The place where the portal had been torn open was no longer quiet or empty.
In the middle of the wastelands, a rift hung in the air like a wound in the sky. It was massive—stretching wider and wider, glowing with a light that bled across the entire wasteland. From inside, shadows writhed and crawled forward, pouring into this world in an endless tide.
It was the Zerg.
They spilled out like a flood, their countless bodies squeezing through the jagged edges of the portal, their wings buzzing, their claws scraping, their eyes glowing with hunger. Their cries filled the air—chie-chie-chie—like laughter, like creatures rejoicing after centuries of being chained.
The ground shook as their bodies landed, piling one over another. The air itself trembled with their chatter. The sky above seed swallowed by their black mass as they spread in every direction, moving like a tide of living shadows. For the first ti in all of history, this world was no longer silent, no longer safe; it was the hunting ground of monsters.
And yet... standing at a distance, watching with calm eyes, was a man.
He was cloaked in darkness, his figure tall, his face half-hidden, but the faint curl of a smile traced his lips. His eyes glead like fire as he looked upon the endless Zerg spilling out of the portal with satisfaction.
At last, he whispered, almost lovingly, "Finally... the day has co. This world will be ours."
His words slipped into the air, carried by the endless screeches of the Zerg.
He stretched out his hand toward the portal, as if greeting the creatures pouring through. "Don’t worry, my children. You will have a wonderful life here. This world has abundant resources... water, air, energy... everything you were denied in that wretched place."
His smile grew sharper, his voice low and filled with delight. "You will like it here."
For a mont, his eyes flickered, rembering the world he had pulled them from—the place where the Zerg had been born.
It was a barren dinsion. A prison made of rock and dust. There was no sun, no light, no food, and no energy. Nothing but endless darkness. And yet the Zerg lived, multiplying endlessly, breeding faster than the space could contain.
Their bodies pressed against each other until even breathing was hard, until even crawling ant crushing another beneath their weight. It was a place where survival was nothing but pain.
But now, as they spilled freely onto this vibrant planet, their screeches carried joy. For the first ti, they were no longer trapped. They could stretch, they could spread, they could devour, and they could live freely.
The man’s laughter was soft and chilling. "Breed, grow, consu... This world belongs to you now."
Behind him, the tide of Zerg thickened, blotting out the horizon, their chie-chie cries echoing like a hum of conquest.
And above it all, the portal beca wider, as if it would never close again.
The man stood there in the glow of the portal, shadows painting across his face, and in that mont the light revealed who he was.
Kazren.
Atlas and Liora’s childhood friend. Once gentle, once bright, once the boy who had dread of stars with them. But now... His eyes burned with a craze so sharp that it was as if he could no longer even recognize himself or the world around him. His smile twisted, his movents slow, as though he were balancing on the edge of madness.
A faint coughing sound ca from behind. His steps turned, and he walked back until his gaze landed on a small girl sitting there. She couldn’t be more than two years old. Her tiny fra trembled, her round eyes widening when he drew closer.
Fear washed over her face, and she scrambled back on her little hands and knees, as though even her body understood the danger standing before her.
Kazren crouched down. His shadow swallowed her, his expression stretched into sothing that tried to mimic gentleness, but the madness in his eyes betrayed him. "Don’t worry, dear," he murmured with a soft voice. "I will not do anything to you... You have already done a good job."
He patted her small head, but the touch was not kind. It was all wrong. His smile deepened, and slowly his hand slid down to her tiny neck, curling around it with ease.
"Now that you have finally done your job," his voice lowered, almost amused, "should I send you back?"
The child’s eyes lit up, a fragile spark of hope flashing through her tears. Her lips trembled, and with all her innocence, she whispered, "To Mommy?"
Kazren laughed like he could not contain his amusent. How could soone so innocent exist? "Who said I am sending you to your mom?" His voice twisted with cruelness. He raised his other hand and pointed toward the writhing sea of Zerg outside. "I am going to send you to them."
The creatures turned towards him, their countless glowing eyes fixing upon the child. Their screeches shifted. Their mouths clicked and opened wide, dripping with hunger as though they understood his words.
The girl froze. Her tiny hands clutched the torn toy in her grasp, her small lips trembled, and then the terror broke. Tears poured down her cheeks as she shook her head violently. "No! No! Please! Mommy! Mommy—!"
Kazren’s hand tightened around her neck, and for a mont it seed he would crush the fragile life before him. But then—suddenly—his body stiffened. His smile faltered. His head snapped back with a strangled growl as pain shot through him like fire.
"Dammit—" his voice cracked, twisted in agony. "Bastard! Can’t you... lie quiet for once!"
He clutched at his skull with his free hand, nails digging into his temple, eyes wide with tornt. The headache worsened, pounding against his mind like a hamr, until the rage in him tore a scream from his throat.
"Fine!" he spat out through clenched teeth, his hand trembling at the girl’s neck. "Fine—I am not killing this girl!"
The mont the words left his mouth, the pain eased. His body relaxed, his breath ragged, and he collapsed onto one knee, panting. Slowly, he let go of the child’s neck, his fingers falling away as he muttered in a hollow voice, "First thing... I have to do... is get rid of you. You can’t let live in peace, can you?"
He laughed softly to himself. Then he stood up and walked away, his shadow stretching with every step until it disappeared into the glow of the portal.
The little girl remained on the ground, sobbing. Her tears dripped onto the dirt, her tiny body trembling as she clutched her torn toy against her chest. The toy’s stuffing spilled from the seam, hanging loose, yet she held it as though it were her only shield.
Alone and afraid, she whispered again in a broken voice, "Mommy..."
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