Echoes of Terror

Horrors rose like mist in the hungry gazes of the lions. No matter how fit, humans were no match for their raw speed, especially not in this crushing fatigue.

On top of that, mutations and rampaging circumstances cause the apex predator's hierarchy to fall apart. Whether alpha or not, all danced to the drums of their own bloodlust, a final waltz before oblivion.

Dust choked the air, a bitter taste on trembling tongues, as humans scrambled for refuge, the lions' guttural growls a grisly counterpoint to their ragged gasps.

Chaos unraveled like a frayed rope, the ground shuddering with a tremor of panic that mimicked the earth's low-magnitude rattle. Asian tongues, pleading for salvation, were drowned out by the gnashing symphony of lion jaws, and the groans of injured souls painted a macabre soundtrack in the suffocating dark.

"Please… someone… anyone…,"

"Why? Why us? What did we do?"

"It's over… we're all finished…,"

"Aaak! D-Don't. Don't come near me...,"

Whispers bled into choked sobs, each a desperate plea swallowed by the vast indifference of the night. Eyes vacant with acceptance, mirrored the fading glow of defiance in the waning starlight. Isolation gnawed at them, a cold serpent coiling around their hearts, each gasping breath a tiny echo in the oppressive silence.

Soon, several spots began to spark with flames from torch fragments, illuminating the inhumane event in the empty forest.

"Don't look back! Keep running even if you run out of breath!" Zephyr called out to his group on the back in a hoarse voice. He knew that the others would falter if they saw the frenzy of how ferociously the lions were rampaging in such an amok state.

Where torn fragments of humanity lay scattered, mute testimonies to the lion's savage fury. The sight, worse than any sterile precision of terraforming, was a visceral poem of pain etched in flesh and bone.

Thud!

A snap, sharp and brittle, pierced the desperate rhythm of their flight. Zephyr's feet faltered, a knot of dread twisting in his gut. It had come from behind, close enough to send chills down his spine. He looked back only to find Jae-Sik sprawled on the grassy ground, a grimace contorting his features.

Hope, already a flickering candle in the wind, sputtered and died in the eyes of Jae-Ya, Jae-Mi, and Jae-Suk.

Young-Jae's gasp caught in his throat, his blood running ice cold.

They all saw it.

Emerging from the darkness like a demon conjured from their worst nightmares, was a monster. A lion, its mane caked in crimson, its teeth gleaming like jagged blades, charged with a roar that ripped through the night. Its eyes, twin orbs of primal hunger, locked onto them.

Zephyr tightened his grip on his two kitchen knives and clenched his teeth, preparing to fight. However, the one in front of him was a big, fuming lion. If he was in the same shape as in the previous timeline, taking care of such a king of the jungle would be a piece of cake. But now? In a battered condition? That was courting death.

Meanwhile, Jae-Sik gritted his teeth, sweat pricking his eyes, but his right leg screamed at him with every flinch. He'd landed like a sack of potatoes in the panic, ankle-wrenched to hell. Every panicked yelp, swallowed behind his lips, echoed in the dread of his siblings' expressions. One look at Young-Jae, eyes wide with terror, told him what lurked behind.

His throat burned, pleading to scream for help, but he choked it back. He knew the score. One whimper and those kids would be scrambling to hold him up, dooming themselves alongside him. He'd lived for their safety, not to be the chain that held them back from escaping.

"Mr. Quinn! Please, get them out of here!" Jae-Sik's voice cracked, tears hot against his cheeks, blurring the image of his siblings' faces. He knew his fate would end, but the fire of protecting his family blazed brightly. He remembered promise-filled birthdays, scraped knees mended with kisses, shared dreams whispered under starry skies.

Now, the weight of those memories pressed down on him, a shield he'd gladly take against the fangs and claws of destiny. Gripping the kitchen knife like a lifeline, he stared down the approaching lion, defiance shimmering in his eyes.

Zephyr's eyes widened like someone who was shocked, but in fact, they weren't. He thoroughly assessed the situation and made a decision straight away. He threw two kitchen knives from both hands, sending them straight through the air with adequate accuracy. One grazed the lion's flank, drawing a snarling hiss, while the other embedded itself in the nearby ground. Ignoring the beast's enraged roar, Zephyr lunged for Jae-Ya, who stood rigid in fright.

In one swift motion, Zephyr scooped Jae-Ya onto his shoulder, her legs kicking in the air. "Young-Jae! Grab the kids and run forward. Now!!" he bellowed, his voice cracking with raw urgency.

Young-Jae, jolted from his fear, abandoned his own weapon and grabbed Jae-Mi and Jae-Suk with iron fists. Without a backward glance, he forced the two to run away with him. Their legs pumped like pistons on the grassy ground.

The lion's eyes turned ruby red and aimed at the escaping targets. But its bloodlust was bound to Jae-Sik, who was struggling on the ground while swinging a kitchen knife clumsily.

Jae-Sik didn't fluster in the slightest because he was relieved to know that his three younger siblings were gone. With a terrified face, he screamed with his hands shaking, trying to disarray the immense fear in his head.

A guttural roar ripped through the air as the lion launched itself, jaws gaping wide, dripping gore from its recent kill. Jae-Sik's scream, ragged and raw, was cut short by a flurry of fangs and claws. The carnage was brisk and ruthless, leaving behind only a crimson stain and a chilling silence.

On the other hand, Zephyr's heart hammered against his ribs, but his eyes held a steely resolve. He pounded through the uneven terrain, carrying Jae-Ya without heeding the girl's pleas about her eldest brother.

Behind him, Young-Jae ran like a man possessed, sweat streaking his dirt-smudged face. His breath wheezed in his throat, legs burning, but he wouldn't let go of Jae-Mi and Jae-Suk's hands, their trusting grip his anchor in the churning sea of panic. His heart ached for Jae-Sik, a raw wound refused to cauterize, but the path forward was a relentless tide, pulling him away from the wreckage of their family.

A prickle crawled across Zephyr's ears, warning of unseen danger. Before he could even shout, two hulking shapes materialized from the firelight's edge, twin roars splitting the atmosphere.

Young-Jae, face still slick with the sting of tears and fear, froze, eyes bulging as the animals launched themselves. His grip on Jae-Mi and Jae-Suk faltered, hands flying from their fingers in a panicked reflex. He stumbled, crashing to the ground, arms instinctively shielding his head.

Zephyr's gut clenched. In his mind, the rescue plan unfolded like a practiced routine, a relic from his past life. But his current body, frail and unfamiliar, refused to obey. He then witnessed something atrocious in that instant.

Even Jae-Ya, who was carried on his shoulder, watched in horror and turned pale, immediately fainting, unable to withstand the brutality of seeing her two younger siblings become the targets of those two vicious apex predators.

The next moment, Zephyr finally moved like it should and swiftly put the unconscious Jae-Ya to the ground. He steeled his heart and advanced into the pool of danger, where two big mutated lions were rampaging. With a stern face, he threw the bag containing necessities without a second thought towards the two beasts, leaving only two kitchen knives in both hands.

His act, though seemingly reckless, was a result of regret that he was presently weak, hoping to save those he could hold.