"Enid, you okay?" Viktor laid Enid on the ground, touching her face, his eyes filled with worry.
"I'm fine," Enid replied slowly.
"She is fine." Wednesday squatted beside Enid, inspecting the wound before tearing a strip from her clothes and tying it tightly around Enid's stomach. "Not fatal. Inconvenient at best."
"Really? Are you sure?" Viktor asked, still tense.
"Viktor," Wednesday said firmly, "she's a werewolf. Even without claws and fur, her body heals faster than yours ever could. The wound is shallow. Stop panicking."
"She's right, Viktor." Enid managed a small smile despite the pain. "She's right, Viktor. I just need… like, a minute. Then I'll be back to my usual sunshine-y self."
Viktor sighed in relief. "Alright, you need to rest."
He was about to carry Enid to the car when the cultist who had stabbed her suddenly laughed. All of them turned their heads toward him.
The cultist kept laughing until Wednesday walked over and kicked him in the stomach. "What's amusing? Failure?"
The cultist stopped and sneered. "You have no idea." He turned to Viktor and grinned. "Child of Dusk, I didn't expect you to be this courageous, daring to disrupt our ritual to summon our god. But you made one mistake. This will not stop us."
"Explain. Now." Wednesday demanded.
"The ritual is still going," the cultist said. "The baby you killed was just one of the vessels. We make many sacrifices to create six vessels, to make a stronger vessel. But that stronger vessel…"
The cultist suddenly coughed violently.
"Finish the sentence," Wednesday ordered.
"It's… the Hyde… the final vessel. Tyler is his name. You're already too late. They are coming for… him…" The cultist collapsed and went still.
"Tyler?" Viktor muttered. He didn't know how Tyler was involved or how he had become a vessel. But then he realized, Tyler hadn't shown up since they investigated the doctor's house.
"What do we do now? Don't tell me this isn't over yet?" Enid asked, frowning.
Viktor and Wednesday exchanged a look before Viktor said, "No. We need to stop them from reaching Tyler."
"So that's why it felt disappointingly easy. Consider it a rehearsal. The real performance starts now."
Wednesday smirked as they ran to the car, Viktor carrying Enid in his arms.
He carefully set Enid in the seat and climbed in beside her. "By the way," he asked, "where do we even find Tyler?"
The car screeched as Wednesday drove, another rollercoaster ride beginning. She glanced in the rearview mirror. "First, we check his house."
Viktor looked outside, then pulled out his phone and messaged Nsix6: "Where can I find Tyler?"
No response came right away, so he put the phone away and checked Enid's wound. It was no longer bleeding heavily, and she no longer looked pale.
But even though she seemed physically better, her eyes were focused outside, so distant. She didn't seem in the mood to talk. Viktor assumed it was because of the pain.
"I'm sorry, Enid," Viktor said softly. "I let my guard down and got overconfident. This wouldn't have happened…"
Enid suddenly cut him off. "No. It's not that, Viktor. I— I realize I literally sacrificed myself for you. Like… my life. For you."
"Do you regret it?" Viktor asked.
"Not even an inch," Enid muttered. "It just feels… weird. Not me. I'd never throw myself in front of a blade for anyone. And yet I did. You know why most werewolves can wolf out? Because they're brave, real courage, real fight in them. But me? I'm not brave. I can't even stand up to my mom."
Viktor listened to Enid wholeheartedly until his phone buzzed. He took it out and read the message:
"He is outside Jericho Town. He was running away, but they were already near him. You must find him before it's too late."
Nsix6 had sent him Tyler's location on Google Maps. Viktor frowned. He still didn't understand who Nsix6 was; this person clearly had their own agenda. They could belong to the cult or be something else entirely.
"I know where Tyler is," Viktor said, "but I don't know if this is a trap."
He showed Wednesday the message.
"Of course, we follow it," Wednesday replied flatly. "Whether it's a trap or not, either we end the cult or the cult ends us. Personally, I find both outcomes acceptable."
Tyler's location was far from Jericho; apparently, he was running deeper into the woods, into a place called Will Woods.
Enid saw the map too and muttered, "Why do you think Tyler became the vessel? Is it because he's a Hyde?"
"I don't know… but there must be more to it." Viktor frowned, thinking. The cultist must have some connection to Hydes. First, Tyler's mom was sacrificed to create a vessel. Now, Tyler is the main vessel, the stronger one. But why him? No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't find an answer.
Enid spoke slowly. "Are they… summoning the God of Hyde?"
"God of Hyde?" Viktor muttered. If he hadn't encountered the Outer Gods, he might have laughed, but not anymore. Ever since coming into this world, his perspective had changed. There were many hidden things here, and Viktor knew he was only scratching the surface.
