Eko found herself standing near the café she once loved—a place that had only opened a few months ago—now reduced to a blazing ruin. The building was swallowed by roaring flames; its windows were shattered, and its walls were charred beyond recognition. Scattered across the ground were the remnants of its staff—beaten, mangled, and grotesquely torn apart.

Despite the overwhelming horror, Eko pressed on, unleashing bursts of raw energy from her hands in a desperate bid to fend off the encroaching monsters. Her powers flared like brief, defiant sparks against the relentless tide of terror.

Then the deep, earth-shaking rumble of a collapsing skyscraper split the morning light. Eko's heart pounded as she watched the Allegiant HQ buckle and crumble like a fragile structure under immense pressure. She clamped a hand over her mouth, dread seizing her as she prayed that Matthew had managed to escape—he was the one person who truly understood survival like no one else.

Nearby, another building erupted in flames, spewing thick, choking smoke into the sky. Through the inferno, Eko could see civilians huddled in terror, their faces pale under the flickering light. Everywhere, the city was in chaos—fires roared unchecked, aircraft and helicopters fell from the sky, and an oppressive darkness and smoke swallowed everything. The heat was so intense that a stray step could scorch her skin.

Determined to regroup with the others, Eko forced herself to move forward. But the acrid smoke overwhelmed her; she coughed violently, her stomach twisting in agony. Doubling over, she clutched her abdomen and vomited onto the scorched pavement. The virus ravaging her body drained her strength by the second, and she spat out another mouthful of bile as she fought desperately for each breath.

She didn't notice the monstrous figures closing in until a pair of oversized boots entered her vision. They didn't belong to any Allegiant soldier she knew.

Eko's eyes snapped upward, her heart pounding like a bass drum in her chest. Even as terror constricted her lungs, she let out a sardonic laugh. "Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me," she drawled, her tone dripping with derision. Cid stood before her, that self-satisfied grin in place as always.

"Where's your husband?" he asked coolly.

She snorted. "He went and grabbed a coffee—took a break just to watch me kick your sorry asses around." Her smirk was razor-sharp, laced with biting wit and mocking challenge.

Cid chuckled, but his laughter died abruptly when Isis materialized beside him, clutching her side to stem the fresh blood oozing between trembling fingers. She looked battered, off-balance—rage radiating from every bruise. Eko figured Matthew had given her that parting gift, and she doubted Isis was any happier about it.

"Guess he handed you your ass, huh?" Eko taunted, raising a cocky eyebrow. In an instant, her jibe earned her a brutal backhand from Cid that sent her sprawling onto the scorched earth. The impact burned like wildfire as she dug her fingers into the dirt to steady herself, even as her ribs screamed in protest.

"You hit like a bitch," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Cid's cold sneer remained fixed. "That virus is devouring you from the inside," he said, each word slicing through the chaos like a sharpened blade. "It won't be long before all your precious little soldiers follow."

Rage and horror twisted in Eko's gut. Forcing the words out through shaking lips, she spat, "So it's you..." A raw cough tore from her throat. "You did this?"

"That it was," came his voice, Cid's laughter slithering through the night like a shard of ice. "Now, get up," he commanded, each word dripping with menace. A wave of nausea churned in Eko's gut, but she forced her trembling limbs to obey, rising unsteadily until she stood defiant before him.

Before she could speak again, Cid's arm lashed out. A burst of dark, crackling energy slammed into her ribs, ripping the breath from her lungs. She staggered, vision wavering, yet refused to collapse; her lips curled into a furious snarl.

"Good girl," Cid mocked as he advanced, his tone laced with predatory delight. "Let's see how much you can take."

"Bring it," Eko spat at his feet, blood staining her words. "I've endured worse from the parasites in your rank," she croaked, though her chest throbbed where the energy bolt had struck.

Cid's eyes narrowed as his smirk twisted into something even more vicious. In one swift, brutal motion, he seized her by the shirt and slammed her against the jagged remains of a crumbling wall. The fractured concrete dug mercilessly into her back, igniting fresh, searing pain with every impact.

Before Eko could even recover, a crushing blow landed on the side of her temple, snapping her head sideways. Moments later, another savage punch hammered into her stomach, forcing a guttural cry from her throat. She gasped, choking as bile burned the back of her tongue.

Leaning in, Cid's hot, taunting breath brushed against her cheek as he purred, "What was it you said before? That I hit like a bitch?" His tone dripped with cold, calculated malice.

Eko tried to summon a retort, her eyes blazing with defiant fury, but her words died on her lips when Cid's knee exploded into her gut. The impact detonated pain behind her ribs, and she doubled over, fresh blood splattering from her mouth onto the ash-strewn floor.

"Yeah," she wheezed, voice raw and defiant despite the agony, "like a little fucking bitch."

Cid's laughter scraped against her nerves like shards of broken glass. In an instant, his fist smashed into her face, knocking the air from her lungs. Her eyes watered uncontrollably as she staggered, momentarily stunned, her hands to her face, as blood dripped down her nose and, past her lips and down her chin.

"You fucking cunt," she managed to spit out, her words dripping with seething rage.

Cid sneered. "You really are his foul-mouthed wife, aren't you?" His tone was laced with biting sarcasm as he twisted her arm in a way that made every tendon scream. "You must be either braver or dumber than I thought—so, which is it?"

Though her legs nearly buckled under the relentless pain, Eko forced herself upright, fury blazing in her eyes. The raging inferno around them was nothing compared to the raw, burning hatred surging in her chest.

"You'll find out soon enough," she managed, her voice trembling with defiance despite the pain.

Cid's cruel laugh curled his lips as he replied smoothly, "No—we won't, but your husband will."

In that moment, a brutal crack shattered the air as a devastating blow slammed into Eko's skull. The impact exploded in her mind like a collapsing star, and her senses splintered. She fell to her knees, her vision swimming in a haze as the world around her blurred into chaos. Through the disorientation, she managed to catch a glimpse of Cid's smirking face overhead, his eyes cold and merciless.

As she swayed weakly on her knees, Eko's attention flickered to Isis—whose sword had struck her at the back of the head moments before. The shock of that savage impact pulsed through her like a dark echo, and she fought desperately to hold onto consciousness.

