Ryder stood over the fallen beast, his chest heaving and his mind racing. The scattered survivors stared at him in shock, unsure of what they had just witnessed. He looked down at his clenched fist, bloodied but unbroken, and flexed his fingers. How had he done that?
The remaining beasts growled low, their burning eyes locking onto Ryder. Slowly, they circled him, their massive forms cutting through the darkness like phantoms of death.
Ryder felt fear bubbling within him, but something deeper surged to the surface—an overwhelming need to protect the others. He took a deep breath and planted his feet firmly in the sand.
One of the beasts lunged at him with terrifying speed, its claws slicing through the air. Ryder's instincts took over. He sidestepped just in time and drove his fist into the creature's side. The force of the blow sent the beast skidding across the sand, yelping in pain.
"What the hell is happening to me?" Ryder muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Another beast charged from behind, its snarls echoing in his ears. Without thinking, Ryder spun around and caught the creature mid-leap. His arms strained as the beast thrashed wildly, its claws swiping inches from his face. Ryder roared as he hurled it into a nearby tree. The impact was so forceful that the tree splintered, and the beast fell limp at its base.
The other creatures hesitated for a moment, their fiery eyes flickering as if assessing the situation. Ryder used the brief pause to glance at the survivors, who had retreated to the plane's shadow.
"Stay inside!" he bellowed. "Don't come out!"
His voice snapped the beasts out of their hesitation. Two of them charged at once, their movements coordinated and relentless. Ryder braced himself, but their sheer size and speed overwhelmed him. One slammed into his chest, knocking him to the ground, while the other raked its claws across his arm.
Pain shot through Ryder's body, but it only fueled the fire within him. With a shout, he planted his foot against the beast on his chest and kicked it off, sending it flying backward. He rolled to his feet just as the second beast lunged again. This time, Ryder ducked and grabbed its hind leg, swinging it in a wide arc before slamming it into the ground.
The earth trembled from the impact, and the beast let out a final, pitiful growl before going still.
Ryder's breaths came in heavy gasps. His muscles ached, and blood dripped from his wounds, but he refused to back down.
The final beast, the largest of them all, let out a bone-chilling roar. It charged with its fiery eyes blazing, its claws ripping into the sand. Ryder met its charge head-on. The collision sent shockwaves through the air as man and beast clashed.
The creature clawed at Ryder's torso, tearing into his shirt and skin, but Ryder didn't falter. He wrapped his arms around the beast's neck and twisted with all his might. The crack of bone echoed through the night as the creature fell limp in his grasp.
Ryder staggered back, his legs trembling as he surveyed the battlefield. The once-deadly creatures now lay lifeless around him. He glanced at his bloodied hands, his heart pounding.
"What... what am I?" he whispered, both terrified and exhilarated. His chest rising and falling as he tried to process what had just happened. He stared at his bloodied arms, the deep gashes from the beast's claws fading right before his eyes. The pain, once sharp and unbearable, dulled into nothingness.
The others watched from a distance, their expressions shifting from awe to fear. Ryder's shirt was torn, his jeans shredded, but not a single wound remained. His skin was smooth and unbroken, as though the battle had never happened.
He flexed his fingers experimentally, feeling the strength coursing through him, and stood tall. Without a word, Ryder sprinted toward the plane. The exhaustion that had weighed him down moments before was gone. He reached the survivors in no time, stopping just short of the entrance.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked, his voice steady but firm.
The group shifted uneasily, some stepping back, others staring at him with wide eyes. A few leaned closer, their gazes scanning his body for injuries.
One man whispered, "How is this possible? There were claw marks all over him."
Another muttered, "Look at his clothes... but no wounds?"
Ryder raised a hand to calm them. "Listen, I know this is hard to believe. I don't know what's happening to me either, but we have more important things to focus on. We've lost people tonight." His voice grew heavier. "We need to bury the dead properly. After that, we'll vote on whether to stay here or move inland to find a safer place."
The weight of his words grounded everyone. They nodded solemnly, gathering tools and supplies to start the grim task. Ryder worked alongside them until the first rays of sunlight broke through the horizon.
As the morning light revealed the devastation, Ryder's gaze shifted to the lifeless bodies of the beasts that had attacked them. Their massive forms lay crumpled on the sand, their fiery eyes extinguished.
"Ryder," came a voice behind him. It was Aaron, one of the doctors. "Mind if I take a closer look with you?"
Ryder nodded, and together they approached the largest beast. Up close, its features were even more bizarre. Thick, leathery skin rippled with unnatural grooves. Its claws were jagged and metallic, as if forged rather than grown. Most disturbingly, the area where its eyes once burned now shimmered faintly, as though embers still glowed beneath the surface.
Aaron knelt beside the creature, running his hands over its hide. "This... isn't normal. The structure of the bones—look here." He pointed at the creature's forearm, where its joint bent at an unnatural angle. "It's almost like it was designed for aggression, not survival. These aren't natural predators."
"What are you saying, doc?" Ryder asked, crouching beside him.
Aaron examined the beast's teeth, each one serrated and curved inward. "Its anatomy doesn't match any known species on Earth. This creature... it's engineered, not evolved."
Ryder frowned. "Engineered?"
Aaron sat back, his expression grim. "I don't know how else to explain it. These creatures don't exist anywhere on this planet. They're... something else entirely."
Ryder stood, his shadow stretching across the strange creature. He clenched his fists, the faint memories of his inexplicable strength still lingering in his mind.
"Well, doc," he said, his voice heavy. "They didn't exist on Earth. They do now."
Aaron looked up at him, unsure of how to respond. Ryder didn't wait for an answer. He strode toward the plane with purpose.
"Where are you going?" Aaron called after him.
Ryder turned, his expression unreadable. "To figure out why these things didn't come near the plane."
The doctor nodded, though unease was etched on his face. Ryder disappeared into the plane's shadow, his mind racing with possibilities. Whatever was happening to them on this island, he knew one thing for certain: it was only the beginning if they didn't find a way to get off.