Chapter 5 MEETING A HUNTER 5.

The sound of anguish filled the air as the terrified passengers scrambled to escape the invading animals that had found their way into the train. Chaos ensued as people trampled over each other in a desperate bid for survival, their screams blending with the cries of those being mercilessly slaughtered.

Through the pandemonium, Kaylee spotted Andrew and rushed towards him. She urgently called out his name, her voice filled with fear and desperation. An animal was now charging towards Andrew, threatening their lives.

"It's coming! We need to go!" Kaylee exclaimed, grabbing Andrew's hand.

But James interjected, firmly gripping Andrew's hand. "Listen to me! I can't do it."

"Dad, no!" Andrew pleaded.

"I'll only slow you down, Andrew. Take Bethany and get out of here," James said, determination etched on his face. "Protect her with everything you have. That's the least you owe me for looking after you all these years."

"Dad," Andrew choked out, his voice filled with anguish.

"You're stronger than you think. Find your father and put an end to whatever is causing this," James insisted, pushing Andrew away. "Go now!"

"Dad!" Bethany cried out, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Let's go!" Andrew shouted, gripping Bethany's hand.

"We can't leave him behind!" Bethany protested.

"We can't take him with us!" Andrew argued, torn between his love for his father and his responsibility to keep Bethany safe.

"You're insane if you think I'm leaving him," Bethany declared, pulling away from Andrew's grip and rushing back towards their father. "Come on, Dad," she pleaded, her voice breaking.

"We don't have time," Andrew pleaded, his heart breaking at the sight of his father's sacrifice.

"No, I'm not leaving you, Dad," Bethany sobbed, her hands trembling.

"Go with your brother, please. You have to be safe. You have to. I love you, Betty," James whispered, his voice filled with love and anguish.

"No, please," Bethany pleaded one last time, her heart breaking.

"Andrew?" James called out, his voice weak. Andrew turned to face his father, tears streaming down his face. James nodded, a faint smile on his lips, and Andrew understood. He gripped Bethany's hand, pulling her away from their father.

"Dad!" Bethany called out, her voice filled with grief and desperation.

"Let's go!" Andrew shouted, leading Bethany as they ran towards another car in the train. Kaylee followed closely behind.

"The door! Get the door!" a woman shouted, and Andrew rushed to shut the door.

Through the transparent door, he witnessed the carnage unfolding. People were being slaughtered, their lives mercilessly taken away. His gaze shifted towards where his father sat, still wearing a smile, before an animal's claw tore through his face, releasing a torrent of blood.

Bethany collapsed to the ground, her body wracked with sobs as she witnessed her father's gruesome death. Andrew knelt down beside her, his heart breaking. But before he could comfort her, an animal lunged at the door, threatening to break through.

"Bethany?!" Andrew called out, panic rising in his voice as he pulled her up from the ground.

"Hold the door!" a lady shouted, but fear had paralyzed the other passengers.

With a powerful blow, the animal cracked the door, causing chaos to erupt within the train car. Sensing the imminent danger, Andrew grabbed Bethany's hand, shouting, "Bethany, come! Kaylee!"

In a matter of moments, the door shattered, allowing the animals to flood into the train car. Andrew, Bethany, and Kaylee closed in on a door until, an animal blocked their path.

"oh God,"Andrew whispered and unexpectedly, a figure crashed through a shattered window. It was the woman who had saved Andrew before.

Without hesitation, she kicked one of the animals, swiftly climbing onto its back. With a swift, deadly strike, she plunged her dagger into its neck. Andrew and Bethany stared at her in astonishment.

The woman approached with a calm yet determined expression, grabbing Andrew's arm and pulling him out of the train, with Bethany not far behind. As they landed on the roof of the train, Andrew reached out his hand towards Kaylee, but it was too late, she was already gone, torn apart by the relentless creatures.

"Nooo!!!" Andrew shouted, his desperate hands extended towards Kaylee as the animal snarled at him menacingly. The woman grabbed him, pulling him away from the horrors unfolding before them.

His body collided with the unforgiving ground, pain radiating through him. As he struggled to stand, he realized the woman at his side was the same one who had saved him before. Confusion and worry filled him.

"What just happened? Where's..." Andrew looked around frantically, searching for Bethany.