But the relentless assault of pain and disorientation overwhelmed her. Her head jerked forward as the ground rushed up to meet her face, and she collapsed onto the debris-strewn street with a harsh, final thump. In that harrowing moment, as darkness began to swallow her, all that filled her fading awareness was a suffocating darkness. Her last conscious thought, a silent, desperate plea, echoed in her mind: Not like this.

**** *****

Matthew moved through his enemies like a shadow—swift, merciless. Each motion straddled the line between precision and savagery, the steel of his blade gleaming crimson under the faint light. The air around him reeked of blood, coppery and thick, while a small, almost playful curl touched his pale lips. It was as if he drew satisfaction from the carnage—a dark indulgence he never voiced.

Toni followed mere steps behind as they carved a path down one of Isadora's main thoroughfares, scattering terrified civilians who dove into half-ruined shops and cafés for cover. Not long ago, Matthew had strolled this same street hand in hand with Eko, sharing an early breakfast before the city bustled to life.

That memory felt like a lifetime away. Now, Isadora was consumed by fire and chaos, an apocalyptic storm ravaging everything in sight. Lazily, Matthew wrenched his blade free from the twitching carcass of a youma. Planting his stronger leg, he shoved the creature's chest, sending it sprawling across the broken pavement.

His boots sank into the muddy gravel, each step weighted with an unfamiliar resistance. Then, cutting through the din of collapsing buildings and panicked screams, came a sound that froze him in place.

Clapping.

Slow, deliberate, mocking.

Matthew's head snapped toward the noise, blond hair falling across his sweat-slicked face like a curtain. His icy gaze darkened.

Applause? Fucking applause?

Light coalesced around Matthew, an otherworldly glow that cut through the smoke and fire as he fixed his gaze on Isis. He was done with her—done with all of them—after today.

He advanced without hesitation, his sword scraping along the pavement in a deliberate challenge. Even though he could hear Toni's shouts from afar—lost amid a swarm of youma—Matthew pressed forward. It was obvious they'd set a trap, luring him out and isolating his forces, but he didn't give a fuck. He'd been ambushed before, cornered in situations that seemed hopeless, yet he always found a way out. The difference now was that he knew it was a trap—and he welcomed the challenge.

Cid materialized beside Isis, a horde of grotesque creatures flanking him. Matthew stopped in his tracks, the blade's piercing shriek falling silent. He hadn't expected what came next: Eko and Teshia sprawled at Cid's and Isis's feet.

Matthew's eyes locked on Eko. She lay curled on the ground, brutalized, her bruised, bloody form sending an ice-cold surge of rage through his veins. Then, from the shadows, Xero staggered into view, his warped presence amplifying the terror.

With a single, chilling motion, Cid lifted his hand. A twisted grin carved across his face as he conjured a dark, pulsing dome around himself, Isis, Xero, and the two fallen women. The barrier crackled with malevolent energy, an impenetrable wall that forced Matthew and the others who had joined the fray to a halt.

Desperation engulfed Matthew. He lunged forward, shouting Eko's name, but his cries were muffled by the dome's magic, fading into the churning darkness before they could reach her. Toni, Jesse, Richie, Mya, Jasmine and Vause, they were all there and they all rallied behind him, weapons raised, but the barrier held firm.

Matthew's pulse thundered in his ears as he stared at Eko's unmoving body encased within that roiling darkness. Every instinct screamed to hurl himself at the dome, to tear it apart. His sword shook in his clenched grip, fury burning hot in his chest. Reason slipped away—he demanded only one thing: to reach her, no matter the cost.

"Let them go!" Vause bellowed, his fist crashing against the dome with a resounding thud.

Matthew inhaled deeply, feeling the raw surge of his powers crackle at his fingertips. The air vibrated with tension, every molecule charged by the energy emanating from his clenched fists. His gaze stayed fixed on the dark dome imprisoning Eko, a tempest of fear, anger, and desperation churning within him, threatening to overwhelm his reason.

"Matthew," Toni's voice sliced through the chaos, snapping him back to focus. "What's the plan?"

Toni's eyes burned into Matthew's strained features—the set jaw, the fire blazing in his eyes, and the way his knuckles whitened around his weapon. It was clear that reason was slipping away from him, replaced by an edge of raw, perilous desperation.

Matthew's fists clenched tighter as he watched Xero's gaze shift toward him, a chilling smirk curling on the villain's lips. In that moment, Xero's eyes gleamed with dark satisfaction—a predatory delight that twisted Matthew's stomach.

With deliberate cruelty, Xero turned back to Eko. His movements were slower more calculated, every step designed to amplify Matthew's anger. He loomed over her for a long, agonizing moment, his gaze flicking between her and Matthew, savoring the torment etched on both their faces. Then, without warning, Xero's leg shot forward with brutal force, slamming hard into Eko's stomach.

The sound of her strangled scream tore through the air inside the dome—raw, piercing, and full of agony. Eko crumpled, curling into a ball as she clutched her stomach. Pain contorted her face, and with every labored breath, it became clear that the blow was more than just physical—it was designed to break her, and to shatter his resolve.

Matthew's vision blurred with fury as he pummeled the barrier with his fists, each desperate strike igniting the raw power at his fingertips. Yet the dome held firm, its eerie silence swallowing his roars and deepening the horror beyond its confines.

Across the shimmering barrier, Xero's smirk deepened, revealing every trace of his cold, sadistic satisfaction. He leaned in, murmuring something aimed at Eko that even Matthew could barely catch, then, with deliberate cruelty, drove his boot hard into her side. The impact forced her to double over, as if the shattered earth beneath her demanded her submission. His eyes locked onto Matthew's, a silent challenge mingled with cruel delight as he savored the look of torment on his enemy's face.

"EKO!" Matthew roared, his voice slicing through the tumult like a savage clarion call, even as the dome swallowed his scream into a dying echo. "You fucking piece of shit!" His fists hammered against the barrier with the fury of a vengeful tempest, each blow a raw, furious promise to shatter the dark prison that kept him from his wife. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! I WILL! I'LL RIP YOUR HEAD FROM YOUR FUCKING BODY!"

