SWNOVELXO Chapter 7: The Howl of the Abyss
The rain had turned into a relentless storm, water streaming down the cracked windows. The city outside was drowned in darkness, only faint streaks of lightning illuminating the shattered ruins.
Lucien stood by the window, his golden eyes narrowed. Something was wrong.
His instincts had never failed him, not before his rebirth, and certainly not now. A familiar pressure settled in his chest, the weight of an impending threat.
Selene, who had been quietly reading, noticed his change in demeanor. "Lucien?" Her voice was soft, but there was an edge of concern beneath it.
Valeria, seated on the couch, sharpening one of her daggers, flicked her gaze toward him. "What is it?"
Lucien didn't answer immediately. He was focused on something—a noise, faint, but growing closer.
Then it came.
A sound that shouldn't exist in this part of the city.
A low, guttural snarl.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Selene straightened, her grip tightening on the book's edges. Valeria sat up, eyes sharpening. Even Eris, who had been resting, went rigid.
Lucien turned toward the door. "Stay here."
Selene frowned. "Lucien—"
"I'll check." His voice was firm.
Selene bit her lip, but didn't argue. She trusted him.
Lucien pulled on his coat, his movements slow but precise. This wasn't hesitation—it was control. A predator measuring the weight of his next step.
The hallway outside was dim, the building's old structure groaning slightly under the force of the storm. The air was thick with moisture, the scent of mildew and rust lingering.
And then he saw it.
A shadow swaying at the edge of the stairwell.
Lucien stilled, his golden eyes flickering in the darkness. At first, it looked human—a man, maybe, dressed in tattered rags, head tilted unnaturally to the side.
Then it moved.
Too fast. Too jerky.
The dim light revealed its form—flesh torn open, bones visible beneath decaying muscle. Its mouth hung open, snapping involuntarily. Its hollow eyes locked onto Lucien.
A zombie.
Lucien's lips curled slightly. So they had made it here after all.
Another growl echoed from behind it. Then another.
He shifted his stance, scanning the narrow hallway. Three of them.
One directly ahead, blocking the stairwell. Two more further down, emerging from the shadows like starving animals.
Lucien exhaled, rolling his shoulders. It had been a while since he fought something remotely interesting.
The first zombie jerked forward, staggering toward him with unnatural speed.
Lucien didn't move.
Not until it was close enough.
Then—he struck.
His hand shot forward, fingers wrapping around its throat. The creature choked out a gurgled hiss, clawed hands swiping at him blindly.
Lucien's grip tightened.
The sickening sound of bone crushing beneath his fingers filled the hall.
The zombie convulsed before going limp. He tossed it aside like a broken doll, its body crashing into the wall.
The remaining two rushed him.
Lucien stepped forward, his movement smooth, almost leisurely.
A low growl rumbled in his throat as he pivoted—his fist striking the side of the second zombie's skull with effortless force. The impact sent it flying, its head snapping clean off, rolling across the floor like a discarded stone.
The last one lunged—
Lucien caught it by the arm and ripped it from its socket.
A deafening shriek filled the air as the mindless creature thrashed, but Lucien silenced it swiftly, his fingers spearing through its chest and crushing its rotting heart.
Silence returned.
The storm outside raged on, but inside, there was nothing but the sound of dripping blood.
Lucien exhaled slowly, his golden eyes glowing in the darkness.
This wasn't the last of them.
Something had changed. Something had drawn them here.
And if they had made it this far…
Then his family was no longer safe.
His expression hardened.
He needed to eliminate the threat. Completely.