The sound of chains echoed through the underground chamber, drowning out the trembling jingle of keys in Dr. Viktor's shaking hands.
He looked at Kimberly — still bound, her gaze burning with fury and determination — then at his son, Frank, whose massive frame began to twitch, dark veins pulsing beneath his stitched skin.
The mark on the creature's chest flared purple.
A deafening roar shook the lair.
— "No… no, please, Franklin!" Viktor cried, running toward him — but Frank was no longer listening. His mind was being swallowed whole.
Frank lunged forward, smashing tables and equipment, his monstrous strength tearing through the air.
Trent watched in horror, then let out a roar of his own. His body twisted violently — bones cracking, muscles expanding — the brutal transformation of the werewolf began.
Dark fur spread across his skin as claws tore through his fingers.
He leapt at Frank, and the two collided with an explosive crash.
Frank threw him across the room with a single blow.
Kimberly shouted,
— "Viktor! If you don't release me now, he's going to kill us all!"
The doctor, kneeling, watched as his son and the werewolf fought like beasts. Tears streamed down his face — the choice tearing his soul apart.
But then, he saw it — a flicker of humanity in Frank's eyes.
His boy was trying to say something amid the growls.
It was enough.
Viktor ran to the wall, grabbed the keys, and unlocked the silver shackles.
The metallic click echoed like thunder — the sound of freedom.
Kim yanked her hands free, the metal burning her skin, but she smiled.
— "Finally."
She grabbed her coat and twin pistols from the table, holstering them with precision and spinning her twin blades with mastery.
— "It's show time."
Frank roared and charged at her.
Kim dodged, rolling across the floor, firing two rounds at his legs.
The bullets ricocheted harmlessly.
— "Wrong caliber for that size," she muttered, drawing one of her swords and blocking his next punch. The impact sent her flying into the wall, cracking the plaster.
Trent leapt back into the fight, landing on Frank's shoulders and clawing at his neck.
Frank grabbed him and slammed him to the ground.
Kim shouted,
— "Viktor! I need something that'll stop him, not tickle him!"
The scientist scrambled through a nearby case, pulling out a heavy, metallic weapon with a glowing blue core.
— "This is a vital energy neutralizer! It'll slow his heart and induce unconsciousness — but there's only one shot!"
Kim grabbed it, twirling it in her hands.
— "One shot. Perfect."
She sprinted through the wreckage, dodging Frank's thunderous blows — each strike cracking the floor.
The metallic clash of Kimberly's blades rang through the lair like war bells.
She vaulted over a broken table, launching herself onto the monster's shoulder, and plunged her sword into the seam of his arm.
Frank roared, trying to grab her, but she flipped midair and landed on one knee.
— "Time for bed, big guy."
She aimed and fired.
The blue beam struck Frank's chest. The energy rippled through his body, the purple veins fading as he fell to his knees — his eyes returning to normal for a single, fleeting second.
— "Franklin…" Viktor whispered, running to him.
Kim lowered the weapon, breathing heavily, while the werewolf Trent reverted to human form — exhausted and trembling.
Meanwhile, on the open road, Roberto drove the van at full speed. The headlights cut through the darkness, revealing the hell unfolding aboveground.
Mandy, in the passenger seat, reloaded her pistol and checked the GPS.
— "Fifty minutes to Stormgrave."
— "If the monster traffic lets us," Roberto muttered, swerving as a creature leapt onto the road.
Outside, dozens of beasts with glowing violet eyes ran alongside them, leaping over cars, tearing through asphalt. With every mile, the road narrowed — sirens wailing in every direction.
— "Hold on!" he shouted, twisting the wheel as a werewolf landed on the roof.
Mandy fired through the window.
— "Get off, you mutant mutt!"
The creature's body rolled onto the asphalt.
The van sped toward Stormgrave — behind them, the horizon burned violet.
Across the entire state of Weschester, chaos reigned.
In Salt Blake, the ritual's epicenter, monsters flooded the streets, scaling buildings and dragging civilians away.
In Wadron, police barricades crumbled — heavy artillery failing to stop the onslaught. Packs of werewolves fought each other; some were controlled, others resisted, trying to stop the possessed.
In Argun, vampires clashed with military tanks across the central park. The three main clans battled to defend their territories — among them, the Ashtorne clan, led by Tory.
Sophie looked up at the sky — and for the first time, fear crossed her face.
In Seawraith, sea creatures rose from the waves, dragging fishermen into the depths.
In Winterfall, the cold grew unbearable, freezing weapons and soldiers alike as Wendigos, Yets, and Sasquatches descended from the mountains.
In Necropolis, mummies marched in packs from ancient tombs.
In Blackshore, armed skeletons marched like a long-dead army.
In New Salem, the witches and warlocks of the Order fought desperately to contain the spreading corruption of the mark.
In San Riverbend, lightning tore the sky as demonic figures appeared along the riverbanks.
And in Stormgrave, a massive violet spiral twisted above the sky.
Not all monsters were marked — some still resisted — but human authority had already collapsed.
Atop Highspire, Drayfus maintained the ritual's seal.
The runes rotated around him like celestial gears.
"The channel is open. The old order will be erased," he murmured, eyes aglow.
Karmila watched from a nearby rooftop, arms crossed, her smirk faint but dangerous.
Her eyes glimmered violet as a whisper echoed in her mind.
"Perfect. Keep going, fool… the more you open the channel, the more power flows to me."
Back in the lair, the echoes of the fight still rumbled.
Frank fell slowly, the floor cracking beneath his massive body.
Kimberly staggered to her feet, her body covered in cuts and blood. But the pendant around her neck — the same one that had glowed before — began to shine again, burning with a deep crimson light.
She touched it, feeling the heat surge through her veins.
Her eyes gleamed in a deep scarlet hue, and the sound of her heartbeat merged with a distant, ancient roar — as if something inside her had finally awakened.
The wind shifted in the lair, the flames of the torches flickering wildly.
Kim took a deep breath, teeth clenched, the aura around her growing stronger — alive.
To be continued…