Chapter 5: The Beginning of the Nightmare
The corpses lie cold on the soaked grass. Silence returns—tense, heavy, oppressive.
Kenneth breathes heavily, leaning against a tree while Rebecca finishes bandaging his arm. Sweat glistens on his forehead as he tries to hide any sign of pain. Forest scans the area, and Enrico speaks into the radio, attempting to reach base.
Richard finishes reloading with almost elegant precision. The safety clicks into place, and his eyes lift to meet Rebecca's. She hasn't stopped watching him since the fight ended.
"How did you do it?" she asks, just above a whisper.
Richard shrugs, offering a crooked smile. "I guess when you don't remember who you are, you have two options: panic… or figure out how to survive."
He pauses, then adds, lowering his voice with a spark in his eyes: "I decided to impress you."
Rebecca blinks. A small, nervous laugh escapes her lips. She looks at him with faint sternness but says nothing. The line was unexpected… but effective.
Deep inside, Richard feels the vertigo of contradiction. He remembers his entire life—his years of training, battles, losses—but nothing about the face or name he used in this reality. As if he had awakened inside a body that had already lived something before he arrived. Yet every move he makes is intact… or sharper.
Every shot, every reaction, flows naturally—instinctively. His skills aren't rusty… they're more refined than ever. As if this world had tempered him. Or as if… it had been waiting for him.
A fleeting thought crosses his mind: what if everything he forgot was never his to remember?
"Damn it..." Enrico mutters, lowering the radio. "Still no signal. Just static. No response from base."
"Can we use the emergency frequency?" Rebecca asks.
"Already did. Nothing. It's like something's jamming the signal."
Forest spits on the ground. "Now what? We walk back? It'll take us half a day just to clear this area."
"We can't risk more encounters with those things," Enrico murmurs, glancing at Kenneth, who's starting to breathe heavily.
Rebecca checks his pulse, shining a flashlight into his eyes. "He's pale. Rapid heartbeat. Cold sweat..."
"Infection?" Forest asks.
"I don't know. The wound doesn't look deep, but..." She doesn't finish. Her eyes shift toward one of the corpses, its jaw dislocated.
Richard steps in. "We can't stay here. Kenneth's getting worse. He needs shelter, shade, and rest if we want to keep him alive."
Rebecca nods, the worry in her eyes growing by the minute.
"And if those things come back… we won't be able to defend ourselves with him in this state."
Enrico presses his lips, thinking. "I saw a rock formation east of here—looked like a cave entrance. If we can get there, we'll have a more defensible position. She'll be able to treat him better too."
"How far?" Forest asks.
"Fifteen minutes. If nothing else finds us first."
"Then let's go," Richard says, looking into the dense, damp forest. "Before the day turns worse than the night."
Low fog crawls between the trees. Branches creak above. No birds. Nothing sings.
Kenneth can barely walk, supported by Forest. He groans now and then, incomprehensible murmurs. Rebecca watches with rising concern—his pale lips, bloodshot eyes, cold sweat beading his neck.
"He's delirious," she whispers.
"What's he saying?" Richard asks.
"Nothing coherent. He keeps repeating numbers… like a mantra."
"Numbers?" Enrico frowns.
"Forty-two… forty-two… one six…" Kenneth mumbles with half-closed eyes.
"Might be fever. Or something else," Rebecca says softly.
"Doesn't matter what it is," Richard interrupts, firm. "We just need to keep him alive until we understand what we're dealing with."
A crunch sounds behind them. Everyone freezes.
They raise their weapons in unison, but nothing appears. Just crooked trees and dense mist.
"I don't like this," Forest growls. "Feels like we're being watched."
"We are being watched," Richard says flatly. "Stay sharp."
Cave – Sector 8-Echo
The cave entrance is hidden between thick roots and slick rocks. The inside smells of dampness and rotting earth. It's narrow, but deep. The darkness beyond swallows their flashlight beams.
