Chapter 42: Adapt To Survive. (Part 2)

Silence engulfed the village, not a single sound to be heard until the quiet was shattered by footstep noises. The 'Hollow' had begun to move.

'It's moving...' Dawn thought to himself, eyes closed, concentrating on its presence.

The footsteps traversed the village, maintaining a steady pace. Initially, everything seemed to proceed smoothly— for the first five minutes, nothing unusual occurred.

'Things are going better than last time; at this rate, everyone might be able to—'

Dawn's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a blood-curdling scream from a few houses down, sending shivers across the village. Someone had been found, and their scream was abruptly silenced, followed by the chilling sound of bones crunching. 

That marked the first death, and the situation only deteriorated from there. Every few minutes, another person was discovered, one after another.

By the time the church bells rang again and time was up, five more Awakened had died.