CHAPTER 15 : CONDOLENCES

"The regions, areas, and cities displayed on the screen right now will be quarantined due to the rise in cases of mutant monster attacks. This is being done to control the attacks and any type of cell spread, which is believed to be the source of the mutation...""It seems the government has finally figured out that the cause of the mutation is the Mutant Cell or whatever those aliens called it the other day..." Rose said. She and Shaurya were watching television at their police station."The government wants to trap us with people who could potentially kill us at any moment? Are they crazy?""I thought the police had this situation under control, so why are the cases rising again? Are we even safe anymore?""It feels like living in a prison... Trapped, but too scared to leave. Have you seen the videos on social media lately? What are those things?!"Panic followed the quarantine announcement. It was no surprise — how could anyone sleep peacefully knowing that there are monsters out there that could come and kill you at any time?"Fire!" A group of shielded police officers were firing at a Stray, but the monster kept moving, then swung its massive, spiked arm. Several officers were hit and impaled by its large, sharp spikes.Rose was among the police present, but she managed to dodge the attack. Acting quickly, she slid beneath the monster and placed a grenade under it.The grenade exploded, blowing up the lower half of the Stray's body, its guts spilling out. Moments later, its entire body fell to the ground. Rose was gasping for breath as she looked ahead."Quick! Get the injured!" a man shouted, directing others. Police medics rushed to the scene. Rose remained sitting, fortunate to have escaped the blast in time."Have you gone crazy too, Rose?" someone scolded. Rose turned to see a man with disheveled hair, light stubble, dark, empty irises, and slightly bruised under-eyes."I was desperate..." Rose sighed."I get it, but think about what you're doing next time. We can't afford to lose more officers, especially someone of your rank," the man advised before walking away from Rose."Sister Rose!" Shaurya came over to check on Rose, but she was still focused on the officer who had scolded her earlier."Are you okay, sis?" Shaurya asked, removing his helmet, revealing a worried expression. Rose looked at him and slowly nodded."I'm okay," Rose replied. Shaurya knelt beside her."Good." He gave a small smile. Rose patted Shaurya on the shoulder, using it as support to stand up."But let's go see the medics anyway. Sometimes there are injuries we don't notice," Rose said as Shaurya followed her.The Stray that Rose had killed earlier was being examined by several other officers, including the one who had reprimanded her.How many more officers will get hurt? Every day, fighting enemies beyond human capabilities, we have to place a colleague in a bed or in a body bag.If only I had the strength to kill these monsters too — for my comrades, for my family...A black aura spun rapidly around the hand of the bruised-eyed police officer before vanishing. He merely glanced at the body of the Stray as it was being sealed in a body bag.Meanwhile...Khalid was standing in the parking lot of a mosque, leaning against his car with his arms crossed. A funeral van pulled into the parking lot, and several people began to approach it, including Khalid."We were just out together... On our way to work, and out of nowhere, we were attacked... and he... He protected us..." A woman in a black headscarf sobbed uncontrollably."Alhamdulillah, you both are safe. That's surely what Faiz would have wanted... Pray for him, okay?" An older woman hugged her tightly, her own face filled with sorrow.Khalid watched from a distance. He wanted to approach them, but his steps faltered. He exhaled a tired breath and walked away. Returning to the mosque's parking lot, he saw a few people carrying the coffin out of the mosque. Khalid stepped forward to help load the coffin back into the funeral van."You were Faiz's classmate, right?" an elderly man with a beard asked Khalid. He turned toward him."Yes, I'm Khalid.""Ah, I recognize your face..." the old man said, and Khalid realized who he was."Uncle, I'm deeply sorry for your loss," Khalid responded, and the old man smiled."Faiz passed away as a martyr, I believe. He protected others, dying the way a good person would. So, I'm not too sad. He is surely blessed with the rewards of paradise." The old man patted