Staying human

The soldiers were stupefied, yet Dae gave them no time to think and demanded again, a slight tremble hidden in his voice:

‘Who got bitten? Please, damn it, just answer!’ There were ten soldiers alive, and out of those ten, each one slowly raised his arm and replied:
‘I got bitten.’ For a moment, Dae’s body felt weak—especially his legs. It was sheer willpower that kept him standing. He tilted his head back, staring into the sky. A long sigh escaped his lips, followed by a tired exhale. He closed his eyes and shook his head. The soldiers were still trying to understand what was going on, but once again Dae didn’t give them the time. In the next moment, he had raised his gun, pointing it at his own people—his comrades—some of whom he once considered brothers. Rayshel and the others stayed quiet. (Rayshel: Damn... what if I turn one day? Well, maybe it’s better that way!)

‘I’m sorry,’ Dae mumbled. ‘I won’t let you turn into monsters.’

Peng...

In the city, England
Dean and the others had chosen a dark, smelly alley. The path was about to end, so Sark, who led the group, raised one arm to signal a stop. He inhaled deeply, exhaled, and resumed walking—much slower now. The tension in the group was palpable. As they reached the end of the alley, they froze. Two ghouls were feasting—not in any way that could be called beautiful. Each had bitten into an arm of a pregnant woman, seemingly using her as part of a strength contest. They pulled in opposite directions while the woman cried, her hope long gone. When she spotted Sark, she screamed,

‘Please! At least save my baby! At least my baby!’ Her eyes began to bleed, and her skin tore as if she were being unraveled from the inside. Her agony was inhuman—but again she cried,

‘At least my baby!’ Sark didn’t look back.
‘I won’t force anyone,’ he said. ‘This world is merciless. People will turn on you faster than a traffic light changes from green to red. But I’ll remain human.’ (Sark: I can’t go back to who I was. I can’t... and I shouldn’t.) He dropped the black bag, pulled out another shotgun, and sprinted toward the woman. Despite the pain, she smiled when she saw him. One of the ghouls lunged at Sark, while the other ripped the woman’s arm clean off. She dropped to the ground, bleeding out—but still smiling. Fueled by rage and clarity, Sark dove forward, sliding along the ground. As he passed under the lunging ghoul, he fired both guns upward, blasting its head off. He rolled to his feet, but the second ghoul had already pounced. Then—a hand on his shoulder. Dean leaped over him and opened fire, staggering the creature. Not enough to kill, but enough to clear space. Larah moved in, emptied her magazine into the monster, and the ghoul collapsed. They rushed to the woman. She was dead, her eyes no longer bleeding. A smile still frozen on her face.

‘Seems like if you die before the infection takes over, you remain human’ Sark murmured.

Dean added:

‘Or maybe the infection itself can kill you... or both. Still, better that than becoming whatever they are.’ Larah joined them, setting down the bag. Sark didn’t hesitate. He took out a knife and cut into the woman’s abdomen. Inside—
—the baby was crying. It was alive. Its eyes opened. They were red.

‘Fuck,’ Sark cursed. Dean shook his head. Only Larah moved between the men and gently picked up the baby.

‘Her eyes aren’t bleeding. Her skin’s still white. She’s not one of them,’ she said. ‘And what did you say, Sark? That you’d stay human? Would a human abandon a baby just because her eyes are red?’

‘Mmh... yes, Larah,’ Sark replied. ‘That’s exactly what a human would do.’ Larah puffed her cheeks.

‘Well, we’re not normal humans. So we act differently.’ Dean stood and offered Sark his hand. Sark took it, and both looked at Larah, who was smiling brightly.

She added:

‘We should head to Behills Hospital. The doctors can take a look at her there. But first... we need to name her.’ Sark elbowed Dean.

‘Well, you’re dating her—so you pick the name.’

‘What do you mean I’m dating her? Since when? Larah, tell him—’ Larah blushed and looked away. She didn’t deny it. Wide-eyed and flustered, she waited for Dean’s answer. Scratching his head, he sighed.

‘Hope. Let’s call her Hope.’

Meanwhile
The room was frozen and bathed in fire. Nade hurled an ice lance at Kale—not strong enough to kill, but enough to draw attention. The darkborn blocked it easily. That’s when Nade appeared at his side, grabbing the arm with the glowing bracelet and freezing it. As the ice crawled over the artifact, Kale’s body began to shift. He dissolved into black mist and vanished.

‘What did you do, Nade?’ Sarah asked.

‘He said he was on Earth even before the crimson moon. That shouldn’t be possible. The gates were closed long ago. A darkborn can slip through briefly, but not stay—unless he possesses a host, which he didn’t. You saw his eyes—he was a darkborn. The only other option is an artifact. That bracelet was one. There are several of them. Each with its own ability. But we can talk later. What about the timer?’ Sarah opened the box.

‘Well, the good news—it can be stopped. The bad news—not from here. He planned everything. We’ll need to reach the White House. There must be another box there to deactivate the launch.’

‘Fine. How long do we have?’

‘One week.’

‘That’s plenty enou—’ Nade dropped to his knees. ‘Damn it...’

‘Nade, what now?’

‘Well... yes, an immune one can use a darkborn’s powers. But if the darkborn hates the host... the more it resists. Using its power comes with side effects. Not always—but for me, it does. So... for the next few hours, don’t expect me to fight another ghoul like I just fought that darkborn.’