Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chaos erupted as Gwyneth and the rest were forced backward, repeatedly fending off the relentless onslaught of Dark Wolves determined to tear them apart. Gwyneth found herself tackled to the ground, stumbling into the round cave room. She heard the surprised gasps of the scientists but her focus was on The Dark Wolves.

“What the hell?” one of the scientists shouted. “You were followed?”

Gwyneth swiftly retrieved a knife from her belt and thrust it into the neck of a Dark Wolf. It fell on top of her, dead. She pushed the body aside and struggled to her feet, only to face another attacker. This time, she was more prepared, knife poised for action. She struck the wolf repeatedly in the stomach before pushing its lifeless form aside. Gwyneth panted heavily, her back throbbing from the impact of the fall onto the stone floor. She heard the ominous sound of a gun being cocked, and she sighed wearily.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered before turning her head to see her escaped prisoner aiming a gun at her as Gwyneth lay on the ground, the cave reverberating with the noise of the ongoing battle around them.

“Hello, Gwyn,” the prisoner greeted her.

“Hello, crazy woman,” Gwyneth replied.

“You just couldn’t resist, could you?”

“I’m not going to let you destroy two worlds.”

“Our world can still be saved!”

“It can, and I’ll be the one to save it.”

“You?” She chuckled. “You’re nothing more than a naive soldier, thinking she can be everyone’s savior. Sometimes the world doesn’t need a hero, Gwyn. Sometimes it needs someone willing to make the tough decisions, the ones no one else will.”

“Yeah, that just sounds like crazy talk to me.”

“You can’t stop us, Gwyn. The wheels are already in motion.”

“No, I don’t believe that. I know it can be stopped.”

“You’re a hopeful fool.”

“Maybe, but I’d rather be a fool than a murderer.”

“How about I send you back home instead? You can leave this world and return there,” the woman offered.

“No, I don’t think I want that. Who knows? Maybe you’d turn me into particles.”

“No trust in your own kind?” the woman asked with a smirk.

“We both know what kinds of people exist in our world. Your offer is as intangible as air—impossible to grasp,” Gwyneth retorted.

“I guess you’re right,” the woman conceded. “I’d likely have you eliminated eventually. You do have a knack for stirring up trouble.”

“That I do.”

“Well, I’m going to put an end to it now,” she declared. “You won’t disrupt our plans any further.”

Gwyneth gulped, her gaze fixed on the gun barrel. She briefly glanced at the ongoing fight in the distance, but with the overwhelming number of Dark Wolves, neither Kiran nor any of the others would reach her in time.

“Hoping to be saved?” the woman asked.

Gwyneth looked at her once more and flashed a smile, which prompted a bewildered look from the woman.

“Nah, I do the saving.”

“Not anymore, you won’t. Goodbye, Gwyn.”

Gwyneth closed her eyes, hating that she had come this far but wouldn’t make it to the end. This was it. She had fought hard, and in her final moments, she chose to reflect on the successes in her life rather than dwelling on the negatives. She hoped Kiran could still save his world now that he knew about those responsible. That thought brought her some comfort as she braced herself for the end.

However, instead of feeling a sharp pain in her body as she expected to be shot dead, she heard a piercing scream tear through the air. Gwyneth’s eyes snapped open, and she realized she was no longer staring down the barrel of the gun. She looked ahead, witnessing the gruesome sight of the woman being torn apart by the very creatures she had created.

The other scientists had started firing their weapons as well, but it was evident they had lost control over their own creations. The Dark Wolves must have followed Gwyneth and Kiran, or perhaps these “Gods” that Kiran spoke of truly existed. Whatever had brought them to the cave now had inadvertently saved Gwyneth’s life, and she smiled as she retrieved her sword and knife before rising to her feet.

The group of scientists remained surrounded further away, shooting at the wolves. However, Gwyneth noticed the gun still in the woman’s limp hand. The Dark Wolf that had been attacking her lay whimpering on the ground, and Gwyneth approached it swiftly, slicing through it. It emitted one final howl before going limp. She dropped her sword and knife and skillfully wielded the gun, picking off the scientists one by one. They fell to the ground, howling in agony.

The Dark Wolves continued their attack, and those Gwyneth hadn’t been able to eliminate on the first try, the wolves took care of. Once their prey had been dealt with, the wolves turned their attention to Gwyneth, who was prepared. She retrieved her sword and held the gun in her other hand, before she swiftly dispatched the group of wolves. After she emptied the magazine of the gun into the last wolf, she swiftly ran to another dead scientists and picked up their weapon.

She turned toward the still-simmering battle behind her, taking clear shots at The Dark Wolves, causing them to drop dead one by one until the cave fell silent, and the conflict had ended.

“Gwyn!” Kiran’s voice pierced through the quiet.

He rushed over to her, and she embraced him tightly. They shared a passionate kiss, with Kiran sporting only a minor cut on his arm.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine.”

“What happened?” he inquired, surveying the room.

“It seemed like they had no control over any of it.”

“The wolves?”

“Yes. They turned on them. But I took care of most.”

“By the Gods,” he whispered, casting a somber gaze upon the mangled bodies.

“Yeah, it isn’t pretty,” she whispered, leaning against him.

“You’re very skilled with that.” He nodded toward the gun in her hand.

“I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“I can see that,” he said, sounding genuinely impressed.

“Now what?” Gwyneth asked. “They are all dead.”

“What is that?” Kiran inquired, using his sword to point to a fabric hanging from the cave wall.