Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Eli awoke to silence.

The grass beneath him was soft and cool, slick with dew, and shimmered faintly in the moonlight as he shifted. His body felt heavy, like he was wading through water, every limb dragging with exhaustion.

His shirt and jeans were damp from the grass, laying face first on the ground, he slowly pushed him self onto his back.

The air was sharp and clean, carrying an undercurrent of something sweet and unfamiliar. Not the sterile scent of the lab. Not home.

He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. His head throbbed, his pulse sluggish but rising. Where…?

The trees loomed around him, their twisted trunks catching the dim light in unnatural ways. Above, two moons hung in the sky. Two. His breath caught.

The cool wind was gently blowing, as he took the scene in.

They were in a clearing that looked about the size of a football field.

Whatever brought them here had ripped through the trees at the nearby tree line. Branches and tree trunks lay scattered around.

This isn’t right.

“Where the…” His voice came out rough, barely above a whisper. He swallowed hard, as if that might push down the unease clawing its way up his throat.

His mind scrambled for answers, replaying the last thing he remembered—the experiment. The lab. The hum of machinery, the flickering lights—then a pull, a sensation like being yanked through space—

A sudden burst of noise shattered his thoughts. Voices.

He turned sharply. The others were there—the grad students—scattered, groggy, their confusion turning to panic as they took in the same impossible scene.

Eli stood about 20 meters from the group.

No lab.

No equipment.

Just this strange, alien night.

Eli was trying to put the pieces together when he saw movement beyond the opposite tree line.

He saw several outlines of what he at first thought were some kind of cat. They glint of their eyes the only thing he could make out. But when they stepped from the shadows of the trees into the eerie twin-moon light., his blood ran cold.

They moved like tigers, but that’s where the resemblance ended. Their bodies were leaner, wiry, built for speed. Their elongated, rat-like faces twisted into hungry snarls, oversized teeth bared, saliva glistening. Long, whip-like tails flicked behind them, twitching in anticipation.

Eli dropped to a crouch, heart hammering. Shit. What the hell are those things?

The others hadn’t noticed.

“Where are we?” someone yelled.

“The machine—it was only supposed to open a hole not send us through the damn thing!” He heard another yell.

“Liam, fix this!”

Liam didn’t respond. No snark, no theories. Just silence.

He stood frozen, staring at the swirling sky, his lips moving soundlessly.

Eli wanted to yell to get their attention, but also didn’t want to make the creatures attack.

Nina had her phone in her hand, clearly trying to get a signal.

“Check your phone, I don’t have a signal.” She franticly said to them.

Raj pointed to the sky, at the two moons, “I think we might be outside my phone plans coverage.”

Marcus and Sam looked up in disbelief. “Two moons, Liam, two moons. Where the hell did we go?” Marcus almost in a trance said.

Kelly was still sitting on the ground, holding her knees. Sarah had started to walk over to comfort her.

Eli glanced back to the creatures, their muscles rippled under mangy fur as they prowled forward, slow, deliberate. Their slit-pupiled eyes gleamed, reflecting shifting shadows across the clearing. A deep, rumbling growl vibrated through the ground, through Eli’s chest.

He felt in his pockets for anything he could use, nothing, he started to look around him seeing tree branches scattered about the clearing. He grabbed the one that was the size of a bat but with a jagged edge.

We need to move.

But the students were still oblivious to the creatures. They weren’t charging—yet—but that could change in an instant. Eli’s breath came fast and shallow. His grip on the branch tightened.

Then Nina’s scream ripped through the clearing, sharp and terrified—the first to see the creatures.

The largest creature sprang—a blur of muscle and fangs.

Sam barely had time to react. His eyes went wide, a strangled breath escaping—then the beast crashed into him. Claws tore through flesh with a sickening, wet rip. Strips of bloodied fabric fluttered to the ground like dead leaves.

Sam screamed—high, raw, inhuman.

“Sam!” Sarah’s voice cracked.

Eli went to run—or tried to.

Pain shot through his legs, sharp and electric, locking his muscles for a split second. His knee almost buckled, his body remembering what his mind refused to—metal crumpling, glass exploding, his legs crushed, useless.

Not now. MOVE.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself forward, shoving through the stiffness, through the phantom ache that threatened to keep him frozen.

MOVE!

He staggered, almost fell, but kept going.

The other creatures moved in, slower than the first, almost as if they were assessing the danger of the first’s attack.

