Silver Rock was no longer a city. It was a nightmare. The glowing fissures crisscrossing the streets vomited sulfuric gas, mutating even the environment. The crimson sky bled into the horizon day and night, casting a sickly glow over the ruins. The creatures were more than predators—they were organized, relentless, and evolving.

For Ethan and his group, every step outside The Forge felt like walking into a death trap. Supplies were harder to find, and every encounter with survivors or the creatures seemed to push them closer to the edge.

And yet, one problem remained: Jake Cooper.

The group had spent the day scavenging in the industrial district, hoping to find machinery parts for Mason to use in their defenses. As the sun dipped below the crimson haze, they heard a voice that sent a chill through their spines.

“Well, well. Look who decided to visit my side of town.”

Jake and his gang emerged from the shadows of a crumbling warehouse. Jake’s trademark sneer was plastered across his face, his pipe resting casually on his shoulder. Behind him, his gang spread out, their weapons glinting in the red light.

Ethan’s hand instinctively moved to his energy blade, but he didn’t ignite it. “We don’t have time for this, Jake. Move.”

Jake laughed, his voice echoing eerily in the empty street. “Oh, you’ve got time, Graves. I’ve been waiting for this.”

Before Ethan could respond, the distant sound of screeches cut through the tension. The group froze, and even Jake’s gang fell silent as the first creatures appeared—a swarm of mutated wolves, raccoons, and a massive bear-like monstrosity lumbering in the distance.

“They’re coming,” Ethan said coldly, drawing his blade. “Unless you want to die here, we fight together.”

Jake hesitated, but the fear in his eyes was undeniable. “Fine. But don’t think this changes anything.”

“Good,” Ethan said, stepping forward. “Let’s see what you’re really made of.”

Ethan moved first, his energy blade igniting with a sharp hum. A wolf lunged at him, its glowing eyes blazing, but he sidestepped smoothly, driving his blade through its ribcage. The weapon hissed as it burned through flesh and bone, and the wolf collapsed in a heap of blood and viscera.

Another creature—a raccoon with elongated claws—charged him. Ethan ducked low, sweeping its legs out with a kick before plunging his blade into its skull. The sickening crunch of bone echoed in his ears as blood sprayed across his face.

“They’re coordinated,” he muttered, slashing through another wolf. His muscles burned as he moved, his strikes precise and brutal.

He glanced back at his group. “Stick together! Don’t give them an opening!”

Dakota roared as a wolf leapt at him, its claws raking across his arm. Blood seeped through his shirt, but he barely flinched. Gripping his crowbar with both hands, he swung upward with devastating force, crushing the creature’s jaw. Sparks flew as the weapon’s electrified edge discharged, leaving the wolf twitching in a pool of its own blood.

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A second wolf came at him from the side, its teeth bared. Dakota spun, catching it mid-leap with the crowbar’s hooked end. He slammed the creature into the ground, stomping on its head until it stopped moving. Blood and brain matter spattered his boots, but he didn’t stop.

“Come on!” he shouted, his voice a guttural growl. “You want more?”

Mason fumbled with a grenade, his hands slick with sweat and blood. A raccoon darted toward him, its claws gleaming. He swung his spiked flail, the weapon connecting with the creature’s face. Bone fragments and gore splattered across the ground as the raccoon crumpled.

He activated the grenade and hurled it into a cluster of creatures near Jake’s gang. The explosion tore through the mutants, sending limbs and entrails flying. The air was thick with the smell of burnt flesh.

“Keep them off me!” Mason shouted, reaching for another grenade. His eyes darted around the battlefield, calculating where to strike next.

From atop a crumbled truck, Kyle fired bolt after bolt from his crossbow, each one tipped with core fragments. A wolf’s head exploded as his shot struck true, its remains splattering across the pavement. He quickly reloaded, his fingers steady despite the chaos.

When a bear-like creature lumbered toward Dakota, Kyle fired three bolts in rapid succession. The first struck its leg, slowing it down. The second embedded in its chest, and the third detonated near its face, leaving a gaping, charred wound.

“Got your back, big guy!” Kyle called, firing another shot into the fray.

Jake swung his pipe wildly, his movements uncoordinated and frantic. A raccoon lunged at him, raking its claws across his side. He screamed, stumbling back as blood poured from the wound.

“Fight, you idiots!” he yelled at his gang, but they were already falling apart. One of his lackeys was dragged down by a wolf, his screams cut short as the creature tore out his throat.

A mutated deer charged Jake, its antlers dripping with gore. He swung his pipe, connecting with its neck, but the creature barely flinched. It rammed into him, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

As the fight raged on, the bear-like monstrosity turned its glowing eyes on Jake. The gang leader scrambled to his feet, his face pale as the massive creature barreled toward him.

“Help me!” Jake screamed, his voice cracking. “Graves! Somebody!”

Ethan glanced at him, his face emotionless. “You made your choices, Jake.”

The bear swiped at Jake with its massive paw, claws tearing through his chest in a spray of blood and viscera. He screamed, stumbling backward, but the creature didn’t stop. Its jaws clamped down on his shoulder, ripping him apart in a shower of gore. Blood sprayed across the alley as the bear tossed his broken body aside like a ragdoll.

Jake’s mangled remains landed in a pool of blood, his lifeless eyes staring at nothing. The gang leader who had terrorized Ethan for so long was gone, reduced to a bloody smear on the battlefield.

The group regrouped as the last creature fell, their breaths ragged and their weapons dripping with gore. The alley was a massacre—blood pooled in every crevice, and the remains of Jake’s gang were scattered like broken toys.

Ethan wiped his blade on his sleeve, his eyes scanning the carnage. “We’re done here.”

Dakota looked at Jake’s remains, his brow furrowed. “He got what he deserved.”

Mason shrugged, his hands still trembling. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”

Kyle grinned grimly. “One less problem.”

Ethan didn’t respond. He turned and walked away, the image of Jake’s death already fading into the background of the greater war they were fighting.

The death of Jake marked a turning point for Silver Rock. Without his gang, the streets grew quieter—but not safer. The creatures multiplied, and new horrors began to emerge.

The Forge became their last stand, fortified to withstand anything. But Ethan’s focus remained on the horizon. Somewhere in the fractured city, Jack was waiting, and Ethan’s thirst for vengeance burned brighter than ever.

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Time Until Cataclysm: 30 Days, 1 Hour, 7 Minutes.