Gardens of Destruction

Mark and Valentina, in a rush of urgency, discarded their gathered branches and sprinted through the forest towards the clearing, their hearts racing at the sound of Jana’s scream. But before they could grasp the unfolding events, they found themselves ensnared by soldiers clad in full battle gear, their weapons drawn menacingly.

“Stand down, Davidson, don’t play the fool!” came a deep, familiar voice that Mark recognized instantly. He scanned the faces around him and identified them as his former subordinates, bewildered at their ability to track him down. The soldier seemed to anticipate his silent question.

“You’re probably wondering how we found you?” he said with a smirk of superiority.

“Just spill it, I’m not in the mood for guessing games,” Mark retorted, his tone far from friendly.

“Captain, it appears you’re unaware of the recent addition to vehicles - a distress system that can be activated remotely. That’s how you gave yourselves away. I’m surprised, the fearless captain missing such a detail,” the soldier taunted.

Mark mulled over the predicament, realizing the fault was entirely his. Resigned to their fate, he felt a pang of guilt for leading Jana into this, her trusting eyes now filled with resigned sorrow. Val, on the other hand, remained unfazed as if being surrounded by an army was the most natural occurrence.

“Enough dallying, you’re coming with us!” the soldier announced, trying to maintain a polite demeanor despite his evident fear of the iconic captain, revered at the base since his heroic return from the asteroid.

“We know we have no choice, no need for the hostility,” Mark replied, pondering their escape. But his experienced gaze saw only a situation where luck would be their savior.

The rustling nearby was odd, especially with so many people around. Mark’s instincts told him something was off. The forest had fallen eerily silent, the once jubilant chirping of birds now absent. Valentina’s calm yet warning gaze was all the seasoned soldier needed to sense the impending danger.

“Something’s not right,” he declared.

“Don’t start with theatrics, captain!” the soldier snapped. “You promised no trouble.”

“Silence and listen!” Mark commanded, his voice low but firm. “If you want to survive, form a defensive circle and arm me!”

The soldiers hesitated, accustomed to obeying the confident commands of their captain. Now, the situation was different, and they struggled to discern if there was a real threat or if it was all a bluff. Eventually, the newly appointed leader made a decision.

“Form a circle! Protect the child at all costs! But do not arm Davidson,” he ordered, and the soldiers, filled with trepidation, adopted the defensive stance.

As seconds ticked by, the sound of breaking branches grew louder, something or someone was approaching, yet the dense foliage obscured any clear view. Time seemed to stand still. Positioned in the center of the clearing, the soldiers’ nerves were stretched to breaking point, the unknown more terrifying than the deadliest known enemy.

Suddenly, the advancing noise halted, and a deathly silence engulfed the forest, the kind that sends shivers down the spine. No matter one’s experience, the lurking dread made even the most seasoned warriors quiver, despite the not-so-chilly air. Then, a metallic scraping sound cut through the silence like a command, and everything erupted.

“Target their heads!” Mark bellowed.

Out from the underbrush leaped the transformed humans and animals. Wielding their peculiar weapons, they charged at the soldiers. The once tranquil forest was now ablaze with gunfire. The rhythmic burst of automatic weapons was only interrupted by the occasional grenade. The hybrids proved difficult to kill. Struck down by bullets, they fell but seemed indifferent to the pain and blood, rising again to charge at the soldiers.

“Give me a weapon!” Mark bellowed, desperate to aid his comrades amidst the chaos. But in the heat of the intensifying skirmish, no one could spare him a moment’s attention. The attackers, growing in numbers, pressed in. A soldier beside Mark fell, pierced by a metallic blade. Seizing the moment, Mark claimed the fallen weapon and took his place in the line of defense. His gaze then fell upon a peculiar group of hybrids stationed at the rear. These beings, nearly human in appearance, bore an intelligent look starkly different from the blind fury of their counterparts. Cloaked in intriguing attire, they wielded a device akin to a miniature crossbow embedded in their arms, launching tiny blades with deadly precision.

“Beware those in cloaks!” Mark warned, recognizing the new threat. “They wield some kind of projectile!”

A blade struck the armored vest Mark had scavenged, piercing through and grazing him. “Shit!” he cursed, more startled than hurt.

It seemed these distinct hybrids had marked him as the leader. The assault was concentrated on him. Shielding himself behind a hybrid he had slain, Mark became the focal point of their relentless attack. The battlefield was filled with the cries of the wounded, and Mark could only guess at the severity of their injuries. Amidst the chaos, he caught a glimpse of Jana and little Val. Standing in the circle formed by the soldiers, Jana had her eyes closed, clutching her child in a protective embrace. Valentina stood erect, unfazed by the surrounding tumult, her regal stance as she held her staff suggesting she was merely a spectator to a child’s play. Strangely, all attackers, even those cloaked hybrids, steered clear of her, her piercing gaze fixed upon them.

