Chapter 440: Don’t come.

The pain that Hunter felt was nothing like he had ever felt before and he had felt a lot of physical pain through the years. It wasn’t merely the actual tearing of muscle or the splintering of bone; it was a agonizing, searing agony that seemed to reach into his very soul and ignite it from the inside out.

But despite the pain, the only thing he thought about in that moment was how the Somnivores had sneaked weapons into the meeting. He had checked and Zyra had double checked but it seemed that the Somnivores had better tricks up there sleeves than they all expected.

"Tyrant...now would be a good time to make an appearance." He whispered painfully. But Tyrant did not show. It was like their bond had been severed by a sharp blade.

Hunter moved his hand to touch the sharp metallic-like stake in his chest, but the instant his skin brushed against the alien material, a violent hiss rang out. The metal burnt his fingers, blistering his flesh instantly and forcing him to yank his hand back. His breathing came in shallow, ragged gasps, each inhale feeling like he was swallowing liquid fire probably also because the room was filled with a light white gas.

His vision swam with dark spots, blurring at the edges. His eyes drifted to the side, and a cold weight settled in the pit of his stomach. A few feet away, Ivar was on his knees, his head slumped forward, lifeless eyes staring blankly at the stained ground. The exact same metallic stake was driven deep into Ivar’s chest and it was melting. His half brother was already dead.

Hunter groaned, a low, desperate sound trapped in his throat, as heavy footsteps approached.

Erik moved closer, his dark figure towering over Hunter. He crouched down, his expression cold and calculating, before glancing back over his shoulder. "I clearly heard this one call Almeida father....I told you Almeida cannot be trusted."

Anukin stepped into view, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with a fierce, lethal disgust. He hissed at the revelation. "That traitor Almeida planted spies high up among the humans all this while while stopping the rest of us from doing so. What a hypocrite!"

Erik chuckled_ a chilling, hollow sound that echoed off the surrounding walls. "He was clever, I will give him that, but not more than me. My spy warned me about the beast pockets and the oath sap and gave me all the inside information."

Without warning, Erik reached out, his hand clamping down tightly around Hunter’s jaw. He forced Hunter’s head up, staring directly into his fading eyes. "Where is the scaly girl?"

Hunter’s chest heaved. Anger, hot and volatile, surged through the mild fog in his mind. He folded his face in defiance, grinding his teeth together against the unbearable pain. Instead of answering, he gathered the warm, copper-tasting liquid filling his mouth and spat a mouthful of blood directly into Erik’s face.

Erik’s eyes became colder. His face twisted in deep disgust as blood ran down his cheek. Slowly, deliberately, he let go of Hunter’s jaw and wiped the blood away with the back of his hand.

Then, a dark, terrifying smile crept across Erik’s lips.

"Have it your way, we will find her." Erik whispered softly.

He placed his hand firmly against the end of the steel stake and violently pushed it deeper into Hunter’s chest.

A choked scream shattered against the back of Hunter’s teeth. He bit his bottom lip so hard it bled, refusing to give Erik the satisfaction of hearing him beg, as the agonizing, burning sensation washed over every nerve in his body.

Weakly, Hunter clawed at his chest, his fingers twitching against the burning agony. He called Tyrant again with everything he had left. "Tyrant!"

Tonio laughed, "Is that your beast? It’s useless young hybrid. This gas corrodes the soul, severing all links between anything with human DNA and mutated beasts. That beast is already losing its mind, going feral little by little."

Hunter blinked back hot tears and called Tyrant again.

There was no response. Only a terrifying, hollow silence. His head collapsed forward into the dust, surrounded by the triumphant laughter of his enemies.

Around him, pure nightmare fuel unfolded. This had not been a fight; it was a total slaughter.

Erik’s faction had not given the human delegation or Almeida’s allies a single second to fight back.

"Wait! Stop_!" Solazo cried out, holding his hands up, but a heavy shadow dropped on him, snapping his neck with an awful sound and pulled out his core.

Lady Valarie tried to scramble under the long conference table, but an knight grabbed her ankle, dragged her back and slaughtered her.

Right in front of Hunter’s fading eyes, a round object came bouncing across the carpet, rolling to a stop just inches from his nose. It was the Grand Elder’s head, his eyes still wide open in total shock. Blood pooled fast, soaking into the bottom of Hunter’s shirt.

No... no, no, no... Hunter thought, his chest heaving as he fought for a single microscopic breath. It was over. They had walked right into a trap.

Tears spilled over his eyelids, running down his cheeks and mixing with the warm blood on the floor. His body was completely numb, his life slipping away second by second.

He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut, and prayed with every last piece of his soul: Please, Zyra... don’t come back here. Stay in Beast Valley. Please, just stay safe... don’t come...

A bright, blinding flash of light illuminated the blood-soaked ground.

Zyra materialized right in the center of the carnage, her eyes in shock. She froze dead in her tracks as the stench of death hit her nose.

Hunter’s heart shattered into a million pieces. His final prayer had been completely ignored. "No..." Hunter whispered, a tiny, broken thread of sound.

And then, his eyes rolled back as darkness swallowed him all.

Seeing all her people lying lifeless on the blood-stained carpet left Zyra frozen in total, gut-wrenching shock.

[Host! I detect a poisonous soul link severing gas floating in the air.] Beauty’s voice chimed inside her head, sounding frantic. [I cannot release your beasts right now or they will die instantly! I urge you to quickly purify the air, and I’ll release them as soon as it’s safe. You have the advantage of an armored body, so the enemy can’t harm you!]

Before Zyra could even process the System’s warning, the tent flap burst open. Holly rushed inside, her eyes wide and overflowing with tears as she stood next to Zyra, trembling like a leaf as she looked at the Somnivores.

"Zyra! It’s terrible!" Holly sobbed, wiping her face with a shaking hand. "Tori and... and everyone outside the tent... they’re all dead!"