"I... killed... you... all... already..." The abomination tilted her head, gazing at the approaching skeletons. "W-why... you... should... be... dead."

There were hundreds of them, the skeletons of all manners of monsters. Many were missing limbs as they slowly advanced towards their tormenter and killer.

Noah was standing among the undead horde, leaning on the tunnel wall, panting heavily. His raggedy clothes were drenched in sweat. Noah felt as though he was entirely sapped of vitality. He had used all of his essence in order to raise as many of the corpses that were hanging from the chains, along the dark tunnel, as he could.

'You want vengeance? Have at it.'

A woman who had fought to defend her home and people until she had gone mad. Monsters cruelly tortured for who knows how long, before being granted the peace of death. Noah was beyond contemplating who was right or wrong. Morality? It took all of Noah's willpower to simply remain conscious. All he cared about was reaching Jeffrey and getting as far away as possible from this cursed place.

The abomination shrieked and lunged at the monstrous horde of skeletons, wildly flailing one of her chains.

Noah ducked in an attempt to dodge the chain before it could pulverize his head but lost his footing and collapsed on the cold tunnel floor.

He continued crawling forward amidst the countless skeletal legs that were charging at the abomination. Bone fragments of destroyed minions fell on top of him, as Noah kept moving.

It was an odd and overwhelming sensation. Noah's power allowed him to innately know what his minions were experiencing. However, the sheer number of skeletons that he had risen was so high, that Noah was beginning to lose his sense of self.

'Just have to keep moving forward...'

Thankfully, the unhinged abomination was so distraught and distracted by her victims coming to haunt her again, that she did not notice, or simply did not care, about the delirious and half dead man, crawling on the ground.

After struggling to crawl his way out of the mass of vengeful skeletons, Noah summoned every ounce of strength he had left in order to rise to his feet and stumble toward Jeffrey.

"Oh no..."

The werehuman looked as though he had faced a firing squad. His massive body was riddled with puncture wounds.

"Why didn't you run away...?" The demonic sounding voice of Jeffrey's hybrid form was now barely a whisper.

"Jeffrey, can you turn into your human form?"

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Jeffrey attempted to speak, but instead coughed and spewed blood.

"Don't talk, just turn into your human form so I could carry you. Please."

The werehuman nodded weakly and began to transform. He now appeared so weak and fragile.

Noah carefully lifted Jeffrey in order to avoid hurting him, though the werehuman winced in pain despite his efforts.

"I'm sorry..." Noah was hardly faring any better; the effort of hoisting up Jeffrey threatened to send him toppling to the group, as he barely maintained his own balance.

The abomination was entirely engulfed by the undead horde that Noah had raised. The twisted woman was no longer able to coherently form any sentences. She merely shrieked in seething rage, while lasing with her chains at her once fallen foes.

Noah sensed it whenever one of the skeletons was destroyed. There was no hope of defeating the dark entity. Only delaying and distracting her. The undead horde was Noah's hourglass. The gambit was emerging out of the subway tunnel before the abomination turns her twisted attention back towards him.

After receiving a mental command, the skeletal ape used its remaining arm to lift up and carry Claws, who was too maimed in order to walk.

Noah led the group, illuminating the path ahead with his omni device's flashlight, while Steve, the only member still in fighting shape and capable of harming the abomination, guarded the rear.

For someone who had absorbed as much essence as Noah had, carrying Jeffrey in his human form should have been effortless. However, Noah could barely support his own weight now, sapped of essence and exhausted as he was.

"It's okay, I'll get us out of here..." Noah wasn't sure if he was encouraging Jeffrey or himself.

The mighty werehuman looked as though he was barely hanging on. His horrific injuries looked far more severe in his human form.

Noah continued to march down the tunnel, struggling to hold back his tears.

'This is all my fault.'

Jeffrey had shown him such kindness, and now he teetered between life and death. Alone, Noah might have willingly surrendered to his pain and exhaustion, collapsing to the ground and embracing his demise. All the anguish, agony, and horror would finally end.

Instead, Noah hurried down the tunnel, pushing on. He had people counting on him. his grandma and now, Jeffrey.

Only willpower kept Noah on his feet and moving forward. He was drenched in sweat, panting heavily with each step.

'Come on... there has to be an exit somewhere here!'

Noah had lost track of time. He sensed that the tormented horde of monsters had been almost entirely destroyed.

"Wait, this is... a platform! We're almost out, Jeffrey!" However, the werehuman was not moving anymore.

"Just a bit longer... please."

Noah placed Jeffrey atop the platform, then grimacing and groaning, he climbed himself before lifting Jeffrey once more and running up the stairs of the long-abandoned subway station.

Every single one of the skeletons that were left behind, had been destroyed.

'Come on, come on!'

Noah frantically searched for the exit, when he began to hear the sound of a chain being dragged.

'Daylight!'

As Noah dashed towards the gate, the demented shrieks of the abomination echoed through the station.

Noah passed through the gate, followed by the skeletal ape carrying Claws. As Noah turned to wait for Steve, a powerful metallic clang echoed through the station. Suddenly, Steve was thrown through the gate, crashing into Noah, who dropped Jeffrey and tumbled to the ground.

The menacing dark silhouette of the abomination could be seen pacing through the gate. However, as sunlight touched her body, the dark entity shrieked and retreated back inside. For just a split second, the shroud of darkness lifted off of her, and Noah caught a glimpse of the woman's face.

She looked terrified.

'Safe, we're safe.'

Noah tried to get up, but at that moment his strength had finally failed him, as Noah collapsed, darkness overtaking him.