Karl raced through the narrow alleys of New Alexandria's eastern district. This was a once-thriving part of the city that had fallen on hard times now, as this was the poorest block of the whole eastern part.
The dilapidated buildings loomed overhead, with broken windows and walls covered in graffiti. Trash littered the streets, and the flickering streetlights cast eerie shadows as Karl weaved through the labyrinthine paths.
"Fuck!" The young man was scared. He had been followed by someone he didn't know for several blocks now, and his heart pounded in his chest.
"Ah, ah, ah…" He was having difficulty breathing.
As he tried to shake off his pursuer, his footsteps echoed through the deserted alleys. He glanced back and caught a glimpse of some figures, their shadowy forms drawing closer as time went on. His fear mounted, and he pushed himself harder, desperate to find a way out.
"HELP! HELP ME!" The young man shouted, but there was no one who could lend him a helping hand. Such was the cruelty of his situation; the desolate alleys were a stark reminder of his situation.
As he turned another corner, Karl's heart sank as he realized he had reached a dead end. He looked around frantically for an escape route, but the high walls and boarded-up buildings offered no way out. He was trapped.
Karl's breathing grew heavy, and his legs felt heavy. He had no choice but to confront his pursuers. The figures emerged from the shadows, revealing menacing silhouettes. Karl couldn't distinguish their features, but their intent was clear—they were after him.
"You can't run forever, Karl." One of the figure's voice echoed through the alley, sending a chill down Karl's spine. "It's time to face the consequences of your actions."
"What the fuck are you talking about? What actions? Why are you coming after me?!" he shouted.
"Because you went against him, you went against the young master, "the shadows said.
"To whom? I did nothing!" Karl shouted.
"Are you really sure? This is not what we know," one of the men said.
At that moment, Karl understood what was happening and why. "Is it because of Nathaniel? Isn't it?!"
"Hahahaha, see? It wasn't that hard…"
Karl's mind raced as he tried to understand what was happening and come up with a plan to get out. He knew he couldn't take on his pursuers in a physical confrontation. Fighting one was maybe possible, but even in that case, winning would be hard due to the difference in physical prowess. He could have won if he had the number advantage, but instead, he was in the opposite situation; he was alone against many. He needed to think fast.
In a moment of desperation, Karl spotted a narrow gap between two buildings. It was a tight squeeze, but his only chance to escape. The young man quickly turned into smoke, squeezed through the gap, and emerged into a narrow alley on the other side of the building.
He quickly materialized and continued to sprint through the dark alleys, his heart pounding in his ears. He could hear his pursuer's footsteps growing fainter, and a glimmer of hope ignited in his chest. Maybe he could still escape.
"Ah, ah, ah…"
Karl's lungs burned, and his legs ached, but he pushed himself to his limits. He knew he had to make it out of this part of the city, where the streets were deserted, and he had to ask for someone's help. Finally, the young man emerged into a slightly more well-maintained part of the city.
The streets were wider, and the buildings were in better condition. He could see a few people on the streets and the distant lights of bustling shops and cafes.
As he sprinted through the relatively intact streets, Karl's fear began to subside, replaced by a glimmer of hope. He could feel a surge of adrenaline as he realized he might actually make it out of this predicament.
Just as Karl thought he had lost his pursuer, he heard a voice behind him. It was one of the figures, his assailants' footsteps closing in once again and clearly audible from a distance. Karl's heart sank, but he refused to give up. He pushed himself even harder, his legs burning with fatigue.
Some more men quickly obstructed his path, forcing the young man to dive into an alleyway again. However, aside from some staircases, there was nowhere he could escape anymore, not even with his power.
Without hesitation, he raced up the narrow staircase, his pursuer hot on his heels. He could hear their footsteps growing closer and their breathing heavy with determination.
Reaching the top of the stairs, Karl found himself on a rooftop with nowhere left to run. He turned to confront his assailant, ready to defend himself. He was a Red Palace student and had some pride to defend.
