There's a way out."
Elias' voice was steady, but his eyes burned with finality.
Aaron, Matthias, and Graves stared at him—hope flickering in their exhausted faces.
"A passage," Elias continued, reloading his rifle. "I found it years ago. It leads beyond the cursed grounds."
Graves frowned. "Then let's go—"
"No." Elias cut him off. "It's buried beneath the ruins. Clearing it will take time. Time we don't have."
Silence.
Then Aaron understood. His chest tightened. "You're staying behind."
Elias smirked, but there was no humor in it.
"Someone has to slow that thing down." His gaze shifted toward the looming horror—Sarah-David, watching them patiently.
Like a predator.
Father Matthias clenched his cross. "Elias—"
"No arguments, Priest." Elias grabbed a bag of explosives from the ground. "You all run. I'll buy you the time you need."
Aaron's fists trembled. "We can fight—"
"And die." Elias shouldered his rifle. "Or you can live."
A heavy silence fell over them.
Then—Graves nodded sharply.
"We'll make it count."
Elias let out a breath. Then, gripping his gun, he turned—
And charged toward the Hollowed horror.
"GO!"
Aaron hesitated for only a second before turning and following Matthias and Graves into the ruins.
Behind them—Elias' gunfire roared into the night.
Then—a monstrous screech.
The Hollow One had taken the bait.
Their escape had begun.
Elias bolted through the village, weaving between broken houses, using the terrain to his advantage. The merged horror of Sarah and David pursued him, its steps soundless, its hollow eyes locked onto him like prey.
His rifle flashed in the dark, rounds tearing into the creature. It staggered—but didn't fall.
"Think, damn it."
Elias pivoted, kicking over a rusted lantern, igniting dry leaves. The fire flared up, forcing the Hollow horror to retreat slightly. Not immune to flames, huh?
"That's good to know."
Elias staggered back, his breath ragged. He needed to weaken it, slow it down, but this thing—this nightmare that had once been Sarah and David—moved with an unnatural fluidity, shifting between solid and shadow with each step. He could barely land a hit before it melted away, reforming just out of reach.
The streets around them were eerily silent, the distant sounds of gunfire and screaming muffled, as if the horror itself warped reality. Elias clenched his knife, his grip slick with sweat and blood. He could hear the others running in the distance—Aaron shouting orders, boots pounding pavement. Good. They were getting away.
But that left him alone.
The horror cocked its head, its half-human, half-twisted face twitching as it regarded him with those hollow, soulless eyes. Then, without warning, it struck.
Elias barely had time to react as the thing blurred forward. He threw himself sideways, rolling over cracked pavement, but the creature was fast—too fast. Clawed fingers scraped across his back, shredding his jacket and slicing into flesh. He bit down a curse and spun, slashing upward with his knife. The blade connected, sinking into what should have been a throat, but the horror only grinned.
It bled out but didn't even flinch.
Then the creature lashed out with inhuman speed, its elongated limbs contorting unnaturally as it wrapped around Elias like a constricting serpent. He struggled, trying to wrench himself free, but the more he fought, the tighter it squeezed. His ribs burned, his vision darkening at the edges.
No. Not yet.
With a growl, Elias reached for the pistol strapped to his thigh. Twisting just enough to free his arm, he jammed the barrel against the creature's side and pulled the trigger.
The gunfire echoed through the empty streets.
The horror screeched, its body convulsing as the bullets tore through its shifting form. Elias didn't stop. He kept firing, even as the thing thrashed and wailed, its grip loosening. The moment he felt it slacken, he shoved his boot into its chest and kicked off, rolling away as the creature stumbled back.
Smoke curled from its wounds, but it wasn't down. It was furious.
He reached into his belt, pulling out a grenade.
"Come on, then."
The creature lunged—Elias ducked, rolling aside as clawed fingers slashed the air where his head had been. He yanked the grenade's pin with his teeth and tossed it just as the creature turned—
BOOM!
The explosion ripped through the air, throwing the Hollow backward. It screeched—dark tendrils flailing as smoke rose from its body.
Elias grinned.
A voice—distorted, barely human—whispered against his ear.
"Fear."
Elias's blood ran cold. It wasn't just speaking—it was feeding. The weight pressing against his chest, the way his limbs felt sluggish, the creeping terror clawing at his mind—it was draining him.
He had to act. Now.
