Ava flickered weakly in the recesses of my mind, her energy still recovering from our ordeal. I could feel the weight of despair pressing down on me as I gazed at Claude, crumpled on the floor, blood pooling around him. His fate was uncertain, and I feared I might join him soon. Alpha Rambo loomed before us, a twisted smile spreading across his face as he injected himself with yet another vial of that cursed potion.

Each time the needle pierced his skin, I could see the power coursing through him, swelling like a dark storm. My heart raced as I felt the grip of hopelessness tightening around my throat,...