The hymn continued.
Endless.
Relentless.
"We bloom beneath the silver gaze..."
"We bloom beneath the endless smile..."
Hundreds of Small Blooming Human Carcasses.
Stood beneath the moonlight.
Singing.
Worshipping.
Waiting.
And at the center of it all—
The Juvenile Blooming Human Carcass; Evangeline.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The translucent heart within its elongated neck pulsed like a beacon.
A sacred organ.
A vulnerable target.
A death sentence waiting to happen.
Kai crouched beside a shattered classroom window.
A glass bottle rested in his hands.
Gasoline sloshed inside.
A torn strip of cloth protruded from the neck.
Raze stared at him.
Then at the field.
Then back at Kai.
"You know this is a terrible idea."
Kai lit the cloth.
Flames burst.
"That's why it has to work."
The fire reflected on Kai's eyes.
For a brief moment—
Neither spoke.
Then Raze grabbed Kai's shoulder.
His expression was serious.
"No matter what happens."
"Run back inside as soon as possible."
Kai blinked.
Raze continued.
"Out there, it has room."
"At that area, it has slope."
"Over there, where dead end."
Raze grip tightened.
Pointing the possible escape route.
"Lure it inside."
"Don't play heroes and sacrifices."
"Just survive."
Kai smiled faintly.
"You sound like my mother."
"Shut up!"
Raze punched Kai's shoulder.
Kai stood.
Pulled his arm back.
"Raze see ya!"
Kai sprinted outside the window.
At reasonable distance Kai threw the flaming bottle.
Enough to reach the nearest Blooming Human Carcass.
The bottle arced across the night sky.
Spinning.
Burning.
CRASH!
Glass exploded.
Gasoline erupted.
For a second—
Nothing happened.
"Waaa, ain't supposed to burst on fire like in videos?"
Then the second bottle.
Third bottle had been thrown.
Then flames exploded outward.
WHOOSH!
Fire raced through dry grass.
Through discarded uniforms.
Through tangled flesh.
Across the field.
The Small Blooming Human Carcasses ignited.
One after another.
Burning.
Screaming.
Blackening.
Their skin blistered.
Their flower-like limbs curled inward.
Smoke filled the air.
The smell of burning flesh.
Lingered.
Yet the hymn continued.
"We bloom beneath the silver gaze..."
The voices trembled.
"We bloom beneath the endless smile..."
Flames consumed them.
One after another.
Bodies collapsed.
Still singing.
Still worshipping.
Still praising.
Screams mixed with the choir.
Agony mixed with devotion.
The sound was horrific.
Burning alive.
Praising endlessly.
Refusing to die.
Kai felt disgust.
Even Raze looked pale.
Monsters screaming.
And yet—
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The hymn never broke.
THUMP.
The heartbeat stopped.
The Evangeline slowly turned.
The stitched eyes remained closed.
Yet rage radiated from its body.
The petal-arms unfolded completely.
The translucent heart glowed crimson.
The creature stared toward the inferno.
Toward the field of burning flesh.
Toward Kai.
"HEY, BITCH!", Kai shouted.
The Nightmare froze.
Several eyes blinked.
A few extra eyes blinked.
"..."
"..."
Kai pointed dramatically.
"What do flowers and seasons had in common?"
The Nightmare tilted its head.
Confused.
Concerned.
Slightly offended.
"...What?", Raze awkwardly smile.
Kai grinned.
The grin of a man who had never once been told to stop.
"BECAUSE—"
He paused for dramatic effect.
Kai took a deep breath.
"BOTH OF THEM WITHER!"
Silence.
The wind blew awkwardly.
The hymn stopped.
The countless Nightmare stared at him.
Kai stared back.
"..."
"..."
"That doesn't even make sense!" Raze replied.
"I KNOW!"
For the first time—
The Nightmare abandoned its procession.
A sound emerged from its throat.
Not a hymn.
Not worship.
Hatred.
Pure hatred.
CRACK.
SCREECH.
The ground beneath it shattered.
The monster charged.
"RUN!"
Raze shouted.
Kai already was.
Laughing
Sprinting.
The world became motion.
The Nightmare crossed the field in seconds.
Far faster than expected.
Kai sprinted through the entrance.
The monster followed.
CRASH!
Glass exploded.
Concrete shattered.
The Evangeline smashed through doors and concrete wall.
Like a living bulldozer.
"Phase One; Lure."
Complete.
______
Kai turned a corner.
The Nightmare followed as planned.
"NOW!"
Kai slide underneath.
Ropes.
Wires.
As the Nightmare moved forward.
The ropes and wires Tangled around the Nightmare.
Then rows of desks been pulled.
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
Wood and metal slammed toward the Nightmare.
The Nightmare stumbled.
Briefly.
Its massive arms swept outward.
BOOM!
The obstacles exploded apart.
Kai's face paled.
Too strong.
Far too strong.
Phase Two; Restriction.
Partial Success.
______
"RAZE!"
The shout echoed.
Immediately—
"ITS HEAVY GODDAMN IT!"
