The special forces soldier left.

  Deiv remained.

  He sat by the graves, motionless, like a stone statue frozen in time. Days passed. Time lost its meaning. Hunger no longer mattered. He simply existed.

  But one day, he rose to his feet.

  He stepped forward—uncertain, chaotic.

  Where to go?

  What to do now?

  He didn’t know.

  But then… a thought.

  The soldier.

  That man… He could have tried to kill him, but he didn’t. More than that, he lied, saying that Deiv had left.

  Why?

  Because he saw not a monster but a person?

  Deiv didn’t know.

  But with that thought, he kept moving.

  He wandered for weeks.

  Borders lost meaning. Forests turned into ruined cities, and cities into nothing but destruction.

  That’s how he ended up deep in Russia.

  And one day, during another aimless journey, he saw them.

  A small family.

  A father.

  A mother.

  Two children.

  Scared. Exhausted.

  They were looking for shelter. Maybe their village had already fallen to the parasites.

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  Deiv watched them. He followed them unseen.

  He didn’t know why.

  But he couldn’t leave them.

  Night.

  They walked, stumbling, when the shadows came for them.

  Three of them.

  Parasites.

  Confident. Insatiable.

  They moved slowly, savoring the fear.

  — Well, what do we have here… — one of them hissed.

  — Pathetic prey, — the second one giggled, tilting its head.

  — Maybe we should play first? — the third one sneered, licking its lips.

  The father pulled out a gun.

  A shot.

  Precise.

  The parasite jerked, collapsed backward.

  But…

  Soon, its chest was unscathed.

  They laughed.

  The mother clutched her children.

  — Run! — she screamed, but the parasites had already encircled them.

  They knew this was the end.

  But then—

  A blur of movement.

  A crack.

  A scream.

  Deiv crashed into the first parasite like a battering ram. It flew through the air, smashing into trees, bones shattering like dry twigs.

  Three became two.

  The father froze.

  The mother clung to the children.

  A new monster…

  But the parasites recognized him.

  It was him.

  The one Alagana spoke of.

  Fear.

  But there were two of them.

  They couldn’t lose.

  They lunged at him together.

  Claws slashed through the air, cutting through emptiness.

  But he was faster.

  Two strikes.

  Dull. Sharp.

  Two bodies collapsed into the dirt.

  Blood seeped into the ground, soaking into it like rust into metal.

  Deiv turned.

  The father.

  The mother.

  The children.

  They were afraid.

  He sighed.

  — Are you alright?

  They didn’t answer.

  They just stared at him in terror.

  Only one of the children dared to ask:

  — Who are you, mister?

  — It doesn’t matter.

  Deiv shifted his gaze to the parents.

  — I understand your fear. It’s normal.

  The father swallowed hard.

  — Can we… leave?

  — Of course.

  Deiv looked away.

  — Do you have a place to hide?

  The father lowered his head.

  — Not yet… We’re looking…

  — I see.

  He turned and walked away.

  But…

  He couldn’t just leave them.

  He stayed at the edge of the shadows, following them unseen.

  The father looked at his wife.

  — Are the kids okay?

  — Yes… — she whispered. — But what was that?

  — He… speaks. And he saved us… But why?

  The father looked into the night.

  — I don’t know.

  He took a deep breath.

  — But… I’m grateful. I didn’t even say thank you.

  Hearing this, Deiv only whispered softly in response:

  — You’re always welcome…

  Important Announcement

  I want to apologize to my readers in advance—the writing style of the novel will be changing. This is my first work, and I’m still learning the writing process. Over time, I may adjust my approach, experiment with new methods, and improve the text. I hope for your understanding and support. Thank you for reading.