Before Sam could even rise, the beast struck again. Jaws clamped down on his throat. A grotesque, wet gurgle—then silence.

Blood sprayed across the forest floor.

The blood hitting the grass was like a signal for the other creatures.

They all moved, two toward the students while other four split to circle the group from both sides.

Eli barely had time to process the horror before Sarah moved.

“Get away from him!” she shrieked, voice edged with fury and terror. She snatched a fallen branch and charged, swinging wildly. The impact landed with a hollow thud against the creature’s ribs. It snarled, snapping its head toward her, twin-moonlight catching in its gleaming, silted eyes.

Marcus yelled in fury and ran towards Sam.

“Sarah, back!” Eli shouted, his voice raw, his legs still burning. But she wasn’t listening. Everything around him seemed to be moving at three times the normal speed, aside from him. He felt like he was moving through water.

The two that were coming straight for the students were close, ready to pounce.

Raj moved first. Trembling, but determined, he met the closest one in mid-air as it had leaped at them. Raj had also picked up a jagged branch and with a desperate thrust upwards the splintered point plunged deep into the creature’s throat.

A horrible, wet screech tore through the clearing. The beast thrashed violently, gasping in wheezing, dying breaths, before collapsing in a twitching heap.

Raj was covered in blood, Eli couldn’t tell if it was Raj’s blood or the creatures.

He gritted his teeth, shifting his stance, ignoring the pain still gnawing at his legs. His fingers tightened around his make shift weapon.

The first creature that had attacked Sam, growled, it was low and menacing. It stepped over Sam’s unmoving body, blood-soaked face looking for its next victim.

Raj barely had time to register that he killed the creature when the second one that had charged towards the students barreled into him from behind.

Its claws ripped down his back, shredding flesh and muscle in jagged, glistening lines. His strangled cry barely made it past his lips before his knees buckled, blood soaking the back of his shirt and dripping onto the grass.

It rolled to a stop after its attack on Raj a few meters away.

Sarah dropped beside Raj, “Stay with me!” Pressing her hands against his wounds. So much blood. It seeped between her fingers, slick and warm. Her breaths came fast and shallow, panic flashing in her wide, glassy eyes.

The four that were circling had made their way to opposite sides of the students, pinning the group from three sides with the tree line to their backs.

The creature that had attacked Raj was making its next move, coming straight for Sarah and Raj.

This all happening in an instance, Nina saw the two that had circled around on her side, looked over at Liam, who stood frozen.

She saw the two that were circling around to Kelly’s back, “Kelly, behind you!” she screamed.

Eli was moving forwards, trying to will himself to Raj and Sarah.

A flicker—top left of his vision.

Purple light. A thin, green bar.

There and gone.

He barely had time to register it before the scene snapped back into focus.

Raj, bleeding out.

Sarah, shaking.

Screams.

He moved a little quicker, adrenaline pumping, not noticing the sudden lack of pain in his legs.

The creature snapped at Sarah as she swung her branch back and forth at it.

Eli coming from its left side, plunged the branch into the creatures’ side, he pulled the branch back out and struck again, this time the underbelly that was exposed.

As the creature was fighting for its last breath, it swiped Eli’s left arm.

He was covered in his and the creature’s blood.

Arm burning, he looked down at the creature, it whimpered and then stopped moving.

Eli turned, chest heaving, trying to process the scene.

Sam lay still. Unmoving. Dead.

The moon and strange colors glinting off the blood around his body.

Raj wasn’t moving as Sarah was trying to shield him from more damage.

Nina running towards Raj and Sarah.

Kelly went from huddled holding her knees to screaming when Nina yelled her warning. Kelly jumped to her feet turning and running.

She had bolted towards the tree line, empty of threats, her fear overriding any semblance of strategy. She barely made it three steps before her foot clipped one of the loose limbs lying about the clearing.

She hit the ground hard, gasping—but there was no time to recover.

One of the beasts that had been circling behind Kelly had seen her take off.

Marcus had seen Kelly fall and changed his direction to her.

The beast was on her as she tried to get back to her feet.

Its claws raked across her side, slicing through skin, ribs, everything. Kelly’s screams cut through the clearing, sharp and desperate. The creature clamped its jaws around her collarbone and shook her like a ragdoll. A sickening crunch reverberated through the air.

Her movements slowed. Then stopped.

Eli felt bile rising in his throat.

Everything was happening too fast, Eli could barely process everything around him.

Nina had just made it to Raj and Sarah. Who were just between Eli and Liam.