They settle Kenneth on a dry patch, wrapping him in a thermal blanket. Rebecca checks him again.
"High fever. Pulse is erratic. And… the wound has changed color. Darkened."
"Normal infection?" Enrico asks.
Rebecca slowly shakes her head. "Not normal. Something is replicating inside him. Fast. But there's no necrosis… yet."
Richard crouches beside her. Kenneth breathes in shallow gasps, trembling with intermittent spasms.
"Does he have a chance?"
"If this is what I think it is… no. Not without medical help. And I doubt we'll get that in time."
"How much time do we have?"
"Hours. Maybe less."
Richard nods and stands. He checks his weapon, then pauses—there's a faint scraping sound from deeper inside.
"Quiet. Listen..."
Everyone falls silent.
Scrrk... scrrk... scrrk...
A dry, slow sound, like claws on stone. From the back of the cave.
Forest flips on his tactical flashlight. The beam cuts through the dark, revealing mossy walls… and more darkness.
"Are we alone in here?"
Richard doesn't respond. He steps forward. "Secure the entrance. I don't want surprises from both directions."
Rebecca checks Kenneth again. He murmurs something… and this time, Richard hears it clearly.
"They're not dead… just sleeping…"
Kenneth smiles.
And from the cave, the sound returns. Closer now.
That sweet smell again. Stronger. Heavier. Of soil… and something else. Something metallic, like evaporated blood.
Enrico coughs. Forest stumbles.
"What… is that smell?" Rebecca asks, covering her mouth.
Richard lifts his light. The beam flickers. His pupils dilate.
A sharp whine pierces his ears. He blinks, disoriented. Rebecca moans, holding her head, wobbling.
One by one, they start to fall.
Forest, to his knees.
Enrico collapses, weapon still in hand.
Rebecca tries to reach her med kit, but her fingers no longer respond.
Richard fights to stay upright, panting. He looks toward the tunnel. A faint greenish glow filters from the darkness. Bioluminescence. Spores. As if the cave itself were alive.
Then, everything goes black.
Barking.
Voices.
Claws.
Richard wakes up with a start—covered in leaves, dried blood, and mud. He's outside. The cave is gone. No… not gone. He's been dragged. Removed.
Next to him, Rebecca wakes too. She's soaked, dazed, face bruised, and dirt in her mouth. She jolts upright, coughing. Looks around.
"What… happened? Where are we?"
Richard struggles to stand. It's just them. No sign of Enrico, Forest… or Kenneth.
"We were drugged. Or exposed to something. The spores… in the cave," he mutters. "It was a trap."
Rebecca clutches her head. Everything spins. Branches creak… and something else.
A low, wet growl. Then another. And another.
The trees tremble.
Eyes. Glowing eyes in the mist.
Cerberus.
Military dogs. Or what used to be. Their backs flayed, exposed ribs snapping with each movement. Black tongues hang from wide, foaming jaws full of rotting meat. One has a dislocated jaw but still moans, drooling pus. Another drags a broken leg but charges blindly, leaving a trail of dried blood.
Richard loads his weapon, eyes never leaving the creatures.
"Rebecca… run."
She does. But just before she turns, she freezes—staring at something.
The bodies.
They're there. In front of the cave, piled like discarded meat.
Forest—torn open from sternum to pelvis, intestines dangling like dead snakes on wet stone.
Enrico still blinks, semi-conscious, as a Cerberus tears flesh from his leg. He tries to scream, but all that comes is a choking gurgle when the beast rips out his throat.
Kenneth… Kenneth is standing.
But he's not alive.
His skin gray, eyes empty. The bite changed him. One of the dogs rubs against him like it recognizes him. He doesn't react. Just slowly turns his head toward Rebecca. His jaw hangs loose. He smiles.
Rebecca screams.
Richard grabs her arm and pulls hard.
"Look at me! Look at me, Rebecca! Run now!"
And she runs.
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