Huddled in the far corner of the room together, Bela and Ethan sat quietly as they listened for the sounds of the children in the hallway. It had only been a couple of minutes since the spirits had made themselves known, but aside from the occasional bump or tapping down below the stairs, the remnants of the forgotten children seemed to have moved away from them.

Serpenmoor was a strange city – and a scary one, at that. It made the blonde wonder just what else was lying in wait for them to encounter. While these tiny specters may have been harmless, she still found herself in a state of unease at their presence. She hated feeling so vulnerable; a wretched curse that had plagued her ever since her arrival in this place.

She took a breath to relax. Ethan was right next to her; their bodies pressed beside one another as they sat with their guns held forward. She still couldn't believe that life had come to this. He should have been her prey, but he ended up being the only person in this room fighting on her side. The eldest daughter had known how alone she was otherwise, and as much as he had angered her, she found herself willing to put that aside as long as she had some support.

It had been a long night, even though it had only just begun. They needed to survive until the daylight came. Then, it would be a swift journey back to Kyia's hideout and onto the next stage of planning. Too many close calls had happened too soon. She did not want to risk this all over again.

Ethan gently nudged her with his shoulder. "Hey, are you alright," he whispered.

Only her pale nose and chin were visible past the sides of her large hood as she lowered her head. Despite the obstruction, he could still make out the faint nod that she gave him. "Yeah." Bela cautiously cleared her throat. "I'm doing okay."

"We'll just sit here until the suns come up," he suggested, peeking up at the window to check how the sky was looking. There was no telling just when the darkness would subside. Whatever Vikcia had done to this world was far beyond his understanding. There was no time for expertise. They could only react to what they were given. "Then, we book it like hell to Kyia's."

She chuckled under her breath. "You read my mind."

"Good to know." Ethan rested his forward arm on top of his knee as he steadied his shotgun. His finger was clean off the trigger, as he sought to not fire the gun during a bout of flinching. Buckshot would do nothing against any child spirits, anyway – should they inexplicably turn hostile.

It was even more useless against Vikcia herself. He wondered just what would be needed to take something like her down. It had to be light, he figured. If the woman was so dormant during the day, sheltered inside that large clock tower, then her weakness to it had to be her undoing. With her in control of the sky, however, there was no solid plan in mind as to how they could utilize it.

For now, his weapon would be nothing more than a stalling tactic. It could shred her minions to a pink mist, but they would just keep coming. A few shells would do nothing against an entire city that was waiting to kill them. What once was a versatile tool against hordes of Lycans; allowing him to survive long enough to enter that castle, was now a feeble stick against a bloodthirsty succubus.

There had to be a better weapon.

"Hey," Bela said as she relaxed her body against his. The corner they sat in offered little space to be had, but after what had just happened, neither of them wanted to be away from one another. "About earlier; I'm sorry."

"What?" Ethan turned his head, surprised to have heard such a word come from her venomous lips.

Why did I just say that?

"Uhm…" She was at a loss for words. "I don't know. I really can't explain it. I guess I just hate being wrong, and I expected that you were just chastising me, when all you were doing was telling me I did something good."

"Are you referring to the wine conversation?"

A low groan came out from her teeth as she nodded again. "Yes. Just accept my apology."

Ethan stumbled on his words for a second or two as he spared the woman another glance. She was a wildcard in her own way, though he imagined that her methods must have made perfect sense to her. After all; when someone shared so little of themselves, those around them were only given inconsistent peeks at what truly was going on inside. If she sought forgiveness, then she could have it.

"Of course."

"Thank you." She drew in another breath, bringing her legs even closer to her body. The weight of the twin-barreled gun in her arms was growing heavier by the second. She looked at Ethan's posture, seeking a way to remain as comfortable as he seemed. Firearms were never her thing, nor did she know too much about them. She wanted to ask him for advice, but fell on simply allowing the gun to rest at an angle on top of her knee.

Her hold weakened and her arms retracted. It was time for a break. She could tell that he had seen her give up on security, but that only made him sharpen his focus with his own weapon. Her amber eyes glanced at him again, watching as his vision fixated on the door ahead – the shotgun's brass bead covering the center.

Why do you care so much? What is it about you?

She peered down at her shoulder, which was firmly joined to his. Her boney sockets felt the soft muscle under his coat. She was no stranger to the texture of the male body. A slew of men had found themselves on her dinner plate, and the preparation leading to such a feast had involved the prolonged dressing of corpses. She had toyed with arms and legs, just as her siblings had done. The defined pectorals of several victims stood out, only to be carved apart with her sharpest of knives.