A giant cabinet fell from above.
The monster looked up.
Too late.
BOOM!
Several hundred kilograms of furniture slammed into the Nightmare.
The hallway trembled.
Dust erupted everywhere.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
The cabinets exploded apart.
The Nightmare emerged.
Bleeding.
Arms amputated.
Some were broken.
Damaged.
Angrier than before.
Yet slowly recovering.
A petal-arm lashed forward.
Kai barely dodged.
The strike tore through concrete.
Chunks of wall exploded.
One fragment struck Kai's shoulder.
Pain erupted instantly.
Kai crashed across the floor.
Phase Three; Sneak Attack.
Success.
"GET UP!"
Raze appeared from the opposite corridor.
Chain in one hand, hammer in the other.
Without hesitation Raze charged.
The chain wrapped around one elongated arm.
Raze pulled with everything he had.
The Nightmare turned toward him.
Perfect.
Distraction achieved.
Kai understood immediately.
Their eyes met.
No words needed.
Only trust.
Only timing.
Only survival.
Kai rose.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the blood.
Ignoring the fear.
Kai sprinted toward the staircase.
Phase Four; Kill Zone
The staircase narrowed.
The monster followed.
Forced into a confined space.
Its enormous body struggled to maneuver.
Its elongated neck bent awkwardly.
And there—
For a brief moment—
The pulsating heart became visible.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Kai's eyes widened.
Phase Five; Heart Strike.
The opening.
The chance.
The only chance.
But before Kai could stab—
A petal-arm recovered.
Slammed Kai away.
BOOM!
Kai crashed through a railing.
Amaurosis fugax
Tinnitus.
Hematemesis.
The spear slipped from his fingers.
Everything hurt.
The Nightmare advanced.
Ignoring Raze.
Slowly.
Patiently.
The same way predators approach a dying prey.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The heart pulsed.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Kai tried to stand.
Failed.
The Nightmare tilted its head.
Slowly.
Then it laughed.
Mockingly.
A laughed of multiple children overlapping.
Then it raised its arms.
Countless joints cracked.
Bent.
Twisted.
And then it spoke.
"̴̢̼̜̣̞̦̍̿̀͒̚̚͠Ẅ̴̪̟̭̲͙̠̣̫͉͔̑h̸̨̦̮̻͈̹̬͚͋͋̍̓͝͝a̴̛̮͍̲̱̫̖̓̐̒t̵̠̰̹̘̺̞̹͔̞̎̊̍̒͐̿͗̄͆͠ ̸̬͒͋͂į̴̬͈̼̥̓̍̅̿͠͝s̴̩̗̖̎̈̎͆̅ ̴̗̺͆̈̍̀̀ͅt̶̨̡̫̦̯̻̻̤̎̇͒͜͝ͅh̴̡̳̖̭̦̰͊̅͊̚̚ḙ̶̛̰̺͙͓̗͖͙̰́͛̈̐ͅ ̸̰̫̭̝̟̫̪̙̋̔̈́̆̐̊̂̽̊̀ș̸̨̛͓͉̣̩̻͉͊̅̉̅̀̓̇̾͠į̵̙̲͇͇͛̊m̴̛̠̙̬̖̞̽̂͜ͅi̸͚̤̦̼̓ͅl̴̟̘͈̏̀̾͐̎̎̆̀͘a̸̧͕̐̔̍r̵̯̗̯͍͖̞͉̓̀͐͜͜͝i̷̧̡̫͇̞̥͖̠̱̓̒̎̈́͂̅̀͘͜t̶͎̺̝̑̆̈̕ý̴̨̛̭̫̬͓͇̲̠̬͌̌ ̴̛̦̫̣̫̀̋̾́͜͜b̶̢͑̒̑͑͋̈̓̀͒ȇ̶̢̛̹̘̞̜̉́̔͘̕͘ț̶͇̦͇̅̋̀͗̽̋w̵̨̛̯̟̣̞̍̓̎̏͂͂ĕ̷͍͖̦̘̥͙̲̳̑̎̏̈́̋̋̚͜͠͝ͅè̷͉̹̞̞̿̈́ṇ̸̭͔̫͈̱͓̰̂̆͊ ̷̧͔̤͍̗̠̗̈́̽͐̉̾̓͘̕͝ͅh̶͎͍̼͇̠̥̄̈̈́́̔ù̶̞̼̺̋͋m̵̞̲͎͍̉̒̓̈̓̐͗̈́͠ͅą̴̞͎̣͓̾͛͂͌n̵̢̛̛͎͍̘͇͕̥̖̼̮͆̍̆͊̔́̕͘ ̵̛̙͎̟̬̂̂͑͘â̷̠͔͖̪̲̼̪͚͕̐͆̓̽̃̈́ṋ̴̏̽̇̑̐͘͝ď̸̢̦̟̫̫̜͕̦̳̍̉̔̎͊̚͜ ̸̢͍̝̺̹͍́̓̒͐̽ͅi̶̫̪͚̲͒̈͆͋̐̾̔͘n̴̨̢̞̬̦̟̱̓̊ŝ̴̡̠̖̻͍̯̜͑̏͗̊̒͝e̴͇͐͑́̾̚̚͝c̴̢̽́͂͜t̸̢̬͍̻̝̞̥̱̜̔͑̋̿̕͝?̷̛̥͕̐̅͌̿̀̀̒̂̚"̵̛͖̓̆͆́̐͊̔͝
Kai looked up and answered.
