As Alex approached the cluster of large rocks, his breath hitched. A faint, wet sound reached his ears—the unmistakable noise of tearing flesh. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the salty sea breeze, growing stronger with each step.
His stomach twisted as he rounded the final rock.
There she was.
Elizabeth was crouched low, her silver hair cascading over her face, strands sticky with blood. Her shoulders moved slightly with each slow, deliberate bite.
And beneath her...
Alex’s breath caught in his throat.
A child.
The small, lifeless body lay limp on the cold, wet sand. Tiny fingers curled stiffly, their owner never to move again.
Elizabeth’s head tilted slightly, and he caught a glimpse of her face—her mouth smeared crimson, her pale lips parting as she took another bite.
His body tensed, the scene before him was horrific.
This wasn’t just a bounty. This wasn’t just a misunderstanding.
This was real.
The Elizabeth he had known—the one who fought beside him, the one who argued with him, the one who scowled in annoyance but never seemed truly cruel, was this still her?
His voice came out hoarse.
"Elizabeth...?"
Elizabeth stilled at the sound of his voice. For a long moment, she remained crouched, her breath shallow, her body rigid as if caught in the act of something unspeakable. Then, slowly, she moved.
Her hand, slick with fresh blood pressed into the sand as she straightened, her head tilting unnaturally to the side.
The moonlight finally revealed her face.
Her usually cold eyes were now something far worse, emptied of reason, hollow with a hunger that sent a chill down Alex’s spine. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, staining the pale skin of her chin. Her lips parted slightly, revealing sharp, elongated canines, her breath slow and ragged.
Alex took a step back, his instincts screaming at him to run, but his legs refused to move.
"Elizabeth..." he repeated, softer this time, as if saying her name would pull her back from whatever abyss she had fallen into. But it didn’t.
With a sudden burst of movement, she lunged at him.
Alex barely had time to react. He threw himself to the side as her claws raked through the space where he had just been standing. The air whistled with the force of her swing, the sharp tips slicing through his coat.
He landed on one knee, his eyes widening.
He didn’t get a chance to process anything before she was on him again, moving with inhuman speed.
Alex barely managed to block as she swiped at him, his arm catching the brunt of the blow. Pain shot through him as her nails tore into his flesh, leaving behind deep, stinging gashes.
"Damn it, Elizabeth!" he gritted out, shoving her back.
She staggered but didn’t stop. If anything, she became faster.
Her movements were erratic yet calculated, like a predator playing with its prey. She twisted her body mid-air, her foot slamming toward his ribs. Alex raised his arms just in time, absorbing the impact. Even with his enhanced strength, the force sent him skidding backward, his boots dragging through the sand but she did not stop.
Elizabeth lunged again, and this time, Alex couldn’t dodge in time. Her claws raked across his chest, cutting through fabric and skin. Blood bloomed from the fresh wounds, and he bit back a curse.
"Elizabeth, stop!" he snapped, trying to break through to her, but there was no recognition in her eyes, no recognition or remorse, only hunger.
She pounced, aiming for his throat.
In that split second, Alex knew she wasn’t holding back. She was trying to kill him so his instinct took over.
He twisted at the last moment, catching her by the wrist and using her own momentum against her. He spun, hurling her away from him. She crashed into the sand but rolled, immediately recovering.
She was back on her feet before he could even take a breath.
Alex clenched his fists. His chest heaved, his wounds stinging, but his mind was racing with something worse than pain.
This wasn’t just some uncontrollable rage, she was hunting and right now, he was her prey. A bitter realization sank in, If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to stop her, he had to fight back.
Alex exhaled sharply, his muscles tensing as Elisabeth charged again. This time, he was ready.
The moment she swung her claws at him, he ducked, barely avoiding another deep gash across his face. Instead of retreating, he stepped in—his enhanced strength kicking in as he slammed his fist into her gut.
She grunted but didn’t fall, instead, she twisted mid-motion, grabbing his arm with a grip like iron. Before he could react, she yanked him forward and slammed her knee into his ribs. Pain exploded in his side.
Alex staggered, but Elizabeth wasn’t done. She moved with terrifying speed, her claws flashing under the moonlight as she swiped at his throat. Alex reacted on instinct, his hand shot up, catching her wrist just in time.
But the moment his skin made contact with hers, something happened.
A jolt of energy surged through him—faint but noticeable. His necromancy responded, reacting to the dead essence lingering on her skin. It wasn’t just blood staining her hands—it was death and Alex could feel it, he gritted his teeth. He didn’t have time to process it now.
