Apocalypse Baby

As both of Ezekiels feet crossed the invisible threshold, a sudden, ominous change filled the air.

The creature's third eye snapped open.

A wave of pressure slammed into Ezekiel like a physical force.

He stumbled slightly, his heart hammering wildly in his chest.

The monster's gaze locked onto him, and the world seemed to shrink under its oppressive stare.

Ezekiel's breathing became shallow.

His vision tunneled as his body fought against the crushing weight of its attention.

Then, the beast moved.

With terrifying speed, it lunged toward him, its massive form blurring as it closed the distance.

Why?

Ezekiel's body froze, every muscle locking up.

The creature stopped mere inches from his face. Its breath, hot and foul, washed over him.

His knees wobbled, threatening to buckle.

He felt like a fragile strand of spaghetti, ready to snap at any moment.

Don't move. Don't move.

The thought echoed in his mind, his instincts screaming at him to run, but he knew better. One wrong move, one flinch, and it would all be over.

The beast's glowing third eye twitched erratically, scanning him.

Its head remained unnervingly still, but Ezekiel felt its suffocating presence like a vice tightening around his chest.

The temperature around him began to rise.

Beads of sweat formed on his brow, dripping down his face despite the freezing environment.

His lungs burned and he realized, with growing panic, that he had been holding his breath.

But he was too scared to exhale.

If this kept up, he would collapse.

He needed a moment—a brief reprieve.

But he wasn't getting any.

What's taking them so long?!

His mind raced. Freya's plan would only work if another person stepped onto the platform. If someone else crossed the line, the creature's attention would shift.

But for now, it was all on him, and Ezekiel could feel his resolvefading fast.

Ezekiel's ears then caught Dorion's low, mocking voice.

"Imagine how sick it would be if no one stepped onto the platform and you ended up dying."

Ezekiel flinched.

What?

Dorion smirked, his tone dripping with malice.

"It'd be a real sight to see, wouldn't it? Betrayed by your own allies. Left to die like this."

The words hit Ezekiel harder than the creature's oppressive gaze.

Ezekiel's heart sank.

Why hadn't he considered this possibility? What if they were all too terrified to cross the line?

"Guys," Ezekiel thought desperately, his inner voice trembling.

Please, don't do this.

His body was shaking uncontrollably now, the pressure grinding away at his composure.

He felt his legs quivering, barely holding him upright.

He risked a glance back at the creature.

Its burning gaze was unrelenting, the heat intensifying around him.

His breath came in shallow gasps, his vision blurring at the edges.

The thought crept in:

Maybe I can just step back.

Ezekiel's foot twitched as the idea tempted him.

But then, just as he felt himself falter, Baranga's glowing third eye shifted.

The beast's head tilted ever so slightly, and its burning gaze turned away from Ezekiel.

A figure had stepped onto the platform behind him.

Relief flooded Ezekiel's body, almost overwhelming him.

His chest heaved as he finally exhaled the breath he had been holding.

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Someone had stepped forward.

Baranga's eyes locked onto the new target, and Ezekiel's trembling legs took a step forward, releasing the breath he'd been holding.

His heart pounded like a drum in his chest, his body desperate for relief.

But the moment his foot shifted, Baranga's blazing third eye snapped back onto him.

The pressure surged once more, suffocating and immediate.

Before Ezekiel could react, the person who had stepped past the line to save him took another bold step forward.

Baranga's gaze wrenched away from Ezekiel and locked onto the new target.

The sudden reprieve was like a rush of cool air, and Ezekiel turned to see who had stepped in to save him, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

To his shock, it was Dorion.

Of all people… Dorion?

"You're welcome," Dorion muttered casually, a cocky grin plastered on his face.

Despite the tension, Dorion appeared unnervingly calm.

His nonchalant demeanor was almost maddening.

Then it hit Ezekiel. He had just heard Dorion speak.

How is he talking without getting torched?

His lips had moved? Or doesn't that count?

Noticing Ezekiel's stunned expression, Dorion smirked and tilted his head.

"You're wondering how I'm still alive, aren't you?" he asked, as if reading Ezekiel's mind. "It's simple."

Dorion straightened up, still under the monster's gaze. "The rules only say that the monster reacts to movement. Which I believe specifically, is movement of the limbs. So…"

To demonstrate, Dorion tilted his head from side to side, his grin never faltering.

"…things like this don't count. See?"

Ezekiel's mouth hung open in surprise.

The tension in the air felt surreal as Dorion added with a playful shrug, "So try not to be so stiff. Makes you look more like a target."

Ezekiel exhaled deeply, relief washing over him like a wave.

The suffocating pressure of Baranga's gaze was finally off him, and now he didn't have to be so tense.

But as he watched Dorion move with such bold confidence, unafraid to experiment, Ezekiel couldn't help but think the teen was insane.

No one in their right mind would be this calm.

Heck, he wasn't.

He then turned to the rest of the group, his expression darkening.

They turned away from him ashamed, a mixture of fear and guilt on their faces.

Ezekiel grits his teeth.

No one moved. No one stepped forward.

He had hoped—expected—that someone else from the group would step in to save him.

Instead, it had been Dorion. The killer who had just joined them recently

Disappointment weighed heavy on Ezekiel's chest.

He had risked his life to save some of them yet they could not pay him back.@@novelbin@@

Without another word, he turned away with a frown on his face.

His decision was made.

From now on, he would focus on himself, and no one else. Screw being a leader.

Steeling his resolve, Ezekiel lunged forward.

Baranga's burning third eye snapped back to him instantly.

Dorion smirked muttering in a sing song tone:

"That's it...that's it."

He stepped forward boldly, drawing Baranga's attention away from Ezekiel once again.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Ezekiel moved forward, careful but determined. Baranga's gaze returned to him with the next step.

The two began a rhythm: one moving while the other paused, each drawing the monster's gaze in turn.

Slowly but surely, they were advancing towards the finish line.

Behind them, the rest of the group watched in stunned silence.

The tension they felt was massive as they realized Ezekiel and Dorion were gaining distance leaving them behind.

Dorion glanced over his shoulder.

"So, what's the plan, guys?" he taunted. "Gonna stay frozen there, or are you joining the fun?"

His words seemed to echo ominously.

Then, Dorion called out, "Freya."

Freya flinched at the sound of her name, her body rigid with fear.

She was ashamed of herself.

She couldn't bring herself to move when Ezekiel had needed up, and the one person he hated the most was able to do it effortlessly.

Dorion chuckled darkly.

"Like you said, no player can do this alone."

Freya's lips parted as if to respond, but before she could, Dorion's tone shifted.

"But there's a problem," he said casually, stepping forward again and pulling Baranga's focus away from Ezekiel.

"What happens when it's just two people left? I'll tell you. One gets the monster's attention while the other crosses the finish line… But then that leaves one person behind, doesn't it?"

The realization struck everyone their eyes wide in alarm.

"That's right," Dorion confirmed, his grin widening as he lunged forward again, taking the lead. "The slowest one… ends up as the sacrificial pawn."