Back then, she paid no mind to the anatomy of those under her, only the taste. There was no compassion. No sense of intimacy to be had. When it came to sharing this spot with the man, there was a part of the eldest daughter that found herself enticed by the comfort it provided. She tried not to think about it too much, but the more she sat still, the more apparent it became.

Why do I feel so safe, right now? He shouldn't make me want to be here with him. I don't care if he was nice to me. That doesn't make a difference. I'll still tear him apart when I get home. I just…

Her head felt the urge to rest on top of his shoulder; to bury the top of her hood into the crook of his neck. She wanted her hair to hang down for someone to play with. Her eyes turned to her legs and his, seeing how matched in size the both of them were. Despite their equal stature, she felt small compared to him, and wondered what it was like for a woman to be held by a man.

She rolled her lip and shook her head at such thoughts.

Daniela's stories must be getting to me. She was always ranting about her Romeo and Juliet fantasies. I have no time for stupid men.

She huffed a light breath through her nostrils as she adjusted the hold on her gun, seeking to match him in posture and not have to rely on his protection. With her mind as determined as ever, her gaze centered on the sights that lined the middle of both barrels. She placed the top of the front post in between the notch of the rear. As soon as she had acquired a good sight picture, the seconds began to flow by.

But, I guess I have all the time in the world, don't I?

As Bela and Ethan watched the doorway, a sound up on the roof captured their attention. At first, it came off as a heavy gust of wind. That notion quickly passed when Ethan turned his head to the window, listening for any other noise.

"There hasn't been any wind since we got here," he whispered. Bela said nothing, but the look on her face showed how anxious she was.

Above them, the noise on the roof turned to a thud. Whatever was going on up there, it had to involve something sizable. It wasn't any of the insectoid birds that they had encountered before. No. It seemed to be one individual, but the weight of their presence was sizeable.

Silence befell the room for a dozen more seconds, save for the internal sounds of both their hearts beating. Bela could hear her pulse below her ears. That's how strong it was raging. Ethan licked his lips and inhaled steadily, seeking to retain his composed aim. By now, he wasn't sure if the doorway was the sole entry point to this room. His eyes briefly went to the window, but it seemed like he was having an internal debate regarding whether or not he should ask Bela to watch it.

The blonde turned her head around in all directions as the sound of crawling began to play out. It was faint, but not unnoticed. Something was there.

As they curled up in their corner, the darkness in the room shielded their view of the dust clouds that trailed in from the cracks in the walls. Unbeknownst to the two, they were only a few feet away from their greatest nightmare.

The cackles of a demented soul could be heard inside the walls, prompting Ethan to stand up and aim his shotgun in their direction. Bela quickly followed suit, presenting her firearm in the same spot as his. It was when they tried to breathe and found the air to be thick that they realized just what was taking place.

"It's her!" Ethan shouted as he made a break for the door, taking Bela by the arm and signaling for her to exit. She sprinted after him as he turned left and ran down the hall. As she sped out of the room, the corner of her eyes captured the growing presence of the shadow woman. Vikcia was still in the process of forming, but it was clear how playful the process was.

This was fun to her.

The two bolted down the stairs, listening as the cackles raged on in the background. The narrow path was void of light, as no windows were around to offer any source of illumination. Bela had no time to think as she descended the building; only the most primal of survival instincts propelling her every decision.

There may have been a horde of creatures waiting outside this building for them, but Vikcia was more than a force to be reckoned with. Between the infected and her – there was no choice.

Ethan stumbled as he rounded the corner to the first floor, nearly falling forward. Bela realized that she had no source of light on her body and that they could not afford to slip up on the path out of there.

"Turn your light on, now!" She shouted at him.

Ethan fumbled around his coat, feeling for the flashlight that he had strapped to himself. His finger depressed the switch and a beam of light cast forward in an instant, just as they reached the bottom floor. As soon as their eyes were able to register the scenery that had now been revealed in the bright display, an infected woman was observed just feet away from the both of them.

Her bloodied face festering with maggots and open wounds, the bushy-haired redhead glared at the duo with tearful eyes, stressed to a dark pink and surrounded by pus. Her mouth opened and out poured a large cluster of larvae before a bellowing roar cast more of the worms out from her throat.

"Shit!" Ethan screamed as he shouldered his shotgun and pulled the trigger. With the light still on the turned citizen of this forsaken city, a stream of pellets came bursting out from the end of the barrel. Her pale face exploded into a mushroom of pink and red as the man landed a direct headshot. The echo of the intense boom rocked the interior of the room, followed by the sound of splashing as pieces of her head and droplets of blood flew around.

