Sir Krus invited Dean and the others into his car. The vehicle was large enough to fit everyone comfortably. Its back had no roof, so as they drove toward the hospital, it felt like they were riding in the open. The silence was heavy. Glances were exchanged, but no one spoke—until Sir Krus finally did.
'When I mentioned ghouls earlier, none of you reacted. It's like you already knew what I meant. So—how much do you actually know?' Jessie was the police officer—it would have made sense if he had addressed her. But instead, Sir Krus looked at Dean, expecting an answer. Dean's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Krus's face. He seemed to search for something. Then he exhaled and leaned back.
'To be honest, we don't know much. Most of what we do know came from Jessie.' Everyone turned to her. Jessie was awake, but not really present. She was lost in the memory of the police station—her jaw clenched, muscles tight, eyes dark. Larah, seated beside her, nudged her shoulder. No response. She nudged again. Finally, Jessie blinked and returned to the moment.
'Did I miss something?' she asked. Sir Krus nodded.
'Yeah, you did. Looks like you've got your own darkborns to fight. Just make sure your anger is pointed at the enemy.' A faint grin broke across Jessie's face. Cracking her knuckles, she replied:
'You bet.' The car stopped.
The path ahead was too narrow and packed with people to drive further. They continued on foot. Dean observed the crowd in silence, like the others.
'Why are they here?' Larah asked, tightening her grip around Hope. The people on the roadside were alive—but barely. Some were missing legs. Others were missing all their limbs. It was hard to say whether this life was worth living. Larah looked down, trying to avoid the sight, still waiting for an answer.
'Some fled to us. Others were found by our people,' Sir Krus replied. Larah, facing downward, saw his fists clenched so tight blood was seeping from them. 'It was bad,' he muttered. 'Really bad. We lost a lot of good people. But this—this ends now.' He stopped and turned to Dean and the others. Larah raised her head. The group fell into silence. Krus's mere presence pressed down on them like weight. He repeated, louder, fiercer:
'This ends now! As long as I'm alive, I don't care if I lose my arms or legs. They can take my eyes! I won't stop! Until my final breath, I will devote my life to one thing—destroying my enemies!' His eyes swept the crowd—hopeless eyes that now found a faint, flickering light.
'Are you with me? I don't care if you're old, a woman, a child—I'll ask again: ARE YOU WITH ME?' The people shouted. They cried. They let it all out. Dean and the others joined in without realizing it. Hope stirred awake—and she didn't cry.
She laughed. Laughter and shouting filled every broken space. Their voices shook the earth.
Sir Krus stepped closer to Dean and the others. 'I saw the fight in you. Normally, you'd have to wait to get into the hospital—there's a long line. But with me, you get priority. After that, you're heading to the base. You've already faced these monsters. You should be there for the briefing.
Humanity will strike back.'
Elsewhere
Dae opened his eyes. A cool breeze brushed against his face. The air was fresh. The weather was pleasant—aside from the ominous red moon hanging above. No trees towered nearby. They had left the forest. His head rested on something… soft… bouncy…
'Wait,' Dae mumbled, sitting up. He turned—and found Rayshel grinning.
'Did my booby feel nice?'
'What the hell?! Why would you do that?' Rayshel sat up, shrugging.
'You're gonna be my future husband, right? Might as well act like your wife.' Dae shook his head. The whole situation was overwhelming. Then he noticed how few soldiers had survived the battle with the Five Legends.
'Damn,' he muttered. 'They really did a number on us. How long was I out?'
'One day,' Rayshel replied. 'You kept mumbling in your sleep. Don't tell me you were dreaming about me?'
'Damn no. I saw some of Adam's memories. And if we don't stop—' He pointed toward the red moon. 'Whatever that is... we're screwed. Worse than the Five Legends.'
'I see. You saw the place where your master was. Did you see anything else?'
'Yeah. I saw why he and the other Legends turned into ghouls. That's what these monsters are called. And the one behind it… was a soldier. A soldier named Voltra.'