Behind him, the warriors inched forward, their faces drained of color as they watched the brutal display. Jesse's grip on her weapon tightened until her knuckles went white, her eyes flitting between Matthew—pummeling the dome like a wild animal—and the suffering unfolding within. Mya's jaw clenched as her trembling hand stayed fixed, unwilling to look away from the cruelty inflicted upon her best friend.

Inside the dome, Xero's smirk deepened as he knelt beside Eko. His touch, feigned as tenderness just moments before, twisted into something far more sinister as his fingers slowly traced along her bruised jawline, sending cold shivers of revulsion through her battered body. "This is what he gets," he sneered, his eyes burning with contempt as he shot a glance toward Matthew. "Helpless—forced to watch me hurt the one he loves. And if I can't break him the way I want, if I'm not allowed to touch him because that old man wants him, then I'll make sure you pay instead."

In one savage, calculated motion, Xero snatched Eko's arm and twisted it sharply behind her back, forcing a pained gasp from her weakened lips. Without hesitation, his knee crashed into her spine with ruthless force, pinning her to the gravel. With each passing moment of her agony, his twisted smile grew wider, reveling in the suffering.

"GET THE FUCK OFF HER!" Matthew roared, his voice a raw, seething mix of rage and desperation. His fists pounded the barrier in a relentless barrage, each blow echoing like the frantic beat of a war drum—a desperate plea to shatter the dark magic holding them captive. "GET YOUR HANDS FUCKING OFF HER!"

Across the burning wasteland of destruction, Isis watched, her lips curling with twisted, rapturous delight. She turned her gaze toward Teshia—the girl who had stood too close, the girl who had no idea she was already a corpse.

With slow, predatory grace, she advanced, her movements like that of a lioness closing in for the kill. Teshia tried to back away, but it was useless—the moment Isis reached her, the air itself seemed to tighten, the world closing in.

Isis's fingers clamped down on Teshia's jaw with inhuman force, tilting her face upward like she was inspecting a piece of meat before carving into it. Teshia whimpered, her eyes filling with tears, her breath coming in shallow, trembling gasps.

The cruel gleam in Isis's gaze intensified. "Hmm," she mused, pressing down harder until Teshia let out a choked cry. "You look so much like her," Isis whispered, voice sickly sweet. "You look at me the same way your mother did. Like a fucking pathetic mut."

On the other side of the barrier, Vause broke free from Richie's desperate hold, driven by raw determination. He charged forward, colliding with the shimmering dome as his magic erupted in a violent flare. His hands slammed against the barrier, unleashing a surge of untamed power that flooded the dark enclosure with energy. The force of his assault sent the shield cracking and pulsing, its sinister surface shivering under his relentless onslaught. Vause fought with every ounce of his strength, fully aware that his power teetered on the brink of self-destruction—he would tear himself apart if that were the price to shatter the barrier and reach Teshia.

Isis's gaze flicked toward him, and for the briefest moment, something sharpened in her expression.

Annoyance.

Then, it was gone, and with a bored, almost lazy motion, she turned back to Teshia and snapped her fingers. Electricity tore through the girl's body. Searing, blistering, merciless.

The first jolt sent Teshia's back arching, a strangled wail ripping from her throat. The second had her convulsing violently, her body jerking like a puppet on broken strings.

The smell of burning flesh hit the air.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pain stopped, and Teshia collapsed, gasping, body twitching uncontrollably. Above her, Isis loomed, and crouched, pressing a single, freezing cold finger beneath Teshia's chin, forcing her battered face upward.

Her lips parted in a slow, serpentine smile. "You feral little child," she cooed, mocking, venomous, dripping with satisfaction. Her fingers tightened, "I'm gonna gut you like I did your mother."

She turned her head toward Cid, her expression shifting into something twisted, triumphant. "We have what we came for."

The declaration dripped with disdain, every syllable laced with venom. Dark amusement danced in her gaze as she cast one last glance at the warriors—at the ones still foolishly standing, still resisting, still hoping.

Her smile stretched wide, darkly satisfied, then, with a flick of her wrist, power surged. The dome pulsed violently, energy roaring through the air, turning the battlefield into an electrified storm of raw destruction. Sparks crackled, snapping like lightning, charging the air with a burning, suffocating heat. The warriors instinctively took a step back, shielding themselves from the searing proximity of the magic—but it wasn't retreat. It was realization.

They were being caged in.

Trapped.

"NO, NO, NO!" Matthew's voice ripped through the static, raw with something beyond rage—desperation, unfiltered and wild. His eyes locked onto Cid, onto the smirking, unrepentant bastard standing amid the chaos like he hadn't just ripped the world apart. "STOP! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? JUST FUCKING STOP!"

His words hit like gunfire, sharp, frantic, but they barely cut through the rising hum of the dome's thick, suffocating energy.

Matthew lurched forward, trembling, his entire body strung so tight he felt like he was seconds from snapping apart.

"I SWEAR TO GOD—" His voice cracked, breaking beneath the weight of fury, of fear. His breath came fast, shallow. His skin burned. His pulse roared, and he looked at Cid firs most, The words barely made it past his lips before his chest seized, suffocating in pure, unadulterated terror. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU MYSELF!"

Cid's grin stretched wider, grotesque in its mirth—a dark reflection of Isis's chilling laughter.

And then—with the laziest flick of her fingers, she commanded the end.

Shadows shifted. Twisted. Converged. They poured forth from the cracks of reality itself, monstrosities clawing their way into existence. The air rippled as they emerged—grotesque, writhing things with too many eyes, too many mouths, bodies shifting and reforming with sickening elasticity. Some moved like animals, feral and snarling, while others stood unnervingly still, watching. Waiting. Calculating.

The sound of their hissing, growling, screeching voices filled the air, a chorus of death crawling toward them.

They weren't just surrounded.

They were outnumbered. Outmonstered.

And then, the first one staggered forward.

"Fuck." Matthew barely breathed the curse before his jaw tightened, his stance locking into place. His eyes burned as he scanned the mass of creatures closing in.

Bared fangs. Glowing, slitted eyes. Salivating maws. Hooked claws and shifting limbs.

These weren't just enemies.

These were nightmares.

And they were coming.

