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CHAPTER 111 — THE HUNTED
Author: Micci
last update2025-12-24 18:58:40

Someone was calling my name. The voice sounded distant, muffled—like hearing someone speak underwater.

*"Kae... Kae, wake up..."*

It reminded me of mornings in the Sphere. Of Cent shaking my shoulder when he needed help with one of his inventions. Of Vivi poking my face until I opened my eyes to answer whatever question she'd thought of in the middle of the night.

Cent and Vivi.

The thought of them—the memory of their faces—pulled me up from the darkness.

My eyes opened slowly. Blurred shapes resolved into a ceiling. Stone, reinforced with those organic vines I'd seen throughout the underground city. Dim lighting from bioluminescent fixtures.

I turned my head, wincing at the stiffness in my neck. People surrounded my bed. Katseye sat closest, her eyes red-rimmed like she'd been crying.

When she noticed my eyes open, she leaned forward quickly. "Kae? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

I tried to speak. My throat was desert-dry. Managed a whisper: "What... what's going on?"

"You'r
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  • CHAPTER 135 — INTO THE BLOOM

    The winged mutant banked hard as three smaller creatures dove at us from above."Hold on!" Casimir shouted.I dug my fingers deeper into the wing joint. The mutant rolled, presenting its armored back to the attackers. Claws scraped against its plates but didn't penetrate."They're coordinating!" I called out. "They know we're heading for the hive!"Another wave came from below. Four of them this time. The winged mutant couldn't dodge them all. One latched onto its tail. Another grabbed a wing."We need to fight back!" Casimir pulled his knife. "Can you reach that one on the tail?"I shifted my grip. Swung myself around until I could see the mutant clinging to our ride's tail. It was smaller—third wave, maybe—but its claws were embedded deep.I let go with one hand. Pulled my venom fang knife. Threw it.The blade caught the mutant in the throat. It convulsed as the venom spread, then fell away into the toxic fog below."One down!" I grabbed the wing joint again before I could fall.Cas

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