She fell down vertically and crashed upon the wooden floor. As shaken up as they both were, there was no time to sit around and gander at the fallen creature. Vikcia could be heard upstairs – her soft melodic voice humming as she drew closer. Ethan wasted no time and made a break for the exit.

Bela pulled her gaze away from all that was behind her as she followed behind him. She hopped over the corpse at her feet and traced the rest of Ethan's footsteps as he flung the door to the outside open. Before she knew it, they were both out of the building and in the middle of the dark street. It was familiar territory for the blonde.

Her recent battles with the infected were still fresh in her mind. Unlike Ethan, she knew what was out here, and it wasn't going to be long before they encountered more of those creatures. She was lucky enough to have survived on her own, but with what they had seen on their way over here, it seemed as if this area held a vastly larger number of creatures compared to where they had started off. Even taking on a few at a time proved almost fatal. If there were a dozen or more coming their way, the idea that this was their final hour became all the more real to both of them.

"Ethan!" Bela tried to speak as quietly as she could, but the urgency in her voice would not be ignored. "We need to find a new place to hide, now!"

"Fuck…" Ethan looked around the area, observing clouds of dust coming out from around the room that they were just inside. Vikcia was still so close, and it didn't look like they were going to be able to hide from her anytime soon. "She'll find us if we hide somewhere. She knows where we are."

"Then where do we go?" Bela continued to look around in all directions, her firearm pointed ahead.

Ethan tried to remember which street they had come from prior to the arrival of nightfall. During the chaos of the sunsets, the two had found themselves running in all directions. He knew he had to make the right choice, as turning back around to correct the wrong one was too dangerous. He sacrificed a precious second of his time to observe and collect as much information as possible.

The angle of the streets.

The familiar buildings that he may or may not have seen before.

They all had to account for something.

"This way!' He turned toward the right and went off down the cobblestone road. "Let's go!"

Bela once again followed him, keeping her eyes peeled for any signs of danger. The city was vicious in the dark. The tall spires among the rooftops of the various structures signified the anger of a world that did not want them there. Everything about this place was the personification of evil; perverted by the dark plague of a ravenous and bloodthirsty creature.

She could only think about how wrong she was to assume that she and her sisters were the most dangerous things to have ever existed. Deep in her heart, Bela knew that her powers would have never been able to conjure up anything like this. Even Miranda would likely fall to such a ferocious entity.

The dense clouds up above darkened the distant portions of the streets. The only thing that guided their way was Ethan's flashlight, which acted as both a savior and a likely cause of death. Bela wasn't sure if he had forgotten to turn it off, or if the man had decided it to be his best lifeline. If they could not see a woman standing a few feet away from them on their way out of that building, then they were as good as dead out here if it wasn't for that beam.

Her lungs heaved air as she ran for her life. The surrounding street lamps stood as black poles amidst the deep sky. Debris still cluttered the roadways, creating more hazards that she had to look out for. Ethan could be heard panting as he dodged everything in his path. She had to catch up to him.

"Wait!" She yelled, fearing that he was getting too far ahead yet again.

What is wrong with me? Why can't I keep up?!

Ethan turned to see where she was, but as soon as he did, an insectoid bird came darting down from the sky. The large crow-like creature landed on the man; its wide wings flapping in the air as its claws punched through his coat. In a cry of pain, he collapsed onto the ground while the bird ravaged him.

Damn it!

Bela shouldered her gun, but with the flashlight turned toward her, blinding her view, it was hard to see what was going on. Ethan and the creature were still fighting each other; the man punching and kicking for dear life, while the animal pecked for his face with its split beak.

She feared that if she fired her gun, it would hit him. The creature's squawks were ear-piercing. They could be heard for blocks. If Bela knew anything about birds, she knew that those that would huddle inside a building together would also likely stay together outside. It was unlikely that this single one had deviated from the flock. If she didn't act soon, there were going to be more on the way.

"Stay still!" She yelled as she ran up to the two of them. Bela pressed the end of the barrels against the bird's side, and just as it reared its head to stare at her, she pulled the trigger. A wave of shot ripped apart its body, sending the ventilated corpse of the animal spinning a yard away in a display of torn feathers.

As soon as he was free from the animal's claws, Ethan rolled onto his feet and retrieved his gun. "Thanks!"

Bela said nothing as she waited for him to go. Her gun still had one more shot left to go before she had to reload. From what she recalled – it was going to be that large rifle round the right barrel packed.

Better make this one count…

Ethan made it only a few dozen feet ahead before two infected citizens stumbled across them. "God damn it!" He yelled as his light became focused on the two men, found feasting on a dried-up corpse nearby. Their faces and eyes mirrored those of all the others that had been encountered thus far. Maggots upon maggots could be seen hanging from nearly every orifice that their skulls had. They groaned and hissed as they rose.

