Chapter 25: Rage
The three villains moved through the dungeon's ruined streets, their steps quiet on the cracked stone. Rhan led the way, his tattooed arms flexing as he scanned the shadows.
Tony followed close, fiddling with the device on his wrist, while Scarlet trailed behind, twirling her blade between her fingers.
"Almost time," Rhan said, his voice low. "The Ancient One's waking up soon. It's going to feast good."
Tony glanced at the dead zombies scattered around—headless, vines cut clean through. "Hunters aren't half bad, huh? Took out a bunch already."
Rhan smirked. "Doesn't matter. They're walking right into it. Won't even know what hit them."
Scarlet stopped suddenly, her head tilting like she caught a scent on the wind. "Wait. Something's off." She sniffed again, eyes narrowing. "Smells like a zombie... but not. Weird."
"What are you on about?" Tony asked, frowning.
"There's a presence," she said, ignoring him. "Over that way." She pointed northeast, toward the tower, then took off running without another word.
Rhan sighed. "She's always like this. Let's go."
---
Fin sat against a crumbling wall, his dagger resting on his knee. Juliana had finally stopped skulking in the shadows and joined him, sitting a few feet away. Her metal shard lay beside her, close enough to grab if she needed it.