The night sky above Sector Twelve burned orange.
The gate pulsed like a wound in the air, jagged edges glowing red. From it, monsters poured—wolves with too many eyes, hulking brutes with claws that shredded steel. They tore through the streets, smashing into buildings, crushing cars flat beneath their weight. Screams filled the air, mixed with the thunder of collapsing towers.
Hunters fought back, but it wasn't enough.
"Hold the line!" a captain roared, blood streaming down his cheek. His sword gleamed with aura as he cut into a beast's throat. Black blood sprayed across the cracked asphalt. He staggered, coughing, his knees shaking.
Behind him, the squad was in ruin. One hunter dragged himself forward with one arm, his other gone. A girl barely old enough to fight tried to charge a wolf, only to be swept aside, her blade skittering useless into the shadows.