One of the men spat up some of the blood and larvae before his eyes became set on the armed man across the street. "Rent is due…money…" He slurred the end of his words; fragments of the life he may have lived before Vikcia got a hold of him. With shattered teeth and a bloody nose torn at the nostrils from the bottom-feeding worms, he sprinted toward Ethan.

Ethan pulled the trigger, only to realize that he had failed to rack the pump on his gun. The infected man managed to get within a foot of the muzzle before the forend went back and came forward. By this time, his finger was already pulling the trigger, and the gun slam-fired straight through his sternum.

The maggot-riddled man spun around and collapsed on the road, while Ethan turned his sights on the other one, who was still crouched beside the decayed body. Finger still on the trigger, he racked the pump again and sent a wave of buckshot toward him. From what Bela could witness under the permission of the flashlight, the shot struck the side of his neck, blowing apart his jugular veins in a splash of gore. It was another impressive hit; one performed by a man who had become adept at hitting such fast-moving targets with such an antique weapon.

As soon as Ethan deviated his muzzle from the second man, he felt the hand of the first one take hold of his pants leg. The shotgun came back his way, but as soon as he racked the pump to finish the job, the gun failed to detonate.

Click. Bela's heart froze as she watched the dying man throw Ethan off his feet and back onto the ground.

I need to save –

Bang. Bang. The flash of Ethan's pistol sparked as he fired it at the man's head, sending fountains of crimson spewing from his skull. Gurgling and groaning, the infected citizen slumped over onto his back while his intended victim shook his leg free.

Bela could hardly believe how fast he had retrieved his sidearm. Even she did not notice it being drawn. With two more infected down in such a short time, the odds still seemed stacked against them. Ammunition was not unlimited, and it was best to conserve everything that they had left.

Bela slung her weapon and held out her sickle. If she could get by with this for now, then hopefully it would pay off later. Ethan re-racked his shotgun and expelled the live round that failed to go off. He reached down and picked it up, pocketing it before shining his light across the road.

"That road will take us directly to Kyia's shelter if we keep running," he said. "Do not stop for anything unless –"

"Look out!" Bela scream as a massive cloud of dust came barreling down from the sky above. It landed in front of Ethan, causing him to fall back and retreat. Its presence was large, covering the entire width of the street as the heaps of darkness stretched from building to building. His flashlight flickered before it went out, leaving them back in the shadows.

That sinister melody was heard again.

As Ethan made his way to Bela, the two watched in horror as the familiar shape of the woman they had so desperately tried to avoid came stepping out in front of them through the clouds. With her hands together, held against her chest, Vikcia kept her head down as her cackles radiated around her. Spores of dust flew past her dark body, with only her pale chest and jaw visible under the black robes she wore. The demon's sharp talons curled as she pressed them against her breasts.

Trails of her dust smoked from the corners of her mouth, before she lifted her head and gazed at the two people who had previously escaped her. Her black lips curled into a wide smile, crinkling the corners of her nostrils with nefarious intent. Her melodies came to an end as she snarled in accomplishment.

Vikcia's hands came apart as she held them at her sides; fingers spread and ready to shred their flesh at a moment's notice. The woman stepped forward, pacing towards the two with a grim strut. Her nose lifted as she scoured for the scent of fresh blood. They kept their guns trained on her, but she did not appear to care.

What good would they do, anyway?

It was scary to think of how well Vikcia understood what was being thrown at her. Bela could see the futile effort that she and Ethan gave. These guns would not do anything, she thought, and Vikcia knew that. It was all just part of the big game that the demon played. This was her world now – and everyone in it were merely pawns for her pleasure.

Ethan breathed heavily as he kept his shotgun aimed at her face. Under her hood, the woman's white irises stared back at him, as if she was waiting for him to fire the shot. He cautiously took a step or two back for every few that she made. Bela did just the same, as her experiences with Vikcia had given her an educated idea of how monstrous she could be.

"Vikcia," Ethan tried to speak with her. "Please, just let us go." Begging was his only option at this point. There was no running past her, and any retreat would only bring them face-to-face with more of her monsters – assuming either of them made it that far.

She acted as if she heard nothing. No response whatsoever. Bela considered shooting her and trying to make a run for it, but she couldn't. If she did, it would only endanger Ethan. He was the one who had faced more monsters in his life than she had, so the plan would be all up to him.

She could only hope that his was a good one.

"I know you can hear me, Vikcia," Ethan persisted.

