Having survived the encounter, Jacob stood trembling, struggling to catch his breath. For a brief moment he forgot about the chaos raging around him—until the sharp, burning pain in his leg reminded him exactly where he was and what was still happening.
He forced himself to look around, searching for any path, any opening that could get him out alive. But the creatures were everywhere, and he didn't have time to think. Acting on instinct, he snatched up the fallen creature's axe and began moving, limping heavily as the injury in his leg throbbed with every step.
He spotted a narrow gap between the chaos and pushed himself toward it, ignoring the pain tearing through his body. Each step felt slower than the last, but he refused to stop.
As he stumbled through the mayhem, it felt as if time itself began to drag. His vision sharpened, and in the corner of his eye he saw something that made his stomach drop—a little girl, no older than ten, frozen in terror as one of the creatures crept toward her.
Jacob didn't think. He couldn't.
He ran toward her, screaming at the top of his lungs, trying desperately to draw the creature's attention.
"Hey! Over here! Hey!"
For a moment, the creature halted and glanced at him.
But only for a moment.
Then it turned back toward the girl...
and kept going.
Jacob forced his aching legs to move, sprinting toward the girl even as pain shot up from the gash in his leg. The creature was almost on her now—its claws stretched forward, its jagged grin widening as it prepared to strike.
Jacob didn't think—his body simply moved.
He threw himself between the creature and the girl, planting his feet firmly despite the trembling in his knees. The monster shrieked and swung its crude weapon downward, aiming straight for his skull.
Jacob reacted on pure instinct.
He caught the handle mid-swing.
The impact jolted through his arms, nearly tearing the weapon from his grip. The creature snarled, pushing with surprising strength, trying to force the blade down into him. Jacob's muscles burned, his wound screamed, and for a second he felt himself slipping.
But then he heard the girl behind him—her small, terrified sob—and something inside him snapped.
With a roar born from adrenaline and survival, Jacob twisted hard, ripping the axe out of the creature's hands. The monster stumbled, momentarily stunned.
Jacob didn't hesitate.
He drove the blade upward in one powerful thrust.
The axe head slammed under the creature's jaw and drove through bone. The creature gagged, its glowing eyes widening in shock and pain. It swayed, twitching, then collapsed at Jacob's feet, the weapon still lodged in its throat.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Jacob stood there panting, blood-spattered hands shaking violently. His heart felt like it was trying to tear out of his chest. The girl clung to the back of his shirt, sobbing uncontrollably.
He had saved her.
Around them, the chaos continued, screams echoing through the streets, but Jacob could barely hear any of it. He forced himself to turn, kneeling to meet the girl's frightened eyes.
"It's okay," he whispered, voice shaky and raw. "I've got you."
But deep down, Jacob could see.
This nightmare had only just begun.