Hector awoke with a jolt, the remnants of a nightmare clinging to his consciousness. Blinking away the last vestiges of sleep, he looked around and noticed something off—Mia was missing. His chest tightened, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. He quickly shook Frank and Diana awake.
"Guys," Hector whispered urgently, "Mia's not here."
Frank rubbed his eyes and sat up, scanning our surroundings. "Maybe she just went to relieve herself?"
Diana frowned, concern etched onto his face. "I don't think so. She would've told one of us if she was going somewhere."
"Okay," Hector said, trying to stay calm, "We need to find her. Something could've happened."
The three huddled together, discussing our options. It didn't take long for us to realize that none of us had any experience in tracking or navigating this strange world. The infected buildings, filled with monsters and darkness, loomed large in Hector’s mind.
"Maybe we should head towards the pyramid," suggested Frank. "She might have gone there after she couldn’t convince us to go last night."
"Or maybe she was taken there," Hector added, his voice wavering.
"Either way, we need to find her," Frank replied firmly.
“Our only option is to head to the nearest infected building and hope we find her.” Diana added.
“Hope is the denial of reality.” Frank quoted, but quiet enough no one heard him.
As the group gathered supplies and prepared to search, Hector couldn’t shake the worry. They were venturing into the unknown without any real plan, searching for a friend who could be in grave danger. But what else could they do? Mia needed him, and he couldn't abandon her now.
"Alright," Hector said, lifting his weapon, "Let's go find Mia."
"Agreed," Frank chimed in, his gray eyes determined.
The trio set off towards the nearest nest, Hector knowing full well that they might be walking straight into a nightmare. But with each step, his resolve grew stronger. He wouldn't let fear stand in his way—Mia was counting on him, and he couldn't let her down.
"Guys," Frank said, his voice barely audible, "What if we don't find her?"
"We will," Hector replied confidently. "We just have to keep moving forward. Besides," he added, "Mia's too stubborn to go down without a fight."
Hector knew It was true. He also knew they would find Mia and bring her back safely. No matter what it took.
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As they continued on our way, Frank took the lead. His eyes scanned the environment, looking for anything that might prove useful in finding Mia. Hector was scanning their flanks and when he looked into one of the side streets, he saw a building about to collapse onto the street. It seemed a strong gust of wind could bring the whole thing down. He turned his eyes back to Frank.
"Got anything?" He asked, breaking the silence.
"Still looking," Frank replied, not missing a beat. "But there's something about this place... it feels off."
"Off" was an understatement. The closer they got to the infected building, the more eerie and dangerous the atmosphere became. The walls were decaying, their once pristine surfaces now marred with unidentifiable stains and cracks. Strange organic growths clung to every surface, pulsing and writhing as if they were alive. And then there were the sounds—the unsettling echoes of distant groans and cries that seemed to come from within the building itself.
"Guys, listen," Diana whispered, stopping everyone mid stride. "Do you hear that?"
"Sounds like... movement," Hector said, his voice barely audible.
"Movement?" Frank repeated, furrowing his brows. "From where?"
"Hard to say," Diana admitted. "They seem to be coming from all around us."
"Let's keep moving," Hector urged. "The sooner we find Mia, the better."
We pressed on, growing increasingly anxious with every step. The infected building loomed before us, its grotesque facade turning Hector's stomach.
"Alright," Hector said, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."
Together, they stepped into the building, ready to face whatever lay ahead to save Mia.
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The moment we stepped foot inside the infected building, Diana started gagging. The smell was overwhelming. It was like the rotten monster they found days ago but ten times stronger. They hesitated at the entrance.
"Diana," Frank whispered, "what do you think the chances are that Mia's still... you know, alive?"
"She was alive some time ago," she replied sharply,pointing her finger forward to a dead centipede with a hole on the side of its neck. "That's from her new spear.”
Hector nodded in agreement, clenching his fists. "Mia's strong. She'll hang in there until we find her."
They moved cautiously through the dimly lit corridors, senses on high alert for any signs of Mia—or the monsters that roamed these halls. The whole place had been transformed into a grotesque fusion of organic and artificial. Fleshy growths covered the walls, pulsating with an eerie, sickly light. The air was thick with a noxious odor, a combination of decay and something unnatural.
