CHAPTER 189: Blood War-5

CHAPTER 189: Blood War-5

Selene drew her weapon in a dizzying movement, her eyes sharp with determination.

"Damn it!" she spat through clenched teeth.

Michael took advantage of the chaos. He kicked the back door of the patrol car hard, and it flew open. He fell to the ground, still weakened by the electric shock, but he didn't stop. He got up as best he could and began running toward the forest, his heart pounding in his chest as the lycans' growls rumbled behind him.

Selene leaped out of the vehicle with agility, firing at the creature that had ripped off the door. But it wasn't alone. More enormous figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding the wrecked car.

"Michael, get back here!" Selene shouted.

Without looking back, he disappeared among the trees, his footsteps lost in the thicket.

Under the silver light of the moon, Selene moved with almost feline precision. In each hand, she held a customized Matilda, adorned with elegant engravings and extended magazines. She raised both weapons and opened fire.

The gunshots thundered in the night. The first creature that leaped at her took two silver bullets to the chest and fell instantly. Selene spun on her heels, firing without pause and taking down another lycan that tried to charge her from the flank.

"Is that all you've got?" she murmured coldly as the air filled with the whistle of bullets.

In seconds, several bodies lay on the ground, but three remained, larger and fiercer than the previous ones. Selene squeezed the triggers... and heard a dry click. Empty weapons.

"Perfect," she said sarcastically, letting the Matildas drop to the ground.

The first lycan charged at her with a deafening roar. Selene didn't step back. She waited until the last second and slid beneath the creature with a fluid motion. Her hands closed around its neck and twisted with brutal force. A dry crack marked the monster's death, its lifeless body falling at her feet.

The second lycan gave her no respite. It lunged at her, but Selene grabbed a silver metal bar from the ground, a fragment of the torn car. With relentless precision, she drove it directly into the creature's chest, piercing its heart. The agonizing howl faded as the beast collapsed.

The last lycan hesitated upon seeing the fate of its companions, but its instinct took over. It threw itself at Selene with claws extended. She dodged the first blow and, with a quick twist, grabbed its arm and wrenched it until it broke at a grotesque angle. The lycan screamed, but Selene didn't stop. She grabbed its head with both hands and twisted it sharply. A dull snap sealed its end.

The night fell silent.

Selene stood still for a few seconds, breathing heavily but maintaining her composure. She surveyed the area: bodies, dark blood, and the metallic scent of death permeating everything.

She bent down, picked up one of her Matildas, and loaded a fresh magazine.

"Damned lycans," she murmured, adjusting her jacket before heading into the forest. "This is just the beginning."

Michael ran at full speed, breathing heavily as the forest trees blurred around him. The humidity in the air mixed with the sweat covering his forehead, and his hybrid body—half vampire, half lycan—was beginning to feel the strain. Suddenly, he stumbled and fell heavily into a puddle of muddy water.

The impact left him soaked, the cold water cutting through his clothes like a slap. Michael cursed under his breath, getting up clumsily as his hands trembled with frustration. He looked back for a moment; the creatures' howls resonated closer and closer. He couldn't stop.

He resumed running, though the mud clinging to his boots made each step heavier. The howls didn't cease. They became deeper, more threatening, as if the shadows themselves wanted to swallow him.

He ran without a clear direction until he collided with something... or someone. A group of hikers appeared before him, dressed in colorful clothes and carrying large backpacks.

"Hey! Are you okay?" asked a young woman with a long braid, leaning toward him with concern.

Michael looked up, his eyes wide with alarm. He wanted to warn them, but he could barely catch his breath. Before he could utter a word, a chilling howl resonated through the forest, so deep it froze everyone's blood.

"What was that?" murmured one of the men, looking toward the trees.

"It's probably a lost dog," another tried to say, forcing a nervous smile.

Michael opened his mouth to shout for them to run, but it was too late. Two enormous lycans burst from the trees with overwhelming brutality. The creatures, muscular with eyes that glowed like live coals, fell upon the hikers without mercy.

Screams tore through the air. Claws ripped through flesh and bone in seconds. Blood splattered the leaves and the earth. Michael, unable to intervene in his state, spun on his heels and ran again, his heart pounding in his chest as the agonized cries pursued him.

He ran without looking back. He only became aware of his surroundings when he emerged from the forest and stepped onto asphalt. He tripped on the edge of the road and fell hard onto his back. A sharp pain shot through his body like an electric shock.

He lay there for a few seconds, looking at the night sky as he struggled to breathe. Each breath was a reminder of his limits, and the lycans' howls still echoed in the distance. He tried to get up, but the pain prevented him for a moment.

"Come on, Michael..." he whispered to himself, forcing his legs to move. "This isn't over here."

He closed his eyes, exhausted. Pain, confusion, and fear dragged him back to a memory he had spent years trying to bury.

He saw his twentieth-century village, a small, quiet place at the foot of a mountain range. He remembered the laughter of children, the ringing of church bells, and the songs his mother hummed while cooking. A simple world... until they arrived.