"Forty," Jesse's voice rang out—calm, measured, but weighted. Her eyes darted over the advancing creatures, calculating, preparing.

"Same here," Jasmine echoed, her voice steady despite the cold grip of reality settling over them.

Eighty.

Eighty against a handful.

And they were was closing in.

Matthew's heart slammed against his ribs, a relentless, panicked beat as his attention snapped between the charged dome and the swarming youmas. His mind raced, calculating, recalculating—searching for a way out, a way to win.

Then—

The screams.

Eko.

Teshia.

Their voices—raw, anguished, almost unrecognizable in their suffering—cut through the chaos like a death knell, heralding doom with every desperate note.

Matthew's entire body locked, when he heard Eko screaming from the depth of her soul for him, needing him so desperately as she did to save her at that moment.

Eko and Teshia convulsed, their bodies wrenched in agony, pinned within the pulsing dome. The energy ripped through them, crackling in white-hot veins along their skin, burning, tearing, consuming. Their screams drowned beneath the surging power, but he felt them—felt every second of it, every bolt of suffering carving into their flesh.

Isis advanced, her presence a harbinger of pure malice. Matthew's fists clenched at his sides, nails biting deep into his palms as the horror of the moment threatened to overwhelm him. His vision wavered between the suffocating horde of advancing monsters and the impenetrable dome that imprisoned the one soul he could never lose.

Caught between impossible choices—between a maelstrom of horror and rivers of blood—Matthew stood at the edge of despair.

"What comes next depends on you," Isis hissed, drawing Matthew back into her web of despair as she savored the storm of his unraveling emotions. "There are only so many lives that can be saved." Lives dangled by a thread, and each passing second edged him closer to decisions he wasn't sure he could bear.

A shrill, metallic screech from behind yanked him back to the brutal present. His heart thundered in his chest as the creatures surged forward with renewed ferocity—only then, out of the chaos, a vicious, crocodile-like monstrosity lunged at him, cutting through the ranks of warriors scrambling to protect themselves.

The creature's shark-like teeth sank into his shoulder with a sickening crunch, ripping through flesh and sinew as it latched on. The pain detonated through him like an explosion, sharp and unrelenting, searing through every nerve in his body. Blood surged from the wound, hot and thick, soaking through his already tattered shirt as the creature gnawed deeper. Its guttural growls reverberated through him, a chilling symphony of hunger and cruelty.

The rancid stench of its breath filled his nostrils, thick and suffocating, as it clamped down harder. It wasn't just tearing—it was drinking. Each greedy gulp pulled more of his blood from the torn flesh, the grotesque sound of swallowing echoing in his ears. The creature's jaws worked relentlessly, its teeth sinking deeper as its ravenous feeding grew more frantic, more animalistic. Agony wracked his body, and his vision swam with black spots as his breaths turned to short, ragged gasps.

Matthew's strength ebbed with every violent pull of blood, it shook its head like a rabid beast, tearing away more of his flesh, the wet sound of meat ripping apart only fueling its cruel appetite. The creature growled low in its throat, a guttural sound that reverberated in his bones, and he could swear it was savoring him.

Then, slicing through the tumult like a jagged shard of glass, a desperate cry rang out: "MATTHEW!" Eko's voice, raw and piercing, cut through the carnage, watching as her husband was nearly being devoured by the monster that was just on the other side of the dome.

***** *****

Vause and Richie weaved through the carnage with an almost preternatural coordination, while the brief, fiery flash of Jesse's red hair burned as she clashed with a relentless youma. Amid the chaos, Mya stood steadfast at his side, her defiant stance a lone beacon in the consuming darkness. Then Jasmine burst onto the scene with fierce energy, and together the three confronted a towering behemoth, their combined might straining against the encroaching tide of monsters.

A raw, agonizing scream split the tumult, and Toni glanced upward just long enough to see Xero looming over Eko with predatory intent. His boot slammed into her ribs with a sickening, bone-cracking impact, sending her sprawling across the shattered ground like a discarded ragdoll. She clawed feebly at the cracked earth, each labored breath a brutal battle—as if every inhale were a war she was doomed to lose. Her voice emerged as a broken, trembling plea, an echo of agony that testified to a body ravaged by relentless torment.

Xero's gaze was colder than death itself, his twisted satisfaction etched into the cruel curve of his lips. With slow, deliberate steps dripping with dominance, he advanced on her. Reaching down, he nudged her shoulder with the toe of his boot, forcing her to roll over. Eko's eyes, glassy with pain and terror, locked with his, and his smirk deepened into a sneer of pure malice. Leaning in as though savoring every moment of her suffering, he planted his boot squarely into the center of her chest.

Eko's body arched in a desperate, reflexive attempt to shield herself, her hands scrambling frantically to push his boot away, but Xero only pressed down harder. The crushing weight stole her breath, reducing her to a strangled gasp. Her face contorted in agony, veins standing out like dark rivers along her neck, as a guttural cry of anguish clawed its way from her throat.

"Go on," Xero taunted, his voice dripping with venomous glee. "Scream for me."

He eased his weight just enough to let her gasp in a shaky, desperate breath—only to slam his heel down again. The sickening crunch of breaking ribs rang out like a death knell, followed by another wrenching scream from Eko. Blood bubbled at her lips, staining her battered features as her trembling hands clawed at his leg, her strength fading with every excruciating second.

"'Atta girl," Xero purred with twisted delight, his smile widening as she convulsed, violent coughs racking her, red streaks marring her broken expression.

Eko's gaze flickered upward, her swollen eyes barely able to focus as tears streamed down her bloodied face. Her cracked lips parted, and her voice scraped out like shattered glass. Each word was a battle against the agony clawing at her chest, yet she forced them out, her tone laced with venom that burned brighter than the pain.

"I'll... f-fuck...ing gut you m-myself," she rasped, her voice raw and shattered yet unyielding, every broken syllable dripping with defiance. Her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, her lungs burning like wildfire, yet she pressed on—refusing to let the encroaching darkness swallow her whole. "And... my h-husband..." she spat, blood flecking her words. "He'll parade your head... on a f-fucking spike. You just... w-wait."

