# "One bite. One fate."
Aisha watched time slip away from inside the closed vehicle. The heat pressed against her like an uncomfortable embrace, feeding her growing anxiety. Sanathiel had not returned, and the recent ordeal in the punishment chamber kept her thoughts swirling in a relentless storm.She took a sip of water and, needing air, decided to step out of the car.
The suffocating air outside did little to ease her restlessness. She had barely shut the door when a man in a black suit appeared before her—as if emerging from thin air.
"It's your turn, miss."
Aisha eyed him warily. His presence was unsettling. Though her instincts screamed trap, her hunger for answers was stronger. As he reached toward her, her reflexes kicked in; she struck his face hard—only to watch him disintegrate into ashes before her eyes, leaving a sweet aroma hanging in the air.
A faint breeze carried a whisper to her ear.
"Aisha..."
The sound of her name sent a chill through her. The voice reminded her of Rasen.With renewed resolve, she turned toward Door 3. Just then, a rush of wind brushed her cheek. Was it a whisper—or her imagination?
"The woman of destiny… my father's companion, Sanathiel's."
In the distance, Aisha closed the car window and stepped down with steady, determined strides, a wide-brimmed hat shielding her from the harsh sun. She crossed the dry, cracked terrain.
Using a key, she slipped into the corridors, clutching tightly what she had retrieved.
Meanwhile, deep in the same passage, Lionel moved through the shadows. His breath was labored as he carried a wounded blonde girl.The mission entrusted to him by Rasen—and manipulated by Cristal—had spiraled into a waking nightmare.
"You'll survive, girl," he whispered, bracing her against a corner for cover.With swift hands, he pulled off her balaclava, revealing a pale face streaked with blood and fear.
The echo of nearby footsteps forced him to act fast. He tossed the bloodied balaclava down an adjoining tunnel, hoping to mislead their pursuers.One hand over the girl's mouth.
"Quiet. Don't move."
Peeking from his hiding spot, he concealed her inside a hole large enough in the wall. Then he caught sight of them—waiting.A group of towering beasts blocked his path, their unnatural eyes glowing, bodies vibrating with contained energy—as if they had anticipated his every move.
Lionel raised his hands above his head.To his surprise, these beasts were different from those in the Community. They spoke—in a strange tongue.
One of them, now in human form, stepped forward. The look in its eyes was that of a predator… one that had chosen to enjoy the hunt. The voice that followed was deep, guttural, and measured—each word a slow, deliberate threat:
"Majú podobnú vôňu ako Sanathielova… ale ty si iný ako my. Čo si zač?"(You carry a scent... much like Sanathiel's... yet you are different from us. What are you?)
"What…?" Lionel replied, bewildered.
The simple shake of the beast's head at his lack of understanding was answer enough.One of them, still in human form, slammed him against the wall—its grip crushing his throat.
"Explain who you are… or we will tear your arms off."
Lionel gasped, struggling to steady his breath. Through the searing pain in his joints, he managed to rasp out:
"If your enemy… is my enemy… then we can... cooperate... ugh..."
In response, they twisted his arms until a sharp crack echoed through the tunnel.Lionel screamed—"Ahhy!"—his cry reverberating down the corridor.
Just as the creatures prepared to finish him, a sudden sound drew their attention.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—moving with lethal precision.In seconds, the two creatures holding Lionel crumpled, dead. Barely conscious, Lionel looked up and recognized the approaching man.
"I knew from the start… you'd botch such a simple job."
The voice was cold, almost disdainful. Steven grabbed Lionel's broken arm and yanked it sharply back into place, using a small blade to realign the joint—pulling a groan of pain from him.
"What's so funny?" Steven asked, frowning at the bitter laugh that escaped Lionel's lips.
"You forget who you're talking to, mutt," Lionel spat. With a quick motion, he drew a hidden knife, holding it between them. "Let me go. Those things will be back soon."
They locked eyes—the tension thick between them.Then Lionel noticed something: a bite on Steven's arm. The wound still bled, yet to his shock—it was healing at an unnatural pace.
"How is a human like you healing so fast?"
Steven's glare was ice."Don't touch me."
No time for more questions.New hooded figures hurled bright spheres—flooding the tunnel with a blinding flash. In the ensuing chaos, Steven and Lionel split, disorienting the creatures.
Amid the fight, Lionel threw a dagger toward Steven.
"Don't let them bite you—you could get infected! Now, release the girl."
Steven glanced toward the blonde, who had emerged from her hiding place, trembling at the scene.Finally, Lionel reached her—shielding her from the blast.
"Your name," Lionel asked, panting.
"Ishana," she replied, wiping blood from her face.
Before she could say more, a massive shadow lunged at Lionel.Its fangs sank deep, tearing into his flesh. Through the searing pain, Lionel drove his knife into the beast's eyes—again and again—until it collapsed, lifeless.
Barely conscious, Lionel fell to his knees, a trembling hand pressed to the wound.The pain was unbearable—
Not like fire——but like molten metal coursing through his veins… slow and merciless.
"This… can't be happening..." he whispered, voice breaking, as darkness began to consume him from within.His eyes fell to the bite on his body.