The night air burned like acid in their lungs.
Kaela stumbled over the cracked asphalt, the Genesis Core pulsing against her chest with a deep, terrifying hum.
It was heavy — not just in weight, but in the sheer responsibility it carried.
Arin was half-carrying Riven, who was still bleeding from the last hit he took during the fight.
Veyne moved ahead, cutting down anything in their way.
Behind them, the Hollowborn shrieked — a monstrous sound that seemed to tear through the very fabric of the world.
And worse — the ground shook with approaching footsteps, lights flared in the distance, and the world began to converge on them.
---
The World Reacts
Across the ruined sectors, different factions — gangs, rogue soldiers, corporate mercenaries, secret organizations — had felt the Hollowborn's rebirth.
Each group had raced toward the chaos, hoping to scavenge tech, power, or opportunity.
But when they arrived...
> They saw the Hollowborn.
And terror gripped them.
The creature towered into the night sky, its newly evolved form radiating malevolence.
Reality itself seemed to bend around it — and the ground was littered with corpses from those foolish enough to approach.
Some screamed.
Some ran.
Some even dropped their weapons and fell to their knees in pure fear.
No one wanted to fight it.
Not for all the riches in the world.
---
The Choice
But then — they saw Kaela and her friends.
Dragging the Genesis Core.
Bleeding. Exhausted. Desperate.
The Core's energy was so strong now that even the weakest soldier could feel it — the heartbeat of a new world.
If they let Kaela's team get away, the Genesis could reshape everything — topple governments, destroy corporations, rewrite reality itself.
They had no choice.
If they wanted the Core...
If they wanted survival...
If they wanted a future...
They would have to help.
Even if it meant fighting a monster.
---
The Messy Battle
From every side, new forces surged into the battlefield.
Mercenaries, resistance fighters, even black-ops agents from corporations.
Arin nearly collapsed from shock when he saw a group of soldiers suddenly open fire — not on them — but on the Hollowborn itself.
> "They're… helping us?!" Arin gasped, dragging Riven faster.
Kaela clenched her teeth.
"No. They're helping the Core. Not us."
The battlefield turned into chaos.
Bullets, explosives, strange energy weapons — everything slammed into the Hollowborn.
The monster roared in fury, swatting away entire squads like insects.
A massive arm crashed down, smashing a tank into twisted rubble.
Still — the humans fought.
And Kaela and her friends — caught in the middle — had no choice but to run through the crossfire.
---
A Desperate Flight
Veyne led them through broken alleyways, jumping over wreckage and bodies.
Kaela's legs screamed with pain, but she couldn't stop.
Behind them, the ground cracked as the Hollowborn pursued — relentless, untouchable.
> "I don't know how long they can hold it!" Veyne shouted back, blood dripping from his forehead.
Kaela could see it too.
The mercenaries, soldiers, and rogue factions were throwing everything they had at the creature — but it wasn't enough.
Not even close.
---
The Genesis Core Pulses
As they fled, the Genesis Core reacted — glowing brighter, the hum growing louder.
It was almost like it was calling to something.
> "Kaela…" Riven coughed weakly, his voice broken. "The Core... it's waking up more."
Kaela's heart dropped.
If the Core activated now, in the middle of this chaos —
if it merged with the Hollowborn, or if any of the factions stole it —
it would be the end of everything.
They had to escape.
They had to hide the Core.
Or die trying.
---
A Glimpse of Hope
As they raced through a ruined plaza, a battered truck screeched to a halt nearby — a resistance fighter waving frantically.
> "Get in! Now! We don't have much time!"
Kaela hesitated — trusting anyone was a gamble —
but behind her, the Hollowborn shrieked again, and the building beside them exploded into rubble.
No time to think.
They jumped onto the truck, Riven barely conscious, Veyne still swinging his blade to cover them.
The truck roared forward, tires screeching as it sped into the night — away from the collapsing battlefield.
But Kaela knew...
This was only a temporary escape.
The real nightmare was just beginning.