Xero paused, his sneer twisting into a mask of pure, malevolent delight. Slowly, as if savoring every moment, he leaned in, his gloved hand curling around Eko's collar with predatory precision. With one bone-shattering yank, he hoisted her up until her face was forced to rest mere inches from his own. Eko gagged, her body convulsing with pain, yet her eyes burned with defiant fury even through the haze of agony.

"I'll tear out his heart this time, just for you, your highness," he hissed, his voice curling around the words like a blade poised at her throat.

Each syllable dripped with venom, laced with the promise of something dark, unforgiving, inevitable.

His eyes gleamed with cruelty, sharp and cutting, relishing the moment he could slice into her hope, her defiance, her very fucking soul.

"I'll make you watch this time—" His breath came shallow, hungry, predatory, as he took a slow, deliberate step forward. "I'll reach into his chest, dig past bone and flesh, and rip it out with my bare fucking hands."

He let the words settle, let the weight of them crush down on her.

"I'll crush it," he growled, his voice a twisted lullaby of violence. "And I will kill him so completely, so mercilessly, that he won't crawl back this time. He won't cheat death. He won't survive."

His grin widened—feral, wicked. "This time, when I send him to the abyss—he fucking stays there."

Before she could even muster a retort, his fist arced backward in a savage, calculated motion and slammed into her face with a sickening crack. The impact shattered her world into a blinding, white oblivion—her head snapping back violently as her body crumpled like a discarded marionette, slamming into the dirt with one final, muffled thud.

***** ****

Toni's gaze jerked away from Eko as a muffled scream reached his ears. He spun around and saw it—a vile, bloodsucking creature clinging to Matthew, the very thing that had haunted his worst nightmares. They'd fought these leeching, vampire-like youmas before—the creatures that lived off blood, sucking their victims dry. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he'd see them again in this lifetime—not after they'd been decimated on Creon all those years ago, not after they'd been butchered during the rescue of Jesse.

Without a moment's hesitation, Toni bolted from his spot. He had to reach Matthew and dismantle the creature that threatened him. But as he sprinted across the field, a vicious left-handed hook slammed into his temple, sending him crashing to the ground with a sickening thud as his head collided with the pavement.

"TONI!" Jesse screamed. In an instant, she was at his side, clutching a bloodstained butcher knife she'd salvaged from the carnage-strewn streets. With lethal precision, she lunged at the creature, plunging the knife into its neck—once, twice, thrice—as blood splattered wildly around her. Her screams, raw and desperate, cut through the chaos, echoing the horror and pain that consumed the battlefield.

The creature crumpled to the ground, the knife still embedded in its neck. Jesse knelt beside Toni, gently turning him onto his back as her trembling hands covered his bruised cheeks. "Toni, talk to me, TONI!?" she pleaded, her voice breaking as she fought to rouse him.

Amid the pandemonium, her eyes flicked upward. Relief mingled with dread when she saw Richie had intercepted the monster that had pinned Matthew down; the tide of creatures was dwindling—most had been decimated.

Jesse swept her gaze across the battlefield. Mya and Jasmine were finishing off the last of the stragglers, while Vause tore through the remaining monsters with wild, relentless fury. Then her eyes narrowed on the dome. Her heart sank as she caught sight of Cid's massive hand clamping around Teshia's neck, forcing her to her knees. Teshia's head hung low in a display of utter submission, her spine arched in a cruel, unyielding bend under his grip.

The mocking clapping returned, echoing like a twisted symphony across the battlefield. Jesse's eyes snapped toward Isis, whose slow, deliberate applause had set the tone. In an instant, the remaining creatures obeyed, halting their onslaught as an unnatural stillness descended. The warriors' heads turned in unison toward Isis, while Jesse's grip on Toni tightened, her worry and determination intermingling.

"Toni, wake up," she whispered, her voice trembling despite her steady gaze on Isis. "Please..."

At her plea, the creatures began to back away, their shadows receding into the engulfing darkness. The warriors watched as Isis glided along the dome's edge with unnerving grace, her slender figure swaying with calculated ease. Her smile grew darker, more twisted, and her long, black-tipped fingers entwined slowly as if savoring the power she wielded over them.

"Let's end these little games, shall we?" Isis giggled, her voice disturbingly light yet dripping with malice. Her words slithered through the tense air, each syllable a cruel promise. All Matthew could do—while sagging against Richie as his strength slowly returned and his wounds began to mend—was to watch his wife suffer.

"Get up, Eko," he murmured under his breath, his tone tight with desperation. His eyes never left her as she stirred; her fingers weakly clawed at the blood-soaked ground. "Come on, baby, get up." He watched intently as she drew in a ragged breath, spitting crimson onto the dirt. Her trembling body slowly shifted onto her stomach before she cried out, her hands clutching at her ravaged midsection in agony.

Then, from behind the dome, Cid's measured tone sliced through the silence. His voice—directed at Isis yet laced with cold command—rang out: "Come, my dear." He gestured lazily toward Eko, as if her suffering were nothing more than a disposable sacrifice. His gaze remained fixed on her as he continued, "We're needed elsewhere."

With eerie precision, his massive hand pressed down harder on Teshia, pinning her to the ground. A strangled cry escaped her as her world contracted under his unyielding grip. His cold eyes then drifted back to Eko, scrutinizing every feeble movement as if weighing her remaining strength.

"Isis," Cid commanded with icy finality, "take her."

"Don't you fucking dare!" Matthew's roar tore through the battlefield—raw, desperate, and laden with unbridled fury. His voice thundered from his chest, every word a defiant declaration. "She is staying right here!" Yet even as he bellowed, his body betrayed him: a deep gash in his neck still oozed crimson, weakening his resolve and blurring his focus. Each step he took was heavy and labored, his vision swimming from the loss of blood, yet his determination burned like white-hot fire in his veins.

Despite his weakened state, Matthew's fists clenched with relentless resolve, his knuckles turning bone-white. He fought against the searing pain, every nerve screaming to breach the barrier—to reach her, to bury his blade in Xero's throat. He knew they weren't after her; they were after him, using her as leverage, punishing him for choices he'd made, for the life he led. And he would throw himself into the fire a thousand times over before letting her suffer another blow.

