Jace Walter never lived a perfect life with his family, all because they were trapped in poverty. But even at that, life still held meaning for him.It was 12 years ago, July 17, 1998, his birthday.On that day, Jace had just turned 12, and he was playing outside with his 7 year old sister, Emily. They laughed and chased each other in the sun, enjoying a rare moment of joy that didn't last. It was Emily who saw the chaos from above and pointed toward the sky.At first, the sky had been bright and blue. But suddenly, it became dark. Black as though night had fallen too soon.Something massive tore through the clouds, slamming into the city with devastating force, tearing buildings apart as if they were paper.The chaos threw Jace across the ground, knocking him unconscious. But hours later, he opened his eyes, miraculously alive. He found himself buried under a broken concrete and twisted metal. He struggled free, and searched desperately, only to find his younger sister's body, motio

The sun rose over the horizon, casting pale light across the ruins. The city was in complete silence. No movement, no crawling shadows, no scream, not even the wind. It was the kind of quiet that made every breath feel too loud.From the rooftop where Jace had waited all night, he scanned the streets below. For hours, he had not seen any movement. The horror that stalked him had vanished with the dawn."Looks like these monsters are scared of the sun." He muttered. But even as said it, he didn't trust the peace. The voice of Lord Malvoryn still rang in his head like poison: Bring her to the alter. Bring her screaming. Her blood is the key, her heart the candle, her soul the offering.Jace had thought about turning back after losing his squad, after losing Jones. He could've cut his losses, crossed back over the broken bridge, and left this nightmare behind. But that would make him the same boy who had lost his family all those years ago. Weak, afraid and powerless. But not this time.

The sound of each footstep was driving Jace crazy."Enough!" Jace roared, firing a bullet into the darkness.The bullet cracked through the night and vanished into the air as if swallowed by nothing.Silence came back, and a single high and childish giggle, echoed from the right-hand part.Jace's gut twisted, but he forced himself to the left instead, heading into the suffocating darkness.Into the dark, his flashlight beam fought against it, barely reaching a few feet ahead. And every step he took, sounded as if they weren't his as the walls closed in.He went further into the dark, until a young woman who looked like Ana appeared.She stood at the end of a corridor, barefooted. Her hair hanging wild with pale dress soaked with something dark.Her eyes turned to Jace, glimmering with recognition as if she knew him well."Jace..." she whispered.Relief came too easily, and in that instant, he knew something was wrong.Her voice trembled, soft and pleading. "Help me."Jace raised his w

The voice echoed again, thin and sweet, like a child lost in the dark."Help me... please..."Jace's gut screamed trap, because the tone sounded as if it was calling on purpose. It didn't sound like the panicked cry of a trapped child, it sounded like a bait.Ana suddenly, Ana held Jace's arm tightly, trembling. "It's... it's a kid," she whispered, her voice breaking."No, Ana," He said sharply. "That's not a child."The creeping sound grew louder as Jace's flashlight, caught the long limbs of a monster with shiny skin, gleaming like black tar. It's face looked shadowy, twisted with a childlike smile, it's eyes were empty holes, and from it's mouth spilled that same innocent plea."Help me..."Ana tried not to scream and stumbled away.The monster lunged forward, Jace fired immediately. The shot punched into it's chest, spraying dark fluid against the stone.The monster shrieked like a metal tearing apart, before it's limbs lashed forward, smashing into the wall where Ana had been a m