With another snarl, she bared her teeth at the man before assuming a crouching position. It was hard to see exactly how she was posed under those loose robes and obscuring shadows, but the beast appeared ready to pounce. Her hardened, scaly black hand scraped its talons across the cobblestones beneath her, creating an eerie scratching sound as her claws curled in. The maniacal creature giggled with glee as she reared her head up at the clouds.

She is crazy.

Vikcia brought her hand up to her face, caressing her cheeks with her nails and lowering them to her chin. They caught her lower lip along the way; revealing several maggots that clung to her purple gums. Some of the larvae fell off, while the rest remained as her hand returned to the ground and her lips closed into a smile. Bobbing with restrained laughter, her head swayed in various directions as she got back onto her feet.

Ethan saw the blonde from the corner of his eye and decided to stand in front of her. "Bela, get behind me. If she tries anything, you run, understand?"

Wait, what? Ethan…

She glanced behind her, checking to see if there were any other monsters. "O-Okay…" Bela did as he asked and allowed him to provide cover for her. Vikcia's smile broadened as she watched the blonde move out of view. Another step on her part, and she suddenly dispersed into dust and appeared inches away in front of Ethan.

"What the fuck?!" Ethan lurched back and collided with Bela in the process. As the blonde behind him stumbled and fell, he found himself immediately snagged in Vikcia's clutches. The devil lady had her powerful hands wrapped around his forearms, which threw his shotgun from his grip. It was too much too soon and he was now at her mercy.

Vikcia overpowered him some more as she pushed him onto the ground and held him down. Sniffing at his cheeks and neck, the ravenous creature continued to grin and lick her lips as she contemplated her next action.

Sweating profusely and scared as hell, Ethan tried to move his face away from hers, which only allowed him to see Bela as she pushed herself back onto her feet. "Vikcia…"

Her raspy voice rumbled out from under her throat, "Speak."

Ethan turned to her, hoping that she would finally be open to reason. "None of us want to hurt you, so why hurt us?" Dust clouds rose from her back and shoulders as she stared down at him, her breathing growing heavier by the second. "I have a daughter, please."

She smiled with her jaw slowly opening. The weight of her body was so heavy that it numbed his extremities. Her hands would have left the darkest of bruises if he were to make it through this encounter – which now, seemed unlikely.

Despite her request, she acted as if she could care less about his words. The only thing that had to have been on her mind was his demise.

A plume of dust shot into his face like fire from a dragon's mouth. Ethan found himself choking on the thick concentration of spores and darkness that entered the back of his throat and dried it up. It was too much to bear, striking at every sensitive region of his throat and rattling it to no end. He turned his head to the right and vomited extensively, hoping to repel as much of it from his system as he could. Vikcia's hands promptly grabbed at his face at turned it back to her, where she continued to release more of the infectious particles his way.

The cloud soon came to an end and Ethan's face was left blanketed in a thick grey coating. He opened his eyes, staring back into the curious ones of the wretched lady that was still on top of him. Her smile fell to a curl of her upper lip as she leaned in to inspect the results. He continued to cough some more, but against the woman's expectations, he was still the same man that he was moments ago.

Vikcia let out another snarl as she angrily clenched her fists against his body. What was the point of all this, Ethan wondered? She could just kill him right here. Why would she go through all the trouble to –

The loudest gunshot that Ethan had ever heard resulted in the pale woman's hooded face bursting apart. Her body rocked to the left, releasing its grip on him and allowing him to move away. The blast pressure of the fired round could be felt on his cheeks, leaving a fresh sting as the discharge had occurred only a few feet away. All the sound around him dropped to a silent ring that played endlessly as he was pulled back onto his feet by Bela.

She frantically mouthed something to him, though he could not hear a word of it. Frustrated as ever, she picked up his shotgun from the ground and pointed it down the road, waving him along as she made a run for it. Ethan turned his attention to Vikcia, who was still rolling around on the ground. The gunshot was far from fatal, but it did have its effect on her.

Bela glanced back at him as she ran down the street, reloading her gun in the process. "Come on, hurry!" She screamed, though he still found himself in the land of the deaf from that gunshot. Nonetheless, Ethan's adrenaline was at an all-time high as he darted down the street in a mad dash for survival.

Tunnel vision was in full swing as the two of them sprinted down the center of the road, dodging more debris and corpses that were to be found along the way. From the alleyways between some of the buildings, more of the infected could be found as the sound of firearms and running alerted them to the pair's activities. Several were already in the streets, but unless they got too close, engaging them was unnecessary. All the ammo they had should go toward Vikcia, Ethan thought. It would buy them just enough time to squeeze by if they had to.

Rising from the ground and a massive plume of dust, Vikcia stood tall against the moonlight as her head re-formed with a predatory pull to her lips. Her prey was getting away again and she would not allow it.

