Chapter 21: A New Wind Blows

"Is that..... "

"A cat?"

Before everyone’s eyes, a black cat with a silver collar around its neck sat where Brad had been, casually licking its paws.

No one saw what had happened. It happened so fast that even Brad and the twins, who are awakeners with boosted stats, did not even realize it until Brad found himself with his back slammed into the glass, reeling from that out of nowhere.

"That’s... that’s impossible."

Brad uttered, staring at this mysterious black cat with apprehension and caution.

Hw as bleeding from his face, having sustained wounds that looked like they came from the claws of a much larger beast—

But there was only the small black cat in front of him, which was now cleaning its paws with its tongue.

"Fuck....Boss!....are you okay?"

The twins exclaimed, running straight to help Brad, who was finding it hard to get his footing.

Hazel, now freed from their combined detainment, limped her way over to Damon. Though cautious of this mysterious animal that had just appeared, she was more nervous about Damon’s condition.

Kneeling by Damon’s side, who at this point was already out cold, she brought him into her arms.

"Damon!.... Damon, wake up, please!"

Hazel called repeatedly, looking down at Damon’s battered face as her eyes watered beyond her control.

Quickly bringing her head to his bare chest, she found his heart still beating, confirming that he was just passed out in a peaceful nap.

Hazel calmed down a bit as she turned to Brad and the other two, casting a angry glare at them. She felt a surge of anger at her helplessness.

Brad looked like he still had unfinished business with Damon, but his breath caught when the cat, who was previously casually licking its paws, suddenly raised its silver-grey eyes to lock onto his as if staring down into his very soul.

"Shit!....what in hell is that cat?"

Brad felt a tremor shake him from the inside, watching this cat casually return to licking its paws.

He sat there in a daze. He wasn’t even paying attention to Hazel, who was staring daggers at him.

There had been no mention of animals also mutating, and that looked just like an ordinary cat. Yet the impact and severity of his wounds were there to see.

Brad stared at Damon’s form in Hazel’s lap hesitantly, before returning his gaze to the cat again.

"Boss...what do we do?...."

"Where did that cat even come from?"

The twins uttered unsurely from either side of Brad. Brad gritted his teeth, and without saying a single word, he stood up with a little struggle and made his way back into the master bedroom, the twins in tow, while looking back at the others menacingly.

"So cute."

A small, gentle voice came from the right side. There, standing just a few feet away from Leo, was a girl in shorts and a hoodie, staring at Leo with a disturbing level of passion in her eyes.

Unlike the others in the living room. There was no fear in this person’s eyes when looking at the cat, no caution as well.

"Must touch... must hug cute kitty," she intoned.

The girl suddenly lunged forward to grab Leo, the cat maneuvering through her enclosure by the hair on his skin. Sitting flat on the ground after failing to capture her target, she didn’t look displeased— rather, she went for another attempt, and then another.

"Wait, kitty... just lemme hold you."

She clamored as she chased Leo all through the living room.

This scene reduced the growing tension in the living room. And none of the other three students inside appeared surprised by the young lady’s strange behavior. Rather, they were more surprised that this terrifying cat was just indulging this.

All of Hazel’s focus was now on Damon, her heart literally aching seeing the bruises on his face.

She couldn’t understand why seeing this person in such a state would make her feel this way. They had literally been strangers a few minutes ago. Yet she didn’t care—

Brad came to mind. He had crossed a line; it made it clearer to Hazel that this was no longer college.

The feeling of helplessness that had been gnawing at her was growing even more profound by the minute.

The reality of a world where monsters with strength like Brad would do things like this. She just couldn’t accept.

"How come he is still so handsome even in this state?" She murmured with a half-smile. She could only hope that Harvey and Mildred are successful on their mission. Damon appears to be in stable condition, but was in very bad shape.

"Why suddenly care so much about this person?"

A familiar voice came from behind Hazel.

Looking back, the young man who had previously been resting his back against the wall and hadn’t spoken since all this began was now standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, the bangs of his hair falling against his eyes as he threw his head back a little to remove the obstruction.

He didn’t seem much concerned about Damon’s state, but also not entirely indifferent to it. He just seemed curious, as curious as he had been observing the whole confrontation with calculated intelligence.

"If I recall correctly...you were very much against coming over here in the first place."

"What’s so special about this person? You don’t even know him."

"Oh... now you have something to say, Sage."

"What? So you support Brad, is that it?" Hazel responded to him in question. Her gaze slowly shifting to one of disappointment.

"Hey, don’t look at me that way. I am just saying... "

"You barely know this person, and it’s very much unlike you to be swayed by appearances, prez. Anyway, whatever."

Sage finished saying, ignoring Hazel’s gaze and casting one momentary glance at unconscious Damon and then a weary look at the cat that’s still being chased around the living before turning his back to Hazel and walking over to the clear windows.

Somewhere else in the far distance—A New Wind Blows. A wind that would usher the world into a much more terrifying peril than its current one.

In a different city were mutants swam, some chasing after discovered prey, others catching on to the scent of hiding humans or mindlessly roaming about as the sun slowly pulled out of the sky.

One mutant starkly stood out, its mannerisms completely different from the mindless monsters around it. This mutant tilted its head to the side, its murky gaze locking onto the distant horizon as it sniffed the air....

Then it began to move in a predetermined direction. As it moved, it croaked with great difficulty—

"Cr....cr...staghrrr."