Endel and Carlos, armed and ready, cautiously made their way through the ruined streets. Dark shadows from buildings and shattered shop windows covered the ground, creating the illusion that the city was breathing and watching. It was early morning, the time when the night darkness begins to yield to the dawn, yet the sun had not yet appeared on the horizon. The air was heavy with the smell of smoke, mixed with something metallic, as if blood had filled the streets.
"Quiet," Carlos whispered, raising a hand to stop Endel. "Something ahead."
At first, everything was quiet. Their steps echoed dully through the empty alleys, giving the impression that they were the only living beings in this place. But as they went further, the atmosphere began to oppress them: corpses. First one, then a few, then dozens. People—some still in civilian clothes, others in military uniforms. Soldiers with weapons lying helplessly nearby. Many looked as if their deaths had been sudden: horror frozen on their faces, torn bodies lying in unnatural poses.
"They didn't even have time to react," Carlos muttered, looking at a soldier whose hands still clutched a laser weapon. "Who… or what… could have done this?"
Endel silently scanned the surroundings. Deep scratches marked the nearest building, as if something huge with claws had passed by. One of the vehicles, an anti-gravity car, was overturned, its body pierced with giant holes resembling burns.
As they turned a corner, a more horrifying scene unfolded: not only human corpses but also creatures they had never seen before. One had gray-blue skin covered in strange plates, like a mixture of flesh and metal. Its head resembled a cross between a wolf and a reptile, and its claws were long and sharp like knives. Another corpse looked even worse: a massive creature with four arms and small black eyes, its body radiating a faint glow.
"Have you seen these before?" Carlos whispered.
Endel shook his head.
"No. First time I'm seeing such beasts."
"They… die too." Carlos pointed to the deep wounds covering their bodies. "Maybe we have a chance if they aren't invulnerable."
Endel thought about his friend's words, feeling a heavy, almost unbearable sense of anxiety rising within him. These creatures looked so alien and threatening that their deaths should have brought relief. Yet instead, his mind immediately sought answers to terrifying questions: If they're dead, what could have killed them? And what does this mean for us?
He unconsciously looked at the deep wounds on the creatures' bodies. Some were so clean, it was as if a powerful energy weapon had inflicted them. Others were torn, as if something with monstrous strength had simply ripped their flesh apart. But what could possess such power? A human? A machine? Or… something even more terrifying?
This is no longer war; this is a hunt, he thought. Everything here was alien and incomprehensible. Creatures that seemed impossible to kill lay dead like dolls discarded by a child. And if they were strong enough that humans couldn't resist them, then who—or what—was stronger?
Endel felt a chill within him, unrelated to the morning wind. It was pure, instinctive dread, gripping his mind and pulling him down. In his thoughts flashed the image of portals that had brought these creatures here. He had always believed the worst that could come from that threshold had already arrived. But now the thought tormented him: Maybe they were just the vanguard, the scouts. And the real threat is still approaching.
We are like children stepping into a dark cave, not knowing what awaits us, he thought, imagining one of the scenarios.
Endel glanced at Carlos. His friend looked alert but not as overwhelmed as he felt. Maybe he hasn't realized how helpless we are yet. Or maybe he's trying not to think about it. Endel did not want to frighten him with his own thoughts. Fear was contagious, after all.
The further they went, the more traces of destruction they saw. Streets were littered with building debris, broken glass, and remnants of machinery. A massive tank that once could have instilled terror now lay motionless, split in half. Inside the cabin, charred remains of the crew were visible.
"Do you feel it?" Carlos suddenly stopped, inhaling through his nose. "Here… there's blood. And something else. Sweetish."
Endel frowned. He, too, noticed the strange scent, growing stronger. They stopped in front of a building whose façade was nearly destroyed. Dark stains streaked the walls, resembling blood but with a purplish hue. On the floor were prints resembling paw marks, too large for any known animal.
"Endel, maybe we should go back?" Carlos's voice trembled. "Something about this place doesn't feel right."
"Wait," Endel stopped him, studying the tracks carefully. "If we leave now, we won't learn anything. And if those creatures return… we need to know what we're dealing with."
Suddenly, a low howl echoed from somewhere in the distance. It was neither a human scream nor an animal's wail. It was a sound that froze them in place. Low, piercing, and somehow… alien, as if produced not by vocal cords but by a mechanism.
"Did you hear that?" Carlos whispered, gripping his pistol tighter.
