Chapter 2

As soon as the police pushed open the door, they were shocked and frozen by the scene before them.

In a pool of blood, Jack was tightly holding Parker, his body heaving like he had just broken free from a long and brutal fight. His arm was shredded and bitten to the bone by sharp teeth, blood gushing down his skin. Yet, he didn't struggle, didn't scream, not even trying to pull away, as if the pain had completely numbed him. Only the heavy rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.

Parker, equally near death, lay in his arms, but its teeth remained deeply sunk into Jack's arm, unwilling to let go. Its eyes were bloodshot, body trembling as if it wanted to continue biting but had no strength left. Its neck was horribly wounded, almost bitten through, with blood and flesh torn apart, breathing growing weaker.

The air was thick with the smell of blood. Man and dog remained locked in a stalemate, neither letting go, neither truly winning the battle.

The police raised their guns with trembling hands but hesitated—who should they aim at?

"Let him go!" one officer shouted sternly, though even he wasn't sure if he was talking to the man or the dog.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Finally, it was Parker who let go first. His bloodshot eyes gradually cleared, as if he was finally snapping out of some kind of frenzy. Gasping for breath, he weakly collapsed onto the floor. Blood gushed from his wounds, spreading across the wooden floor.

Jack stared in a daze at Parker's lifeless body. Tears blurred his vision, and it seemed like, in Parker's last moments, his eyes softened, as if to say—

"Sorry…"

Jack's mouth opened, mumbling repeatedly,

"Sorry… sorry…"

But the police quickly realized that it was far from over— The bedroom door was half-open, and several figures stood in the doorway. Jack's wife and children were standing quietly by the door, their faces showing no fear, no screaming, no panic. They simply watched the bloody scene with indifference...blood still smeared on their lips, clutching half a piece of raw meat, occasionally taking a bite, chewing with an unsettling sound.

The air seemed to thicken, the smell of blood and rot mingling, turning stomachs. It seemed the situation had taken a turn for the grotesque.

The young policeman—a broad-shouldered fellow with a short beard—hesitated and glanced at his older colleague. The latter's expression was unreadable, and after a few seconds of silence, he gave a slight nod.

The young officer took a deep breath and stepped towards the stairs. Each step echoed in the deathly quiet house, like the tick of a countdown timer.

"Ma'am?" he asked softly, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Are you alright?"

From upstairs came a low, guttural sound, hoarse and dry, like some strange noise dragged from the depths of a throat.

The young policeman frowned, his hand tightening quietly on the handle of his gun.

"Ma'am, could you come down, please?"

A dead silence.

Ten seconds passed, feeling like an eternity.

Then—

A dark figure suddenly lunged down the stairs!

The woman moved like a beast, too fast to react, mouth wide open, sharp teeth aiming straight for the policeman's throat!

"Bang! Bang, bang, bang—!"

Gunfire exploded in the narrow stairway, blood splattering everywhere.

The young policeman fell to the ground in terror, his handgun empty, the barrel still smoking. The older policeman trembled all over, something seemed to be stuck in his throat, and his fingers were rigidly poised on the trigger. He had no idea what had just happened, only that in that split second, what they had faced was no longer "human."

At the door, Jack stood quietly, witnessing the entire scene. His face was pale, his body slightly trembling, his eyes a mix of fear, confusion, and...a strange calm.

A few days later, at the hospital, Jack was admitted in ward. His body recovered unusually quickly, but his mind became fragmented. He started having nightmares, dreaming of running through the dark, seeing Parker's figure staring at him from the depths of the dream, eyes complex, as if waiting for something.

"Who killed Parker…" Jack murmured softly, curled up on the hospital bed, eyes hollow.

The ward reeked of antiseptic, the air heavy with its sharp smell. Around him, patients either groaned softly or were deeply comatose. Next to him, a dazed young man lay on the bed, muttering to himself, his eyes unfocused.

Suddenly, the young man's breathing grew heavy, his pupils dilated, and his mouth opened slightly, revealing blackened gums. Jack's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively wanted to press the call button.

A nurse approached to change the patient's IV. Just as she lowered her head—

The young man leapt from the bed!

His mouth opened wider than any human's should, sharp teeth sinking deep into the nurse's arm! She let out a blood-curdling scream!

"Bang!"

The ward door burst open, and orderlies and doctors rushed in, trying to pull the patient away, but his strength was terrifying. He tore off a chunk of flesh, blood spattering everywhere.

Chaos erupted in the ward, screams and roars mingling, as more patients started to go berserk, their eyes turning red, joining the attack.

Jack stared dumbfounded at the scene, his heart pounding in his chest, as he remained the only one sane and calm.

Then, he slowly lowered his head and looked at his own arm.

The old wound from Parker's bite had completely healed, the skin toughened into a dark red shell-like armor. He slowly clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm, feeling an unprecedented strength.

He heard the voices.

Those roars, screams, the sounds of flesh being devoured...they were calling to him.

"God... has chosen me..."

A strange smile slowly crept across his lips.

In the next moment, he tore out the IV with his bare hands, pushed aside the iron bars of the window, and leaped into the night.

No one knew where Jack went.

But from that day on, the nights in this city were never the same.