Alive

12

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~~~~~~⚫️Chapter 12⚫️~~~~~~
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I took a deep breath, my gaze fixed on the line of cars waiting to get into the fortified base. Hope and desperation tangled in my chest as I began to move forward, my hands raised, a silent plea for them to see me as one of them—human, or at least something close to it. Each step was careful, cautious, my eyes flicking nervously to the guards patrolling the walls. They were armed to the teeth, their weapons glinting under the harsh floodlights. I could feel their gazes on me, hard and unyielding, watching my every movement, ready to react at the slightest hint of danger.

As I drew closer, a faint whirring sound reached my ears, and I froze, looking up. On the rooftop, a massive gun had swiveled, its barrel trained directly on me. My heart hammered, and I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of its gaze as if it were alive, a predator assessing its prey. I tried to keep my hands steady, to show them that I meant no harm, but the whir of the gun and the sight of its cold, metallic aim sent a chill down my spine.

People began to scream. Alarms blared, piercing the air with shrill, relentless wails, and guards were shouting, their voices merging into a chaotic roar. More soldiers appeared, their weapons raised, forming a wall of defense around the gate. I saw fear in their eyes, a fear so intense it almost seemed like they expected me to tear through them in some monstrous rage. My heart clenched, but I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my hands up even as panic clawed at me.

Then, before I could react, the massive gun on the rooftop fired.

Time seemed to slow as I saw the blast hurtling toward me, a wave of raw, destructive power that seemed to tear through the very air. I didn't even have time to scream, my mind frozen in shock, my body bracing for the impact. But just as the blast was about to reach me, a massive shape leapt in front of me, blocking the blow with a roar so powerful that it shook the very earth beneath us.

The force of his roar was like an explosion, a wave of pure, primal fury that tore through the air and sent shockwaves rippling outward. The wall before us buckled under the impact, metal and concrete splintering as the guards' screams filled the air. Some were thrown back by the sheer force, their bodies crumpling as the shockwave hit them. The gun on the rooftop shattered, fragments of metal raining down around us, and for a moment, the world was nothing but chaos and destruction.

I stared, wide-eyed, at the massive figure that had appeared in front of me. He was huge, towering over me with a build that seemed carved from solid muscle, his body radiating a terrifying, inhuman strength. His face was shadowed, but his eyes burned with a fierce, protective rage as he turned to face me, his gaze intense and unyielding. Before I could ask who—or what—he was, gunfire erupted around us, bullets peppering the ground in a hail of deadly metal.

Without a word, he wrapped an arm around my waist, his grip firm and unbreakable, and pulled me close. I barely had time to gasp before he took off, his powerful strides carrying us away from the base as bullets zipped through the air, narrowly missing us. His speed was incredible, each step eating up the distance between us and the chaos of the base. I could feel the force of his movements, the sheer power in his body as he ran, his grip never faltering as he shielded me from the gunfire.

I clung to him, my mind racing with questions, but there was no time to speak, no time to process what had just happened. All I knew was that this... creature, this man had saved me, had taken the brunt of the attack to protect me, and now he was carrying me to safety with a determination that left me breathless.

Behind us, the base was still in chaos, the walls crumbling, guards shouting as they scrambled to contain the damage. I caught a glimpse of the ruined gate, twisted and broken from the force of the blast, and for a moment, I felt a pang of regret. I had wanted to reach them, to find answers, but now I was running, torn away by this stranger who had saved me in a way I couldn't understand.

Finally, he slowed, his breathing heavy but controlled, and set me down gently on the ground. I stumbled, my legs unsteady, but he kept a hand on my arm, steadying me as I caught my breath. I looked up at him, trying to make sense of what I was seeing, of who he was.

Up close, he was even more imposing, his face shadowed but strong, his eyes glowing faintly in the darkness with an intensity that was both terrifying and mesmerizing. His skin was pale, marked with faint scars that traced across his arms and neck, as if he'd been through battles that would have killed an ordinary human. He watched me, silent, his gaze assessing, as if waiting to see how I would react.

"Who... who are you?" I managed, my voice barely a whisper.