Novels by Andreas

Diego gripped Alina’s hand, pulling her toward the shadowed exit of the gym."We can't stay here," Diego whispered, his eyes scanning the whispering crowd. "The longer we wait, the more attention we draw. Those thugs are already talking to the other Rankers.""Where are we going?" Alina asked, her voice trembling as she struggled to keep her footing. "You said the streets are crawling with monsters. How are we supposed to survive out there?""I know, but staying here is a slow death sentence," Diego said, looking down at the small boy between them. "Mikha, keep your head down and stay close to me. Don't let go of your sister's hand.""I'm ready, Diego," Mikhail whispered, clutching his blue backpack tightly to his chest. "I won't make a sound."They slipped through the heavy metal double doors, entering the school's quiet maintenance hallway. The scent of dust and old wax filled the air, a stark contrast to the copper stench of the gymnasium."There's an auto-shop wing on this side of

"Diego, wait," Alina gasped, her voice a fragile sliver of sound. She stumbled, her hands flying to her face as if to block out a sudden, blinding light. "Diego, my eyes. They’re... they’re burning again.""What?" Diego turned, instantly alert. He grabbed her shoulder to steady her. "Is it the fever? Did the mana stabilizer wear off already?""No, it’s not the fever," she whispered, her voice trembling as she slowly pulled her hands away from her face.Diego leaned in close, his heart skipping a beat. Her eyes were wide, the pupils dilated to the very edge of her irises, reflecting a faint, unnatural violet-black sheen."Diego... what is that?" she asked, her voice cracking with sudden panic."What is what?" Diego asked, looking around the dim gym. "The red screen? It’s just the World Boss notification. It’s gone now.""No, not the screen," Alina said, pointing a shaking finger directly at his chest. "That line on you. Right there on your neck.""There’s nothing on my neck, Alina," Di

"Diego, stay with me! Don’t you dare close your eyes!" Alina’s voice was a sharp, frantic vibration against his chest as she dragged him through the dim, ash-choked streets of the North Sector."I’m trying," Diego muttered, his boots scraping uselessly against the cracked pavement. "My head feels like it’s vibrating at a thousand miles an hour. The Screamer’s pulse... it scrambled my inner ear.""We couldn't stay in that basement," Alina said, her shoulder digging into his side as she supported his weight. "The black mist you suppressed... it started pooling again after you went under. It was eating through the concrete. And the smell of that dead monster was going to draw every predator in a five-block radius.""Alina, my legs are tired," Mikhail whimpered, jog-walking to keep up while clutching his blue backpack to his chest. "Are we almost there?""Just a little further, Mikha," Alina panted, her face slick with sweat. "Look ahead. There’s a wire fence. Those are school buildings,

"Get back, Mikha!" Diego screamed, pulling the boy behind the heavy steel pillar. "Keep your hands over your ears and do not look up!""Diego, what's happening?" Mikhail sobbed, clutching his blue backpack tightly. "The metal is shaking so hard!""I know, buddy! Just hold on to me!" Diego yelled back, his eyes locked on the ceiling.CRASH.Above them, the reinforced glass windows of the upper loading bay shattered into a million pieces, showering the concrete stairs with razor-sharp shards as the wind began to howl through the building."Ah!" Alina gasped, jolting upright from the sleeping bag on the floor. Her eyes snapped open, wide and bloodshot. "What... where am I? Diego? Why does my head feel like it's burning?""Alina! Thank god you're awake!" Diego shouted, sprinting to her side and pulling her to her feet. "Can you stand? Can you run?""I think so, but my mind is so foggy," she muttered, stumbling slightly. "What did you do to me? What was that needle?""It was a stabilizer!

"Diego?" Mikhail’s voice was barely a whisper. "What’s that noise?"Diego didn't answer immediately. He slowly slid off the steel crate, his boots making a soft, dry scrape against the concrete. He pressed a single finger to his lips, gesturing toward the sleeping form of Alina. "Shh. Stay here, Mikha. Keep an eye on your sister.""Is it... is it the monsters again?" Mikhail asked, his small fingers hooking into the fabric of his blue backpack."I don't know yet," Diego murmured. He walked over to the corner of the basement where the old security monitor sat. The screen flickered with heavy static, but it showed a black-and-white feed of the concrete stairs leading down from the loading bay.There were people out there. Five of them.BAM! BAM! BAM!The heavy metal door of the basement rattled violently on its hinges."Hey! Open up!" a harsh, raspy voice shouted through the intercom speaker. "We saw the lights! We know someone is down there!"Diego reached out and pressed the talk butt

"Just a little further!" Diego yelled, his voice strained as he pushed open the heavy security door at the back of the commercial warehouse. "Get inside! Quick!""I'm trying!" Alina panted, her arms wrapped tightly around Mikhail as she practically dragged him over the threshold. "He's exhausted, Diego! He can't run anymore!""I've got him," Diego said, reaching down to scoop the boy up. "Come on, step through. I need to lock this down."He slammed the heavy steel door shut, the metal-on-metal clang echoing like a gunshot in the dimly lit loading bay. He threw the heavy deadbolt, then slid two thick iron bars across the frame."Are we safe?" Mikhail whimpered, burying his face in Diego’s shoulder. "Is the purple sky gone?""It’s gone for now, buddy," Diego murmured, setting him down gently. "We're inside. Nobody is getting through this door."Alina leaned against the concrete wall, her chest heaving as she gripped her knees. "Is this your safehouse? It looks like a abandoned shipping