THE GIANT ZOMBIE EYES THE BUNKER.

It stands atop another plateau, eyeing us with hunger in its eyes. Ready to indulge on the feast waiting for it. I stare back at the mass of undead. It must have followed after us when I swooped down to save Nindran and Nelrel. Now, it will not return to the city.

It does not care for Warmthkeep. It is only interested in ravaging the safe haven we have set up.

I grit my teeth, facing down the massive abomination. From afar, where it stands, it looms over the entire bunker, casting a shadow that stretches the distance between us. And while it is far away, I know it can cross the distance in a short amount of time. At its feet, thousands of Zombies clamber up atop the plateau, following the same driving instinct to destroy.

For a moment, all is still. I breathe in slowly, feeling my Qi cycle within my core. My wings beat behind me, an Aspect empowered by my Aura. But it is waning from exhaustion— from overexertion throughout the day. I wait as Beihal, Kalmat, Nindran, Nelrel, Seiled, and the others look on from the walls of the bunker with wide eyes.

Then all at once, the giant Zombie roars. It is not a single cacophonous scream. Rather, it is the combined voices of the tens of thousands of the dead forming a chittering. A series of high-pitched shrieks that sends a shockwave through the air. I brace myself, keeping steady mid-air even as the pulse of air ripples past me.

Seiled and a few others are knocked off balance. But the survivors hiding within the bunker are unaffected. And right as the shrieking dies down, the giant Zombie hunches forward before taking off in a sprint. It runs atop the plateaus, making its way towards the safe haven as fast as it can.

I quickly descend as the Keepers of the Grove form a line on the walls of the bunker, unleashing their magic all at once to slow the giant Zombie’s approach. I raise a hand right as I land next to them, calling forth one of my Feats.

“Lifeblood’s Call.”

The sky is painted red as a pool of Lifeblood converges over the bunker. A fuel that the Elementalists can draw from. Kalmat himself is too tired to draw from the power I have provided the Keepers of the Grove, so he pulls back to speak with me.

“Tian, what do we do?” he asks, his brows creased in worry.

“The plan does not change,” I say simply.

“Do you mean we still use Beihal’s superweapon against it?” Kalmat hesitates. He glances back towards the lumbering abomination making its way towards us. “Don’t you think it’s too close if we set it off now? Even if we can survive it—”

“The refugees will not.” I nod, understanding. “But I am not saying we use it now, Kalmat.”

“What do you mean by that?”

I close my eyes. I look deep within myself— into my Dual Core— and I know I do not have enough Qi or Aura to defeat the army of Zombies and its hulking leader by myself. I sigh, accepting my task regardless.

“What I mean is that I shall draw the giant Zombie away from the bunker,” I say as I meet Kalmat’s gaze.

The man blinks. “What?”

“Look.”

I step past him, pointing at the giant Zombie as thousands of needles coalesce into existence around me. The hail of needles launch forward, barely causing the mass of undead to stumble.

“Nothing I do can harm that giant Zombie,” I say as we watch it tank the combined magic of the Keepers of the Grove, its threat drawing closer. “But what I can do is distract it. Just as you offered yourself to distract the Zombies earlier, I will do the same now.”

“That’s… dangerous.” Kalmat purses his lips. “Are you suggesting that you’ll lead it back into Warmthkeep for us?”

“I will.”

“Then what about the superweapon? We can’t use it if you’re still there with them.” He points towards the army of Zombies.

I shake my head as my wings unfurl once again. “There is no time to discuss this. I will find a way to escape in time.”

“But—” Kalmat tries to protest, and I grab him by the arm.

“For the sake of the Keepers of the Grove,” I say, “and for the sake of all of Utana, you have to do this.”

The leader of the Keepers of the Grove looks clearly apprehensive. His mouth bobs open like a fish, before he resolves himself.

“Right.” He nods at me. “I trust you.”

“Thank you.” I smile back at him. “Keep the rest of the Keepers of the Grove safe.”

“I will,” he says. “And make sure you survive.”

I scoff, taking a wide stance as the elements coalesce around me. “Of course.”

And with that, I dash forward and leap into the sky. My wings propel me forward as I charge straight back at the giant Zombie. Behind it, over ten thousand of its smaller undead brethren follows it.

It is a daunting thing. This sight can strike fear into anyone’s heart. But I am not afraid. Not of this giant Zombie, nor of Beihal’s superweapon. I have survived a lot more than this. Harsher environments, stronger people. Things that my mind could not fathom, and even now, to this day, still cannot fathom.

But whether it be immortals or the undead, I do not fear this. In fact, I thrive in it. I lash out with the elements, attacking the giant Zombie with everything I have as it screams a wary cry back at me.

The Keepers of the Grove just watch as my final clash with the undead begins