He saw Marcus running to Kelly.

He glanced at Liam who still hadn’t moved.

Out the corner of his eye, Eli saw Sam’s killer, stalking, moving quickly to Raj, Sarah and Nina.

He didn’t think, just ran, swinging the branch at the creature.

It snarled at Eli, snapping at him, as Eli was able to get between it and the three students.

Eli glanced over his right shoulder, almost feeling the two creatures that had circled around towards were Nina was originally standing, they were split, one coming right at Eli and the other going right at Marcus.

As Eli’s focus went to the split between the two beasts.

The beast in front of Eli took advantage of his distraction and lunged at Nina, who was trying to wake Raj from unconsciousness.

Eli swung the branch and made impact and it went tumbling away with a whimper.

In the same motion, he swung the branch in a back handed swing towards the creature that was flanking him. It leaped back just narrowly avoiding Eli’s swing.

Eli heard Marcus yell.

“Over here!” Marcus roared at the beast that had Kelly, hurling a jagged stone with all his strength. It smashed into the creature’s skull, making it recoil with a snarl.

Marcus charged.

Face twisted in fury, he slammed into the beast, tackling it with full force. He raised another rock and hammered it down, again and again, wild, relentless.

The creature lashed out one last time before Marcus landed the last blow that made it stop completely.

Marcus dropped the stone, his hands flying to his abdomen, trying to cover the deep gashes, blood poured through his fingers.

The other beast that was flanking Marcus was charging him, only a few meters away.

Eli didn’t think—he just moved.

Running by Liam, Eli shoved him yelling, “Help them!”

Eli was moving quicker and faster than he had in a long time. He made it to Marcus in what felt like a few strides.

The creature bit into Marcus’ forearm as he was trying to shield himself from the creatures’ attack.

With a feral cry, Eli swung his branch, the jagged edge splintering against the creature’s ribs. It released its grip on Marcus and turned towards Eli snarling and snapping at him—too fast—too close—but Marcus grabbed its hind legs, holding it down despite his bloodied hands slipping.

“Kill it!” Marcus yelled.

Eli gritted his teeth and drove the branch down, the force rattling up his arms as bone crunched beneath the impact. The beast spasmed, it twitched once, then, it stopped moving.

Eli’s back threatened to seize up as pain was radiating down his spin.

Eli bent down to help Marcus, but he waved Eli off. “Go help them,” Marcus said pointing where Raj lay with Nina and Sarah trying to keep him alive.

Eli saw a beast lunging at Sarah.

She was turned away, still pressing down on Raj’s wounds. She didn’t see it coming.

Eli did.

"Sarah—!"

Claws ripped across her shoulders, sending her sprawling onto Raj’s unconscious form. Blood sprayed the grass. Her scream ripped through the night, raw, agonized.

Eli’s vision narrowed. His pulse thundered in his ears, drowning out everything but the carnage in front of him. Snarls. Screams. Ragged breathing. Every inhale felt like sucking in fire, burning and heavy in his chest.

Then—

Flicker.

Top left.

Purple light. A thin green bar.

There and gone.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Eli’s fingers tightened around his bloodied branch. Heat coiled in his gut, rising, pulsing, igniting—a fire he didn’t recognize, but welcomed.

His body full of energy.

The beast reared back, preparing to lunge again at Sarah.

Eli charged.

His muscles stretching, moving faster, quicker.

Eli didn’t notice.

Eli was sprinting, but he wasn’t going to make it.

“Move!” Liam’s voice rang out—sharp, urgent.

Liam had been standing, frozen in place as the chaos erupted around him. When he saw Sarah get mauled, he snapped out of it and charged the beast.

Before Eli could reach them, Liam was on top of the creature.

A flash of metal—a pen, gripped tight in Liam’s fist.

The beast twisted toward him, too slow.

Liam struck, driving the pen deep into its throat.

A wet, choking gurgle—blood exploded from the wound. The beast let out a bone-rattling screech, its entire body convulsing as its legs buckled.

Then it collapsed, lifeless, at Liam’s feet.

Liam staggered back, one hand clutching his side. Blood seeped through his fingers, dripping in sluggish rivulets down his torso. His breaths came in short, sharp gasps, his face twisted in agony. He wavered—then fell back onto the blood-soaked ground.

“Nina—” Eli started, but she was already there.

She dropped beside him, hands shaking as she pressed against the wounds.