Beside him, Richie and Vause were ready to surge forward, their bodies taut and weapons at the ready. Across the chaos, Jesse's eyes locked on Toni, who had shifted slightly, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Toni?" she whispered urgently, clutching his chin to force him to meet her gaze. "Open your eyes, please!"

Toni's vision slowly cleared in the harsh light, and the angry, fiery flush on his face became unmistakable. "Jesse?" he murmured, his voice rough with worry.

"I'm right here, God, I'm right here!" she replied in a hushed, desperate tone. "Can you stand? Please, get up—I need you! Shit's about to get worse."

Toni groaned, the screams of agony and battle ringing in his ears—Matthew's fierce cries, Vause's battle shouts, and the tortured wails of Teshia and Eko. Summoning what little strength he had left, he managed to roll onto his stomach and, with great effort, rose to his knees. Jesse quickly helped him up, wrapping an arm around his waist to steady him against the onslaught.

As Toni's eyes swept over the scene, he took in the grim tableau: Cid, Isis, and Xero standing as dark figures of authority; Teshia kneeling in defeated submission; and Eko, her forehead pressed against the dirt, her breath shallow and rasping. The battlefield was a chaotic canvas of pain and defiance, and every moment promised that the worst was yet to come.

***** *****

Eko drew a ragged breath as the thick, acrid air burned in her lungs. Then she felt it—a slow, seeping heat between her thighs. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked down to see a deep, dark stain spreading on her pants, a stark crimson mark of something taken, something broken. Her trembling hand reached out and touched the fabric; the blood was warm, heavy. She managed a choked, broken "What the?" as a sob caught in her throat.

Across the chaos, Matthew's raw voice cut through: "Eko, stay the fuck down. I'm coming for you." Feral. Unhinged. A snarl carved from fury so raw it barely sounded human.

Even with his own vision blurred by blood from a deep wound, his eyes burned with determination as they fixed on Cid, as if his gaze alone could tear the traitor apart. Every word was a promise forged in pure, unbridled rage.

Xero's mocking laughter sliced through the din like a knife. "Do as you're told, sweetheart," he sneered. "We don't need your blood spilled... not just yet." His eyes flicked between Matthew and Eko, relishing their pain.

"Do you hear me, Cid!?" Matthew roared, his eyes burning with furious intensity as they fixed on Isis through the barrier. His voice, low and lethal, cut through the chaos. "I'll give you more than a bloody war if you don't let my wife go right fucking now!" he screamed, every word a promise of retribution. "You have no reason to hurt them. I'm the one you want, Cid—I'm right fucking here!"

Cid simply tilted his head, his expression unreadable. Before he could offer a word, Isis's twisted grin widened into something even more menacing. "Actually," she purred, each word dripping with malice, "that's exactly what we came for."

"Good," Matthew shot back, his tone fierce and unyielding. In that charged moment, his eyes blazed with a single, unbreakable purpose—he was ready to step forward, even if it meant surrendering himself to them. Every beat of his heart hammered one clear goal into his soul: to spare his wife further torment. He was prepared to sacrifice everything—his life, his very soul—if it meant keeping her safe. "Let's go then."

"Oh, darling..." Isis drawled, tilting her head with sneering disdain as her eyes flashed with malevolent delight. "No, no, no..." She let out a cold, mirthless laugh that split the air like shards of frozen glass. "You've got it all wrong. We came here to tear you apart—every single one of you." Her words dripped with venom, slicing through the silence like jagged blades, a brutal reminder that this was deeply personal.

The warriors exchanged uneasy glances as her threat sank in. With deliberate, predatory steps, Isis advanced toward the barrier. Her claw-like nails scraped along its surface, releasing a piercing, ear-splitting screech that shattered the tense calm and sent icy shivers down every spine.

"But first," she cackled, her voice bubbling with wicked delight, "I was promised a chance to spill blood before the real suffering begins. Before death itself comes to claim you."

With a sharp flick of her wrist, the air around Eko and Teshia crackled with raw energy. A surge of electricity burst from Isis's fingertips, slamming into the barrier with a force that shredded it like paper. The blast exploded outward, engulfing the warriors on the other side in a cascade of blinding light and searing pain. Agonizing shocks raced along their bodies, their muscles convulsing as screams of torment echoed across the ruined battlefield.

The impact hit like a tidal wave, sending the warriors hurtling backward like broken dolls. Each body struck the ground with bone-rattling force, colliding into a tangled heap amid the roar of battle and the thick, suffocating tension that hung in the air.

When the energy finally subsided and the blinding light dimmed, Eko's breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. A faint, dangerous crackle of residual energy danced at her fingertips as her Catania staff materialized in her trembling grasp. With unsteady steps, she dragged herself up. Pain radiated through her stomach as she became painfully aware of the blood soaking along her legs. Glancing down, she saw a dark, spreading puddle that made her stomach churn with nausea. Her feet swayed slightly, but she stood firm. Her gaze burned with fierce defiance as she locked eyes with Cid—who still held Teshia captive—before shifting her focus to Xero. In that moment, her resolve hardened like steel.

Her voice, raw and determined despite her battered state, cut through the chaos. "I will put all three of you on your fucking knees," she spat, defiance etched into every syllable. Even though the odds were stacked against her, she refused to back down.

Cid's brow arched into a patronizing smile as he tilted his head and regarded her coolly. "Are you sure about that, Your Highness?" he drawled, his words dripping with venom.

Eko's breath hitched. In that moment, she wasn't sure she'd misheard Xero before—now it was clear. The title, heavy as a chain, seemed to wrap around her, and her resolve wavered. Slowly, she turned her head, and through the shimmering distortion of the barrier she caught sight of her friends: her loved ones. Matthew's blond hair caught the light as he began to rise, and the warriors stirred around her, their determination evident even in the midst of chaos.

Her gaze snapped back first to Cid, then to Isis—whose smirk had only deepened—and finally to Teshia. Teshia's face was ashen, her wide eyes locked onto Eko in a mix of disbelief and dread.

"Oh... Jesus, you're her?" Teshia whispered, her voice trembling as the realization crashed over her. "You're the princess?" The words carried the weight of truth: Eko was not just a survivor, but a key—a weapon endowed with the crystal's power, capable of opening the portal between worlds. "You're her!"

