The forest behind her had been wild, teeming with mutated life, but as Three crept closer to the edge of the human city, she realized that the true wilderness lay ahead. The towering buildings, once symbols of human ingenuity and power, were now crumbling husks, sagging under the weight of their own decay. Streets that had once buzzed with the rush of cars and busy feet now lay cracked and overgrown, vines creeping through fissures in the pavement, twisting around the skeletons of rusting vehicles.
Three stayed low to the ground, her small form blending easily with the debris that littered the outskirts of the city. Her whiskers twitched, sensing the tension in the air. The humans had not abandoned this place entirely, but their world was nothing like the one she had glimpsed on the flickering screens in the facility. They were hanging on by threads, surviving in the midst of their own collapse.
She darted into the shadow of an overturned trash bin, her black eyes scanning the streets ahead. A loud crash echoed down a nearby alley, followed by shouting. She tensed, ready to flee, but curiosity held her in place. The humans here were different now—changed like the world around them. She needed to understand them if she was going to survive.
From her hiding spot, Three watched as a group of humans emerged from the alley. They were rough-looking, dressed in mismatched armor cobbled together from scraps of metal and old uniforms. They carried weapons—guns, swords, and strange, glowing objects that hummed with unfamiliar energy. At their center stood a tall man with glowing blue eyes, electricity crackling at his fingertips as he gestured. The others flanked him, clearly deferring to the strange energy coursing through him—a force the world had yet to fully name or understand.
“Clear the streets,” the man barked. His voice carried easily in the stillness of the city. “The patrols need this sector empty by nightfall. Anyone caught after curfew will be dealt with.” His eyes glowed brighter for emphasis, and the group scattered, their footsteps fading into the distance.
Three’s tiny heart raced. These weren’t the humans she remembered—fragile and powerless behind their glass and needles. These were something else, something dangerous. Vitals, like the stories she had overheard in the facility. She had seen glimpses of their potential in the scientists' conversations, but now, face to face with them—even from a distance—the reality was much more terrifying.
The city itself reflected the change. The infrastructure had collapsed, buildings half-fallen or barely standing.
Three scurried along the edge of the street, darting into an abandoned storefront. Inside, shelves were ransacked, glass shattered across the floor. Once, this place might have sold food, or clothes, or something useful to humans. Now, it was just a ruin, like everything else in this city. But hidden in the shadows of the broken shelves, she had a clear view of the street.
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People were out now—moving cautiously, but still moving. Some carried bags, others pushed makeshift carts full of scavenged goods. They didn’t walk with the confidence she had once seen in humans; there was a heaviness to their steps, a wariness in their eyes. They avoided the patrols, ducking into alleys or behind debris whenever the armored group came close. These humans were afraid, surviving under the watchful eyes of the powerful few who ruled this fractured city.
As Three watched, a woman hurried by with a child clinging to her leg. The woman glanced nervously around, then ducked into a narrow side street, her body tense with fear. Three followed them with her gaze, her sharp ears picking up their hushed conversation.
“Stay close, we need to get back before they start searching,” the woman whispered, pulling the child deeper into the shadows. “You know what happens if they catch us.”
The child nodded, his wide eyes darting toward the main road where the patrols moved with casual menace. “Are the soldiers going to hurt us, Mama?” he asked, his voice barely audible.
“Not if we stay out of their way,” she replied, her voice tight. “Not if we stay quiet.”
Three’s whiskers twitched again, her small body shivering despite the warmth of the city air. This place wasn’t safe. The humans were just as much prey as she had been back in the facility. Only now, the predators looked like them.
The sound of an engine rumbled in the distance, and Three froze, watching as a massive armored vehicle rolled into view. It was unlike anything she had seen before—twisted metal and reinforced glass, with strange symbols scrawled across its sides. The vehicle rumbled to a stop, and from its back, more humans emerged, each one equipped with advanced weapons and protective gear. They didn’t seem like the others—these had the air of military about them, organized and disciplined.
A man stepped out of the vehicle, wearing a sleek black uniform, his chest adorned with patches. His eyes glowed faintly, like the man from the patrol earlier, but his demeanor was colder, more controlled. He raised a hand, and the soldiers around him fell into formation.
“Area clear,” one of the soldiers barked. “No sightings of rogue mutants or unauthorized powers.”
The man nodded, his expression unreadable. “Good. Report to base that Sector 12 is under control.”
Base? Three’s ears perked up. So there was still some form of authority left, though it was unclear whether it was military or one of these new, superpowered groups. Either way, it was evident that the remnants of human society had split into factions—those with influence and those without. The city was a fragile ecosystem, barely holding together by the force of these emerging rulers.
Three watched them disappear into the distance before moving again. She darted between debris and broken walls, careful to stay out of sight. This was no place for her. The humans had their own struggles, their own wars to fight. But she couldn’t help feeling a strange kinship with them now—prey in a world full of predators.
As the sun began to dip lower on the horizon, casting long shadows across the crumbling city, Three slipped through an old sewer grate, disappearing into the underworld beneath the streets. Above her, the city creaked under its own weight, threatening to collapse under its new burden.
In this new world, survival wasn’t guaranteed for anyone—not for humans, and not for her. But as long as she stayed sharp, stayed hidden, she could navigate it. The humans thought they had the influence, that they controlled this broken world.
But she had escaped. She had evolved.
And they had no idea how far her power would take her.