Bela fought against the exhaustion that was creeping up on her. With each step, she could feel the energy in her body slowly draining. She knew that she could not go on like this forever. There was no sprinting across an entire city. No way to outrun the night. She and Ethan needed to find somewhere to hide and they needed to find it soon.

She turned her head to see how he was doing, unwilling to waste any oxygen calling his name. She needed it for herself, and he needed it as well. To her relief, he was only a few steps behind and gaining ground fast. It was only when she saw what was behind him that her soul shattered into a thousand pieces.

Like a typhoon, Vikcia was hurtling in their direction with all she had. The dust that enshrouded her grew in size as it obscured everything that it passed, leaving half of the human-sized demon's upper body in the center. She had manifested such a huge cloud in such a short time. It was no wonder how she had managed to destroy such a large city on her own.

We can't outrun her! She is moving too fast!

Bela suddenly turned around and fired both barrels at once in Vikcia's direction. It proved useless in stopping the woman but also resulted in a kickback that the blonde was unprepared for. The combination of a shotgun and a large-caliber rifle cartridge knocked her shoulder back and caused her to lose her footing. Ethan dove in and caught her around the waist before she could hit the ground, saving her from helplessness as the demon drew closer.

"I got you!" He said to her as he propped her body up and hurried along.

Thank you, Ethan…

Vikcia was closing in even more, and the blonde found herself at a crossroads. Would they keep running, or would they seek cover? She wanted to run into another building and get off the streets, but Vikcia was even worse when in confined spaces. With the likely chance that there were more infected still huddled around inside the rooms, it was a risk that she would not take.

This was a fight that they had to face.

Bela broke open the action to her gun once again and yanked the spent shells from their respective chambers. She dove her hand into her ammunition pouches, collecting the rounds that she would need for the battle ahead. Ethan craned his neck to see their pursuer almost on top of them. He stopped in place and readied his shotgun in her direction, just as Bela finished reloading her weapon.

The ringing in his ears was dying, and the faint sounds of the commotion around him began to return and heighten in volume. Vikcia's cackling was the first thing that he heard clearly, and it left him considering for a second whether or not her voice was already inside his head or not.

The cloud landed on the ground in front of them, and as soon as it did, Vikcia came rushing out on all fours like a wild animal. Ethan fired another round, which skimmed her left arm, but did nothing to halt her advancement. She leaped into the air and tackled him once again, sending him crashing onto the stones, rocking his bones with the swift agony that the assault gifted them.

As soon as she found herself on top of Ethan, Vikcia's attention went to Bela, aware that the blonde would likely shoot her again. Just as expected, the blonde was already pointing her firearm at her by the time her white eyes set upon the man's companion. She quickly jumped off him and barreled toward her on both legs. The speed of the creature was too much for Bela to react to, and by the time she got a decent sight picture, she was already in Vikcia's clutches.

Unlike Ethan, Bela was not knocked to the ground. Instead, Vikcia's fiery anger drove her to carry the woman across the road until their bodies slammed into the window of one of the buildings nearby. The impact shattered the glass, causing the blonde an unbearable amount of pain as she felt her skeleton reeling from such force. It was not over as she pulled Bela back and threw her against the brick wall, pinning her in place the moment she hit it.

Vikcia's claws held her thin arms down, fighting to shake the gun from her grasp. When Bela would not let go, she slammed her again, pressing her talons into her skin. She listened to the blonde scream following the delivery, but there was no cruelty to be had on her part. No smiling or delight, just the display of dominance that she sought to convey to someone who had just incapacitated her. She could have carved a valley of death into her body at this very second, but that was not her objective.

What is she waiting for? Isn't she going to kill me already?

Bela could not move her body at all. It was like their first fight all over again. As Vikcia inspected her face intensely, the woman retained that same curious, perplexed stare that she held when she expelled her dust onto the blonde to no effect.

Defiant as she could be, Bela stared back and bared her own teeth at the creature. "You're not going to change me, bitch."

Vikcia's mouth expressed an angry grimace as she yanked the gun from Bela's hands and threw it across the road. Those white circles would not leave her amber orbs, and her claws raised upwards to pull at the hood on the blonde's head.

There was something that had captured her attention so greatly that she needed to see it for herself.

What is she doing?

Vikcia pulled down Bela's hood, revealing her half-shaven head and large scar in full display. The eldest daughter kicked around to no success as her enemy fixated on the crater-like opening in her temple. She shouted at the demon but only found herself ignored in the process.

Argh! I'm going to kill her!

