Cira’s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes met the pitch black — or were they green? — eyes of the predator that stared at her with a deep hunger.

Cira tried to keep calm, even though her heart raced. She felt her pulse through her entire body. Every fiber in her screamed at her to run, to get away. But she couldn’t leave the Gammawolf here… Could she?

The stalker tilted its head as it kept eye contact with Cira, but it didn’t do fast movements. It just slowly crawled down the side of the building it was sitting on. Its claws easily penetrated the stone facade as it, agile like a spider, made its way down to the ground. And then it stopped and just stared at her again.

It waits, Cira thought, struggling to keep her eyes open. Her wounds, the pain nullifiers and the fight against the Gammawolf really took a toll at her. But she knew, somehow, that if she now fell asleep, she would die. If not by the stalker, then from her wounds; and so she kept her eyes open and sent that signal to her village.

Since they didn’t hunt an animal and followed its tracks, a rescue group would take about 2 hours to reach her.

She added one word to the Signal;

‘Stalker’.

Her memory pad beeped as the message went out and Cira leaned against the Gammawolf corpse. She took deep breaths, calming herself down - or at least she was trying to - as the sun beat down on her.

She felt the sweat, as well as her blood, drenching her clothes and she played with the idea of just taking the top off; it was torn anyway. She grabbed the end of her top and pulled it over her head and discarded it to the side. And the moment she looked up again, she noticed that the Stalker got closer. Her heart skipped another beat, and her sweat ran down her face.

The Stalkers skeletal frame looked so out of place and it seemed to get inpatient. Its sunken eyes stared at Cira with lust and hunger and its body was shaking with anticipation.

Cira swiftly grabbed into her bag and searched for something that could emit a bright light…But she didn’t have anything. Instead she pulled out her second syringe of pain nullifiers. She stared at it for just a moment.

Then her eyes wandered up to the stalker again. She could almost feel its breath, though it stood several meters away. The oppressive heat bore down on her, mixing with the throbbing pain of her wounds. Every heartbeat felt like a hammer against her ribs, and her vision began to blur slightly around the edges.

And then, without another moment of hesitation, Cira plunged the syringe into her thigh, feeling the immediate cool relief of the pain nullifier spread through her veins. Calm washed over her, dulling the sharp edges of her agony but heightening her awareness of the threat before her.

Cira's breaths were ragged as her body began to feel lighter, the pain becoming a distant throb. She knew she had only moments before the Stalker made its move. Her eyes, now sharper, caught every detail of its skeletal frame, the way its muscles tensed and rippled beneath its pale skin.

Sweat mixed with blood on Cira's skin, the metallic smell of it filling her nostrils as she clutched the empty syringe and shoved it back into her bag. She had to act quickly.

She forced her trembling legs to push her upright. The world swayed for a moment, but she steadied herself, her gaze never leaving the Stalker. Its eyes glinted with malicious intent, and its body seemed coiled to spring at any second. She took a deep breath, the air feeling thick and hot in her lungs.

I have to get away! And so Cira bolted. Her feet pounding against the cracked pavement, the pain nullifier giving her a false sense of invulnerability. The sun beat down mercilessly, baking the ground beneath her as she sprinted. She could hear the Stalker's claws scraping behind her.

Every muscle in her body screamed for her to stop, to rest, but she pushed harder. Her vision blurred with each step, the landscape around her merging into a dizzying swirl of colors and shapes.

Finally, Cira spotted a building up ahead, its entrance partially obscured by overgrown vines and debris…or that's what she would say those were.

She pushed herself harder, her legs burning and screaming with every step, and made a final sprint toward the door. She could hear the stalker closing in.

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She reached the entrance and threw herself inside, collapsing against a cool, shaded wall. Her chest heaved with each breath, the relative darkness of the building blinding her for just a Moment.

She scanned her surroundings quickly, her eyes adjusting to the dimness. The room was filled with remnants of a forgotten life—broken furniture, scattered papers, with ink long faded, and a thick layer of dust that coated everything, that wasn't taken over by plants.

Hide, her mind screamed Find a place to hide!

Cira forced herself to move, her body protesting against the movement. She moved deeper into the building, her eyes searching for a place to hide. She spotted a partially collapsed staircase leading to an upper level and made her way toward it, her steps slow and careful. Behind her she could hear the stalker moving into the building, its claws slowly clicking against the ground.

It wants to catch me off guard, she looked over her shoulder and saw it sitting there mocking her with its gaze. It seemed to say that it will get her.

The stairs creaked under her weight, each sound banging like drums in her head. Her movements were sluggish, her limbs heavy with exhaustion and the little pain the Nullifiers didn't kill. She reached the top and found a small room, its door hanging ajar. She slipped inside and gently closed the door behind her, pressing her ear against it to listen for any sign of the stalker. Her heart pounded in her chest, the fear and adrenaline mixing with the pain nullifier to create a heady, disorienting rush.