Still gripping her wrist, he twisted it sharply. Elizabeth let out a low snarl, her body jerking to break free. Alex took the opening, his other hand came up, glowing faintly with dark energy. He slammed his palm against her chest.
A shockwave pulsed from the contact and Elizabeth’s body jerked violently as the energy coursed through her. For a moment, her movements faltered, her grip loosening.
Alex didn’t waste time again, using his enhanced strength, he threw her backward.
She crashed into the sand, rolling before landing in a crouch. Her breath came in slow, ragged pants, but her eyes never left him.
Alex wiped the blood from his mouth, his own breathing heavy.
"Elizabeth," he called, his voice firm but laced with something desperate. "Enough."
But she didn’t respond, with a guttural growl, she lunged again.
Alex’s muscles coiled, and this time, he met her halfway.
The moment they clashed, he grabbed her shoulders and drove his knee into her stomach, sending her skidding backward. She recovered instantly, clawing at his face. He tilted his head, barely dodging, and retaliated with a heavy punch aimed at her side.
She twisted at the last second, his blow only grazing her ribs, then she retaliated.
Her knee shot up, slamming into his stomach. The impact forced the air from his lungs, but before he could recover, she twisted her body and delivered a spinning kick to his head.
Pain burst through his skull as he stumbled, sand shifting beneath his feet, he barely managed to block the next strike, his forearm catching the brunt of her claws... It caused more blood to spill.
His regeneration kicked in instantly, sealing the wounds but the pain lingered.
She lunged again, aiming for his throat but this time, Alex had enough.
A pulse of dark energy exploded from his body, stopping her mid-attack. The necrotic force crackled in the air, the sand beneath him darkening as tendrils of shadow coiled around his feet.
Elizabeth froze, her body trembling slightly.
Alex’s eyes narrowed, his necromancy was affecting her.
The death lingering around her, the same death he could drain was reacting to him.
Realization struck him like lightning, if he wanted to stop her... if he wanted to take her back, he had to use everything he had.
His fingers curled, dark energy swirling around his hands. He took a deep breath, feeling the raw power thrumming beneath his skin.
Then he lunged, this time, when they clashed, the fight changed.
Alex wasn’t just defending anymore, he was fighting to win.
Alex surged forward, his necrotic energy crackling around him. He ducked under Elizabeth’s next swipe, twisting to her side before slamming his fist into her ribs. The impact sent her skidding back, her feet digging into the wet sand.
Instead of stopping, she snarled and lunged again, her claws aimed straight for his throat but Alex was quick to react instantly.
His enhanced reflexes kicked in, his body moving on instinct as he sidestepped her attack. He caught her wrist mid-swing, twisting it with enough force to unbalance her. Before she could recover, his free hand struck her stomach, sending another pulse of necrotic energy into her body.
She gasped, her movements faltering.
Seeing the opportunity, Alex pivoted, using his momentum to drive his elbow into the back of her head. Elizabeth stumbled, her balance momentarily lost. Taking the opening, he swept his leg beneath her, knocking her off her feet.
She crashed into the sand, but before she could rise, Alex was already moving.
He knelt over her, pinning her wrists to the ground. Dark energy coiled around his hands, binding her arms in place.
Elizabeth thrashed violently, her strength fueled by something beyond reason. Her legs kicked up, nearly hitting him, but Alex dodged just in time.
"Stop fighting me!" he snapped, his grip tightening.
She responded with a furious snarl, her fangs bared as she lunged forward, trying to sink them into his shoulder.
Alex growled in frustration, he needed to end this now.
Summoning every ounce of his power, he let his necromantic energy surge. It spread from his hands, wrapping around Elizabeth’s body like dark tendrils. She flinched, her movements becoming sluggish, her strength draining with every passing second.
Her breath hitched and her struggles weakened.
Alex could feel it—the energy within her, wild and uncontrollable, was now being suppressed.
Her body trembled beneath him, her breaths ragged, her eyes flickering between rage and something else.
Recognition?
For a brief moment, it seemed like she saw him not as prey, but as Alex.
Her lips parted, a faint whisper escaping.
"...Alex..."
Then, her body went limp, her eyes fluttered shut, and the tension in her muscles faded... She had finally fainted.
Alex remained there for a moment, his chest rising and falling heavily, his arms still trembling from all the fight.
"I’m bringing you home," he mumbled.