Story 886: The Hollow Hunger

The Apex Devourer was dead.

But the air still reeked of something wrong.

Leon kicked over a charred Stalker corpse, his heart hammering in his chest. The explosion had ripped the Apex apart, its massive body now just smoldering meat and bone. But Evelyn’s hands were still trembling.

Why weren’t the Stalkers retreating?

Mia scanned the area, gripping her pistol. “Something isn’t right.”

Then, they heard it.

A wet, sucking noise.

The Apex’s remains twitched. Flesh began to shift, congealing into a pulsing mass of tendrils. From the gory pile, something stirred.

It wasn’t dead. It was evolving.

The Rebirth Begins

Evelyn’s eyes widened. “MOVE! NOW!”

The survivors scattered as the corpse split open, revealing a nightmare within.

A new creature emerged, its form still unstable. Muscle and bone snapped into place, its elongated frame stretching unnaturally. The skull was no longer armored, but exposed, revealing a writhing mass of nerves.