Cira backed away from the door and looked around the room frantically, her eyes landing on a wooden cabinet pushed against one wall. She hurried over to it and, using the last bits of her strength, began to move it in front of the door. The cabinet scraped against the wooden floor, the sound loud in the quiet room and booming in her ears, but she managed to wedge it against the door.

She sank to her knees, her hands still resting on top of the cabinet. She breathed heavily — each one burning in her lungs and throat — as she tried to calm her racing heart. The pain nullifier was beginning to wear off and the dull ache of her wounds seeped back into her. She felt the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her, her eyelids growing heavier with each passing second.

Stay awake! You can’t fall asleep now.

The room began to spin around her, the dark corners in her Vision closing in and out of focus. She pressed her forehead against the cool wood of the cabinet, hoping the chill would ground her, but instead, it sent a shiver down her spine. The acrid taste of bile rose in her throat, mixing with the coppery tang of blood in her mouth.

Her stomach churned violently. She pressed a hand against her abdomen, trying to steady herself, but the nausea was too much. The room's air, thick with dust and decay, only made it worse. She could feel the bile rising, burning her throat. Cira lurched to the side, just managing to lean over before she vomited, the contents of her stomach splattering onto the floor. The act left her weaker, her body shaking uncontrollably.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, the bitter taste lingering. Her vision swam, and she clutched the cabinet for support, trying to regain her balance. The pain nullifiers were wearing off, and the side effects were hitting her hard. Her skin felt clammy, and cold sweat dripped down her back, mixing with the dried blood and dirt. Her muscles ached, not just from exertion but from the unnatural suppression of pain. Every nerve seemed to be firing randomly, sending jolts of discomfort through her body.

The silence of the room pressed in on her like the weight of a hundred Glowhorns, broken only by the unsettling sounds of the stalker below. She could hear its methodical movements, the scraping of its claws against the floor, the subtle huffs of its breath. It was searching for her, and it was patient.

Cira desperately tried to form a plan. She knew she couldn't stay in that room; the stalker would find her. But her body was barely functioning right. She glanced around the small space, her eyes landing on a narrow window. It was a slim chance, but a Chance of getting Out nonetheless.

Gritting her teeth, Cira pushed herself up, her legs trembling with the effort. She staggered to the window and pushed it open, the hinges creaking in protest, almost breaking apart when the window Hit the outer wall. She leaned out, scanning the area below. It was a short drop to a wide place, probably the old Backyard, littered with debris.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the jump. Her vision blurred again, and she blinked rapidly, trying to focus. She had to land right or she would Hurt herself even more. A sudden crash from downstairs made her heart leap; it was now or never.

Cira hastily swung one leg over the sill, then the other, and pushed off. She landed awkwardly, her ankle twisting painfully as she hit the ground. She bit back a scream, forcing herself to stay silent. She crawled into the shadows, pressing herself against the wall, trying to stay hidden.

She heard the Stalker shuffling and searching above, and when it finally stopped, she rose to her feet slowly, testing her weight on the injured ankle. It held, barely. She limped down the Backyard, each step sending a jolt of pain through her body. Her head throbbed, the aftereffects of the nullifiers making her feel disoriented and nauseous.

She looked back at the building, her eyes landing on the narrow window she had escaped through. Through the opening, she saw the Stalker appearing at the window ledge. Its dark eyes, once again meeting hers with that hunger, seemed to glow dark intent. The Stalker hesitated for just a moment, then leapt out of the window, its claws outstretched as it followed her.

Fear peaked in Cira as she turned to run. She pushed herself forward, but the pain in her ankle was too much, and her legs felt like lead. She managed only a few stumbling steps before her injured ankle and leg gave up on her. She fell hard onto the debris-strewn ground, pain flaring up with a sharp, blinding intensity.

As she struggled to get back up, the Stalker was already closing in on her. Cira's breaths were ragged, and her vision was narrowing with every passing moment. Her body felt like it was collapsing under the weight of exhaustion and pain

Just as the Stalker’s claws were almost hitting her, a sudden, bright flash illuminated the scene. A sharp, crackling sound followed, and the Stalker was thrown sideways, its body slamming into a pile of rubble. The creature shrieked in a guttural, discordant cry as it skidded to a stop, its limbs flailing.

Cira turned her head, her vision struggling to focus on the new arrivals. Through her blurred sight, she could make out the silhouettes of several figures emerging from a nearby vehicle. One of them, tall and commanding, stood at the forefront, wielding a plasma rifle. The rifle’s barrel still emitted a faint blue glow from the recent shot. It was her brother, Rian, and his team.

“Cira!” Rian’s voice cut through the haze of pain and confusion, filled with urgent concern. “We’re here!” He came towards her and picked her up. “Ready bandages and medicine! We need a Bio-Fix Serum!”

“But sir-” one of the other voices, a girl, began but she was immediatly interrupted.

“Now.” Rian bellowed and, not so gently, put Cira on the back of the vehicle. “We have to get away, those beasts are more resilient than they look.” And as if on cue, the Stalker screeched again.

But Cira didn't notice much anymore, because the moment the Anti-Adrenaline and Bio-Fix Serum was given to her, she lost consciousness.