Khalid on the shoulder."Amin," Khalid replied with a bitter smile.As Khalid walked back toward his car, he noticed Mei waiting for him. She straightened up the moment she saw him."Everything okay?" Mei asked."Yeah, they're heading to the burial site now... Come on," Khalid said, and they both got into the car. Khalid followed the funeral van to the cemetery. At the burial, people prayed as the newly filled grave stood in front of Khalid's sorrowful eyes."I just saw Faiz a few days ago. We were in the same group for a project assignment. Strays are everywhere now... He died protecting others. He was a good guy," Khalid sighed as he drove back. Mei glanced at him."We're still here, Khalid. We'll make sure this kind of tragedy doesn't happen again," Mei reassured, as Khalid gripped the steering wheel."We need to find more Mutants, expand our group, and eliminate as many Strays as we can. We have to stop them from killing more people." Khalid's voice was firm. Mei stared ahead, resting her head against the car window.Suddenly, her irises shifted, and her eyes turned red."Khalid. Something is nearby. I'm not sure if it's a Mutant or a Stray..." Mei alerted, causing Khalid to turn toward her."Where?" Khalid asked. Mei could see a trail of aura, and she pointed in the direction of the trace."Take this road," she directed.Khalid drove until they arrived at an abandoned factory. Mei stepped out of the car, her eyes locked on the bright, large aura within the factory."There's something inside the factory..." Mei said, and Khalid immediately activated his power. The Armored Hero belt appeared around his waist, and he pulled out two cards, ready to insert them. He and Mei cautiously stepped into the abandoned building."Looks like this place has been left empty for a long time," Khalid remarked. Mei glanced upward toward the ceiling, where a lizard-like Stray with sharp teeth was staring back at her. Before the creature could attack, Mei used her power to immobilize it."A Stray. Its mutation must've happened long ago. No trace of its human mind remains," Mei sighed. Khalid inserted only one card into his belt's slot."Weapon! Wrath Blasters." Two pistols materialized in Khalid's hand, and he aimed it at the creature. Suddenly, the Stray swung its tail, knocking the gun out of Khalid's right hand, and roared as it lashed its tail again, sending both Khalid and Mei flying backward."It broke free from my control?" Mei muttered to herself."Gwaaaarghhh!" The Stray roared, charging toward Mei. Khalid fired several shots from his left-hand pistol, forcing the Stray to retreat. Mei used her power to hurl several containers at the creature, pinning it beneath them."Zaaaarghhh!" The Stray struggled to free itself, but Khalid fired a precise shot to its head, instantly killing it."Call the police. Let them take care of the body," Khalid requested. Mei nodded and pulled out her phone. Khalid approached the fallen Stray, noticing the tears streaming down its face.They were human. Sometimes I forget, because they don't look human anymore. If I hadn't been lucky during my training, I could've ended up like this.Killing them... is mercy."I'm sorry," Khalid whispered, wiping away the creature's tears before gently closing its eyes."Let's go before the police arrive," Mei suggested. Khalid nodded, and they both left the scene together.The rising number of missing person cases, followed by Stray sightings and attacks, were all connected. Those who had disappeared over the past few weeks were undoubtedly now Strays.Most Strays' DNA had mutated so severely that conducting a DNA test to identify who had transformed was nearly impossible.As these cases continued to escalate, panic spread among the people, creating a vicious cycle.This fight... it doesn't feel like it'll end anytime soon."How's your research going, Bella? Have you discovered anything new?" Rose asked. Bella spun her chair around to face Rose."Since their 'training' session, the Mutant Cells in their bodies have increased and changed shape. It looks like their bodies are fully adapting to their powers, and the microorganisms inside them are vastly different. That's all I've gathered so far. From the information you've given me, the alien technology we're dealing with is highly advanced—probably hundreds of years ahead of us..." Bella explained, pointing to the results displayed on her computer screen. Rose covered her face with her hands and slid them down until they rested over her mouth."I