Deiv walked deeper into the dark labyrinth.

  The colossal corridors stretched endlessly before him, bathed in a strange flickering light that seemed to pulse from the walls. The air was thick with a foreign, unsettling odor — a mix of metal, blood, and something alive.

  Hundreds... no, thousands of them.

  He saw them everywhere. They walked, spoke, did things — they were organized.

  But the strangest thing of all? He could understand them.

  The voices of the parasites echoed in his head, as if transmitted on an unknown frequency.

  — "I killed fifteen last night. How about you?"

  — "Forty-two."

  — "Pfft, you were just closer to the crowd."

  Deiv froze.

  ?I... can hear them??

  So, the infection had tuned his brain into their frequency?

  — "Who are you?"

  A group of parasites noticed him. They approached, their eyes burning with strange curiosity.

  They were nearly his height.

  But they knew he was different.

  The largest among them stepped forward.

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  — "Why are you silent?"

  Deiv didn't answer.

  He couldn't.

  His body wouldn't obey him.

  The other parasites began hissing, irritated by his silence.

  — "Is he mute?"

  — "Or deaf?"

  The leader narrowed his eyes and then understood.

  — "You can't speak because you don't control your body right?."

  Deiv's insides trembled.

  ?He understood?!?

  The leader grabbed him by the shoulder.

  — "Come on."

  He led Deiv down the corridor.

  — "The newbie, huh? Let me explain everything."

  Deiv couldn't resist.

  He walked into the unknown.

  —"We are parasites."

  The voice of the main parasite sounded calm, as if he were explaining something obvious.

  —"We are creations of the Almighty. He created us... but why, no one knows. We simply carry out His will."

  Deiv wanted to scream.

  —The Almighty?! What Almighty?! Why did He decide to destroy humanity?!

  But his body still wouldn't obey.

  The main parasite continued calmly, as if this were an ordinary thing:

  —"Today we worked well. Almost the entire globe is already under our control."

  Inside, Deiv froze.

  —?Wha... what?!?

  —?They're... not just here? They're... everywhere?!?

  —?So, the world is already...?

  He couldn't even tremble in fear—his body was completely alien.

  —"Hm... and who is this?"

  Deiv heard a new voice.

  A parasite woman approached.

  Her body was just as black and smooth as the others, but more flexible, and her movements—quick and confident. Her dark red eyes studied him intently.

  —"Newcomer," replied the main parasite. "But strange. Doesn't speak. And moves... not how he's supposed to."

  She tilted her head, never taking her eyes off him.

  —"Since you're new, you should introduce yourself."

  —?"I don't care. I don't want to know your names. I want to kill you all.?

  —"My name is Alagana. I'm the head of this base."

  She gave him a careful look and then suddenly smirked.

  —"Impressive. On your first day, you killed 15... no, 19 people."

  —?...What?!?

  —"Great result."

  —?Are you... kidding me?!?

  Everything inside him boiled with hatred.

  The main parasite nodded.

  —"Yeah, not many can kill that many so quickly. He clearly isn't afraid of blood."

  —?I didn't want this! It's not me!?

  Alagana seemed pleased.

  —"I hope you'll continue to impress me with your success in raids."

  She turned and left.

  Deiv felt his rage and despair tearing him apart.

  —?What the hell...?

  —?I need to get out.?

  —?I need to stop them.?

  —?But how??