"Get off of me!" Bela screamed, furious that her hood had been taken off. Vikcia's eyes stayed locked onto the top of her head, and it seemed as though words were never going to reach her. "Fine, how do you like it?"

Bela managed to free her right arm and used it to grab the top of Vikcia's hood, pulling it down as well. With all the darkness that surrounded them, the only thing that she could make out was more pale skin covered by a mess of pitch-black hair. It certainly got her attention, however, as the maggot-maker shrieked and hissed at her.

Her talons found themselves against Bela's throat, threatening to tear it from her neck in a split second. Vikcia's shadows rose from the back of her skull, returning the hood to its place. The fires of darkness deepened as her body became less visible; save for the thin, white orbs of her inner eyes. A low growl rattled from the void, and her hand began to compress the blonde's neck.

It was a slow, calculated act, depriving Bela of as much air as possible. Vikcia's eyes studied her some more, dust flowing out from under her nose.

Bela could hardly fight back against the tide of the beast's strength. Her body, pressed against the wall, was at the lady's mercy – to which she had none. As the oxygen to her brain shortened, her vision became blurry, and her neck grew numb. The pain of her injuries slowly subsided, and for a moment, it felt like she was floating on water. The tingling sensation radiated down to her chest. Her fingers and toes disappeared mentally.

Just kill me.

The greatest sound of them all was her heartbeat, which thumped like a drum in the endless abyss that her mind was drifting toward. Its rhythm heightened before it came to a draw. Steady, small beats – dwindling in strength and quality. Her neck felt thinner. The mad demon had to have been pressing against it even harder, she thought.

The numbness rose to her lips and cheeks. She could hardly tell if her mouth was open or not, but she guessed that it was. Her body had to be subconsciously craving air and would do anything it could for just an ounce of the stuff. There was a small gasp that somehow succeeded in getting by, but it was worthless as her enemy tightened her grip to its fullest. She could have gored her to death right now, but the process was still slow.

Please, send me home…

She realized that she had not even been processing what she was looking at. Everything was so dark. It could have still been Vikcia, surrounded by her army of darkness and dust. It could also have just been the throes of death itself reaching out to welcome her to a place where she had sent so many others in the past. She had made it this far in such a dangerous new world, it was only fitting that it came to an end.

Her journey here. Her time with her family.

Nothing lasted forever.

A series of booms rocked Vikcia's body, disintegrating her hold on Bela. The blonde fell free and hit the ground; the air and blood returning to her brain. Clarity came quickly as her blurry vision sharpened and she witnessed the vile creature in front of her stumbling around – shadows all in disarray.

Ethan was behind her, his shotgun barrel smoking in the moonlight after he had just fired off the remainder of his magazine tube into her back. Without hesitation, he drew his pistol and discharged a couple more rounds into her chest as she faced him. The nine-millimeter cartridges did little to kill the feral lady, but the force of the impact kept her at bay.

He wasn't about to let Bela die in such a manner. More so – he wouldn't leave her to die, either.

"Use…" Bela coughed as she crawled away. "Use your flashlight!"

Like a lightbulb of its own going off in his head, Ethan reached down to turn it on. The device sent a beam directly toward Vikcia's face, which sent the creature into a hysterical fit of pain and rage. For a split second, he was able to glimpse the face of a demonic-looking woman, but her features were still hard to make out in the light. She recoiled so quickly that the time for appearances was gone. Holding the light onto her, Ethan aimed his pistol again and fired another round, striking her in the shoulder.

It left a tiny hole that fizzled as the light's edge touched it. He could almost see what looked like blood, but it was still hard to tell. The moment Vikcia's shoulder fell away from the beam and closer toward the darkness, the more the wound appeared to vanish. Nevertheless, the impact that the flashlight had on her would be the greatest weapon the man could muster.

He fired two more rounds at her before his pistol inexplicably jammed. "What the fuck?" Ethan glanced at the slide, where an expelled casing had failed to fully exit the breach in time before the slide came forward. Bela had already made it toward her sickle, which she picked up and sent straight into the demon's side. The blade wedged itself in the dense matter of her shadows, but when Ethan's light shined on it, a scream of anguish burst from Vikcia's mouth.

Her claws swung forward, narrowly missing Bela's face as she flailed around wildly. Snarling like never before, Vikcia tried to attack her, but Ethan maintained the flashlight's hold on the animal, searing her exposed skin. The robes she wore offered greater protection, but the man circled around, circumventing them at every turn. She had no choice but to back away. The device was unlike anything she had ever encountered before.

Too concentrated. Too precise.

The sickle dropped from her body as she dispersed into a vertical cloud and dove into the air, far from the reach of the light. There was no circling around to re-engage the two. It seemed as if she had retreated from the fight. After he watched her flee, Ethan turned his attention to Bela, who was still struggling to stand up. "Come here," he said, kneeling down to pick her up. "I got you."

