Zion looked back.
With every step, the sight of Elizabeth became smaller, fading into the distance until she was little more than a memory.
He forced himself to look forward.
The forest was beginning to close around him.
Zion withdrew his transformation, returning to his normal body. He couldn't afford to waste energy. For now, he would rely on his natural stamina.
His breathing grew heavier.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
But was it exhaustion?
No.
It was fear.
Zion was still a teenager.
Just like the others.
Just like Michael.
Just like Elizabeth.
Yet they had all been thrown into the Unknown, carrying the weight of their own existence on their shoulders—not because they had chosen it, but because three adults had decided it for them.
Zion continued forward.
Then he stopped.
He could hear his own heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
It was the only sound in the forest.
And somehow, that frightened him more than a scream would have.
He stepped into a puddle and looked around.
Left.
Right.
Nothing.
Thick vegetation surrounded him, branches and leaves packed so tightly together that not even the faintest ray of sunlight could penetrate.
Zion raised his hand.
He couldn't see it.
His eyes widened.
What... ?
It was daytime.
So why couldn't he see?
Why couldn't he hear anything?
The moment he had entered the forest, the world around him had disappeared.
And then Zion understood.
He wasn't exploring the forest.
He had become prey.
A voice suddenly broke through the silence.
"Ah..."
Zion froze.
"I see a fellow child of Emox."
The voice sounded almost amused.
"Oh, wow. A brand-new uniform. You must be one of the newest students."
Zion's heart began pounding.
The voice continued.
"Well, child... you're truly unlucky."
A pause.
"Because I can't let fresh meat like you leave."
Zion spun around.
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
His voice echoed through the darkness.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Silence.
Nothing answered.
Then—
"I AM YOU, ZION."
Zion's eyes widened.
His blood ran cold.
How does it know my name?
He couldn't see the creature.
He couldn't hear where it was coming from.
There was nothing to attack.
Nothing to run from.
It was like being a mouse trapped inside a cage with a cat that didn't need to reveal itself.
Zion swallowed.
"What do you want?"
His voice trembled.
"I won't ask again."
Silence.
Long.
Painfully long.
Then the voice returned.
"I WANT YOU, ZION."
Another pause.
"I WANT TO EAT YOU, ZION."
Suddenly—
CRACK!
The canopy above him split open.
Bright sunlight poured into the forest.
Zion looked up.
His eyes widened.
Thorns.
Hundreds of them.
They burst through the vegetation and shot toward him like spears.
Zion didn't hesitate.
His body began to change.
Bones shifted.
Muscles expanded.
His skin thickened.
His face stretched forward as enormous tusks erupted from his skull.
Within seconds, Zion had transformed into the largest animal he knew.
An African elephant.
He charged.
The ground shook beneath his feet.
I can break through this!
But the forest changed with him.
The vegetation expanded.
The walls of thorns grew thicker.
The enclosure widened.
And suddenly, Zion understood his mistake.
His size wasn't an advantage.
It was a disadvantage.
The thorns pierced his enormous body.
One.
Two.
Ten.
Dozens.
Zion screamed.
"AAAAAGH!"
The thorns dug deeper.
Blood poured from his body.
But something else was being drained.
His Emo.
His vitality.
His strength.
Everything he had worked so hard to develop was being pulled out of him.
Zion tried to move.
His legs trembled.
His enormous body began shrinking.
"No..."
He tried to transform again.
But his strength was disappearing too quickly.
His elephant form collapsed.
His body returned to its original size.
He tried another form.
Nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
His ability allowed him to transform into biological beings he had studied.
But what use was that now?
He no longer had the energy to use it.
Tears filled the young boy's eyes.
His screams echoed through the forest.
But no one came.
No one could hear him.
His blood continued to flow.
His Emo continued to drain.
His skin became pale.
His eyes slowly turned white.
The voice laughed softly.
"Yes..."
"So tasty."
"It has been so long since I've had freshers."
Zion's body trembled.
Every bit of strength left him.
The voice spoke again.
"And after you..."
A pause.
"I'll have some fun with that pretty girl."
Zion's eyes widened.
"Maybe I'll even feed you to her."
His lips barely moved.
"Ple..."
His voice cracked.
"...please... don't..."
His body fell sideways.
And then—
Nothing.
Zion stopped moving.
His final drop of blood disappeared into the thorns.
The forest fell silent.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the vegetation began to retract.
The darkness lifted.
And standing where the creature had been was a boy.
Long white hair.
Hollow eyes.
Dark as the cosmos.
Wrinkled, crooked skin stretched across his body.
And yet—
He wore the same Emox uniform.
The creature looked down at Zion's corpse.
"Students of Emox..."
A smile formed across his face.
"I guess Bola is still sending me prey."
He chuckled.
"Well..."
"Guess I might as well have some fun."
His body began to change.
Bones shifted.
Skin reshaped.
Hair shortened.
Within moments, the creature stood before Zion's corpse wearing Zion's face.
He bent down and picked up a knife.
"You didn't think I was joking when I said she'd eat you, did you, Zion?"
He looked toward the direction Elizabeth had been left.
"Or did Bola never warn you?"
His smile widened.
"The Wasteland has no mercy."
He sat beside Zion's corpse.
Then he began to work.
The knife moved with terrifying precision.
Cut.
Slice.
Separate.
He worked like a professional butcher.
Like this wasn't the first time.
Like it wasn't even unusual.
An hour passed.
Eventually, the creature packed the meat into a large bag and stood.
He picked it up casually.
Then began walking back.
Toward Elizabeth.
When he finally arrived, Elizabeth was still unconscious.
The creature stared down at her.
For a moment, he simply watched.
"Aren't you beautiful?"
He crouched beside her.
"Don't worry."
His smile remained.
"I'll let you get better."
He brushed his fingers against her face.
"I'm not a monster."
Elizabeth's eyes twitched.
Her eyelids slowly opened.
"...Zion?"
The creature smiled.
"Oh."
He leaned closer.
"Yes."
"I am now Zion."
Elizabeth's eyes slowly closed again.
She slipped back into unconsciousness.
The creature stood.
He gathered pieces of wood from the forest and placed them together.
Then he lit them.
A small fire began to burn.
He took out a pot.
Slowly, he opened the bag.
Inside was Zion.
Or what remained of him.
The creature began placing the meat into the pot.
He stirred.
And smiled.
Then he looked toward Elizabeth.
His voice echoed through the grotto.
"AND I HOPE YOU'LL LIKE THE TASTE OF ZION."