Eko's chest heaved as she steadied herself, her eyes hardening with grim acceptance. With a quiet nod, she met Teshia's gaze. "I am," she declared in a voice that held both resolve and sorrow—a truth she could no longer hide.

Isis's laughter then erupted, sharp and cutting, her voice dripping with dark satisfaction as she clapped her hands together in a twisted display of self-congratulation. "Well, now that we have that established..." she drawled in a syrupy, mocking tone. Leaning in with cruel delight, she continued, "If you won't cooperate, dear princess, I'm going to kill them all." She gestured nonchalantly toward the warriors beyond the barrier. "Every last one. You can bury them all right here and now—your boy however you'll find his body scattered amongst this earth."

Her threat snapped through the air like the crack of a whip, drawing uneasy glances from the assembled warriors. But even as the tension mounted, Eko inhaled deeply and drew herself upright. Her trembling began to subside, replaced by a fierce, clear resolve. The weight of the moment pressed on her, yet when she spoke, her voice was like tempered steel—steady, unwavering, and deadly calm.

Taking a single, deliberate step forward, Eko's eyes locked onto Isis's with unflinching determination. "You can try," she said, her words slicing through the tension like a sharpened blade. "But I promise you, that will be the last thing you ever do."

Matthew staggered to his feet, still reeling from the searing electric blast. His head spun and every muscle screamed with raw, relentless pain, but he forced it aside, his focus narrowing onto one single, vital point—Eko. She stood amid the chaos like a beacon of defiance, her Catania staff gripped tightly as enemies swarmed around her.

"EKO, DON'T DO ANYTHING!" he bellowed, his voice raw and trembling with terror and rage. Stumbling forward, his heart hammered in his chest, each frantic beat threatening to burst through his ribs. Whether driven by desperation or pure adrenaline, he surged ahead as if gravity itself were bending to pull him to her. "Please god."

The chaos around Eko faded into an ominous hum as Cid stepped closer, every movement deliberate. His eyes gleamed with twisted amusement as he spoke in an unnervingly calm tone, "I wonder, your highness, did you ever tell him?"

Eko's breath caught, her stomach churning with nausea as she fought to steady herself. Thick, metallic blood pooled in her mouth before she spat it out defiantly, crimson droplets scattering at his feet. She couldn't tell if the blood was dripping from her thighs or streaming down her chin—it hardly mattered.

"He's going to fucking kill you," she hissed, her voice razor-sharp with fury. "When he breaks through that pathetic barrier, he won't waste a second—he'll tear you apart until nothing remains." Her words were laced with a deathly promise, each syllable punctuating the grim certainty of her threat.

Cid raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. "Ah," he replied mockingly, tilting his head, "so that's a 'no,' then." His condescending tone struck her like a lash. "Stupid girl. You're just as naïve as I expected."

"H-how?" Eko's body tensed, her teeth grinding as his words fanned the simmering rage inside her. "How long had you known?" she spat, her voice trembling with barely contained anger.

Cid's smirk deepened into something dark and unyielding. "Oh, it's delightful watching you try to piece it together," he drawled, his tone dripping with venom. "But in the end, it matters little, your highness." He advanced slowly, the distance between them shrinking with every chilling syllable. "You were granted time in this world only because we were ordered to wait."

A low, insidious laugh curled around her like a suffocating fog. "But..." he continued, his tone laced with sadistic glee, "he's ready to meet you now."

Eko's stomach twisted as a surge of confusion and burning anger crashed within her. "He?" Her voice faltered, uncertainty breaking through her defiance. "Who the hell are you talking about?"

Leaning in, Cid's eyes glittered with cold, sinister purpose. "The one who will save us," he purred slowly, each word deliberate and cutting. "The one who will spill your blood to force the time paradox. The one who will release the Huntress."

Eko's lips curled into a snarl of disbelief. "What fucking crack are you on?!" she spat, her tone sharp with incredulity.

Cid advanced with calculated, unyielding precision, forcing Eko to stagger backward as if every nerve in her body were aflame with alarm. Her eyes darted to Teshia, who was retreating, pressing herself desperately against the dome as if hoping to vanish into its shadows. Meanwhile, Xero's dark, predatory gaze followed her every movement, his head tilting with a cruel, amused interest.

"Do you want to say goodbye to your boy, your highness?" Isis's voice slithered through the chaos like liquid venom, forcing Eko to whirl around. Her heart clenched at the question.

Beyond the barrier, her husband stood—a bloodied, battle-worn figure amid a ragged formation of warriors whose exhaustion was etched into every grim line of their faces. But Eko's gaze was fixed solely on him: his palm pressed resolutely against the barrier, his jaw set in fierce, desperate determination.

He was agonizingly close. Yet before she could catch her breath, a vicious hand seized her hair and yanked her head back with brutal force. A sharp blow followed—one crushing fist colliding with the side of her face, sending a searing shock of pain radiating through her skull. Her grip on the staff faltered, and it clattered to the ground as her vision blurred and darkness edged in.

She staggered, barely registering the next punishing strike that slammed her against the barrier. Her cheek scraped harshly along the cold, unyielding surface, and through the shattered remnants of sound, she glimpsed Matthew on the other side—screaming, his fists pounding relentlessly as he fought to breach the barrier. She could almost feel his terror, a consuming force that filled every fiber of her being.

Then a hot breath tickled her ear as Isis leaned in close, her voice a sneer laden with venom. "You see," Isis murmured, her words deliberate and cutting like shards of glass, "that little piece of magic on your wrist made finding you nearly impossible for years."

Eko's eyes flicked to Matthew, desperate to catch his silent promises through the barrier—the movement of his lips, the red rim of his eyes—but his words were muted by the dark magic that held them apart.

"Look at your boy," Isis laughed mockingly, "look at how scared he is for you."

Her bottom lip trembled as Eko silently repeated "I love you" in a wordless plea—a desperate mantra that sent Matthew into a tailspin. His fists rained down on the dome with unyielding fury, each blow a raw cry of helpless rage that vibrated through the barrier, though it held firm, indifferent. His chest heaved with desperate intensity as he watched Cid advance toward Eko, his twisted smile stoking Matthew's mounting wrath. A fleeting glance toward Xero—looming over Teshia like a predator toying with its prey—only fanned the inferno inside him.

