up, her face a mask of sorrow and anger.
"Let's go," she rasped, her voice hoarse from the effort of holding back tears.
"Where to?" James asked, watching her carefully.
"I made a promise to Hailey," Laura replied through gritted teeth, her eyes blazing with fury. "I said I wouldn't blame him... but he 'must' die. That beast must die!"
James chuckled softly, a dark, amused sound. "We can keep our promise," he said, a gleam of mischief in his eyes. "But, there's someone else who hasn't forgiven him."
Laura's gaze snapped to him, her expression demanding an explanation.
With a wicked grin, James twirled his sickle and drove it into the ground. The blade cut deep, and as he pulled it back, a massive crack split the earth. With careful precision, he placed Hailey's body into the crevice and covered her with the soil. As he finished, he stood before the fresh grave, his voice lowering to a whisper.
"Do you really think Hailey has forgiven her brother for what he did?"
He let the question hang in the air for a moment, his tone thick with meaning. Then, with a malicious glint in his glowing red eyes, he added, "Maybe we should send her brother to ask her… in person."
Laura stared at him, her breath catching in her throat as the weight of his words settled in. A slow, dangerous smile spread across her face.
James's eyes blazed even brighter, the red glow illuminating the dark cave around them. "Let's go," he said, his voice brimming with cold anticipation. "It's time for a reckoning."