Prologue; Humanity

In the desolate expanse of a world ravaged by catastrophe, where dark, heavy clouds perpetually shrouded the sky, the remnants of civilization lay in ruin. The trees, once lush and vibrant, now stood as skeletal sentinels over the coarse terrain, their twisted branches reaching desperately towards the dark heavens above. The air was thick with the scent of decay. In the distance, the ominous rumble of thunder echoed like the growl of an ancient beast. Puddles formed on the ground, reflecting the darkened sky above as the first rain in years began to fall, washing away the stench.

Within a weather-beaten shelter cabin, dimly lit by the flickering glow of a lantern, Vincent sat hunched over a worn table. His weary eyes, and hair a mix of grey and brown, were filled with unshed tears as he stared at the floor, lost in a sea of remorse and despair. Clad in leather clothes and a tattered black cloak, its hood resting on his back. He gripped his gun tightly. How did it come to this? How had he agreed to the extinction of an entire species, because he was a human? Because of his family? Outside, rain hammered against the roof, a relentless drum beat that matched Vincent's mind.

Grace lay upon the bed, her body bound tightly by ropes like a spider's prey ensnared in its web. Layers of bandages wrapped around her leg and forehead, resembling the mummification of ancient times, with stains of blood seeping through. Her fox ears lay flat against her head, hidden beneath a tangle of dark hair. Her small, bushy tail, tucked discreetly out of sight. A single tear glistened near the corner of Grace's eye, like a dewdrop clinging to a fragile leaf on a misty morning. 

With a sudden gasp, her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself trapped, the ropes constricting her movements. Panic surged through her veins, driving her to fight against her restraints, to scream and yell for help like a trapped animal yearning for freedom. But before she could make a sound, a cloth was forced roughly into her mouth, stifling her cries like a hand smothering a flame. 

Grace's gaze fell upon the person—Vincent. Anger and fear mingled in her eyes. Grace didn't notice the tears in the corners of Vincent's eyes, her hands simply gripping the ropes tightly like a sailor clinging to a frayed lifeline in a raging storm.

"Shhh…" Vincent cooed, gently removing the cloth from Grace's mouth.

"You… fucking bastard!" she spat. "How dare you come into my lair, shoot me in my leg and then fucking knock me unconscious!? And now you're trying to—" Her words were smothered as Vincent forced the cloth back into her mouth.

"Shut the fuck up, you zilch. Let me talk." he commanded, clearing his throat. Muffled protests came from Grace, none of them in agreement.

"I'm just doing my job." he wiped his tears away. Grace fell silent. "I don't enjoy doing this, Grace." he admitted, removing the cloth once more.

Grace gasped for air, her eyes flashing. "Then why!? What the hell is wrong with you disgusting people!? What did we even do!?" she demanded.

"Listen, they're gonna come to this place. I've already dropped a signal, once the patrols see, they'll come, and take you." Vincent explained.

Grace growled, struggling against her restraints. "Why!? So that I can be executed? Tortured!? Used as a test subject in one of your damn labs!?"

"I don't know," Vincent confessed, his gaze falling to the ground. "I don't enjoy doin' this, Grace."

"Why…? Why must you… humans… be like this?" Grace's voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. "You guys are monsters!"

Vincent stayed silent. His heart ached with each word Grace spat at him. He knew the depth of her pain, but he couldn't afford to let sentimentality cloud his judgement. Yet, as her accusations pierced through his resolve, doubt gnawed at the edges of his conscience. Was he truly a monster, as she claimed? Or was it right to do this for humanity? For family? Grace's sobs grew more pronounced. "Is this just what humans do? They hunt everything that isn't like them without thinking for a second?" she continued. She couldn't fathom how Vincent could justify his actions, how he could so callously betray her trust and condemn her to this fate. With each word he spoke, her contempt for him grew, a bitter resentment festering in the depths of her soul.

"Enough…" Vincent muttered, his voice barely audible.

"We have done nothing wrong. We only want to live in peace. We don't want to have to fight to stay alive. Can't you at least understand that?" she pressed on.

"Shut… up…" Vincent's voice was strained.

"You guys are monsters."

"Shut up, holy shit! Can't you shut your stupid abnormal— abomination mouth up for once, ever!?" said Vincent, finally breaking down.

But Grace persisted. She refused to be silenced. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she fought. "How can you say that? You are such a heartless bastard! I didn't choose to be like this! This is how I was born! I didn't want to be this way! I didn't ask for this! Don't you get that?!" she said, as her voice kept cracking.

"I'm just doing my task! Following orders!" 

"Fuck your orders, and fuck your entire race!"

"You wouldn't understand, you gene-jumbled mess!"

"Your task is barbaric! You humans have gotten so caught up in your own superiority, that you no longer know the differences between right and wrong. All this time, you've killed us mercilessly. If any of you actually stopped to think, we wouldn't all be suffering. You could live in peace, and so could us Hominotas. But you choose to deny all of that just because of your ego and self-proclaimed superiority!?" she said, as she kept taking deep breaths.

"Just…"

"Just what!? Your actions disrupt the balance of our ecosystem. Hominotas are integral to our world. And when we perish, so do countless other creatures. Yet you refuse to acknowledge the consequences." she kept saying.

"I'm sorry, but we've severed the link between real animals and your kind." Vincent said.

Immediately, it was as if Grace forgot how to speak. She was stunned and simply glared at Vincent, her mouth slightly agape. How could the humans sever the link between her kind and the rest of the ecosystem? It was as if her entire existence had been rendered meaningless in an instant with that sentence. Finally, after moments of silence, "You— you did what?" she said.

"Your existence is… mere waste of oxygen now… we don't need you, crossbred mongrels." Vincent said.

That was the final blow. How could he be so blind to the interconnectedness of all living beings? Did he truly believe that their existence was disposable, that they were nothing more than insignificant? Fear filling her heart, Grace closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "So.. That's all we are to you? We don't mean anything at all?" she said, between her sobs.

"Not anymore."