"Keep your ears open for any sounds she might make," Frank suggested, his voice barely more than a breath. "She could be calling for help."
As they ventured deeper into the the amount of growths on the walls increased. Twisted and deformed shapes hung from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance with a malevolent life of their own. The sound of movement they'd heard earlier continued to echo through the building, accompanied now by the sickening sound of their squelching footsteps.
"Shit," Hector muttered as he rounded a corner. "That doesn't sound good."
"Guys, over there!" Frank exclaimed, pointing to a faint trail of blood on the floor. "Do you think that's Mia's?"
"Only one way to find out," Hector replied grimly.
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"Let's follow it, but be ready for anything," Diana added, her voice taking on a steely determination.
As we crept along the blood trail, every creak and groan in the building seemed to amplify our anxiety. The constant threat of encountering monsters loomed over the group like a shadow.
They were so close now. Hector just hoped they found her before the monsters did.
The blood trail led them to a large chamber, and there, high above, was Mia, perched precariously on a narrow ledge. Below her, a grotesque, writhing mass of Abominations created a swarm that squirmed and coiled, trying to reach for her.
The monsters were in a frenzy and it was a grotesque spectacle. Dozens of nightmarish creatures, trying to climb each other to get to Mia. There was no way to tell when one Abomination ended and another started. The mix of white flesh and black chitin added to the otherworldliness.
Centipedes hissed and clicked as their multi-fanged jaws snapped in anticipation, adding yet another layer of horror. The scratching of their bodies against each other made a sound that felt worse than nails on a board.
Mia was trapped, her face twisted in agony, her arm hanging useless at her side. Blood oozed from a gash on her forehead, and her clothes were torn and soaked in crimson. She still had her spear in her other hand.
"Thank God," Hector breathed, relief washing over his face. "She's alive."
"We need to act now," Frank declared. "We'll draw the monsters away then get her out."
"Sounds risky," Diana muttered, casting a glance at Hector. "But I'm in."
"Me too," Hector agreed, determination surging through me. "Let's save Mia."
“Diana how about you use the same bomb thing that you used on the first day? Throw it into a corridor away from Mia any maybe they check it out”
“Shit, it's worth a try” Hector supported Frank's idea.
Diana nodded and cast the Dazzle rune word on a flat stone. Clutching it in one hand, she hesitated for a moment, aware that it might be an extremely bad idea.
With a deep breath, Diana hurled it into a nearby corridor and triggered the rune. The blinding explosion filled the air with a brilliant burst of light and a deafening bang, echoing through the building. The Dazzle did its job, temporarily stunning some of the centipedes. They writhed and hissed in disorientation.
But it soon became painfully clear that Mia's blood was acting as a beacon. It was as though the scent of her wounds drove the centipedes into a frenzied bloodlust. Despite the diversion, they ignored the flashing light and instead intensified their attempts to climb.
Amidst the chaos and danger, Diana tried to think fast. She knew that they couldn't distract the centipedes for long, and Mia's life was hanging by a thread. With a sense of desperation, she looked around for any possible solution to lure the monsters away.
"Think, think, think," Hector muttered under his breath, beads of sweat forming on his brow. The pressure was mounting, and it felt like a vice grip tightening around their chests.
One of the centipedes reached Mia’s ledge but with a one handed thrust of her spear she managed to strike it hard enough to push it back down into the swarm.
“How about fire? We can bring wood, build a fire and chase them away with smoke!” Hector said hopefully”
Diana's eyes flashed with irritation as Hector suggested the fire plan. "Absolutely not. Fire might work, but it's too slow, and we can't guarantee it will drive them away in time. We need something faster, or we'll lose Mia to those creatures."
Hector winced at her sharp response but couldn't argue with the urgency of their situation.
“Behind us!” Frank shouted just as the centipede lunged at them, its massive, segmented body trying to crush him. Frank used his Dodge to get out of the way.
Hector raised his makeshift war pick, a monstrous stinger fashioned into a deadly weapon, while Frank brandished his dual daggers.
