The bear's furious roar from the forest sent a tremor through the very rock walls of the cave, making every child flinch.
Just as the sound began to fade, a new one pierced the air: a high-pitched, furious scream that sounded more inhuman than anything they had ever heard. A moment later, a strange, pulsating gold light began to flicker through the trees in the distance. It looked like a burst of flame, but it didn't burn—it only glowed.
Beatrice stumbled backward, her hand pressed against her mouth to stifle a whimper.
"What was that? What's going on?"
she whispered, her voice filled with terror.
Felix stared at the cave entrance, his face ashen.
"Briar… she just ran out there."
Corbin's face, which had been impassive, shifted to an expression of detached curiosity.
"That's not a normal sound,"
he muttered, his eyes fixed on the strange, gold light.
"Whatever that light is, wasn't there a moment ago."
Rhys, his face grim, stepped forward.
"We have to go back. We need to see what that is."
"Wait!"
Felix cried, his eyes darting between the cave and the light.
"What if it's not safe?"
"It's not safe in here either,"
Corbin said, already moving toward the cave's mouth.
"That could be a new variable, something we have to account for. We're going to find out what's happening."
They pushed through the thick bushes and emerged into a clearing, their eyes widening in shock. The scene before them was something out of a nightmare, yet illuminated by a terrifying beauty.
Briar stood at the center, her body bathed in a brilliant golden glow that radiated from intricate, swirling tattoos covering her skin. A vibrant, flame-like aura danced around her, making the air ripple with intense heat. She stood with her back to them, her form a defiant shield between a massive, enraged bear and Emmett, who was slumped against a tree, his battlesuit torn and his chest stained with blood. He was still, his eyes unfocused and vacant.
Felix and Beatrice froze, their faces pale with a shared terror. The sight of Briar's glowing form was too much to comprehend. Rhys could only stare, a look of pure, unadulterated awe on his face as he took in the sheer power she was radiating.
Corbin, however, remained perfectly still. His brilliant blue eyes narrowed as he took in the sight.
What is that power?
he thought, his mind racing.
How was she able to attain it?
He had seen her strength on the monitor, but this was something else entirely—a manifestation of raw, untapped force. He glanced at the fatally wounded Emmett and then back at Briar.
Why is she using it to protect him?
he asked himself, a question he couldn't logically answer.
She threw herself between him and a bear without knowing the full extent of her power and if it will be enough to deal with it.
He watched her as she stood in her rage, and for the first time, he began to perceive that there was a deep connection she had for him, something he could not compute.
The bear, mad with fury, took a step toward Emmett, but Briar took a menacing step forward.
"You'll pay for what you did to Emmett"
she whispered, her voice a low growl.
She raised her head, her eyes fixed on the towering beast. With a final, furious scream, she roared,
"I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES!!"
She moved so fast she was a blur of light, slamming into the bear's side with a force that sent a shockwave through the clearing. The beast, a creature of pure muscle and rage, was lifted off its feet and tossed into a line of trees with a series of splintering cracks. It was a single, devastating move that left Felix and Beatrice staring in stunned silence.
Rhys, however, had already snapped out of his trance.
"Felix! Beatrice! Go! Help Emmett!"
he yelled, his voice laced with urgency. He glanced back at the cave.
"I'm getting the cub. We have to bring it back."
With that, he was gone.
Felix and Beatrice rushed to Emmett's side, their hands shaking as they tried to stop the bleeding. The battlesuit was torn, and they could see the jagged bone beneath the mangled flesh. Emmett was unresponsive, his eyes still vacant.
Corbin did not move. His eyes were locked on Briar, who was already engaged in a whirlwind of golden strikes against the bear. The beast had returned, but it was disoriented, unable to keep up with the blinding speed of its small opponent. The battle was a dizzying display of raw power that sent waves of energy rippling through the clearing.
...Meanwhile, in the Observatory...
Baron Calvin watched the live feed with a smirk of pure satisfaction. His assistant, Charlotte, was filled with nervous energy, her fingers flying across a console, monitoring the data streams.
"Her vitals are skyrocketing, Baron! The energy output is off the charts!"
she exclaimed, her voice a mix of awe and terror.
"It's even more powerful than we predicted!"
Baron Calvin chuckled.
"As expected, Charlotte. The God's Mark is a power unlike anything we've ever seen. The emotional trigger only makes it more volatile."
"But...what about the boy, Baron? He's severely wounded. If he dies, the test is a failure."
"A minor setback,"
the Baron replied, his eyes never leaving the screen.
"Though he should be able to survive on his own."
"And the beast, sir? It won't hold up for much longer. It's taking too much damage."
Baron Calvin's smirk widened.
"It doesn't need to. The test is almost over. A final display of power is all that's required."
Briar, a golden storm of furious energy, delivered a final, concussive punch to the bear's head. The force of the blow was so immense that its head snapped sickeningly sideways, and its entire body was sent flying backward, slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. The massive creature lay still.
A collective sigh of relief echoed in the clearing. The children looked on in awe, while in the observatory, the scientists all cheered.
"She did it!"
Charlotte exclaimed, her shoulders slumping with relief.
"She beat the beast!"
But Baron Calvin did not move. He only watched the motionless form of the bear with a cold, knowing look in his eyes. He knew it was not over. After all, he was the one that experimented on the bear and knew how much of an abomination it was.
Suddenly, the bear's body began to convulse and twitch. A grotesque sound, like bones grinding together, filled the air. Its head, still snapped sideways, twisted and contorted until it was facing forward again. The flesh began to reform, swelling and hardening into a more aggressive and grotesque form. Its jaw stretched, revealing huge, jagged teeth, and two more eyes, black and soulless, opened beneath its first pair. The mutated beast was no longer just an animal; it was something else entirely.
Corbin's eyes, fixed on the horrifying sight, widened in cold realization. The unnatural way the bear had just healed itself, the grotesque reformation, and the fact that it was in the Baron's lab. He knew what it was. It was a failed experiment.
The Baron still used it to test us,
he thought, a cold shiver running down his spine.
Just how cruel is he?
Briar, her golden glow flickering and dimming, charged at the abomination, but the Mark had taken its toll. The sheer force of its power had been too much. Her legs buckled beneath her, and the golden aura around her faded, leaving behind only the intricate mark on her collarbone. She collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, the toll of God's Mark devastating her body.
The children, seeing her fall, realized they were done for.
"Retreat!"
Corbin yelled, his voice more panicked than they had ever heard it.
Rhys returned, holding the body of the cub, and without hesitation, took Emmett. Felix ran to Briar and hoisted her over his shoulder. They turned and began to retreat slowly into the dense forest, but the abomination was already on them. It charged forward, its massive jaws open and its huge teeth ready to rip them to pieces.
Then, a single gunshot.
BANG!