Chapter 589: Is there really no way back for you?

Jacob stared into the dim tunnel ahead, a strange sense of déjà vu creeping over him.

Another escape. Another desperate run for their lives.

The irony? This whole mess had been set in motion by none other than Sophia Hayes—the very woman he’d once risked everything to save.

Up ahead, a faint light began to glow. They were nearing the end of the tunnel.

Outside, the Angeles National Forest lay cloaked in winter’s touch. The trees were bare, their golden leaves scattered across the forest floor. A cold wind swept through, sending the brittle leaves swirling into the air like butterflies in a frantic dance.

Sunlight filtered through the branches in thin, golden threads, casting a patchwork of light and shadow across the ground.

Nathan burst out of the darkness first, blinking against the sudden brightness. He squinted, scanning the area.

“We made it out!”

“Thank God there’s nothing out here,” someone said from behind, glancing around the eerily still forest. Not a sound, not a movement—just silence.

The secretary spoke up, her voice steady but low. “I’m guessing the Mutant Vampire Zombies are still attacking our base. That probably bought us some time. We should be safe for now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” a few others chimed in, nodding, visibly relieved.

But Jacob wasn’t so sure. He kept looking around, his brow furrowed. Something felt… off.

Too quiet. Not even a mosquito buzzed in the air.

The secretary turned to Nathan. “Mr. Nathan, where do we go now?”

“Uh…” Nathan opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked lost.

They’d been so focused on getting out, he hadn’t thought about what came next.

And honestly, there wasn’t really anywhere safe left to go…

Then Jacob spoke up, his voice calm but firm. “Mr. Nathan, I don’t think you need to decide.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Nathan looked at him, confused.

Before Jacob could answer, a sudden gust of wind tore through the trees, whipping up a storm of dead leaves. The rustling grew louder, more violent, and with it came a chilling, almost tangible sense of dread.

A dark cloud drifted across the sky, blotting out the sun. In an instant, the forest was plunged into gloom.

Figures began to emerge from between the trees—pale-skinned, expressionless, radiating a cold, murderous aura.

More and more of them appeared, closing in from the front, the sides, everywhere. They were surrounded.

It was a trap. These things had been waiting here all along.

“You’ve got nowhere to run, do you? I can help with that.”

The voice was cool, almost amused, but laced with a twisted excitement.

Nathan spun around.

A woman stepped forward from the shadows, cloaked in black. Her skin was ghostly pale, making her crimson lips and striking features stand out even more. She was beautiful—hauntingly so—and she wore a faint, wicked smile.

“Sophia!”

Nathan’s heart dropped. His whole body tensed, and he instinctively stumbled back a couple steps.

She was really here.

Sophia’s smile widened, her tone playful. “No, not Sophia. You can call me Scarlet Moon now.”

Nathan’s eyes went wide, like he’d just swallowed a mouthful of poison.

Behind him, the rest of the execs were frozen in shock and fear.

“Wait… that’s her?”

“She looks completely different… terrifying.”

“We’re screwed. She’s got us surrounded.”

“God help us…”

“…”

Sophia didn’t seem the least bit surprised by everyone’s reaction. If anything, it looked like she’d expected it all.

“You all seem to forget,” she said with a cool smile, “I used to be part of Genesis Biotech too. I know this place like the back of my hand. And if I’m not mistaken…” Her eyes flicked toward Jacob. “The escape plan—that was your idea, wasn’t it?”

Jacob’s pupils shrank.

Shit.

She didn’t just know the terrain—she knew them. Knew how they thought. She could predict their next move like she was reading from a script.

“S-So… Sophia,” Jacob stammered, trying to keep his voice steady, “you remember I saved your life once, right?”

“Oh, I remember,” she said, her smile never wavering. “Of course I do. You were my most trusted right hand. That’s why…” Her voice dropped, almost tender. “I’m going to bring you back. You’ll join The Vampire Race and serve under me again.”

Jacob clenched his jaw, his face tightening.

She still had her memories, sure—but she wasn’t the same person. Not even close. Whatever humanity she once had was long gone. Appealing to the past was useless now.

Sophia’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. Her voice rose, charged with manic energy.

“Everything I lost—I’m taking it all back. I will become the ruler of this entire region!”

“RAAAHHH—!”

The vampires around her let out a savage roar, their veins bulging, faces twisting into monstrous snarls. They were shifting into full combat mode.

The humans froze, terror gripping their hearts. Some looked like their souls were about to flee their bodies.

“Oh God—they’re coming!”

“Stop them! Do something!”

Panic erupted.

Several Awakeners stepped forward, activating their powers. Bursts of light and energy surged through the forest. The ground trembled as walls of ice and stone shot up, while fireballs and ice spears flew through the air.

But it wasn’t enough.

They were too weak—outdated, even. The apocalypse had evolved, and they hadn’t kept up.

Their attacks barely scratched the vampires. Ice walls shattered under brute force. Fireballs fizzled out against their thick hides. Even when a spear hit, it left only a shallow wound that healed in seconds.

Sophia watched the chaos unfold, shaking her head with a sigh. “Still so weak. I told you, Nathan—without progress, you were always going to be wiped out.”

She was done warning him. Now, she was going to show him.

The mutant vampire zombies tore through the defenses like wolves through a flock of sheep. They pounced, dragging people to the ground, tearing into flesh with claws and fangs.

Screams ripped through the forest.

Blood sprayed. Limbs flew. The forest floor turned into a slaughterhouse.

Nathan stood frozen, eyes wide, his mind blank with horror. He hadn’t seen this kind of carnage before—not up close. He’d spent too long coasting, hiding behind others. Now, the reality of the apocalypse hit him like a punch to the gut.

He doubled over and vomited.

“Mr. Nathan! Move!” Jacob shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

He unleashed a wave of psychic energy, forming a barrage of mental spikes that pierced through the vampires’ skulls, dropping them in clusters.

His S-rank power gave him a fighting chance—for now.

“Oh—right!” Nathan snapped out of it and scrambled to his feet, running toward the side as Jacob covered him.

But there were too many of them.

Some of the vampires were A-rank, even A+—the elite. Even after taking a psychic hit, they got back up, snarling, eyes glowing with bloodlust.

Jacob was holding the line, but barely. He was one man against a tide of monsters.

He gritted his teeth, refusing to back down.

Then a voice, cold and sharp, whispered in his ear.

“Stop struggling. It’s pointless.”

A clawed hand, like a steel hook, slashed toward his face.

Jacob’s instincts kicked in—he ducked and stumbled back, barely dodging the strike. He staggered a few steps before regaining his balance.

He looked up—and there she was.

Sophia.

She’d joined the fight herself.

And more vampires were closing in, surrounding them completely. There was no way out.

Nathan stared at the advancing monsters, his legs shaking uncontrollably. For the first time, he truly felt what it meant to be hopeless in the apocalypse.

He looked at Sophia—her face still familiar, but twisted by something dark and inhuman.

His chest tightened.

“Sophia… is there really no way back for you?”

…