With swift and practiced movements, they engaged the creature. Hector aimed a powerful overhead swing at the centipede's head. The war pick struck with incredible force, but the monster turned its head upwards just before the strike landed. Instead of puncturing through the armored skull, the war pick’s sharp point struck the lower jaw of the Abomination, taking it clean off. A noxious, green ichor oozed from the wound as the centipede let out a deafening screech.
As it recoiled upwards from Hector's blow,raising its front legs, Frank sprang into action. With speed and precision, he lunged forward, his daggers slashing through the air. Both blades found their mark, piercing into the centipede's underbelly. Frank twisted the blades, ensuring maximum damage.
The centipede convulsed and thrashed, its numerous legs flailing in agony. It was a short, brutal battle. Hector and Frank had found the monster many times before and their new weapons helped. They dispatched the creature efficiently. The centipede collapsed to the ground, lifeless, a dark pool of ichor spreading beneath it.
Hector and Frank shared a nod of satisfaction before scanning their surroundings, ready for the next threat.
"Guys," Hector began, making a decision, "we're not leaving here without Mia. There is no way to scare them away and they don't care about the noise we make. There is just one more thing we can do. We have to kill these monsters - all of them - if we want to save her."
"Are you insane?" Frank exclaimed, desperation lacing his voice. "There are too many! We'll never make it!"
"Maybe not," Hector admitted, knowing full well the odds. "But it's Mia's only chance. I won't abandon her, and neither will you." He finished looking at Diana who held his gaze but said nothing.
Frank hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking between Mia and the seemingly insurmountable horde of monsters. But then he nodded, determination flooding his features. "You're right. We fight to the end, together." Frank sighed, resigned to the decision. "Maybe we can do something that takes them all out at once. Any ideas?"
Hector spoke in a low but determined voice. "We need to be the bait. Those monsters are fixated on Mia because of her blood. Maybe they will follow us. It's the only way that has a chance of success." He didn’t mention chances of survival.
Frank shuddered but nodded his head.
"Agreed. But once we have their attention, we need a plan for what to do next." Diana said.
"We don't have to lead them far. On our way here I saw a building that was about to collapse. Maybe we can help it a bit and squash some bugs"
Frank looked skeptical but didn't have a better idea. "Yeah, I saw it too. Sounds risky, but it might be our only shot."
With their plan in place, they prepared to become the bait and lead the frenzied centipede swarm away from Mia. The odds were stacked against them, but they couldn't afford to wait any longer. The centipedes were closer to reaching Mia with every moment they wasted.
“Diana, I have an idea, prepare another stone for me to throw,” Frank said. As he received the item with the Dazzling rune on it he continued. “You two go, prepare the building to collapse on them, save some mana for healing Diana”
Hector and Diana looked at each other unconvinced.
“Look, just go! There is no time to explain everything. I will lure them all to you.” Frank said, fever in his eyes “Just trust me.”
“I do.” Hector said as he stood up and pulled Diana by her arm to go with him.
“I will try to give you as much time as possible but if I think they are about to get to Mia I will begin anyway.” Frank said, trying to hide the shake of his hands.
As Hector and Diana hurried towards the unstable building, Frank steadied himself. His heart pounded in his chest, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. The centipede swarm writhed and hissed, a horrific tide of grotesque creatures seeking Mia's blood.
Time was his enemy, and he couldn't afford to wait too long. However if he acted too soon it would be his and Hector’s and Diana's heads too. With Mia probably following shortly after.
“No pressure Frank” he muttered to himself.
Frank watched them go, then pulled his dagger and kept it hovering above his forearm. He watched the swarm and was hoping they had enough time to set up the trap. He waited as long as he could and when Mia pushed another centipede from her ledge he decided it was time to act.
With a deep breath, Frank began his treacherous dance with the centipedes. He took a few steps forward, hurling the stone with the Dazzling rune into the midst of the swarm. The rune lit up with a blinding, mesmerizing light that drew the attention of the centipedes. Frank quickly ran the dagger along his forearm and hissed in pain.
He waved his hand, splashing his blood everywhere. “Come at me you ugly bastards!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. The swarm shifted, suddenly dozens of eyes seeing an easier prey just standing there, covered in the delicious smell of blood.
As one they charged towards Frank.