**TREMBLE**
The entire chamber shakes, growing more unstable by the second.
Dust rises in thick clouds, swirling under the dim, flickering light.
The pirate leader’s shotgun still smokes, faint wisps curling from its barrel.
A stark contrast to the settling debris of the ancient pyramid.
And then—
Clara’s scream rips through the air.
Furious. Raw. Unhinged.
"BASTARDS!!!"
"FUCK YOU!!"
"I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!!"
Blinded by rage, she dives forward, rolling across the stone floor.
Her fingers snatch up her pistol—
And she fires the first shot at the closest pirate.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Three bullets tear into his chest.
The impact knocks him back before his body crashes to the ground.
But he isn’t the leader.
And Clara won’t stop until he’s the one bleeding out at her feet.
For what he did.
For what he did to him.
"DAMMED!!!"
"ALL OF YOU!!!"
She has never been this angry.
Her long blonde hair whips wildly in the thick haze.
Her sharp blue eyes burn through the dust, hunting for the next target.
*PHEW!!*
A shot slices through the dust cloud.
7.62×51mm.
High-powered assault rifle.
The bullet finds her.
Not a direct hit, but—
…
It rips through the sleeve of her reinforced leather coat.
"Argh!"
A sharp burn stabs at her upper arm.
The heat of the bullet sears against her skin.
"YOU BITC—"
The pirate tries to line up another shot.
But—
BANG!
He never gets the chance.
Clara tracks the bullet's origin.
And she returns the favor.
Straight to his chest.
By sheer luck—
It pierces his heart.
The body drops.
Lifeless.
But Clara isn’t satisfied.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Her voice cuts through the chaos.
"YOU COWARDLY BASTARD!!!"
She wants the leader.
"Doctor Dravenmoor."
His voice—
Malicious. Amused.
Behind her.
"SHOW YOURSELF!"
She whirls around, raising her pistol.
But—
Her mag is almost empty.
One bullet left.
And she won’t waste it on anyone but him.
"I’m right here."
A large silhouette emerges through the dust.
The pirate leader.
But Clara doesn’t fire.
Not yet.
Because—
He’s holding a dead pirate in front of him.
A human shield.
"You bastard!"
Clara grits her teeth.
She adjusts her aim.
If she can land a headshot, the bullet will pass through the skull—
And straight into him.
She starts to align her shot.
But—
Footsteps.
To her side.
Another pirate closing in.
She hears him.
But—
She ignores him.
Because there’s only one target that matters.
Simple plan.
Kill the leader.
End this fight.
But—
It fails.
Her right arm hesitates.
Slower than usual.
The graze wound from earlier—
She feels it now.
A sharp sting.
A split-second delay.
And that’s all it takes.
…
*BAM!*
The butt of a rifle slams into Clara’s ribs.
A brutal, bone-rattling impact.
"SHIT!"
Pain explodes through her body.
She hits the ground hard, rolling over the dust-covered stone.
Her ribs ache.
Her muscles scream.
But—
Her heart hurts more.
"Grab her!!"
The pirate leader’s command is sharp. Immediate.
The others rush in.
More hands.
More bodies closing in.
She fights.
But—
She’s outnumbered.
They yank her up, twisting her arms behind her back.
"I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"
Clara thrashes.
Her rage only grows.
"ALL OF YOU!!!"
The pirate leader watches her struggle.
A cruel, amused smirk pulling at his lips.
"Doctor Dravenmoor…"
His tone is slick with malice.
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His smile is dark. Twisted.
He steps closer—
Hand lifting toward her face.
"YOU DISGUSTING PIG!"
Even pinned by two men—
She jerks her head away, refusing his touch.
She spits on the ground.
Her blue eyes burn with fury.
"I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"
The pirate leader laughs.
And his crew joins him.
"You are bold as hell!"
His grin widens.
"I like that. I really do."
He keeps smiling at her.
A predator.
A serpent playing with its prey.
"I didn’t want things to end this way, you know?"
"I don’t really like hurting beautiful women…"
He tilts his head, smirking.
"Well. Maybe a little."
"But I really didn’t want to damage the alien specimen."
He sighs dramatically.
"That was some bullshit."
"My boss isn’t going to be happy."
"And that… is your fault, Doctor Dravenmoor."
Clara’s jaw tightens.
Her teeth clench.
Her eyes glint with pure, lethal intent.
"Did I mention…"
She leans in slightly.
Voice lower.
More dangerous.
"That I’m going to kill you?"
The pirate leader watches her carefully.
Amused.
But also—
He sees it.
That fire in her eyes.
She isn’t bluffing.
She means every word.
"Slowly…"
She whispers.
"And I’ll enjoy watching your face…"
Her lips curl into something twisted.
Something dark.
"As you shit yourself in fear."
The pirates laugh again.
But their leader—
His grin falters.
Just for a second.
"Damn!"
He chuckles.
"Let’s see if you keep that attitude after a few weeks traveling with my crew."
His eyes gleam.
Sick amusement.
Sick pleasure.
Then—
His attention shifts.
"You two."
He nods toward the wreckage.
The place where the mysterious man’s body was thrown.
"Go bring me whatever’s left of the alien."
Clara stiffens.
Her entire body locks up.
Her breath catches.
A tear slips down her cheek.
"He wasn’t just an alien!!!"
Her voice breaks.
"He was…"
She grits her teeth harder.
Her hands curl into fists behind her back.
"A gentle guy."
The pirate leader raises a brow.
Mocking.
"Oh?"
His grin returns.
"Don’t tell me…"
His voice drips with fake sympathy.
"You were already getting attached to the specimen?"
Clara’s fists tighten further.
Her knuckles turn white.
"Is this common?"
The leader tilts his head.
"Scientists falling for their discoveries?"