"What?", Kai replied weakly.
The Nightmare's smile widen.
Wider.
Until it seemed impossible.
Then it answered its question.
"̶̧̨̟͖̆̏̉͛̉̿̿͋̚͝Ḅ̷͉̳̭̲̫̲̹̒̅͝ọ̵͓͓̇͒̌͛t̴͔̎̀̎̔̔̋̀h̵̢͚͉͖̺͇͈̙̙̪͋͌ ̴̖̳̇̈̈͒͋ṣ̵̡̋͆͘͝t̸̼͖̠͈̮̮̯͝ä̷̗̹̗̙̮͈̙̥͙̾͆́͐̍̎̄͘ÿ̷̨̢̖́ ̵̺̓q̸̦̪̥̯̭̆̌͌̉̑̎ͅȗ̵͖̗̩͚͉̩̠̥͕͒͂̑̿͠i̴̧̧̨̻̜̫̝͕̰͓̎e̴͈̩̦̪̘͔͚̋͂t̶̢̝̳̞͇̝͈͎͑͛̿̽́̌͜ ̷̡͙̜͖̦̻͕͊̓̽͆̀̈ͅw̵͉̪̼̲͓̳͑́̔̎͑̏͂̇̄͠h̸̨̛̲̰̱̰̺̥̟̤̄̅́͐̎͠͝ė̸̝n̵̮̞̪̝̟͕̳̓́̔̔̐̈́͗̈́̓͜ ̶̛̪͉͙̩̩͉͖̲̎̔̒̇̐̐͐͌̍ͅd̶͈̱̝̗̲̃̏̑͂̄́̊͠e̴̱͓͓̐̉̈́͒̕a̶̘̫͓̹̺̬̟͇̒̌̐́́́̚͝͠ḍ̸̛̥͖̖̯̼̻̭̻͂̾̑̃́̊͐̉̕.̷͔̻̌̍͋̿̿̒͋"̷̟̯̝͙̭̦̫͍̒̈́̚͜
And then—
BANG!
Raze's hammer defended the attack.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each impact burden Raze's body, bones creak lightly as the hammer and the Nightmare's arm collide.
The man screamed.
Not in fear.
Not in panic.
But in defiance.
"GET UP, YOU BASTARD!"
The Nightmare roared.
One arm impaled Raze's shoulder.
Blood sprayed across the staircase.
Yet Raze refused to fall down.
The chain remained wrapped around the monster.
Holding.
Restraining.
Holding even a second.
Kai saw it.
The opening.
The sacrifice.
The trust.
Kai's fingers found the spear.
Kai stood.
"To bad, I'm not dead."
Every bone protested.
Every muscle screamed.
Yet Kai moved.
Forward.
Faster.
Faster.
FASTER.
The heart pulsed before him.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Kai thrust it's spear.
SHLK!
______
The spear pierced the translucent heart.
Silence.
The hymn stopped.
The fire outside crackled.
The Nightmare froze.
The world went silent.
The Evangeline froze.
Its entire body trembled.
The translucent heart glow diminished.
Black fluid poured from the wound.
The heart was destroyed.
Completely shattered.
Victory—
I would say.
But.
It never came.
______
The Nightmare screamed.
Not weakened.
Not dying.
Screaming.
Veins spread.
Muscles twisted.
New tissue attempted to rebuild the ruined organ.
Failed.
Sytem Notice flashes.
Regenerative Capability Destroyed.
Kai's face turned pale.
"No way..."
Not dead.
The creature was trying to heal.
"Even after that!"
Even after destroying its weakness.
It still refused to die.
The Juvenile Nightmare released a horrifying screech.
Then escaped.
Crashing walls toward the field.
Toward the moonlight.
Its instinct.
Overwhelmed its rage.
"KAI!"
Raze shouted.
The two stumbled.
The field burned.
Yet countless Small Blooming Human Carcasses still singing, alive.
Burning.
Offering themselves.
Offering their flesh.
Offering their existence.
The moonlight intensified.
Silver radiance descended upon the field.
The damaged heart twitched.
Slowly.
Painfully.
The shattered organ began to recover.
Failed.
Not fully.
Not yet.
But enough.
Enough to survive.
Enough to continue.
The Juvenile Blooming Human Carcass stood amidst the burning congregation.
Its body shaking.
Its heart slowly rebuilding.
Its hatred fixed entirely upon two humans.
Kai and Raze.
The battle wasn't over.
Not even close.
And above them—
The moon continued watching.
Silent.
Patient.
Waiting.
Time Remaining Until Maturation: 03:12:44
To Be Continued...