"Yes. And it's… coming closer." Endel tightened his hold on his laser rifle.
They froze, staring into the darkness. But nothing happened. The howl faded, and the streets plunged back into the eerie silence. Still, they stood motionless for several minutes to ensure there was no danger.
"We need to move on," Endel finally said, exhaling. "We have to figure out what's happening here."
Around the next corner, a surprise awaited them. Amidst the rubble and destroyed vehicles, they spotted a man. He was a soldier. Lying motionless, Endel realized as they approached that he was alive. His breathing was weak, and his body was covered in wounds.
"He's breathing!" Carlos exclaimed, crouching beside him.
Endel knelt and activated his new skill. His palm glowed with a soft light as he pressed it to the soldier's chest. The man flinched, but his breathing became steadier.
"Who are you? What happened here?" Carlos asked as the wounded soldier opened his eyes.
The man struggled to speak:
"They… came. We tried… but there were too many…" He coughed, blood appearing on his lips. "Run. They might come back."
Endel and Carlos exchanged glances.
"We can't leave him here," Carlos said firmly.
"We won't carry him. It's too risky," Endel replied, though his voice lacked conviction.
The decision was obvious, but its consequences were terrifying.
They decided to move the man to a secluded spot, a nearby shelter. Every moment was tense: any sound, any rustle, made them freeze. But they managed to reach a ruined building that seemed relatively safe.
"We'll come back for him if we can," Endel said, standing up. "But first, we need to learn more."
Carlos nodded silently. He clearly didn't want to leave the man alone, but he understood there was no other choice.
As they stepped onto the next street, the city before dawn seemed even more grim. The pale sky on the horizon only emphasized how much the world had changed. Somewhere around the corner, the unknown awaited them.
Endel and Carlos moved along the streets, barely disturbing the silence around them. Two hours passed, but they found nothing new. The city, once noisy and alive, remained engulfed in dead silence. The dawn slowly colored the horizon with pale gold and pink hues. Light filtered through cracks in the ruined buildings, glinting off debris, but it brought no comfort. On the contrary, daylight revealed the destruction and chaos even more vividly.
Carlos, watching the slowly rising sun, muttered:
"I think we better head back. Staying here longer is dangerous."
Endel nodded, feeling the growing tension. He could not shake the feeling that with every step, invisible eyes were watching them. Their failure to find anything useful only amplified the sense of helplessness.
When they returned to the place where they had left the wounded survivor, he was still there. The man looked slightly better—his breathing steadier, though his face remained pale. Carlos crouched beside him and quietly called:
"Hey, can you hear us?"
The man weakly nodded, opening his eyes. Endel knelt beside him, carefully checking his condition. The healing skill, though weak, allowed him to feel for a moment that the wounded man's life energy had stabilized.
"Can you walk?" Endel asked gently.
"I'll try…" the man muttered hoarsely. He struggled to stand, leaning on Carlos's shoulder.
"All right. Let's get back to the shelter. It's safer there than here," Carlos said, helping him walk.
The way back was tense. They moved faster than before, trying to make no unnecessary noise. The sun had begun to flood the streets with light, which brought some relief. Yet every dull noise—the snap of metal, the muffled echo of footsteps—made their hearts tighten.
When they finally reached Endel's house with the basement, all three exhaled with relief. Carlos helped the man downstairs while Endel opened the door to the shelter.
Inside, anxious faces greeted them. Laira quickly rushed over, looking at the man they had brought:
"Who is this? What happened?"
"A surviving soldier," Carlos replied briefly, helping lay the man on an improvised bed. "Found him all alone. Seems to be holding on, but he's exhausted."
Laira quickly brought some water and food, handing it to Carlos to help the man regain strength. She looked at Endel with concern:
"Are you okay? You weren't hurt?"
"No, I'm fine," Endel replied, wearily sinking into a chair. He felt the tension of the past hours begin to ease.
Leina watched them silently, but worry was evident in her eyes.
"You didn't find anything?" she finally asked.
Endel shook his head.
"Just more destruction and corpses. No sign of other survivors or answers."
The room fell silent. Only the sounds of the wounded man's breathing broke it. Kael, who had been sitting in the corner observing everything, finally stood:
"You did well returning unharmed. We can't lose each other in these conditions. But we need to think about what to do next."
Endel remained silent, but inside he felt that the calm shelter in the basement might only be a temporary solution. This world had already begun to change, and hiding was becoming increasingly dangerous. Monsters could find this place at any moment…