He clicks his tongue.
"Oh no…"
He leans in slightly.
His breath hot and vile.
"Don’t tell me you were in love with that pale-skinned alien?"
"Hehehe…"
He laughs.
His men chuckle along with him.
"Well, I guess extreme situations bring even the most unlikely pairs together."
His eyes glint with amusement.
His grin sharpens.
"Right?"
“...”
CLARA FEELS HER HEART CLENCH.
She doesn’t fully understand what happened between her and the mysterious man.
But in the brief time they had together…
He protected her.
Like no one ever had before.
He left a mark.
Deep. Unshakable.
And then—
He was gone.
He gave his life for hers.
And now—
His death demands vengeance.
The most brutal, merciless vengeance she can deliver.
The pirate leader sees it.
As he locks eyes with her—
He feels it in the way her icy blue stare burns.
He can see it in her veins—
Pure rage.
A part of him knows.
Knows that if he doesn’t kill her now…
She will stop at nothing to destroy him.
"Maybe—"
"Captain!?"
A pirate’s voice cuts through the tension.
Sharp. Confused.
The leader turns, annoyed.
"What?"
The pirate looks uneasy.
"He’s not here."
…
"WHAT?!"
"The alien."
The pirate gulps.
"I can't find him…"
The leader's expression darkens.
"HOW THE FUCK?!"
“...”
The two pirates glance toward the crater in the chamber wall.
Where the mysterious man had been thrown.
The impact zone from the shotgun blast.
But—
There’s only shattered stone.
No blood.
No flesh.
Nothing.
One of the pirates notices something on the ground.
He kneels.
His fingers reach out.
They touch a small, dark drop of liquid.
“...”
He frowns.
"It’s cold."
The black liquid slides slowly off his fingertip.
"A little thick…"
His voice is uncertain.
“...”
The other pirate watches.
His expression tightens.
A strange, unnerved look crossing his face.
"Wait."
His voice drops.
"You’re not gonna—"
The first pirate leans in closer.
Lifting his finger toward his face.
Toward his nose.
*Sniff*
Then—
His eyes widen.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Something else.
He snaps his gaze up.
Looks at his teammate.
His expression is almost…
…Amazed.
"This smells delicious."
“...”
"WHAT?!"
The other pirate jerks back.
…
"For real!"
The first pirate grins.
His eyes light up.
"Smell it yourself!"
He extends his hand.
Finger dripping with black liquid.
The second pirate’s face twists in disgust.
"No way!"
"I’m serious, man!"
"This is insane!"
He keeps his hand extended.
The second pirate grimaces.
His face wrinkles in sheer disbelief.
"Bruh."
His voice flat.
"I’m not smelling your damn finger."
The first pirate chuckles.
But then—
His expression changes.
The second pirate notices.
Sees the way his eyes flicker.
From amusement…
To confusion.
To fear.
…
AND THEN.
Terror.
All in the blink of an eye.
‘What the fuck???’
The pirate thinks it.
But—
His mouth never gets the chance to say it.
*WHOOOSH*
*CRACK*
For that pirate, the world—
Goes silent.
Everything fades to black.
His last sight—
The pure horror in his teammate’s eyes.
But the other pirate…
He sees something much worse.
His friend’s head—
Torn clean from his neck.
Like a blood-filled balloon bursting open.
A pale figure materializes behind him—
A flash of white in the dark.
Lightning-fast.
And strikes.
With nothing but his bare arm.
A single, horizontal motion.
Fingers razor-straight.
His arm—
A bloody blade.
*SHRRRKKK*
*THUMP*
The severed head hits the floor.
Blood fountains from the open neck.
Drenching the pyramid stone in crimson.
"FUCK—WHAAAHH!!!"
The surviving pirate’s scream shatters the air.
Panic.
Desperation.
PAIN.
The pirate leader and his men—
They stare at Clara.
…
Eyes wide. Horrified.
But her face—
It is no longer twisted in rage or despair.
That beautiful glow returns to her expression.
Her lips curl.
A confident smile.
A hopeful smile.
A smile of relief.
"He’s not dead."
"Doctor!?"
The pirate leader steps forward.
His expression—
Serious. More serious than ever.
"What… is it?"
"It?"
Clara shakes her head.
"HE."
Her eyes glimmer.
"And I have no idea what he's capable of."
The leader grabs her chin.
Hard.
Forcing her to look at him.
"DON’T PLAY GAMES WITH ME!!"
His voice is sharp. Dangerous.
"What the fuck is that alien?!"
Clara spits in his face.
"Fuck you!!"
His hand rises.
To strike her.
But—
He stops.
His jaw tightens.
His eyes burn with frustration.
"Damn you!"
"Just tell me what he is, or we’re all going to die here!"
Clara’s voice is raw, honest.
"I don’t fucking know!!"
And she means it.
"You showed up before we even got to know each other."
"I have no idea what he’s capable of."
The pirate leader studies her face.
Sees nothing but sincerity.
Then—
He hears something.
His body jerks. He whips around.
*WHOOSH*
Something cuts through the dust—
At insane speed.
**TREMBLE**
The chamber shakes.
More than before.
The structure is failing.
It won’t stay standing much longer.
"WHAT—AAARHHH!!!"
Another scream of agony.
*RATATATATATATA—
An assault rifle unloads.
"NO!"
"NO! NO!"
"NO! NO!! NO!!!"
BANG!
BANG!
CRACK!
SMASH!
Gunfire.
Screams.
The sound of bones snapping.
Blood splattering.
A massacre.
The pirates never stood a chance.
Not against him.
Not in the dark.
Not in the chaos.
Not here.
They were never the predators.
They only thought they were.
Because when he is in the room—
There is only one predator.
ONLY HIM.
…
…
…
And He…
…
…
Hunts.