With every ounce of strength left in his body, Elias rammed his knife into the creature's side and twisted. The horror shrieked, its grip loosening just enough for him to rip himself free. Gasping, he stumbled backward, his vision swimming. The creature convulsed, its form flickering violently as dark tendrils lashed out in every direction.
Elias knew he couldn't take it down alone. But maybe he didn't have to.
His earpiece crackled to life.
"Aaron!" he shouted, dodging another swipe from the monster. "Do you copy? This thing—it's not just after us. It's growing stronger!"
Static. Then Aaron's voice, sharp and urgent. "We're almost out! Can you make it?"
" I can't say.... This thing is damn strong. I've only suppressed it for—" Elias instinct snapped, ducking as the horror lashed out again. He gritted his teeth."It just won't die".
His eyes darted to a crumbling building nearby—an old gas station, its metal frame weakened by years of neglect. An idea sparked in his mind. If he could lure it inside…
He bolted toward the structure, firing his last bullets over his shoulder. The horror shrieked and followed, its elongated limbs scraping against the pavement as it pursued him with terrifying speed. Elias crashed through the rusted door, his chest heaving. The interior was barely standing—cracked support beams, shattered windows, and most importantly, a massive, rusted gas tank still connected to the main pump.
Perfect.
He turned just as the creature lunged into the building after him.
Elias sprinted toward the tank, yanking his last remaining flare from his belt. The creature twisted toward him, moving in erratic, jerky motions, its hollow gaze burning into his soul.
"Die."
"Not today."
Elias struck the flare and threw it.
The instant the flame met the leaking gas, the explosion roared to life.
The world around him erupted in fire and smoke. The force of the blast threw Elias off his feet, slamming him against the pavement outside. His ears rang, his body ached, but as he forced himself to look up, he saw the horror engulfed in flames, its form writhing as it screamed.
"Got you."
But then—
Pain.
A sharp bite dug into his side. He gasped, eyes widening as a feral Hollow—one of the many lurking in the village—had caught up to him, gnawing into his flesh.
No—no, not now!
With a roar, Elias slammed his elbow into the creature's head, wrenching himself free, but blood
poured from his wound. His vision blurred.
The horror he thought had been defeated was actually not.
It crawled out of the fire,burnt but not dead.
He'd lost his advantage.He is now weakened.
The horror reached out, fingers like iron as they clamped around his arms and torso for the second time,the smell of burnt rotten flesh filled the air.
Then —Crack.
His ribs shattered.
Pain shot through him, his vision flashing white. He coughed up blood as the Hollow horror lifted him like a ragdoll.
Its two mouths spoke in unison.
"Die."
The squeeze tightened—his bones snapping one by one.
Elias' scream ripped through the village.
His vision dimmed.
Damn it!
Elias let out a ragged breath, his body barely responding as the horror's grip tightened around him. His ribs cracked, sharp pain lancing through his chest with every shallow inhale. The night sky stretched above him, a void of darkness and distant stars, indifferent to his suffering.
He had always known this moment would come.A time when he will eventually give in to the darkness but fortunately he isnkt going to face his worst fear and turn into one
A grim smile touched his bloodied lips.
"You don't get to win," he whispered, his vision blurring as his bones gave way to the creature's crushing grip.
Through the agony, he felt the weight of the explosives still strapped to him. His fingers twitched, moving with purpose.
He ripped the lid off one of them—
And bit down on another.
His last breath escaped as he grinned through the pain.
"Go to hell."
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion swallowed them both in a violent inferno. The night lit up for a brief moment—an ember against the overwhelming darkness—before silence reclaimed the streets.
Elias was gone.
But he'd made it count.
. The three men had made it into the passageway before the blast lit up the darkness, flames consuming everything in its path.
Aaron stumbled, his ears ringing. He turned, gasping for breath, as the fire illuminated the upp—its form thrashing within the inferno.
Graves pulled Aaron forward, his grip iron-tight.
"We have to move—NOW!"
But Aaron didn't budge.
His fists clenched. His breath came ragged.
"Elias..."
He'd sacrificed himself—bought them time.
But had it been enough?
Father Matthias, gripping his cross, spoke solemnly.
"His sacrifice must not be in vain. We keep moving."
Aaron swallowed hard, forcing his legs to move.
They ran deeper into the passageway, the sound of burning wood and collapsing ruins fading behind them. But the darkness did not fade.
Aaron could still feel it.
It was watching.
It was waiting.
And somehow… despite the explosion, despite the fire—he knew it wasn't over.