Malibu Safehouse — 11:50 PM
Serena's POV
A sharp crash shattered my sleep. For a second, I thought it was part of a dream—but the silence that followed wrapped the villa in a terrifying stillness.
I sat up, heart thudding. The air felt wrong. Too quiet. Too cold.
Slipping into my jacket, I stepped out of the room and into the hallway. Moonlight spilled through the long glass windows, casting silver shadows along the corridor. I moved cautiously, each step echoing louder than the last.
Where was everyone?
"Josh? Fred?" I called out softly, voice low but tense.
Nothing.
My fingers tightened around the stair rail. Philip said they'd be on duty here tonight. I whispered to myself.
I began descending the staircase—then stopped. My bare foot squished into something wet.
I knelt, frowning, and dabbed a finger into the liquid. The metallic scent hit me immediately.
Blood.
A chill ran through me like icewater in my veins. No. They found us.
I didn't think—I ran. Bounding down the stairs two at a time.
All I could think was—Grandpa. I need to find Grandpa.
Almost at the bottom, I tripped. My body slammed into the cold marble floor. Groaning, I reached for my pounding head—then froze.
My hand was wet.
I looked down, and under the flickering foyer light, I saw it—blood. Splattered across my nightgown, my skin, the floor.
Then I saw what I had tripped on.
"Fred," I whispered.
He lay sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, unmoving. A deep, brutal gash sliced across his chest. His eyes—once full of mischief—were lifeless, staring into the void.
"No... no, no," I whispered, backing away.
I turned. More bodies.
My breath caught in my throat. My hands trembled. A few hours ago, we were laughing. Eating. Alive.
A sob threatened to escape, but I swallowed it down. Then—another crash. Glass shattered somewhere in the distance. A groan followed.
My heart jumped. Grandpa.
I stood, bent over Fred, gently shut his eyes, and took the pistol from his belt. My voice shook, but I made a promise. "I'll make them pay."
The noise led me to the study. The door was wide open. Papers fluttered everywhere, tossed by the breeze from broken windows. Curtains danced like ghosts in the wind.
Then I saw him.
"Grandpa!" I rushed to him. He slumped in his chair, blood soaking through his shirt. A gash just like Fred's ran across his side.
"Serena…" he gasped, blood dripping from his mouth. "You… shouldn't be here…"
"You really think I'd run while you stayed behind to die?" I whispered, choking on the pain in my chest. I lowered him gently to the floor, pressing my hands to his wound, desperate to stop the bleeding.
"You need… to leave, Sere…" he rasped. "I won't… make it."
"Don't say that!" I pressed harder. "You'll be fine. You have to be fine!"
His hand, warm with blood, reached up to my face, wiping away my tears. "Don't cry, sweet child. It hurts… to see you cry."
That shattered me.
I broke.
"Everyone's gone…" I sobbed. "I can't lose you too. I don't know what to do without you."
He coughed again, more blood spilling over his lips. "You're stronger… than you think. We both… knew this day would come."
"No," I shook my head. "Not like this."
"You have to go back to London," he continued, voice faint. "Open my safe… password's 0-4-5-8. Inside… you'll find everything… you need… to stay safe…"
His words came slower now, breath rattling.
"Shhh," I whispered. "Don't talk. Just rest."
"I… love… you…" he said finally, eyes locking with mine as the last flicker of warmth left them.
My world stopped.
"I love you too, Grandpa," I whispered, hugging him tightly as the life drained from his body.
The silence returned, but this time it was suffocating. I held him for what felt like forever until—
A slow clap echoed behind me.
"Well, that was touching," a dark voice said.
I froze.
His presence wrapped around the room like smoke—thick and dangerous. I didn't think. I gripped the pistol and spun around.
A tall figure emerged from the shadows, wearing a twisted smile.
"Who are you?" I hissed, aiming the gun at him. "Are you with Cobra's gang?"
He didn't answer—just stepped forward, smile widening.
"Answer me!" I demanded. "Did you kill my grandfather?"
He chuckled darkly. "So many questions…"
"Don't come any closer. I will shoot."
"As if your little toy could hurt me," he sneered—and lunged.
I fired. Once. Twice. Again.
He kept coming.
My heart pounded as the last bullet clicked empty. He reached me in a blur, knocking the gun from my hand and slamming me into the wall.
His grip tightened around my neck.
"What… are you?" I choked, fear slicing deeper than any blade.
He leaned close, whispering into my ear with a voice that wasn't human.
"You're about to find out."