A thud by his side caught his attention. It was Bethany, exhausted and unconscious. Frowning, he quickly rushed to her side, voice filled with annoyance, "You didn't have to drop her like that!"

"She's not involved. You know what to do with her," the person who had dropped Bethany stated before leaving them.

Andrew turned to the woman, filled with questions. "Who was that? Who are you? What is happening?"

She looked at them both, her gaze considering and silent.

"Say something!" Andrew implored, growing frustrated.

"If you want to live, come with me," she finally spoke, her voice firm and commanding.

"What gives you the right to order me around?" Andrew snapped, but the woman showed no sign of stopping or acknowledging his outburst.

Seeing no other alternative, Andrew lifted the still-unconscious Bethany into his arms and followed the woman, their journey into the unknown beginning once again.

***

Meanwhile, in the sinister world of the werewolves, Marcus, their leader, learned of the hybrid's capture.

"You're telling me the vampires have the hybrid?" Marcus questioned, his voice filled with malicious glee.

"We will retrieve him, my Lord," one of his subordinates assured him.

Marcus let out a wicked cackle. "This is a dangerous game they want to play. Call Lucinda," he commanded.

In no time, a beautiful brunette girl named Lucinda entered the room, bowing respectfully.

"My Lord," she greeted with reverence.

"I have a mission for you, Lucinda. Gather an army. We are going to war," Marcus declared, his voice dripping with anticipation.

***

In the depths of the forest, Andrew laid Bethany down and rushed to the nearby lake to fetch water, while the woman calmly observed.

"You'll die soon if you keep pushing yourself like this," she warned, her tone filled with detached concern.

"Why do you care?" Andrew retorted upon his return, frustration lacing his voice.

"I saved your life," she replied simply.

"Am I supposed to be grateful?" Andrew questioned, his anger simmering.

"You don't know me, and yet you followed me," she pointed out, her face stoic.

"Because I didn't have a choice! Kaylee is dead because of you!" Andrew's voice trembled with grief and accusation.

"Why is that?" the woman inquired, her eyes searching his.

"You could have helped her!" Andrew exclaimed, anguish punctuating his words.

"The Lycans had her. There was nothing I could do," the woman explained, a hint of sorrow in her voice. "Believe me, I tried."

"You could have thought of something!" Andrew protested, his voice breaking.

"Andrew!" The woman's sudden outburst startled him, silencing his protest. "This is a game of life and death. You have a choice, but don't make a mistake."

Andrew stammered, searching for words. "How...how do you know my name?"

"It's a long story. Right now, we need to focus on survival. We're leaving," she declared, her voice filled with determination.

"Where are you taking us?" Bethany, who had just regained consciousness, questioned cautiously.

"Away from harm's way," the woman responded cryptically.

"Harm's way? You appear out of nowhere, asking us to follow you without any explanation," Bethany argued, her voice laced with skepticism.

"I want him," the woman clarified, gesturing towards Andrew. "Not you."

"Well, screw you! My father is dead, everyone is. And you're expecting us to blindly follow you without any explanation?" Bethany retorted angrily.

"The less you know, the better off you'll be," came her cryptic reply.

"To hell with that! I can't handle the horrors I've witnessed. I won't have any peace of mind for days," Bethany exclaimed, frustration evident in her voice.

"Listen!" the person exclaimed, attempting to regain control of the situation.

"No, you listen to me!" Bethany pointed at her, asserting herself.

"Bethany," Andrew interjected, trying to defuse the tension.

"If you truly wanted to save us, you could have saved my dad. And what about Kaylee? You had the opportunity to save her, but you didn't," Bethany accused, her voice filled with anguish.

"Listen to me!" the person thundered, startling both Bethany and Andrew. "My mission is not to rescue clueless mortals. I have a mission to protect the hybrid, and you are nothing but an obstacle I am reluctantly tolerating. So, don't make me reconsider," she warned, turning to leave.

"Which hybrid?" Andrew questioned, desperately seeking answers.

"You," she replied, continuing to walk away without stopping or acknowledging him.

"This is insane," Bethany muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Let's go," Andrew said firmly, determination evident in his voice.

"With her? We don't even know her," Bethany argued, still hesitant.

"We don't know anyone right now. She saved us, and we have no other options. We have to trust her and follow. Come on," Andrew reasoned, running after the mysterious woman. Bethany let out a frustrated sigh, clenching her fists before reluctantly following suit.