The vibration rolled through the city again.
Low.
Deep.
Like sothing enormous dragging itself across the bones of the earth.
Elena Voss stood in the broken street, staring toward the horizon where the ruined highway vanished into gray dust.
The sound ca from far away.
But it was getting closer.
Beside her, the guardian creature slowly straightened, his glowing yellow eyes scanning the empty skyline.
“It’s moving fast,” he muttered.
Elena wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold despite the daylight.
“What is it?”
The guardian didn’t answer imdiately.
He listened.
The ground trembled again.
A long crack split across the asphalt nearby.
Dust spilled into the gap as the earth shifted beneath their feet.
Then he spoke.
“A seeker.”
Elena frowned.
“A what?”
He turned toward her, his voice heavy.
“When the door opens... even a little... sothing always cos looking for it.”
Another distant tremor rolled across the city.
This one stronger.
Elena looked toward the endless ruins beyond the skyline.
“You an it’s coming for the door?”
The guardian nodded.
“And you are the door.”
A cold knot ford in Elena’s stomach.
She touched the faint scar on her chest again.
The crooked eye mark was gone.
But she could still feel sothing beneath the skin.
Quiet.
Waiting.
“How strong is it?” she asked.
The guardian’s expression darkened.
“Strong enough that the hunter left.”
Elena’s eyes widened.
“The hunter was afraid of it?”
“No,” the guardian said softly.
“It knows what seekers do.”
Another tremor shook the street.
This ti a distant building collapsed sowhere beyond the city blocks.
Concrete thunder echoed through the ruins.
Elena whispered, “What do they do?”
The guardian looked toward the horizon again.
“They test the door.”
Elena felt her pulse quicken.
“And if it opens?”
The creature’s claws flexed slowly.
“Then everything behind it cos through.”
The wind suddenly changed direction.
A powerful gust rushed through the empty streets, swirling dust and broken paper into the air.
Sothing massive moved far beyond the skyline.
For a mont the gray clouds above the city shifted strangely.
Like a shadow passing beneath them.
Elena stared upward.
“What was that?”
The guardian’s ears flattened.
“No...”
Another shadow passed across the sky.
Bigger this ti.
The clouds tore apart as sothing enormous descended through them.
Elena’s breath stopped.
High above the ruined city, a colossal shape unfolded from the storm clouds.
Its wings stretched across half the sky.
Bone-white feathers.
Endless.
Each wingbeat sent hurricane winds crashing through the buildings below.
The creature circled slowly above the city.
Watching.
Hunting.
Its glowing silver eyes locked onto the broken street where Elena stood.
The guardian creature stepped in front of her imdiately.
“Elena... run.”
She couldn’t move.
Her voice ca out as a whisper.
“That’s the seeker?”
The guardian nodded grimly.
“Yes.”
The giant winged creature scread.
The sound ripped across the sky like tearing tal.
Windows exploded across the city.
Streets cracked.
Zombies hiding in the ruins scattered in blind terror.
The colossal bird-like monster began descending slowly from the clouds.
Straight toward Elena.
Its voice echoed across the entire city in a strange, inhuman tone.
Keeper...
Elena’s blood turned cold.
Because the creature wasn’t hunting blindly.
It knew exactly who she was.
And now it had co to see if the door would open again.
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