A chill ran through Ryan the moment he heard Marcus's voice.
The desperation.
The fear.
"I'm on my way."
He didn't hesitate.
Didn't ask questions.
The radio was already out of his hand, thrust into Alice's grasp.
"Keep this with you," he said quickly.
"Go back to the gym. Tell Ward everything."
Alice caught his hand before he could turn.
"I can come with you."
Ryan paused.
Just for a fraction of a second.
He turned back, his grip tightening gently around her fingers.
"No."
His voice softened slightly.
"You're running on empty."
Her jaw tightened.
"I'm fine—"
"You're not," he interrupted.
Not harsh.
Not dismissive.
Just certain.
Ryan's gaze held hers for a moment longer.
"You need to rest—recover your mana."
That made her hesitate.
He gave her hand one last squeeze.
"I'll be fine."
A lie.
Or maybe not.
Even he wasn't sure anymore.
Then he turned.
And ran.
The hallways blurred past him.
Ryan pushed his speed immediately, his body moving without wasted motion. Every step was controlled, efficient—cutting corners, clearing distance as fast as possible.
His mind was already working.
Marcus doesn't call for help.
Which means—
It's bad.
Worse than bad.
By the time he burst through the school doors, his grip on the spear had tightened.
The midmorning sun hit him hard, bright and almost jarring after the dim interior.
He didn't slow.
The stairs disappeared beneath him in a blur.
The SUV door slammed open—
Engine on—
Tires screamed as the vehicle shot forward.
The streets were chaos.
Abandoned cars.
Debris.
Bodies.
Ryan didn't slow.
Didn't hesitate.
If something was in the way—
He went around it.
If it couldn't be avoided—
He went through it.
The vehicle jolted, bounced, scraped—
But never stopped.
Time stretched.
Every second dragged.
Every turn felt too slow.
Until—
He saw it.
The van—still parked.
Exactly where it should be.
Ryan's heart sank.
They're still here.
He didn't wait.
The SUV hadn't even fully stopped before he was out, boots hitting the ground at a sprint.
Spear already in hand.
The closer he got—
The worse it looked.
A cluster of Fallen filled the street in front of the store.
Too many.
Twenty—
No.
More.
At least thirty.
They shifted.
Moved.
Pressed inward toward something Ryan couldn't see yet.
Then—
A flash of gold.
A body flew out of the cluster, slamming into the pavement.
Marcus.
Still fighting.
Ryan's eyes hardened.
And then—
He was on them.
He didn't slow.
Didn't warn.
Didn't hesitate.
The first Fallen never even turned before the spear drove through the back of its skull.
Ryan ripped it free in the same motion.
Step.
Turn.
The butt of the spear cracked into another's jaw—
Bone shattered.
It dropped.
He moved again.
Every action flowed into the next.
No wasted movement.
No pause.
The Fallen reacted too slowly.
Too disorganized.
Too late.
Ryan carved through them like a blade through water.
Each strike precise.
Each step controlled.
Within seconds—
A path opened.
And then he saw them.
Marcus.
Barely standing.
His breathing ragged.
Blood smeared across his face, dripping from the corner of his mouth.
And behind him—
Elena.
On the ground.
Not moving.
Blood pooling beneath her.
Ryan's vision sharpened.
"Shit—"
His grip tightened.
His movements became sharper.
Faster.
More aggressive.
The Fallen in front of him didn't last long.
Seconds later—
He stood in front of Marcus.
Between him and everything else.
"Get her."
Marcus didn't argue.
Didn't joke.
Didn't hesitate.
He bent immediately, lifting Elena carefully into his arms.
Her head rolled slightly against his shoulder.
No response.
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"I'll make a path. Stay close."
But then—
Something changed.
The Fallen stopped.
Not all at once.
But close enough.
One stepped back.
Then another.
Then more.
Until—
A gap formed.
A clear path.
Straight through the middle of them.
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
That wasn't fear.
That wasn't instinct.
That was—
intentional.
His grip on the spear tightened.
"…Stay behind me."
Marcus didn't speak.
Didn't question.
He just followed.
Step by step.
They moved forward slowly.
The Fallen didn't attack.
Didn't lunge.
Didn't rush.
They just… watched.
Shifted.
Adjusted.
Keeping distance.
Never too close.
Never too far.
Marcus's arms tightened slightly around Elena.
"…This isn't normal," he muttered.
"No," Ryan said quietly.
"It's not."
They reached the van.
Ryan stopped just long enough to turn.
Still watching.
Still tracking.
"Get her to Sarah," he said.
Marcus gently lowered Elena into the passenger seat.
"What about you?"
"I'm getting the supplies."
Ryan didn't look at him.
His eyes stayed on the Fallen.
Watching.
Measuring.
Marcus hesitated for half a second.
Then—
"There's a smart one."
Ryan's head snapped toward him.
"What?"
Marcus pointed toward the rooftops.
"It was up there."
Ryan followed the direction—
Nothing.
Empty.
"…But it's gone now," Marcus added.
Ryan frowned.
A cold feeling settled in his chest.
"Go."
Marcus didn't need to be told twice.
The van roared to life and pulled away.
Ryan didn't move until the sound of the engine faded.
The moment it did—
The Fallen surged.
Not wildly.
Not chaotically.
But forward.
Together.
Ryan stepped into them.
This time—
He didn't hold back.
The spear moved like an extension of his body.
Thrust.
Withdraw.
Pivot.
Strike.
Each motion flowed into the next.
Each strike ended something.
The Fallen came at him—
But not blindly.
They pressed from angles.
Tested openings.
Forced him to move.
Ryan adjusted.
Adapted.
Countered.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe seconds.
Time blurred.
Until—it was over.
Ryan stood alone in the street.
Bodies scattered around him.
The air thick with the smell of blood.
His breathing was steady.
Controlled.
But his eyes—
Sharp.
Focused.
Thinking.
"They were coordinated," he muttered.
[They were.]
Ryan exhaled slowly.
"So you noticed too."
[It wasn't subtle.]
His gaze lifted toward the buildings.
"They're evolving faster than I thought."
And then—
He saw it.
Standing at the edge of the store.
Still.
Watching him.
The same type of creature.
But different.
Its posture was… composed.
Its head tilted slightly.
Not curiosity.
Not confusion.
Something else.
Something closer to—
amusement.
Ryan felt it.
For the first time since returning—
A chill that didn't come from memory.
From experience.
From instinct.
This was new.
This was—
dangerous.
"…Shit."
He didn't move.
Didn't blink.
The creature watched him for one second longer.
Then—
It turned.
And vanished.
So fast Ryan barely caught the motion.
Gone.
The street fell silent again.
Ryan stood there, spear in hand.
Alone.
"…This isn't how it's supposed to go."