CHAPTER 6: Shadows in the Hospital

CHAPTER 6: Shadows in the Hospital

The full moon filtered through the clouds, illuminating St. Fernando Hospital with a ghostly light. Vines climbed its walls like dark veins, and the air smelled of mold and death. The silence was broken only by the crunch of branches and the intermittent buzzing of the few fluorescent lamps that still worked.

Fénix, Lucian, and Vanessa stopped in front of the building. The mist curled around their boots as they studied the place.

"Alright, team," said Fénix, adjusting his weapon. "This place is a mess, but it shouldn't be a problem. We've faced worse."

Vanessa nodded, her eyes scanning the broken windows.

"Understood. Anything out of the ordinary, I'll give the signal."

Lucian adjusted his gear nervously.

"Stealth or brute force?"

Fénix gave a sarcastic smile.

"Judging by how this place looks, I'd say a direct approach will work better. Stick together, and don't let your guard down."

Lucian tried to sound confident.

"Three against a couple of bloodsuckers, what could go wrong?"

"Exactly," replied Fénix. "But let's not underestimate our enemies."

The interior of the hospital was a nightmare of shadows and debris. The walls, covered in graffiti and dampness, seemed to sweat under the flickering light of the lamps.

Fénix stopped at a hallway intersection.

"We split up. Vanessa, east wing. Lucian, west wing. I'll check the upper floors."

Lucian frowned.

"Are you sure? We could be more exposed."

"Trust the plan," said Fénix. "Meet back in 20 minutes."

Vanessa smiled.

"I'm counting on you to leave some for me, Fénix."

"Don't worry," he replied. "I'll leave you a couple to practice on."

Fénix climbed the stairs, noting that the second floor was in better condition.

"Seems someone forgot to destroy this part," he murmured sarcastically.

Suddenly, something rolled to his feet. A decapitated head, its expression frozen in terror.

"Well," said Fénix, crouching down. "Seems someone else already did the dirty work."

From the shadows, a figure emerged with lethal elegance.

"I'm afraid I've gotten ahead of you, Fénix Rogers," said Darem, his voice like poisoned silk. "But don't worry, there's always more to do."

Fénix straightened up, his hand near his weapon.

"And whom do I have the pleasure? It's not every day someone saves me the work."

Darem gave a slight bow.

"Darem, at your service. Though I'm not here to help you."

"Wow," replied Fénix. "I didn't know I had fans in the human community."

The air thickened. In an instant, Fénix drew his weapon, but Darem was faster. His bayonet flashed, cutting the tendons in Fénix's right hand. The pistol fell to the floor with a dull thud.

"I don't like to waste time, Fénix," said Darem.

Another movement, and Fénix's left hand flew through the air.

"Is this how you have fun?" growled Fénix, smiling despite the pain. "Cutting hands instead of heads."

Before Darem could react, Fénix headbutted him. The human stepped back, surprised.

"Impressive," he murmured. "But not enough."

The bayonet sank into Fénix's neck. Blood gushed out, hot and thick.

"Is that all?" he coughed blood. "I was expecting something more exciting."

Just as Darem raised the bayonet for the final blow, the blade shattered into pieces.

"We arrived just in time!" shouted Lucian, his rifle smoking.

Vanessa appeared beside him.

"What were you doing playing alone, Fénix?"

Fénix, staggering, smiled weakly.

"Just when I was about to find eternal peace..."

Darem retreated into the shadows.

"This isn't over. I hope we meet again, Fénix..." he said before disappearing.

Fénix collapsed. Lucian caught him before he fell.

"He's losing a lot of blood!" shouted Vanessa. "We have to get him out of here!"

Fénix murmured in a hoarse voice:

"Just... make sure to pull this skewer out... before I wake up..."

And he fell unconscious.