As the soldiers fell one by one, Mark’s resolve only hardened. His military duty compelled him to fight to the end, an end that seemed increasingly inevitable. Soon, he was the last standing soldier. The attacks seemed to lessen in intensity, as if the hybrids were no longer as eager to pursue him. Clutching his rifle in one hand and a knife in the other, Mark retreated to stand by Jana and Val, bracing for the end. He was determined not to be taken alive, to not become another one of those hybrids.

In a surge of emotion, he enveloped Jana and the child in a protective embrace. But then, the onslaught ceased, and the transformed beings sat down, staring at them intently. Mark found their behavior baffling, the anticipation of death, however certain it seemed, was unnerving.

“Come on, you monsters! What are you waiting for? Come and kill me!” Mark couldn’t contain his frayed nerves and yelled at the motionless enemies.

Observing them up close was horrifying; their grotesque faces and deformed bodies twisted his insides into knots, making him nauseous.

Then, he felt a reassuring touch and saw a small hand gripping his, radiating an astonishing warmth that coursed through his veins and spread across his skin. Valentina nodded at him, and suddenly, Mark felt a serene confidence that everything would be alright.

Mark realized the halted creatures were fixated on Valentina, their gazes locked on the child. Something was happening, but it was beyond his comprehension. Valentina raised her staff, and a bizarre sound, both hissing and whispering, emanated from her. Mark wondered at its meaning but saw that it held significant understanding for others.

One of the transformed approached them, and Mark tightened his grip on the knife, prepared for an attack. But to his surprise, the creature halted a few steps from Val and knelt on the dewy, blood-soaked earth. Mark, like Jana by his side, watched in disbelief as the scene unfolded on the clearing.

The sight was staggering, a testament to the extraordinary - the majority of the assailants, including the animal like creatures, one by one succumbed to the earth, their gazes reverently directed towards the child. Mark was torn with an urge to question Valentina about the unfolding mystery, yet something primal within him whispered that the time was not right.

Their serene interlude was shattered by one cloaked in a mantle, who, with a flick of his wrist, launched a blade straight for Valentina. Mark saw it all unfold in surreal slow motion. Before he could even flinch, Valentina, with an effortless grace, deflected the blade with her staff. Her expression morphed into one of indignant fury. She retaliated with a cry in that eerie metallic timbre, a sound that seemed to command the very air around them. To Mark and Jana’s astonishment, those who had knelt in deference surged forth, turning their wrath upon their former allies who had yet to yield. Mark watched, stupefied, as a new battle ensued amongst the hybrids themselves. Those allied with them began to dominate due to their superior numbers, yet the cloaked figures, untouched by the previous act of submission, balanced the scales with their formidable capabilities.

One such figure managed to breach their defenses, targeting them directly. Despite Mark emptying his magazine into the assailant, the cloaked hybrid brushed off the attack with a single, dismissive blow that sent Mark sprawling. He felt as though he’d collided with a freight train but forced himself upright, determined to protect Jana and the little one. Yet, it seemed Valentina required no protection. Her staff morphed into a spear, dual-bladed and deadly. The hybrid lunged with a blade-arm, but Valentina parried with a dancer’s poise before impaling him with a practiced thrust, as if born to the dance of battle.

Mark stood, dumbfounded by the spectacle. Jana’s shock was palpable, her voice trembling as she confronted her daughter, “How... what... how did you do that?”

The child simply offered her a tender look, her eyes clear as mountain springs, squeezing her hand reassuringly before turning her attention back to the dwindling conflict. The last of the enemy hybrids fell, much to Mark’s relief, though the ache in his bones from the cloaked hybrid’s strike lingered. He finally addressed Valentina.

“Val, I can’t begin to comprehend how or what you did, but without you, we’d be among those fallen. You saved us all.”

Mark didn’t expect an answer, yet he was taken aback when the child offered him a faint smile and softly said, “For mom.”

At those words, Jana enveloped her in a tearful embrace, “My dear, I don’t even know what to say. Just know that whatever happens, mom will always be here for you. No matter what they did to you in there, I will always love you. You understand, right? I’ll never leave you.”

Through misty eyes, Mark witnessed the profound bond of mother and child, unaware of the depth of maternal love until that moment.

“Let’s get out of here,” he interjected, breaking their embrace. “Who knows what else might be lurking. To the car! And what about those?” He gestured towards the hybrids still watching Valentina silently.

She shrugged, uncertain of what to do next.

“Let them go. We don’t need them now,” Mark said, a hint of fear in his voice, hoping the child had no intention of taking them along.

But before Valentina could decide, a terrifying noise erupted from the forest. Mark’s nightmare, the creature from the asteroid that had nearly claimed his life, burst through the foliage, hurtling towards them with lethal velocity. It began its deadly dance, its sharp limbs slicing through the transformed defenders with fatal precision.

Yet, those very defenders, in a last act of loyalty, threw themselves against the beast, their blade-arms flashing. Their numbers overwhelmed the creature, severing its limbs one by one until it collapsed, finally succumbing to their relentless assault.