“Liam! Don’t you dare die!” Her voice cracked, desperate, raw.

Tears streaked her dirt-stained face. Liam squeezed his eyes shut, his jaw clenched against the pain.

A snarl snapped Eli’s attention from Liam and Nina.

He looked up just as Sarah jumped back from lunging claws.

She barely had time to react.

But she didn’t flinch.

She swung hard, the wooden branch cracking against its jaw with a sickening thud. The beast staggered, stunned—But still on all four.

Marcus groaned in pain but refused to stay down.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself onto his knees, fingers fumbling for a weapon—anything. His hand closed around the same jagged rock he had used before.

The beast wasn’t even looking at him. Big mistake.

With a hoarse, agonized cry, Marcus lunged forward, swinging the stone with every ounce of strength he had left. Crack. The impact drove into the creature’s skull, splitting flesh and bone.

The beast let out a final, gurgling snarl before its legs buckled. It crumpled onto the blood-soaked grass, twitching once—then going still.

Eli looked around the clearing. Sam, Kelly and Raj were all unmoving. Marcus and Liam and Sarah were badly wounded. Nina didn’t seem injured but she had so much blood on her he couldn’t tell.

Eli saw the last one, the biggest, Sam’s killer.

It was eyeing Nina and Liam. It charged.

Nina covered Liam, trying to protect him, she took its raking claws across her back.

Eli had swung his branch making a crushing blow to the creature’s side. It rolled away and jumped back to its feet. Snarling.

Its glowing eyes locked onto him, its muscles tensing for the kill.

Eli’s entire body seemed to pulse.

He was exhausted, bleeding from a number of wounds. He gritted his teeth, shifting his grip on the branch.

The beast sprang.

Eli swung wildly, the jagged wood slicing through the air—crack! The branch struck hard against the creature’s snout.

The beast recoiled, shaking its head.

It snarled at him.

It was pissed.

The beast leapt again at Eli.

He felt time slow as he ducked under the attack, the air above him splitting as claws swiped centimeters from his face.

As he spun, swinging wildly. The beast managed to rake its claws down Eli’s shoulder, deep into his chest.

The beast turned, charging Eli again.

Eli planted his feet, lifting the branch ready to swing with everything he had.

Blood flowing freely from his wounds.

And then—the world froze.

The strange purple flicker.

The green bar blinked once, but this time there were other things with it, symbols.

As quickly as the purple flicker and tiny symbols came, they blinked away.

A jolt of heat coiled in his chest.

It crackled down his arms, sparking across his fingertips like static before a storm. A bright purple glow pulsed through the wood, a deep hum vibrating in the air—right before the beast met him mid-leap.

The explosion of light was blinding.

A concussive shockwave ripped through the clearing, sending the beast hurtling backward. It slammed into a tree with a sickening crack, its body crumpling into the blood-soaked grass. The glow faded from its eyes.

It didn’t move again.

Time seemed to catch back up and Eli staggered, his knees giving out.

The branch slipped from his fingers. His body hit the earth, breath escaping in a weak, ragged gasp.

Above him, the two moons swam in and out of focus, their silvery glow sharp against the darkness. His vision tilted, the world spinning too fast. Every breath pulled at the gashes in his chest and down his ribs, pain flaring—then dulling—then flaring again.

Something flickered.

That same damn purple and the green bar, what the hell is going on?

Eli’s head lolled to the side.

The faint green bar hovered at the edge of his sight, translucent and surreal. It trembled, nearly empty, a sliver of light pulsing weakly as if it might disappear at any moment.

“What…the…. hell?” His voice was little more than a rasp.

He forced his eyes to focus.

Beneath the bar, words shimmered, sliding into his fractured mind like a puzzle piece that should make sense but nothing was making sense.

Activate what….

“Activate Copper Level Healing.”

His lips parted. His voice cracked.

“Activate?”

Warmth blossomed.

It started in his chest, spreading outward, threading through his limbs in slow, steady pulses. The fiery ache dulled, fading into a gentle, soothing hum. His muscles loosened, the tension unwinding like a coiled spring.

The green bar filled some, light shimmering across it in slow, steady beats.

The moons loomed closer than ever, one of the moons looked almost like Earth’s moon, the other was a strange blueish color, tiny craters pocked the surface. They etched sharp against the black sky. His chest rose and fell in time with the pulse of the light.

His eyelids grew heavier.

The world faded to black.

And just before the darkness took him, the green bar flickered one last time… half full.