Maxine's scream cut through the night, raw and filled with anguish. She fell to her knees beside Garan and reached out, gently sliding her arm under his lifeless body. Her face drained of color as her eyes fell upon the growing crimson stain on his chest. It wasn’t until she felt a sharp pain in her own chest that she noticed the hole in her shirt, dark with blood.
Her trembling hand instinctively reached for the wound, and when she pulled it away, her palm was slick with blood. The realization hit her like a freight train. She had been shot too. Her strength ebbed away, and with a soft, desperate moan, she slumped to the ground beside Garan.
The captain's voice cut through the chaos, filled with confusion and irritation. “Who the hell is that? Where did he come from?”
His gaze darted across the yard, scanning the shadows for answers. His soldiers, equally perplexed, shrugged in response. The captain’s frustration deepened as he tried to make sense of the situation.
Garan, with his last remaining strength, reached out to Maxine. His fingers brushed her cheek tenderly, leaving a streak of blood on her pale skin before his hand fell limply to the ground.
At that very moment, the sky unleashed a thunderous clap, the sound reverberating through the earth beneath them. The ground trembled violently, causing everyone to lose their balance. What had been a light breeze moments ago had transformed into a ferocious wind, whipping through the yard with a force that made even the captain and his soldiers stumble.
Seizing the moment of chaos, Katherine broke free from her captors, slipping away unnoticed in the confusion. She sprinted toward Buck, her heart pounding in her chest. Once by his side, she deftly slipped out of her handcuffs, her claws glinting in the faint light. With a quick swipe, she freed Buck from his restraints as well, her mind racing with thoughts of escape.
A low rumble, like the distant roar of a train, began to build in the distance. The sound grew louder, rising in pitch until it became unmistakable—a woman's voice, echoing with an otherworldly power.
“Noooooo!”
The voice grew louder, a scream that tore through the air, causing everyone to clutch their ears in pain. The sheer intensity of it threatened to shatter eardrums, but just as it reached its peak, it stopped. The silence that followed was profound, almost suffocating. The ground ceased its trembling, the wind died down, and the once-vibrant night fell eerily silent. Even the crickets had stopped their chirping, leaving only an ominous stillness in their wake.
The Captain, unfazed by the strange events, barked out a challenge. “I don’t know who you are, but you might as well come out. You don’t scare me. You’re outmatched.”
His bravado was cut short as the soldier who had shot Buck suddenly dropped to the ground. His body convulsed violently, his hands clawing at his head as he let out a blood-curdling scream. The sound grew in intensity, his eyes bulging with terror, until, with a sickening pop, his head exploded. The gruesome sight left the others frozen in horror as the soldier’s body continued to twitch on the ground.
The remaining soldier who had restrained Buck reacted in a panic, drawing his gun and firing blindly into the darkened woods. The bullet sped toward the trees, but before it could reach its mark, it slowed, hanging in the air as if caught by an invisible force. Then, with terrifying precision, it reversed its course, hurtling back toward the soldier. It struck him dead between the eyes, and he fell backward with a heavy thud, his lifeless body lying still on the blood-soaked ground.
One of the remaining soldiers, terror etched across his face, made a desperate dash toward the house. He only managed three steps before his ankle snapped with a sickening crack, sending him crashing to the ground in agony. His legs began to twist and contort unnaturally, bones breaking under the strain. He cried out, but the pain was too much, and he lost consciousness. Even then, his body continued to contort, his arms twisting until more bones shattered. The sound of snapping ribs and spine filled the air as his body folded up like a neatly pressed shirt, lifeless and grotesque.
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The last soldier, paralyzed with fear, could take no more. Trembling, he lifted his pistol to his temple and pulled the trigger. His body slumped to the ground, escaping the terror that had consumed him.
The Captain, now alone and desperate, shouted into the oppressive silence, “Who are you? Show yourself!” His voice, once commanding, was now wrought with fear.
A blur of light flashed before him, and the Captain’s head jerked to the side as if struck by a transparent fist. Another blur, another blow, and he let out a pained groan, doubling over. The attacks came faster, each invisible punch landing on a different part of his body. His face became a canvas of cuts and bruises, his breath unsteady as he struggled to remain conscious. Finally, he collapsed to his knees, his body battered and broken.
The blurs ceased, and before him materialized a teenage girl, her presence both startling and inexplicable. This was Evie, no more than fourteen years old, yet her gaze held a timeless, knowing intensity.
The Captain, his voice now a rasping whisper, managed to ask, “Who are you?”
Evie looked down at him, her expression cold and resolute. “I am nature correcting its mistake,” she replied, her voice calm and final.
With a swift motion, Evie raised her hand and slapped the Captain across the cheek. The force of the blow sent his head spinning around until his neck snapped. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
As the eerie silence returned, Evie turned and surveyed the aftermath. Katherine sat beside Buck's lifeless form, her eyes filled with uncertainty. Elle lay nearby, still moaning softly. Maxine and Garan lay motionless and Maggie stood over them, her face pale, her eyes wild with shock.
When Maggie caught Evie’s gaze, her eyes widened in fear, and she began to back away. But Evie simply smiled, a serene expression that was somehow both comforting and unsettling.
Then, before her eyes, Evie began to change. She started to age in reverse, her form shrinking and softening until she was no longer a teenager but a small child—a four-year-old girl, Evelyn once more.
Evelyn ran to Garan, her tiny hands glowing as she placed them on his wound. The light spread through his body, and the wound began to heal, the torn flesh knitting together. As the wound closed, Garan gasped and sat up, his breath returning to him in a rush.
Without hesitation, Evelyn moved to Maxine, her hands once again glowing as she healed the wound in Maxine's chest. Maxine’s eyes fluttered open as life returned to her.
Evelyn then hurried to Elle, placing her hands on her head. Elle’s moans ceased, and she opened her eyes just in time to see Evelyn dart over to Buck.
Katherine stepped aside as Evelyn climbed onto Buck's back, her small hands glowing as she worked to heal him. But this time, the process was slower, the glow flickering as Evelyn’s energy waned. Finally, the wound closed, but the effort had taken its toll. Evelyn wobbled and fell off Buck's back, her small body collapsing to the ground.
Buck groaned and slowly rolled over, his breath coming in heavy gasps. Katherine scooped up Evelyn, her heart pounding as she checked for signs of life. Evelyn was unconscious, but her breathing was steady and peaceful.
Katherine whispered, “Evelyn, are you okay?”
Before Evelyn could respond, Avery emerged from the shadows of the woods. He walked up to Katherine and gently took hold of Evelyn’s hand. “She’s okay,” Avery reassured her. “She just overdid it.”
Tears welled up in Maxine’s eyes as she wrapped her arms around Garan, holding him tightly. Garan brushed the hair out of her face, his touch tender.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice soft.
Maxine, still crying, managed to smile through her tears. “You idiot. You tried to save me.”
Garan chuckled weakly. “I did, didn’t I? I think you’re growing on me.”
Maxine looked at him, her smile widening, and then she leaned down to kiss him.
Maggie, seeing the two of them embrace, couldn’t help but smile. She walked over to her sister, helping her to her feet, and together they made their way to Buck, who was slowly pulling himself off the ground, still looking weak but alive.
Elle, her voice shaky with emotion, said, “I thought we lost you.”
Buck nodded, his voice heavy with the weight of his experience. “You did. I was dead.”
The three of them looked at Evelyn, who was now curled up in Katherine’s arms, her small body snug against Katherine's chest. Katherine smiled down at the sleeping child, a wave of relief washing over her.