In the center of Cyprus was a vast, rocky landscape. Isolated from the rest of the country by water on all sides, an ancient, primitive forest could be seen encircling a tall blue-gray mountain that stretched into the clouds. Bellowing mist swirled around the mountain, and shrouded the numerous trees and wild vegetation in a mystical haze. A few miles from the forest stood a stone mansion half as tall as the mountain. Obstructed outside the mansion, hordes of zombies banged on a towering steel gate, their animalistic growls filling the air. On the other side of the gate, a few inches from the zombie horde, severed arms and legs were strewn about. This was Sapphire Island. "Brother, what do we do now? Our trick only managed to draw some of the zombies away. What should we do with the remaining horde?" A weak voice with the high pitch of a young female sounded a small distance from the steel gate. "If we must, we'll sacrifice another. But we will not die here." A deep male voice wit
"Brother?" Noting her brother's absentmindedness, Naomi frowned disgruntledly. She was starving to the point where she could feel her stomach attach to her back, and yet, he was spacing out? Didn't he care about her at all? Having never endured any difficulties before, the girl felt neglected by her brother's attitude. Kaiden snapped back to his senses and rubbed his sister's head with a melancholic smile. "Naomi, be good. Brother will get you something to eat soon, okay?" He cajoled. "Soon. Just how soon? You've been saying you'll get me something to eat since yesterday. But how do you hope to accomplish that with those creatures beneath us?" He said he would draw the remaining zombies away, but Naomi couldn't wait that long. She was hungry, so hungry she could...she could eat anything! Her eyes swiveled to the chunks of meat inside the gate, and she inadvertently rubbed her empty stomach. She knew they were human arms and thighs, but that didn't stop her from imagining barbe
Heart sinking to the bottom of his stomach, Brad warily crawled to his knees and studied this new foe through hooded eyes. A female clad in black with knee-length black hair, and the cleanest complexion he had ever seen, led the group. Beautiful. That was the first word that entered his mind when he saw her picturesque features. He was illiterate and his vocabulary limited. But even if he was educated, he was certain he wouldn't have found a more perfect word to accurately convey the beauty of the woman before him. She looked delicate, but her steps carried graceful majesty. Her waist was so slender he felt he could cover it with one hand. But years of experience told him she was no easy picking. One look in her violet orbs, and his courage wilted as easily as a flower caught in a blaze. 'No. She is no easy picking.' Brad decided to tread with caution. "Marcus, Celio, anchor the boats and make sure you hide them in a place where no one can find them." Ella paused and sent a few
With ugly expressions and disgusted scowls, one by one, the group of women slowly pushed to their feet and stood behind Kiera in an unmistakably supportive manner. Ella's frown deepened at the sight. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. The group of women weren't taken with the man by her side. Heh. How hilarious! Did they think this was still the same world? People were turning into flesh-eating monsters, while the government packed their weapons and vehicles and went into hiding with a select few. Rapists, murderers, drug dealers, human traffickers...in this world where there was no law and order, any male or woman walking on the street could become one of them. Unfortunately, this group of people had yet to digest the true reality of their situation and accept the collapse of the world they knew. In Ella's eyes, their rigid mindset and intense reaction were amusing, to say the least. But more than that, it was alarming. Such a group of fools...if she cont
There were some matters in life that took a lifetime to comprehend. Others took only a glance to understand. For Charlie, Ella was a mystery he couldn't see through. His lighting superpower gave him the ability to see auras. People who were vile and sinister, like Kuram and Stacy, had a cloak of gray fog hovering over their heads. Some, like Kiera, had a mixture of white and gray fog, which he believed to be neutral, neither good nor bad. As for Ella...she was an anomaly. No fog to show whether she was a good or bad person, making it difficult for him to decide what kind of person she was. But it was this inability to see through that made him want to stick around her. "Cha...Charlie...what the hell are you saying? You want to stay with her? I never knew you were the ungrateful type!" Kiera hissed, nostrils flaring as orange sparks flickered on her hands. Whether it was from rage or embarrassment, Charlie didn't know. And truthfully? He didn't care. "Who's ungrateful? Kiera, if
Dust and splinters blasted her face. Her commanding cry had yet to fade when a blood-curdling screech reminiscent of an evil spirit's shrill wail reverberated in the blinding darkness. Kiera slashed and hacked, scorched and burnt every tendril and vine that neared her body. Her green orbs glowed with a crazed frenzy as the shrill wail grew closer and closer to her back. The ominous, bloodthirsty aura suffocated her. It pressed on her chest and made her limbs as heavy as if she was fighting against the pressure of a giant mountain. As her speed decreased, her steps faltered, and her mind became sluggish. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead, and her chin trembled inadvertently. Kiera felt bone-deep fear. All around her were withered corpses, torn and shredded limbs. Half of her companions were dead. The other half, with the aid of their men, had fled to who knew where. There was something lurking in the shadows, stalking and preying on her and her people. Bloodthirsty and filled
"Compared to those pack of wolves, I'm merely a small fry." Brad smiled bitterly. Ella shot another zombie in the head and glanced at the convict. "If you're considered a small fry, I don't want to find out what those wolves are capable of." She sniggered. "Seriously, I'm not joking or saying this to scare you. If you ever encounter one of those convicts, either shoot them in the head or steer clear of their sight. They are the real deal." Brad reiterated with a grave expression. As a man who sold drugs for a living, he knew he was a bad guy headed for hell. But compared to the cold-blooded and savage criminals held on this island, he would be considered an angel. And maybe it was because he hadn't blackened to the core that he didn't want such a kind and beautiful woman to encounter those beasts. Ella felt amused. For a criminal, Brad was quite a softy. "Alright, I understand. I'll avoid the convicts like a plague." She relented. It's been more than a few hours since Kiera and
She rasped breathlessly, overlooking the strange expression on Kaiden's face. Naomi yanked her brother's arm and hopped back on his back, pointing in the direction of the humans with the severed human arm. "Hurry! Run in that direction!" She panted. Since they were in such a miserable situation, how could she allow other people to be better off? She was the daughter of the Miller Family, worth a hundred billion more than the cheap, poor maggots. It was their honor to be her bait! Naomi's eyes turned cold. A bloodshot smear tainted her chocolate brown orbs, making her features dark and malevolent. She refused to die. She would use anyone and anything to secure her life. And if that failed, she would drag everyone down with her! "Brother, go!" She panted again, this time with an imperceptible growl. Her urgent cry shattered Kaiden's trance, and his senses flooded back to him in a dizzying rush. His sister...ate a human flesh. Color drained from his face. Kaiden gritted his teet