Mark and Jana could scarcely find solace in their fleeting victory, as from the depths of the forest, two more of those monstrous beings emerged, charging at their beleaguered protectors. The memory of his harrowing ordeal within the asteroid, and his fortuitous escape thanks to Andrey, flooded back to Mark, sending his adrenaline surging. Seizing the nearest rifle from the ground, he unleashed a barrage of bullets at one of the creatures, to no avail—it seemed the organic parts of its body were too scant to be harmed, the metal too dominant.

Their defenders fought with a desperate valor, yet lacked the finesse to counter the swift and lethal limbs of the newcomers. With agile leaps and precise slashes, the newcomers systematically neutralized the transformed, one by one. Soon, the ground was littered with the fallen, a macabre mix of all forms. Never had Mark imagined he would mourn the loss of any transformed being, yet these creatures, once human, had died defending them, and their extermination brought no joy.

But reflection was a luxury Mark could ill afford, as the two towering nightmares turned their sights on them without hesitation. Emptying his magazine into the advancing behemoth, Mark knew it was an exercise in futility, a token gesture to satisfy his conscience before facing the inevitable.

“Run, I’ll try to hold them off!” he cried to a petrified Jana, who took a step to flee but then froze in place.

“Val won’t move!” she exclaimed in utter terror.

Indeed, the child stood firm, gripping her mother’s hand, her gaze locked on the advancing horrors.

“Let go, Mom,” Valentina whispered, releasing her grip.

Jana, without protest, retreated a few steps, seeking solace in Mark’s presence, her fear palpable.

“Tell me everything will be okay, please,” she murmured, clutching the soldier’s hand, inadvertently digging her nails into his flesh.

“She... she’ll handle it, Jana,” Mark asserted, forcing a reassuring smile.

The formidable creatures seemed to hesitate, as if something about the child unnerved them. In that moment of suspense, the onlookers witnessed an extraordinary transformation in Val. Her hair seemed to take on a life of its own, forming a mane that stood on end, giving her an aerodynamic silhouette. Her eyes were veiled by a secondary sheen, adopting a metallic luster. Her skin shifted hue as thin, thread-like filaments wove beneath its surface, signaling an unfathomable change.

Valentina unleashed a shrieking cry, a metallic wail that could awaken the dead, and charged towards the monstrosities. One of the creatures leaped into the air, its legs poised to impale her upon landing. Yet, with a grace that belied her youth, Valentina sidestepped the assault, her staff morphing into a blade that she wielded to sever one of its limbs cleanly. The creature recoiled in fury, steadying itself for another leap, but Valentina merely shifted aside, allowing it to crash beside her. It lashed out, its legs slicing through the air like spears, but her staff absorbed the blows effortlessly, as if the weight of the creature’s limbs meant nothing.

The creature prepared for another leap, but then the impossible occurred. Valentina sprung into the air, a giant arc that spanned ten meters, her staff unfolding into a lengthy spear that impaled the creature beneath her, pinning it to the earth with finality. The creature, now a lifeless form pinned to the ground, moved no more as Valentina elegantly withdrew her spear-staff and landed with a poise that belied the violence of her actions.

The entire skirmish unfolded with such swiftness that the other creature had scarcely considered joining the fray. Realizing the fate of its counterpart, it wisely chose to flee. It calculated a leap, a turn, a retreat into the trees. It managed the leap, but not the escape. Valentina, anticipating its intent, charged towards it. As the creature took to the air, she too launched upwards, repeating her colossal leap. Mid-flight, her staff extended into a vast scythe, more than ten meters in length, with which she mercilessly bisected the fleeing creature.

Both halves thudded to the ground, life extinguished, as Valentina landed as softly and naturally as she had ascended.

Mark stood speechless, while Jana, overwhelmed by the spectacle, collapsed onto the meadow grass, clutching her head in her hands, and succumbed to nausea.

Valentina approached them with determined steps, her hair and skin reverting to their previous state en route. She now appeared almost... human.

She nestled beside her mother on the grass, finding solace in her embrace. Despite Jana’s trembling fear and shock, she did not hesitate to hold her child close. She began to hum a lullaby, an eerie serenade amidst the backdrop of fallen foes, which soon helped her regain a semblance of composure.

Mark, having quickly regained his footing post-battle, pondered their next move. “This is over, isn’t it?” he asked, locking eyes with Valentina for confirmation.

She nodded, silently sealing their understanding.

“Then let’s gather our things and get out of here before another battle-seeker arrives,” he resolved, casting a wary glance at the dead creatures.

Valentina stood up from her mother’s lap and silently began to assist in packing their belongings as if the chaos of moments ago had never occurred.

They loaded everything and settled into their seats. Suddenly, from the bushes, a small gleaming creature the size of a basketball with spikes tumbled out, reminiscent of those Val had encountered at the base. Though it seemed to have no eyes, it stopped and stared at her. A metallic, grinding whisper escaped her lips. Understanding the invitation, the creature slinked into the car and cozily nestled in the child’s lap, its spikes bending as if made of rubber.

Mark kept a vigilant eye through the rearview mirror, sighed deeply, and murmured softly, “When will this nightmare end?”

Valentina seemed to hear him, though, and turned to meet his gaze. She offered no reaction to his words, just a probing look that conveyed a profound understanding — this was merely the beginning!