Brandon blinked, trying to process what had just happened.
The vibrant greenery of the park had vanished and now he is standing in a dark, rocky expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The sky above him was painted in deep black clouds and suddenly a crimson lightning fluttered, illuminating the landscape for a brief moment.
The ground beneath his feet was rough and uneven, jagged rocks jutting out at random angles like the broken bones.
Patches of blackened earth glowed faintly with violet fissures.
His gaze narrowed looking at the surroundings 'Did.. I accidentally stepped into a Rupture? Shit.'
He took a hesitant step forward as his sneakers crunched against the gravelly terrain.
Taking another step, he took a deep breath calming his heartbeat, and quickly reached out to his pocket to retrieve the mobile phone.
However, he noticed that he was not getting any signal to make a call inside this rupture.
'How to leave? kill the Monsters here or something?'
Brandon's thoughts were interrupted by a distant sound.
"Grrr!" A low, guttural growl echoed through the rocky surroundings.
His eyes darted toward the source of the noise, and he saw two creatures wandering around.
They weren't like the monsters he had seen on rare televised broadcasts or the one he encountered 5 years ago.
These were more grotesque, twisted things that looked as if they had been pieced together from nightmares.
Their bodies were covered in jagged, bone-like plates, and their elongated limbs ended in razor-sharp claws.
Their faces were featureless filled with rows of needle-like teeth.
'Shit...'
The beasts had already spotted him and a guttural snarl ripped through the air as one of the beasts dashed toward him.
"GUAARGHH!"
Its elongated limbs propelled it forward with terrifying speed and its claws carved deep trenches into the rocky ground as it barreled toward him.
Brandon barely had a second to react.
Instinct overrode his conscious thought, and Brandon twisted his body sharply to the left just as the creature's claws raked the air where he had been standing.
The wind from the attack brushed against his skin 'Fuck.'
He landed on one knee, but there was no time to steady himself.
The second beast lunged from the opposite direction and opened its jaw revealing rows of jagged teeth.
Brandon jumped backward, rolling across the uneven terrain just in time to avoid the snapping jaws.
*THOOM* He could feel the vibration of the creature's landing as it shook the ground beneath him.
The moment he stopped rolling, he sprang to his feet.
Despite his fear, his body moved easily as he had taken some self-defense training and martial arts to protect himself from some women.
He wasn't a fighter by trade, but his agility and reflexes had always been his strongest assets.
*swoosh* The first creature stood up and lunged again and this time, it dashed horizontally with its massive claws.
Brandon ducked low, bending his knees into a deep squat to avoid the attack.
*BOOM* Dust and debris exploded into the air as the beast crashed into the ground momentarily obscuring his vision.
Brandon didn't wait for the dust to settle.
He sprang up from his crouch and pivoted on his heel, using the momentum to propel himself away from the beast.
'I can't outrun them forever.'
He darted to the side, zigzagging to make himself a harder target.
His sneakers skidded across the gravelly surface as he dodged through the jagged terrain.
Brandon used every bit of uneven ground to his advantage, leaping over rocks and sliding under low-hanging formations to create distance.
His eyes darted around, searching for anything that could give him an advantage... a ledge, a crevice, a weapon. Anything.
His gaze landed on a narrow outcrop of rocks jutting up like teeth from the ground.
It was risky, but it was his only option.
Brandon sprinted toward the outcrop and the first beast was right on his heels.
'Fuck, Fuck, it's right behind me.. for fuck's sake.' He didn't slow down and as soon as he reached the base of the rocks, he planted one foot on the nearest ledge and vaulted upward.
The rough surface scraped against his palms as he scrambled for higher ground.
"Haa..." Brandon pulled himself up with a burst of adrenaline.
He turned just in time to see the beast slam into the rock formation, unable to stop its momentum.
*THOOOM* The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, but the creature quickly recovered.
He couldn't catch a break as he saw the creatures climbing the outcrop.
'Damn it...'
At this time, in the corner of his eyes, he saw a little blue energy sparkling in the distance.
Huh? His eyes squinted to see a woman fighting in the distance 'Good call.'
No matter how agile and flexible he is... he doesn't have the strength to defeat these creatures.
And he also doesn't have the stamina to run forever.
So for now, he can only place his bet on the woman who was fighting.
"Huff..." Taking a deep breath, he jumped down from the outcrop and dashed toward the woman.
Meanwhile, the two creatures were still climbing the outcrop searching for him, without realizing that he had jumped to the other side and was escaping.
Brandon was running as fast as he could reaching the woman who was fighting.
He could see her black hair dancing as she jumped around dodging the monster's attacks.
The monster she is facing is different from the one that chased Brandon.
It was larger and its skin was plated with black armor as spikes jutted from its forearms and shoulders.
*SLEESH* Each swipe of its claws created shockwaves that cracked the rocky ground beneath them.
Looking at this, Brandon's gaze narrowed 'It seems like, she is in a pinch with the monster...'
He glanced around and saw another woman lying unconscious on the side.
The black-haired young woman sensed his presence and turned her head toward him.
Huh? Her eyes narrowed in surprise 'What is a civilian doing inside a rupture.. seems like he entered here accidentally.'
*SLEESH* But she didn't have time to think about it and quickly dodged the strike of the monster.
Gripping the dagger tightly, she twisted her body and plunged the dagger into its neck.
Small cracks of blue lightning energy sparkled from her body and flowed into the monster's body, paralyzing it for a second.
She glanced at Bradon and yelled "Can you wake that bitch up? She suddenly fainted... I think it's Cardiac arrest."
What the fuck?
Brandon who had almost reached her was taken aback and glanced at the short blonde haired young woman lying on the ground.
'Okay, I will wake her up.. both of them will defeat the monsters and we will leave...'
He quickly turned to the blonde woman and dashed toward her.
Brandon's sneakers scraped against the jagged ground as he skidded to a stop beside the blonde woman.
He dropped to his knees and looked at the woman sprawled on her back, her face was pale and covered with a sheen of sweat.
Cardiac arrest?
His hands trembled slightly as he pressed two fingers against the side of her neck, just below the jawline.
He waited for several agonizing seconds.
Nothing.
'She's not breathing. No pulse. Shit, this is real.'
CPR?
He knew the basics as he had taken a first-aid course years ago, but practicing in a sterile classroom setting was vastly different from doing it in real life.
Still, he dont have a choice.
Taking a deep breath, he moved into action.
He tilted her head back gently to open her airway, remembering the steps as best as he could.
Then he pinched her nose with his fingers and kissed her lips as he exhaled air into her.
The air he exhaled into her felt strange, but he pushed the awkwardness aside.
One breath. Two breaths.
H-Huh?
However, suddenly he felt a surge of energy entering his body and his eyes widened in surprise.
Pulling back his lips, he looked at the faint blue energy rippling around his body.
Ether?