The figures emerged from the darkness, revealing a group of armed individuals with malicious intent in their eyes. Karl's pulse quickened as he realized he was outnumbered.
The assailants lunged at the Red Palace student, wielding knives and swords. Karl fought back with all his strength, using his agility and speed to dodge their attacks.
He managed to knock down a couple of the weaker attackers thanks to his brain crystal power, but the others closed in, overpowering him. In a desperate attempt to escape, Karl tapped into his ability. He transformed into a wispy cloud of smoke once again, slipping through the grasp of his assailants and dissipating into the night sky.
The assassins were momentarily taken aback but quickly regrouped, determined to kill Karl at any cost. They scanned the rooftop, searching for any trace of him. Karl knew he couldn't maintain his smoke form for long and needed to find a way to escape.
He spotted a nearby ledge and transformed back into his human form, intending to make a daring leap to the next building. But just as he was about to jump, a sharp pain pierced his side. One of the assailants had managed to land a lucky strike, slicing through his flesh with a flying knife.
Karl gasped, clutching his wounded side as blood oozed from the gash. He stumbled, his vision blurring, but he forced himself to keep moving. He leaped across the gap between the two buildings, barely reaching the other side.
He continued to run, his movements growing sluggish as blood seeped from his wound. His pursuers were relentless, closing in on him with renewed vigor.
Karl's strength was fading fast, and he knew he couldn't keep this up much longer. He noticed that the blade, still etched into his shoulder, was covered in some green substance, probably poison. Karl's surroundings blurred with every step, and his head grew heavy.
He stumbled some minutes later into a dark alleyway, collapsing against the wall, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. He knew he was done for. The assailants caught up to him, surrounding him with menacing grins. The young man looked up at them, his vision fading, and realized he had no way out. His heart sank as he faced the inevitable.
One of the assailants delivered the final blow, and Karl slumped to the ground, his life slipping away. He looked up at the dark, deteriorated skyline of New Alexandria, realizing he would never see the city again.
As his vision faded to black, Karl's last thought was of his mother, whom he couldn't see anymore now.
***
"Professor Derr, I hope you have good news for me," Major Fischer said, his voice tinged with urgency.
Professor Derr looked up from his notes; his eyes were bright with a mixture of relief and excitement. "Major Fischer, I'm pleased to report that our vaccine trials have been successful. The first batch of vaccines will be ready in two days."
Major Fischer's shoulders visibly relaxed, and a sense of relief washed over him. "That's wonderful news, Professor. How effective is the vaccine?"
Professor Xilion smiled, a rare expression on his usually serious face. "From the initial samples we've tested, the results have been promising. The vaccine has shown a high efficacy rate in preventing the parasite from spreading and erasing the symptoms in those already infected."
Major Fischer nodded, his confidence in Professor Xilion's expertise reaffirmed. "That's excellent. We can finally start treating the infected people and prevent an outbreak."
Professor Xilion nodded in agreement. "Yes, Major. We will continue to monitor its effectiveness as we produce more batches and work an a stronger variant."
Major Fischer expressed his gratitude to Professor Xilion for his tireless efforts and the progress he had made. But he was more grateful for the fact that they didn't have to execute more people to keep the mutations at bay.
With renewed hope, Major Fischer and Professor Xilion discussed the logistics of distributing the vaccine to those in need once the first batch was ready. They strategized on prioritizing the highest-ranked populations and areas with high numbers of infected people. After all, everyone joined the war effort, so treating the soldiers or the citizens didn't make that difference.
"Major, how about the teams? How is their establishment going?" Xilion asked.
"They will depart in two days too. They received some special training to handle the situation better and received extensive information regarding the monsters in the east. Preparing them wasn't easy."
"Good. I expect you to send me some data, maybe some tissue samples if you can," Xilion said.
"I will see what I can do. For now, keep working on the vaccine," Fischer replied.
After a thorough discussion, Major Fischer left the laboratory. He felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long while, knowing that the vaccine was a significant step towards eradicating the Heniate's influence from the city once and for all.
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