Captain Rowin groggily stepped out of the taxi, his feet sinking slightly into the white layered road beneath him. The city buzzed with life, a stark contrast to the dark cloud of dread that hovered over him. He was exhausted, the weight of the recent battle still pressing heavily on his shoulders, but there was something else, something far more insidious gnawing at his insides.
His breath hitched as he glanced around the busy street, his gaze locking on the large house just ahead.
The house was an architectural marvel, standing tall amidst the ordinary buildings surrounding it. Its walls gleamed like glass but were opaque, a mystery even to the curious eyes that often passed by. Rowin approached with quick strides, his heart pounding against his ribs as if trying to escape the cage of his chest. He pulled out his phone, and as he did, it immediately displayed a notification.
"Welcome back, Master Rowin."
The cold, emotionless voice from his phone sent a shiver down his spine. As the notification appeared, the massive front doors of the house swung open without a sound, inviting him in. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. This was a security measure, he reminded himself. In this era, losing one's phone or getting hacked was almost impossible—almost.
Rowin crossed the threshold and the doors closed behind him with a soft thud, sealing him inside. He wasted no time stripping off his clothes, leaving them in a careless heap on the living room floor. The tension in his muscles grew with each passing second, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn't control.
"Display mirror!" he commanded, his voice hoarse.
The floor beneath him shifted and parted, revealing a large man-sized mirror that slowly rose before him. It reflected back his naked body, every inch of him exposed to the harsh light of the room. But his eyes weren't focused on his form; they were fixated on the base of his neck.
His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he noticed the black, pulsating mass just below his skin. It moved in sync with his heartbeat, a grotesque echo of his own life force. 'Just as I thought... damn, what's wrong?' Rowin's thoughts spiraled into panic as he reached up to touch the darkened skin, feeling the unnatural throb of something not his own.
Memories of the battle against the Fatek flooded his mind. He recalled the moment it had grabbed him, its cold, clammy hand clamping onto his neck before tossing him aside like a ragdoll. He had barely been able to stand after that, his strength drained by an invisible force. It was then he had realized something was wrong—terribly wrong.
The Fatek had dropped something on him, something that had burrowed into his flesh in seconds.
The woman let go of the man, allowing him to regain some of his footing as the alcohol began to wear off. She knocked on the door, strangely, ten times in quick succession, then waited. The man blinked in confusion, his muddled brain struggling to process what was happening.
"Why the hell are you knocking? Didn't you say it was your house?" he slurred, his brow furrowed in puzzlement.
The woman's smile vanished, replaced by a nasty frown. "Quiwikiqomiki rukiwirki!" she hissed, her voice low and menacing.
The man blinked again, shaking his head as if to clear the fog from his mind. He was hearing things, he told himself, just the effects of the alcohol. But then he realized what she had said was unlike anything he'd ever heard. "What the fuck? Are you speaking alien?" His eyes widened as the woman's face twisted further, the words making his blood run cold.
Before he could react, the door swung open violently, crashing against the wall with a force that made him jump. A massive hand shot out of the darkness, grabbing him roughly by the shirt and yanking him inside.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The man's screams echoed through the empty streets, his voice filled with terror before it was abruptly cut off. Inside the house, the sound of bones cracking and breaking filled the air, followed by sinister cackling and the sickening squelch of something wet and foul.
The woman stood still, her face expressionless as she listened to the sounds of carnage from within. After a moment, a large Fatek with two heads stepped out of the shadows, its hulking form barely fitting through the doorway. It patted the woman on the head, a grotesque smile spreading across both of its faces.
"Good work," it rumbled, its voice deep and gravelly. "I'll be expecting more cattle tonight."
The woman nodded silently, her eyes cold and unfeeling. The Fatek turned and disappeared back into the darkness of the house, the door creaking shut behind it. The woman stood there for a moment longer, her mind already calculating where she would find her next victim, before she turned and melted into the shadows, leaving the desolate street behind.
As the night grew colder, the city remained oblivious to the horrors that lurked within its darkest corners. The hunt was far from over, and the Fatek was far from satisfied.
Don't Unlock the next chapter till 4th of September 2024. I'm working on them