He approached the source of the rustling sound, heart still hammering from the chaos outside. There, framed in the doorway of a weathered little cabin, stood a girl no taller than a middle schooler. Her dark hair fell in loose waves around a deceptively delicate face, but something in her posture made the air feel heavier.
Liam blinked, bewildered. "Who, ?"
The skeletons burst from the treeline before he could finish. Bone claws scraped against the ground as they surged forward, empty eye sockets fixed on him and the girls.
In that instant, the small girl stepped forward. A shocking aura exploded outward from her, raw, crushing power that slammed into everything like an invisible tidal wave. Liam's legs locked. His breath caught in his throat. For the first time in this nightmare world, his willpower felt paper-thin, easily shattered. 'No… not now…' He grit his teeth so hard his jaw ached, forcing his head to turn toward the skeletons.
