Luther narrowed his eyes, his left hand inching slowly toward the dagger hidden at his lower back. His senses were on high alert as he faced Carol, whose presence felt wrong, twisted.
Carol raised her hands, laughing with an unsettling cheerfulness. "Now, now, no need to be tense, Luther," she said, her voice smooth but with an edge that Luther didn't like. "I've been talking to my family these past few days, you see. They finally agreed that it's time I move on from the clinic. I just thought I'd drop by and say goodbye to Dr. Joseph."
'Talking to his family? More like the ones who disagreed were probably devoured by her,' Luther thought, tightening his grip on the dagger. His mind was racing, his body ready to act if Carol made a wrong move.
"By the way, I saw you lingering near my house yesterday," Carol continued casually, her tone shifting as she took a slow step forward. "Why didn't you come inside for a visit?"
Luther kept his face neutral. "Oh, well, I remembered something I needed to take care of," he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "Didn't want to intrude."
"Is that so?" Carol's gaze sharpened, and she took another step closer, a dark glint in her eyes. She leaned forward, her breath reeking of something foul and rotting. The smell was overpowering, and Luther's stomach churned as he caught it.
Carol's hand moved toward him, reaching out with fingers that were longer, almost claw-like. "Then you didn't… see anything strange, did you?"
Suddenly, Carol's face twisted as her skin rippled, her features transforming grotesquely. Tiny, wriggling tentacles sprouted along her jawline, slithering and pulsing like worms. Luther's heart jumped, but he didn't hesitate. He thrust his dagger into Carol's side with his left hand while smashing the plate he'd been holding into Carol's face.
"Damn it, Carol! I didn't expect you to turn into a monster!"
The force of the plate shattered against Carol's twisted features, and Luther kicked her square in the chest, sending her sprawling backward with a heavy thud.
Snarling, Carol tried to push himself up, her voice slithering with rage. "Luther, you… you bastard! This is all your fault! If it weren't for you… I wouldn't have been forced to eat those revolting things by that damn beast Joseph!"
Luther paused, his dagger stained with a sickly dark-green fluid that oozed from Carol's wound. His mind spun as Carol's words sank in. 'Forced to eat… revolting things?' Had Joseph forced Carol into something unnatural?
"Carol… what happened to you?" Luther demanded, his voice hard but with a flicker of curiosity. "What did Joseph do?"
But Carol's eyes were wild with hatred, her twisted mouth curling as she ignored the question. "You'll pay for this, Luther. I'll make sure of it," she spat, clutching her injured side. It was clear she hadn't anticipated Luther's newfound strength, nor his willingness to fight back.
Carol stumbled back, desperation flashing across her face. She was retreating, hoping to escape and lick her wounds, but Luther wasn't about to let her slip away. He took a step forward, his grip on the dagger tightening as he prepared to follow.
Sensing she was cornered, Carol's gaze shifted, a sudden, feral gleam flashing in her eyes. Rather than retreat, she lunged forward, her body twisting with unnatural speed as she aimed a strike directly at Luther.
As Carol launched a desperate counterattack, thrashing with a ferocity born of desperation, Luther's training kicked in. His level 4 sword fighting skills guided his movements with precision. Every strike and parry felt fluid, controlled. While he blocked Carol's wild swings with his hand and feet, his left hand continued to drive the dagger into Carol's vital points, unrelenting.
Luther showed no mercy. This wasn't a time for compassion; Carol had threatened her life, and in this world, hesitation could mean death. With a final, decisive stab, Carol collapsed, landing in a pool of dark green liquid that oozed from her wounds. She was still breathing, but the rise and fall of her chest was faint, barely enough to show she was alive.
Luther took a deep breath, steadying himself, and looked down at Carol's unconscious form. The tentacles had receded, leaving Carol's face disturbingly human again. His expression softened for a brief moment, but questions stirred in his mind.
'Why didn't she use that tentacle attack like before?' Luther wondered, frowning. 'Is there a limit to her powers? Or maybe… maybe those things are beyond her control?'
Whatever the answer, one thing was clear: he couldn't just leave Carol like this. If Carol regained consciousness and wandered freely, she'd be a danger to everyone, including himself. Luther needed to keep her contained until he could understand more.
He glanced around, making sure they were alone, and noticed one witness he hadn't accounted for, the young girl, Hailey, who stood frozen nearby, her eyes wide and locked on the scene with a look of stunned horror.
"Oh, great," Luther muttered, pressing his fingers to his temple. Hailey's mouth hung open, her expression a mix of fear and disbelief.
The clinic was already a hotspot for infection, crawling with contagion. Luther was immune, but Carol had shown clear signs of infection, and bringing the girl inside the clinic wasn't ideal. Still, he couldn't let her wander off. If she went around blabbing about what she'd seen, it would only cause him more trouble.
After weighing his options, he sighed. 'Fine. I'll bring her in, but under strict conditions. If she can survive the virus, it'll be up to fate.'
"Let go of me, you jerk!" Hailey protested as Luther picked her up, her tiny fists flailing. She even bit his hand, but he didn't flinch. Ignoring her struggles, he carried her into his office, grabbing a bird-beak mask from the shelf and fastening it over her face.
"Listen closely," he said, his tone stern. "Stay here, don't take off the mask, and don't wander around. If you do, I'll feed you to that monster you saw earlier."
His threat seemed to work. Hailey's eyes widened beneath the mask, and she thought of the ghoul she'd glimpsed through the clinic's glass window. She shrank back, trembling, clearly terrified by the thought.
"Good. Now, rest if you're tired. I'll bring you food and water. When this is over, I'll let you go," he said, his voice softer this time, but still firm.
She gave no reply, simply huddling on the bed, her face pale under the mask. Satisfied, Luther locked the door behind him and headed toward the resettlement room, where he'd need to deal with Carol's containment.
Inside, he secured Carol to a bed with thick hemp ropes, checking to ensure the knots were tight. Carol's breathing had steadied somewhat, and her vital signs were stronger than before, though she remained unconscious.
Then, as Luther observed him, something horrifying began to happen. Carol's mouth opened slightly, and from within, a swarm of writhing, thick tentacles emerged, swaying and dripping with viscous fluid as they extended outwards, like grotesque vines spilling from a broken vessel.
Luther felt a chill run down his spine. 'What… exactly has she become?'