THE LAST SURVIVOR

FRIENDS OR FOE

The rain had stopped.

An eerie silence settled over the shattered forest.

Ethan stood between the towering Guardian, the hooded commander, and the mysterious woman who called herself Raven. Every instinct told him to run, but his legs refused to move.

Commander Raven lowered her silver blade.

"Ethan," she said calmly. "Don't listen to him."

She pointed at the hooded man.

"He's lying to you."

The hooded man laughed.

"And you expect him to believe a traitor?"

Raven's expression hardened.

"I betrayed murderers."

The soldiers exchanged nervous glances.

Ethan looked at both of them.

"I don't know either of you."

"Then let me tell you the truth," Raven replied.

"Twenty years ago, Project Eclipse was divided into two factions. One wanted to use enhanced humans to protect the world. The other wanted to rule it."

She looked directly into Ethan's eyes.

"You were the only child who survived."

Before Ethan could answer, the hooded man interrupted.

"Half the truth is still a lie."

He removed his hood.

For the first time, Ethan saw his face.

A long scar stretched across his left eye.

His hair was streaked with gray, but his gaze was cold and calculating.

"My name is General Victor Kane."

"I created Project Eclipse."

Ethan's eyes widened.

"You... created it?"

"Yes."

Victor took a slow step forward.

"I also gave the order to destroy it."

The words hit Ethan like a hammer.

"You experimented on children..."

Victor lowered his head.

"I believed I was saving humanity."

He looked back up.

"I was wrong."

Suddenly, alarms echoed from the enormous aircraft overhead.

A frightened soldier shouted into his radio.

"General! We've detected multiple energy signatures approaching fast!"

The Guardian's glowing eyes turned toward the eastern mountains.

"Warning. Hostile lifeforms detected."

The ground began to shake again.

Not from machines.

From footsteps.

Heavy...

Massive...

One after another.

Trees in the distance started falling.

Something enormous was moving through the forest.

Then Ethan saw them.

Glowing red eyes.

Dozens of them.

Towering creatures covered in black armor-like skin emerged from the darkness.

Each stood over three meters tall, with razor-sharp claws and rows of jagged teeth.

One opened its mouth and released a terrifying roar.

The soldiers panicked.

"What are those things?"

Victor's face turned pale.

"No..."

"They found us."

Raven tightened her grip on her blade.

"I thought they were extinct."

The Guardian spoke in its emotionless voice.

"Threat identified. Eclipse Beasts."

"Original biological weapons created during Project Eclipse."

Ethan stared at the monsters in horror.

"You created... those too?"

Victor closed his eyes.

"I wish I hadn't."

Without warning, the largest beast lunged forward with incredible speed.

It smashed through a military vehicle as though it were made of paper.

Soldiers scattered in every direction.

Gunfire erupted across the battlefield.

Bullets bounced harmlessly off the creature's armored skin.

One beast seized a soldier and hurled him into the trees.

Another leaped onto an SUV, crushing it beneath its weight.

The battlefield had become a nightmare.

The Guardian stepped in front of Ethan.

Its fists crackled with blue energy.

"Commander Ethan Carter..."

"The time has come."

"Will you fight... or will humanity fall?"

Ethan looked at his trembling hands.

Then at the glowing pendant.

He took one deep breath.

For the first time in his life...

He chose not to run.