POV: Jenna
Jenna sat on the ground next to the fallen alpha wolf, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Her crowbar rested across her lap, sticky with the creature's glowing green blood. Around her, the rest of the group was equally exhausted, their weapons lowered as the adrenaline of battle wore off.
"Well," Jenna said, breaking the silence. "That was fun. Let's never do it again."
Carl shot her a look, his sword still in hand. "You call that fun?"
Jenna grinned, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hey, we're alive, aren't we? That's what counts."
Rick approached, wiping sweat from his brow. "We need to figure out what's going on here. That thing wasn't just a mutation—it was something else."
"Something worse," Sarah added, her knife still gripped tightly.
Jenna tilted her head, examining the massive wolf. "Whatever it was, it's got some fancy glow-in-the-dark features. You think I can take a souvenir?"
"No," Rick and Carl said in unison.
Jenna sighed, muttering under her breath as she reluctantly stepped away from the wolf's glowing veins.
---
POV: Carl
Carl surveyed the group, noting the exhaustion etched into everyone's faces. The battle had been brutal, and while they'd come out victorious, the cost was clear. Supplies were running low, injuries were starting to pile up, and morale was shaky at best.
"We need to move," Carl said, his tone firm. "Staying here isn't safe."
Rick nodded. "Agreed. But we need a plan first. That thing didn't show up here by accident. Something—or someone—is behind this."
Carl's gaze shifted to Jenna, who was busy poking one of the wolf's claws with her crowbar. "And we need to make sure everyone's on the same page."
Rick followed his gaze and sighed. "Yeah, good luck with that."
---
POV: Kane
Kane stood on the edge of the camp, his arms crossed as he watched the group regroup and recover. The alpha wolf's death had been impressive, but it raised more questions than answers.
He turned to Theo, who was pacing nearby. "You see how they fought? Chaotic, disorganized, barely holding it together."
Theo scowled. "And yet, they won."
Kane smiled faintly. "For now. But every victory comes with a cost. Let's see how long they can keep this up."
---
POV: Jenna
Back at camp, Jenna plopped down next to her zombie gang, who were all gathered in a haphazard circle. She patted one of them on the head, earning a low growl in response.
"Good job out there, team," Jenna said, her tone cheerful. "You didn't totally embarrass me. Progress!"
Carl approached, his expression a mix of irritation and amusement. "You're really proud of yourself, aren't you?"
"Always," Jenna replied with a grin. "And you should be too. You're lucky to have me."
Carl shook his head, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "We wouldn't have made it without you… or your gang."
Jenna gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Was that a compliment? From you? I think I'm going to faint."
"Don't push it," Carl said, though his tone was light.
---
POV: Rick
Rick gathered the group around the campfire, his expression serious. "Alright, we need to talk about what just happened. That thing wasn't normal, and it's not the first time we've seen something like this."
Sarah nodded. "The mutations are getting worse. And if that thing was any indication, they're not random."
Rick glanced at Kane, who was leaning against a nearby tree, his expression unreadable. "We need to start asking questions. Who's behind this? What's their goal? And how do we stop it?"
Kane's lips twitched into a faint smile, though he said nothing. Rick's suspicions were growing, and Kane couldn't help but enjoy watching the seeds of doubt take root.
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna raised her hand, interrupting Rick's speech. "I have a question."
Rick sighed. "What is it, Jenna?"
"Can I take a nap now?" she asked, stifling a yawn. "All this fighting and strategizing is exhausting."
The group groaned in unison, and even Carl couldn't hide his exasperated grin. "She's impossible," he muttered.
"Impossible and fabulous," Jenna corrected, leaning back against a log. "Wake me up when we're not all about to die."