Chapter 9 - The Thing That Followed ThemThey ran until their lungs burned.
The creature followed.
Alex never saw it clearly.
Only glimpses.
A long shape between trees.
Silver eyes.
Too many limbs.
Footprints that appeared and vanished.
Kael fired twice.
The bullets did nothing.
"What is it?" Alex shouted.
"Guardian."
"Guardian of what?"
"The door."
"So why is it chasing us?"
"It thinks you opened it."
"I didn't!"
"It doesn't care."
They reached an abandoned highway.
Kael pushed Alex beneath an overturned bus.
"Stay."
"I'm not hiding."
"Alex."
He looked at her.
"If you see me fall, don't come back."
Then he disappeared into the darkness.
Alex waited.
One minute.
Two.
Then she heard fighting.
Gunfire.
A scream.
Not Kael's.
Then silence.
Alex crawled out.
"Kael?"
Nothing.
She started walking.
Then stopped.
Someone stood at the end of the road.
Daren.
Alex's heart jumped.
"Daren?"
He smiled.
"Thought you'd leave me?"
She ran toward him.
Then stopped.
Something was wrong.
His eyes were black.
"You're alive."
"For now."
Alex stepped back.
"What happened?"
Daren tilted his head.
"I heard the Roar."
"You've been affected."
"I've been changed."
His voice was different.
Layered.
Alex remembered the creature.
"You're not Daren."
He smiled.
"Not entirely."
Kael suddenly appeared behind him.
"Alex, don't move."
Daren turned.
"Too late."
The thing inside him moved.
His body twisted.
Alex fired.
Daren screamed.
Kael grabbed her.
They ran.
"What is happening?"
"The Roar altered him."
"Can it do that?"
"Apparently."
Kael looked devastated.
"He was exposed too long."
Alex glanced back.
Daren stood in the road.
He didn't chase them.
He only watched.
Then he raised one hand.
The Roar began.
Kael pushed Alex into a drainage ditch.
The vibration struck.
Alex's body froze.
Kael remained standing.
But Daren did something unexpected.
He screamed.
Not at them.
At the sky.
The vibration stopped.
Daren fell.
Alex stared.
"What did he do?"
Kael whispered:
"He stopped the Roar."
"How?"
"I don't know."
Daren lifted his head.
For one second, his eyes were normal.
"Coast," he whispered.
Then he vanished into the trees.
Alex looked at Kael.
"He's still in there."
"Yes."
"Then we're getting him back."
Kael shook his head.
"We don't know what he's becoming."
Alex turned toward the coastline.
"Neither do I."
A distant radio transmission crackled.
A voice came through.
"Kael. This is General Veyra."
Kael froze.
"Come home."
He stared at the radio.
The voice continued.
"We know the girl is with you."
Alex stepped closer.
"They're tracking us."
"No."
Kael looked at the receiver.
"They're not tracking us."
The signal changed.
The voice whispered:
"They're following her."
Alex's blood ran cold.
Then the radio spoke again.
"Alex."
She froze.
May you like
It was her mother's voice.
"Come to the coast."
