the devourers Awakening

The city streets were a blur as Ethan and Mason sprinted through the ruined landscape, their breath ragged, their bodies pushed to the limit.

Behind them, the creature was still coming.

Ethan stole a quick glance over his shoulder. The mutant had broken through the gas station doors with terrifying ease. Its grotesque form was hunched, yet impossibly fast, its elongated limbs allowing it to cover ground in massive strides.

It wasn't just chasing them—it was hunting them.

Ethan gritted his teeth, adjusting the rifle on his back. Bullets had done nothing to that thing. They needed another plan—fast.

Mason cursed between gasps. "Where the hell do we go?!"

Ethan scanned their surroundings. Most of the buildings were compromised—either already looted or teeming with the undead. If they got cornered, it was over.

Then he saw it.

A collapsed parking garage, partially caved in but still standing.

"That way!" Ethan barked, pointing to the structure.

Mason followed without question, trusting Ethan's instinct. The two of them darted across an overturned bus, using the wreckage as brief cover before dashing into the darkened entrance of the parking structure.

The moment they entered, the stench of rotting corpses hit them like a wall.

Something had died in here. A lot of somethings.

Mason gagged. "Jesus… smells like a damn slaughterhouse."

Ethan ignored the comment, his focus on their escape. He gestured for Mason to follow as they weaved between rusted cars, stepping over half-eaten remains and abandoned bags.

The sound of distant shuffling made Ethan stop. He raised a fist—a silent signal to halt.

Mason froze.

The parking lot wasn't empty.

Dark figures loomed between the rows of vehicles—dozens of them. Zombies, silent and still, their sunken eyes staring blankly into the dark.

They weren't moving.

They were waiting.

Mason whispered, "I don't like this, man."

Neither did Ethan.

They crept forward, careful not to make a sound. Every step was calculated, every breath controlled. One wrong move, and they'd be swarmed.

The low growl behind them shattered any hope of stealth.

Ethan's heart stopped.

Slowly, he turned his head.

The mutant had arrived.

It stood in the garage entrance, its monstrous frame hunched, its dead black eyes fixed on them. Its lips curled into an unnatural grin, revealing jagged teeth stained with blood.

Then, it did something that sent a chill down Ethan's spine.

It spoke.

"Found… you."

The hunger in its voice was almost human. Almost.

Mason swore. "Oh, screw this."

The mutant charged.

Ethan dove behind a car just as the creature slammed into a nearby vehicle, sending it flying. Metal screeched as the impact echoed through the structure.

The zombies, once dormant, awoke.

Dozens of them.

Their eyes flared with unnatural hunger as they turned toward the disturbance.

Ethan's blood ran cold. They weren't just mindless.

They had been waiting for the right moment.

"MOVE!" Ethan yelled.

Mason didn't need to be told twice. The two of them sprinted through the parking lot, dodging between cars as the undead lurched toward them.

The mutant roared, smashing through obstacles like a rampaging beast.

Ethan needed something—anything to slow it down.

Then, an idea struck.

"Mason! The fuel tanks!"

Mason's eyes widened in realization. The abandoned cars still had gas.

Ethan pulled his revolver and aimed for a nearby vehicle.

Bang!

The bullet struck the gas cap, igniting a chain reaction.

BOOM!

The explosion ripped through the garage, sending fire and debris flying. Zombies were engulfed in flames, their shrieks piercing the air as they burned.

The mutant staggered back, momentarily stunned.

Ethan didn't hesitate. "GO!"

They sprinted toward a stairwell at the far end of the structure. Mason reached it first, kicking the door open. They bolted up the steps two at a time, their muscles burning with exhaustion.

The rooftop. They needed to get to the rooftop.

Ethan burst through the final door, emerging into the cold night air. The city stretched before them, a ruined, burning wasteland.

Mason collapsed to his knees, gasping. "Tell me… tell me that thing's dead."

Ethan turned.

The mutant wasn't dead.

It was already climbing.

Its massive form pulled itself onto the rooftop edge, its flesh burnt and peeling, yet it didn't seem to care.

It wasn't just alive. It was evolving.

Ethan clenched his jaw. They had no more ammo. No more explosives. No more plans.

The mutant grinned. "Nowhere to run."

For the first time, Ethan felt something close to fear.

This thing… wasn't just another monster.

It was something far worse.

And it wasn't alone.

From the depths of the ruined city, more creatures stirred.

More than just zombies.

More than just ghouls.

Something new was waking up.

And the world was already too late to stop it.