"Perhaps." He still didn't believe it was some so-called God of Hyde. He knew the cult's summoning was connected to the Outer Gods. If the God of Hyde was part of them, then Enid's words might be true.
Soon enough, they reached the edge of Will Woods. Wednesday parked the car, and everyone stepped out. Viktor readied his sword while Wednesday prepared her weapons. Viktor glanced at Enid.
"Do you feel okay now, Enid?"
"I'm okay." She nodded.
"Alright. Stay close to me."
They entered the woods. The forest was quiet, unnervingly so, and darker than they expected. They switched on their flashlights and followed Tyler's location on the map.
"I'm starting to feel something strong here…" Enid muttered, hugging herself, her eyes darting around. "I don't know what it is… but…"
"If you feel something strange, that means we're in the right place," Wednesday said calmly, never slowing her pace.
Enid walked between them, Wednesday in the lead, Viktor bringing up the rear.
"Are we there yet?" Enid asked.
"Not yet… Tyler seems to have stopped." Viktor checked the phone. "Either he's resting… or the cultists caught him."
"We need to hurry!"
They had no choice but to run faster. Viktor, the fastest of them all, took the lead.
After a few minutes, Viktor stopped suddenly, narrowing his eyes at the phone. Tyler's location hadn't moved, but Viktor was standing exactly where the marker was. He glanced around, his face serious. Everything was pitch black, and only their flashlights gave them a way to see.
"What's wrong?" Wednesday asked.
"We're here… but…" Viktor showed them the map.
Suddenly, all three of them felt a chill down their backs. Instinctively, they turned, swinging their flashlights behind them.
Cold wind howled through the trees. Branches cracked somewhere in the distance, but the woods were too dark to see anything. Viktor gripped his sword tightly.
"Be ready."
"Kyaah!"
A roar split the night as the Hyde lunged from the side, slashing Enid's face. She barely had time to react before Wednesday yanked her out of the way.
The Hyde vanished back into the darkness, but Viktor knew it wasn't retreating.
"So, hit-and-run tactics?" Wednesday smirked, drawing her dagger while keeping her crossbow ready. "Clever creature."
Enid's claws slid out, gleaming in the flashlight's glow. Viktor raised his sword, the three of them watching each other's backs.
"Guys… I have an idea," Viktor said slowly.
Another roar, the Hyde appeared beside Wednesday, catching her off guard. Its claws tore into her arm, and she dropped her crossbow. The monster vanished again into the dark.
"If you have an idea, say it now, or we're going to die!" Enid snapped.
The roar came again. This time, Viktor stood his ground, staring straight into the Hyde's snarling face. He smirked and dropped his sword.
The Hyde swiped at him, but instead of dodging, Viktor lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the monster's neck and locking on from behind.
He had peak Level 0 strength, boosted regeneration, and enhanced stamina, all temporary. But he would use every last bit of it before it wore off.
The Hyde roared and thrashed, trying to claw him off. Blood welled on Viktor's arms as the claws tore into him, but he kept his grip, teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached.
"What are you waiting for? Kill him!" Viktor shouted through gritted teeth.
"This is your idea?!" Enid shouted, but she obeyed, slashing at the Hyde with her claws. Wednesday struck too, driving her dagger toward the beast.
The Hyde backhanded Enid, knocking her across the clearing, but Wednesday slipped under its next attack.
The Hyde roared again, struggling to throw Viktor off while fending off Wednesday's strikes.
"Give me the sword!" Viktor shouted.
He slammed his palm into the Hyde's eyes, forcing it to roar and stumble backward, slamming him against a tree in an attempt to crush him. Viktor gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain, tightening his grip until dark wounds began to form around the Hyde's neck.
Enid grabbed the sword from the ground, but the Hyde slashed at her, leaving her arm bleeding.
Viktor's vision blurred from blood loss, but he didn't let go. His eyes were bloodshot, his grip unrelenting, his free hand smashing over and over into the Hyde's face.
Seeing it struggling more violently now, Enid seized her chance. She let out a cry and drove the sword into the Hyde's side.
The Hyde howled in pain. Wednesday slid in low and slashed at its legs, cutting deep.
The monster stumbled, collapsing to its knees.
Viktor ripped the sword from Enid's hands and, with a roar of his own, plunged the blade into the Hyde's chest.
The creature let out one last whimper before its body began to shrink, shifting back to human form.
Tyler lay there, naked, bloodied, and barely breathing.
Viktor stood up slowly, chest heaving, as they all watched Tyler's bloodshot eyes open weakly.
Those eyes were filled with fury, but Tyler was too injured to do anything.