I…

Coughing, Bela's hoodless face glanced up at his with a blank stare. Instinct was the only thing piloting her as she saw his hand come out to take hers. There was no argument about who was a friend or foe at that moment. She accepted his offer, allowing him to stand her back up. She only realized his arm was around her as he angled himself to perform a tactical reload on his LEMI, clearing the jam in the process. The comfort of his care was just the same as it was back inside that room. She remembered the strange feeling that she felt when her shoulder was next to his, and now, with hers against his chest, she found herself in a place where she did not want to leave.

I feel…safe here.

Bela was still breathing heavily; wracked by the near-death experience that she had just come from. She could barely push any words from her throat, which was still in great pain from Vikcia's clutches. Her body ached like there was no tomorrow. She might as well have been crushed by a great stone, with all the flaring stings that her bones cried from. It was difficult to stand erect, which left her at an angle that offered the least amount of suffering.

He had to know how badly she was hurt. That was the only explanation that she could come to as to why his arm had not removed itself from her. Ethan tried to help her take a step forward, but when she stumbled, he stopped and tried to figure out another plan.

"We're in this together," he reminded her. "You and me."

Yeah…we are. You and me.

On the opposite end of the street, six of the infected citizens could be seen shuffling toward their position. They had to have heard all the gunshots. All the screaming and shouting. The cries of their mother. In the air were several more of the large birds – behind them in the distance, an even greater flock.

Unwilling to allow his companion out of his sight, Ethan ignored the shotgun on the ground. There was no time to load it as the denizens of this city closed in within yards of them. He kept his handgun straight ahead, ready to expel every bullet in the magazine at the group. There wouldn't be enough for them all – he knew that, and so did Bela.

"In this together" must mean until the end, right?

The creatures drew closer. Bela breathed in her next breath, savoring every little bit of it as she embraced the weight of his arm that was tight around her shoulders. She was still as ready to leave this world and this life as she was seconds ago.

As Ethan's finger placed its first ounces of tension on the trigger, the sky gave way to light in almost a near instant. The dark clouds faded away, which cast the glow of the three suns above onto the city below. The creatures that charged at them immediately convulsed as their bodies burned in the illumination; skin smoking from the intense rays. They howled and roared as the world ended their existence. Bela and Ethan stared in awe at the sight of birds bursting into fire in the sky, plummeting to the ground like kamikaze pilots. The infected citizens collapsed onto the road, rolling around before their movements died down to an agonal twitch.

The once-dark city had given way once again to the visible remnants of a dead civilization. It was uncanny how fast the daylight had arrived, as the clouds seemed to have vanished as quickly as Vikcia did when she fled. This 'night' was an illusion created by the sinister woman, as the yellow glow in the air signaled that there were truly a couple of more hours before sundown.

Just enough time to safely make it back to Kyia's shelter.

As Bela stood there, still in Ethan's arms, her breath became a sigh of relief as she realized that her fight was still not yet over. While she had given up just a minute ago, the way she felt now was the total opposite. There was an inspiration in her heart to continue pressing forward, even if she did not know why.

Ethan lowered his gun as he let go of some of his urgency. There was a moment of respite to be had – for now. He needed to breathe too.

We made it…

Bela's hand reached up and placed itself on top of his, and she would not let it go.

NOTES:

Hope this one didn't disappoint! I wanted to throw a little more action into this one and Vikcia was the perfect way to do so. We haven't seen the last of her – not by far. It's safe to say that she has a sort of interest in our protagonists, but what is her interest in someone worth?

Besides the chaos, what really shines is the bond between Bela and Ethan. Even a cold, bitter rivalry will fall to pieces when something like Vikcia comes for both parties. Sounds like our blonde is beginning to feel a sort of connection with the only person in this world that is willing to fight for her.

Where do we go from here? Well, expect to see some more bonding, and an appearance from Kyia – whatever that entails.

There is still so much left that is going to go down in this world, but the plot is going to sharpen as their objective becomes clear. Vikcia's control of the sky may not be everything that we think it is, and that may be the key to getting out of here.

You can expect the next chapter to drop on the 18th.

I am so thankful that you all are so supportive of this work of mine! I really wanted to create a new kind of RE story, as well as a different type of romance between these two beloved characters. This is also a great opportunity to perfect my horror-writing skills, as I've always loved the genre. Some pretty brutal moments ahead, but also some wholesome and entertaining ones as well. Thank you so much for reading this, and I wish you all the best in the weeks ahead of you!

Stay safe! 😊