After the monster hurled Nero into the fire, there was no movement.

  He vanished into the raging flames.

  Inside the Howler, everyone stared at the live feed.

  Private Kez Brenn leaned toward Private Thorn Ekkel and whispered, “Is he dead?”

  Ekkel didn’t look away from the screen. “How the hell am I supposed to know? We’re watching the same damn angle.”

  On screen, the monster loomed near the blaze, studying its right hand. Frost coated its palm. One claw was missing — likely snapped off and still buried somewhere in Nero’s chest.

  Steam curled from its arm as it absorbed the fire’s heat.

  Captain Mera Dastin shot to her feet.

  “That son of a bitch just threw him into the fire!”

  She stormed toward the front cabin, cheeks flushed. “Hey, Lex. Step on it. We’re going ahead — I’m going to personally kill that thing.”

  Sergeant Dren “Ox” Kellen rose behind her. “Get it together, Mera. Stop issuing stupid orders.”

  She spun on him. “That thing just killed him. Why isn’t the scout team engaging?”

  From the Warden, Major Rix Harrow’s voice cut through the open channel.

  “The General has ordered the scout team not to engage.”

  Silence filled the cabin.

  Mera tried again. “But our mission was to secure Angelo and his family—”

  “Direct order from the General,” Harrow interrupted. “Sergeant Kellen, control your captain.”

  Mera’s eyes narrowed at Lex.

  “You son of a bitch,” she hissed. “You patched us through to Warden.”

  Ox grabbed her arm and dragged her back toward her seat. “Great work as always, Lex.”

  Lex gave a small nod.

  Ox shoved Mera down into her chair. “Sit tight. Watch the feed. Major’s orders.”

  She muttered under her breath and began stripping and reassembling her weapon with sharp, furious movements.

  On the feed, the monster stirred again — the frost gone from its limbs.

  It circled the fire.

  Watching.

  Waiting.

  Inside Thom’s house, he watched everything through the window while Lina clung to him.

  He grabbed his rifle and moved toward the door.

  “Please let go, Lina,” he said quietly. “Dorne needs help. I have to go.”

  Her grip tightened. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “If you go, you’ll get hurt.”

  Outside, the monster halted its circling and lifted its head.

  Its remaining eye fixed on Dorne’s motionless body in the street.

  Dorne.

  It began to approach.

  Thom turned his head and saw it through the window.

  He gently pried Lina’s arms away.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  He opened the door.

  Cold air rushed in.

  Lina tried to follow, but Thom stepped in front of her.

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  “CH, guard the door. Don’t let her out.”

  Lina lunged.

  The old goat moved faster than she expected. CH planted himself in the doorway, hooves scraping against the floorboards as he lowered his horns.

  “Let me go!” she cried, pounding against his thick shoulder.

  CH didn’t budge.

  He pushed her back gently but firmly with his head, blocking the exit.

  Outside, Thom kept low, darting between wrecked houses toward Dorne, boots crunching softly over debris.

  Vinn spotted the movement first.

  “We’ve got a runner, one o’clock. Kato, track him.”

  Kato swung the camera, the lens adjusting focus as it caught Thom inching closer to Dorne, hugging what little cover the shattered walls offered.

  The monster now stood just meters from its prey, its remaining eye fixed on the motionless body.

  Thom ducked behind a collapsed doorway frame and fired — a single shot.

  The round pinged harmlessly off the creature’s back.

  The beast reacted instantly, springing away from Dorne and scanning for the source.

  Thom moved.

  Another position. Another shot.

  This one struck. The monster recoiled and leapt aside again, snarling, claws tearing into the ground.

  It began moving constantly now — never still, never exposed — denying him a clean angle.

  But Thom kept shifting, breath controlled, firing whenever the opening appeared. Each shot forced the creature farther, step by grudging step, toward the edge of town.

  Rhea frowned.

  “Who are these people? They move and shoot like trained soldiers.”

  Kato didn’t look away from the feed.

  “Report said Angelo and his family were taken by creatures. But these are human. Did Angelo escape… and come here?”

  Thom pressed the advantage, bullets chipping stone and wood as the monster finally slipped back into the forest, melting between the trees.

  Silence followed.

  Careful, rifle still raised, Thom crept toward Dorne.

  He knelt, fingers searching for breath.

  There — faint. Fragile. Alive.

  Relief flickered across his face.

  Without wasting time, he slung his rifle and lifted Dorne with a strained grunt.

  His eyes flicked to the fire where Nero had been thrown. The flames still roared, swallowing everything inside.

  “I’m sorry, kid,” he muttered.

  Then he turned away and started toward the house.

  “Maybe he can save the injured guy,” Kato murmured.

  “Yeah,” Rhea replied, eyes stayed fixed on Thom and Dorne, “but he’d better get inside before that thing comes back.”

  “You think it’ll come after them again?” Kato asked.

  Rhea didn’t blink.

  “It’s a predator. And that person is taking its prey. I’ve got a feeling this isn’t over.”

  “Vinn, eyes on the monster?”

  Vinn adjusted his scope, scanning.

  “No. Too many trees. It’s gone.”

  Thom was only halfway back.

  The forest exploded.

  Branches snapped. Snowless dirt and splinters burst outward as the monster launched itself from cover.

  “Shit — it’s back!” Vinn shouted.

  Thom dropped Dorne and opened fire. The beast darted between wrecks of houses, weaving with terrifying speed.

  Too fast.

  Thom snatched Dorne up again, dragging him backward while firing one-handed. His shots forced it to veer, but it kept closing.

  The distance was disappearing.

  Lina burst from the house, having slipped past CH.

  CH barreled after her, hooves kicking up dust and dirt.

  “LINA! GET BACK INSIDE — NOW!” Thom roared.

  Kato swiveled the camera.

  “We’re just gonna let a kid die?”

  Through the comms, Mordane’s voice came cold and absolute.

  “Do not engage, soldier.”

  Kato, Vinn, and Rhea stayed behind cover, knuckles whitening around their weapons.

  The monster saw Lina.

  Everything else vanished.

  It locked onto her and sprinted.

  Thom fired again, forcing it to weave — but it never stopped coming.

  Lina and CH reached Thom and Dorne just as the beast broke into its final charge.

  Lina screamed.

  Vinn and Rhea began to rise—

  A loud cracking sound split the air from within the fire.

  Sharp. Violent.

  Then something punched through the flames and flew like a spear toward the monster.

  It struck the creature’s left leg.

  The impact drove it into the ground, pinning it in place.

  The beast shrieked, a raw, tearing sound, thrashing as frost spread rapidly across the wound.

  Vinn and Rhea froze.

  “What was that?”

  “What the hell—?” Kato zoomed in. “Is that… a frozen arm?”

  The campfire hissed violently.

  Steam erupted in thick clouds.

  “Kato! The fire!” Vinn barked.

  The camera swung.

  Inside the collapsing flames, something moved.

  Thermal imaging flared — but the shape was cold. Colder than the air around it.

  The fire shrank. Dimmed. Died.

  In its place rose thick mist and black smoke.

  Nero stood on the blackened coals.

  Steam curled from his bare skin. Frost crept outward from his feet, swallowing the charred ground beneath him.

  The monster stared, yanking uselessly at its pinned leg.

  Nero’s eyes locked onto the beast.

  His voice came low.

  Almost a growl.

  “Time to tear you apart.”