Then, in a heart-stopping moment, Isis released her grip on Eko's hair, allowing her a brief reprieve, as Cid seized her wrist. His hand clamped around it like a vice, lifting her arm high as if it were a prized trophy. Matthew froze, his heart constricting as the world slowed to a painful crawl, his mind unable to grasp the horror unfolding before him.

"Are you ready, your highness?" Cid jeered, his words lost in the muted chaos as his fists pounded the barrier in frantic desperation. The sound of his anguish was swallowed by the dark magic that held them apart.

With a grim smile, Cid tore the bracelet from Eko's wrist. A sharp, resonant crack echoed as the protective magic shattered, its remnants dissolving like dissipating smoke. He crushed the bracelet in his fist, snuffing out its shimmering power in an instant.

Matthew's world shattered in slow motion as he stared through the barrier at Eko. There was no glorious burst of light, no sweeping surge of magic to mark the moment—only a subtle, almost imperceptible shimmer that bridged the gap between the woman he remembered and the stranger before him. The familiar brunette he had loved was gone, replaced by a blonde visage that seemed both hauntingly new and devastatingly foreign.

His hands trembled against the barrier, the glassy coldness between them stretching into something vast and unbridgeable. His heart wrenched, twisting so violently it left him breathless. His palms slipped away, the frigid emptiness between them seeping into his bones like rot.

"Sera?"

His voice was nothing but a whisper, but it might as well have been a scream.

And then, it all cracked.

Everything.

Every truth he had clung to—every certainty, every unshakable belief—shattered into a thousand shards. The fierce love he had nurtured, the bond he believed could never break, splintered under the unbearable weight of this revelation.

Eko's face, streaked with tears and sorrow, cleaved through him like a blade. That soft, broken whisper of "I'm so sorry" carried with it the crushing weight of a world unraveled. In that devastating moment, as his carefully built reality crumbled, Matthew understood the unbearable truth: her apology wasn't for failing him—it was for lying. It was a regret for having pretended to love him, for offering him a false promise of devotion. In her "sorry," he heard the bitter confession that she had never truly loved him at all.

He could see it as light as day, every secret she had kept, every decision she had made, it was all wrapped up in one, silent apology. A plea. Her real confession. It echoed through the hollow spaces of his mind, filling every gap with something dark, something unbearable.

It was too much. 

Too much to stand, too much to breathe through, too much to bear.

And then—

"Say goodbye to your husband, Your Highness," Cid's voice cut through the silence like a razor, each word a venomous promise. A dark power coiled around him as he sneered, and with a swift, callous motion, he tore his wife away—yanking her from Matthew's desperate reach. In that instant, Matthew's world spun out of control. One moment, she was there—tear-streaked and so achingly close he could almost touch her—and the next, she was wrenched away, the image seared into his mind like a burning brand.

"No!" Matthew's cry exploded into the chaos, a desperate scream that shook him to his cor. "God, fuck, no!" 

Fury, agony, and loss twisted together, his heart roaring in defiance as he slammed his palms against the barrier. In that instant, his power surged like wildfire, shattering the dome into a blinding burst of light—a supernova of anguish and rage made manifest.

As the dome crumbled into shimmering fragments that rained down like cursed confetti, Xero seized Teshia with ruthless efficiency before vanishing, leaving only Isis to face the warriors amid the chaos. The remnants of shattered magic rained like dark tears upon the battlefield. Without hesitation, Matthew bolted toward the spot where she had been, his sword clutched tightly in his grasp, his vision narrowed by a wrath so intense it bordered on blindness.

Rage surged through him—a relentless storm building with every heartbeat. Any faint whisper of caution was drowned out by his singular drive: to reach Isis and end this nightmare once and for all. Every step he took was fueled by a desperate need, his blade slicing through the mist where she had just been. But as his sword struck only emptiness, her form dissolved into shadowy wisps, leaving nothing but the echo of her mocking laughter ringing in his ears.

The force of his momentum carried him forward until, with a brutal lurch, he crashed to his knees. Behind him, the warriors scrambled to regroup, their faces etched with the raw desperation and exhaustion left in the wake of Isis's escape.

"Teshia!" Vause's anguished cry shattered the smoky air, his voice raw with despair as he grappled with the unbearable loss of the one he loved most. The hollow echoes of fading laughter lingered, a final taunt, as he struggled to process the devastation left behind.

Jesse's words were swallowed by the chaos, lost in a rising storm of frantic voices. Mya, Jasmine, and Richie were screaming—each cry sharp and desperate, their arguments echoing with pain and confusion as they struggled to make sense of the devastation. Grief and fury swirled around them, threatening to pull everyone under.

Matthew forced himself upright, his knees scraping against the scorched earth as he stared blankly into the inferno—a city swallowed by choking smoke and ravenous flames. The acrid haze suffocated him, his chest tightening as anxiety clawed at his insides like vicious talons. Every breath felt like inhaling ash, and the weight of his blood-stained sword pressed heavily in his grasp.

Amid the chaos, the roar of destruction swallowed everything.

Matthew barely registered Vause's agonized cries, Jesse's frantic pleas, or the desperate, fractured shouts of Mya, Jasmine, and Richie.

It was all just noise.

White-hot, suffocating.

Then—

A rough, bloodied hand clamped down on his face, yanking his gaze upward with brutal force.

"Matthew!" Toni's voice wasn't just shouting—it was roaring, raw and desperate, an animalistic edge bleeding through.

Matthew blinked sluggishly, his mind drowning in the smoke-haze of the burning city. His ears rang, the taste of iron thick on his tongue.

"Look at me, Matthew!" Toni was kneeling before him, his face streaked with dirt and blood, his grip unrelenting as he forced Matthew's unfocused gaze onto his own.

His eyes burned with ferocity, with defiance, with something terrifying.

It cut through the fog like a blade.

"Matthew," Toni growled, his voice sharp, each syllable like a shock to the system. "Get the fuck up. We don't have time for you to shut down—do you hear me?"

Matthew's body swayed, but Toni shook him violently, his grip tightening.

"GET THE FUCK UP!"