Smoke rose from the twisted remains, curling into the sky like ghostly tendrils. His heart skipped a beat as he remembered what had happened, the lightning, the crash... his parents.
"Mom! Dad!" he screamed, scrambling to his feet, his voice raw with panic. He stumbled toward the wreckage, his legs unsteady beneath him, his mind racing with fear and dread.
The ground was littered with debris, pieces of the plane scattered like the remnants of a shattered dream.
As he neared the wreck, he saw the lifeless bodies of the officers who had been on board with them. Their faces were pale, their eyes staring blankly into nothingness. Quinn's stomach churned, but he forced himself to keep moving.
"Mom! Dad!" he called again, his voice trembling as he reached the broken shell of the plane
. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, a relentless drumbeat that echoed in his ears. He pushed his way through the wreckage, his hands trembling as he searched for any sign of life.
Inside the remnants of the plane, he found them. His mother and father, trapped beneath a massive piece of the fuselage.
His mother was still, her body crushed under the weight of the metal. Quinn's breath caught in his throat as he realized she was gone.
His father, however, was still alive, barely. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing was labored, but his eyes were open, filled with pain and urgency.
"Dad!" Quinn cried, rushing to his side. He tried to lift the heavy metal off his parents, but it wouldn't budge. He could feel the panic rising in his chest, his hands shaking as he struggled in vain.
"Quinn... Quinn!" His father's voice was weak, strained. He coughed, a wet, gurgling sound that sent a shiver down Quinn's spine. "Listen... listen to me."
"Dad, don't talk! I'm going to get you out of here!" Quinn's voice cracked as he fought back tears. He knew it was useless, that there was no way he could move the wreckage on his own, but he couldn't give up. Not now. Not when his father needed him.
But his father shook his head, his eyes locking onto Quinn's with a fierce intensity. "No... it's too late," he rasped, his voice barely audible. "There's nothing... nothing we can do now. But you... you can do something."
Quinn shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "No, Dad, don't say that! We're going to get out of here, together!"
"Quinn... you are... more than you think," his father continued, his voice growing weaker with each word. "You are... way stronger... than you know. This... this was your destiny."
Quinn's heart clenched as he listened to his father's words. He wanted to deny it, to tell his father that he was wrong, that they were going to make it out of this together. But deep down, he knew the truth. His father's time was running out.
"You are... guided," his father whispered, his voice barely a breath. "Go... survive... save who you must. I... believe in you."
Those were his father's last words before his eyes slipped shut, his body going limp. Quinn's breath caught in his throat as he stared down at his father's lifeless form, his mind reeling with disbelief and grief.
"No... Dad, no!" he cried, his voice breaking as the reality of the situation crashed down on him. He fell to his knees beside his father's body, his heart shattering into a million pieces. The pain was overwhelming, a crushing weight that made it hard to breathe.
He stayed there for what felt like an eternity, sobbing uncontrollably, his tears soaking the ground beneath him.
The world around him seemed to fade away, leaving only the cold, harsh reality of his loss. His mother was gone.
His father was gone. And he was alone, stranded in a forest, surrounded by death and destruction.
But as the minutes passed, something inside Quinn began to shift. The raw pain of his grief slowly gave way to a burning resolve, a fierce determination that began to take root in his heart. He couldn't afford to give in to despair. Not now. Not when there was still so much at stake.
Wiping away his tears, Quinn slowly got to his feet. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he had to do next. He wouldn't fail his father. He wouldn't let his parents' deaths be in vain. He had a responsibility now, a mission. He had to survive. He had to fight. And he had to save those who could still be saved.
"I won't fail you, Dad," Quinn whispered, his voice filled with determination. "I promise."
He took a moment to gather his thoughts, then began to search the wreckage for anything that could help him.
He found two guns and some bombs among the debris, likely the equipment of the dead officers. He strapped the weapons to his belt, the weight of them a grim reminder of the danger he was about to face.
With one last glance at his parents' bodies, Quinn turned and began to make his way back through the forest.
The forest was dense, the trees towering above him like silent sentinels. The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, and the ground beneath his feet was uneven, covered in roots and fallen leaves.
Every sound seemed amplified in the stillness—the rustle of leaves, the snap of a twig, the distant call of a bird. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for the storm that was about to break.
Quinn moved cautiously, his senses on high alert. He had no idea what dangers might be lurking in the shadows, but he knew he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
As he walked, the sky above him began to darken, the clouds swirling ominously. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the wind picked up, rustling the leaves and sending a chill down Quinn's spine.
He quickened his pace, his heart pounding in his chest. He had to get to the city, to warn the others, to find some way to stop the creatures that were now awakening. But deep down, he feared it might already be too late.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him shook, a violent tremor that nearly knocked him off his feet. He staggered, his hand going to his gun as he scanned the area for any sign of danger.