don't even know what to do with the things I've found, I don't understand any of it. No matter how smart someone is, there are still impossible things in this world," Bella continued, turning to face Rose."Rose? You look like a corpse," Bella remarked. Rose snapped out of her daze and looked at Bella."A few cases are eating at me mentally. When you shoot a monster that looks human, screams like a human... it feels like you're killing something you shouldn't be.""You're being too emotional, Rose. Strays—they're not human anymore... That's the reality, they're just mindless, dangerous creatures," Bella responded. Rose nodded, understanding."I know that..." Rose sighed heavily.Rose then walked out of Bella's room and into the living room, where Khairul and Nasuha were sitting, watching television. She approached them and sat down on the couch beside Nasuha."How did your tests with Bella go earlier?" Rose asked."Oh, Sister Rose? Everything went fine," Nasuha replied."Hmm..." Khairul simply nodded."Have you heard anything from Khalid?" Rose asked again."He said he's with the other group members, doing a patrol, and will probably start tomorrow. So, it looks like our group will be active soon," Nasuha explained."That's good, but let me warn you... If the police are already fighting Strays, don't interfere unless it's absolutely necessary. If they see you, they won't hesitate to shoot," Rose cautioned."Understood. I'll keep that in mind," Nasuha nodded."The world outside has changed. It looks the same as the one we used to know, but something's off... Eliminate as many Strays as you can," Rose urged."We will," Nasuha smiled.I'm placing my hopes on these kids. In the end, I'm using them too. I hate thinking about it, but I know my own limitations. There's no way I can keep fighting these monsters for much longer...My body is exhausted..."Sister Rose looks really tired..." Nasuha commented. She and Khairul were now in the kitchen, with Khairul carrying dirty dishes to the sink while Nasuha organized some items."I've noticed," Khairul replied."She's our savior, she's done so much for us. Letting us stay in her home, watching over us... I wish there was something I could do to help," Nasuha sighed, as Khairul washed the dirty dishes."Like she said, let's eliminate as many Strays as we can. It'll lessen the burden on the police. They must be overwhelmed with all the Strays appearing almost every day," Khairul explained. Nasuha walked over to Khairul."We're like superheroes now. Patrolling around, I can fly up in the sky... I can even take you with me," Nasuha raised her arms, emitting a small glow of light."I think I'm fast enough to catch up with you," Khairul smiled."Oh? Heading home already, Sir Mikael?" Shaurya asked, still wearing his vest with his helmet tucked under his arm. Mikael, with bruised eyes, was in his police uniform, wearing a small cap."Yes. Still on duty?" Mikael asked."I just finished my patrol with my team. After this, I'm heading home," Shaurya replied, and Mikael nodded in understanding."Be careful, Shaurya. See you tomorrow," Mikael said, raising his hand in a casual gesture. Shaurya gave a respectful salute."Understood, sir."Mikael quickly got into his car and drove away from the police station compound. The streets were almost empty, with only a few vehicles on the road. The buildings and shops along the road were mostly closed, even though it was only 7:34 PM—still early in the evening.He parked the car inside his house's gate, stepped out, and immediately took off his hat. The house looked dark, which puzzled him. After closing the car door, he walked toward the front door.The door was unlocked. Mikael entered the house, hung his hat on the hook behind the door, and turned on the lights."Syakila! Farah!" he called out to his wife and daughter as he headed toward the living room. His eyes widened as he froze in shock—there was a headless body of a woman, blood staining everything in the living room."Sya-!" In a panic, Mikael rushed to check the body lying there. He recognized the clothes—the woman was wearing his wife's clothing. He covered his mouth, trying to suppress his horror, but quickly moved to the kitchen next."Farah!" Mikael screamed as he rushed to check both his own bedroom and his daughter's room, but no one was there. He returned to the living room, his gaze once again landing on the body—the headless body of his wife.Mikael collapsed onto the floor, his face blank, drained of all expression