Lahat ng Kabanata ng Deep Down Your Black Heart: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 39

“What is the reason for your visit?” He repeated himself, his tone still steady and calm, his eyes darting around looking for a volunteer to respond. A long silence ensued while the tension rose. The corridor itself seemed to hold its breath, anticipating the next move.“We are here for a routine checkup,” a scientist finally voiced, shaking from terror. There were no words but it was very clear the others did not approve of his cooperation by their exchanged morbid expressions. The fluorescent lights overhead emphasized every twitch of their faces, rendering their fear in stark detail.“A checkup on what exactly?” Hound asked, but before he could get a response Vorn interrupted, “A checkup on something above your clearance.” He spoke with absolute confidence, and no fear in his eyes. The tension crackled like electricity between them, distant machinery humming somewhere deeper in the building.A seer emerged from behind him, the sound of an unsheathing blade screeching filling the em

The reinforced steel door swung open, revealing the horrors lurking just beyond. They entered the dim, silent room with cautious steps, unsettled by Binge’s unusual quiet. The air itself felt hostile, thick with the metallic stink of blood and the nauseating reek of decaying limbs. Strewn about the floor were the scientists, each missing at least one limb, their torn flesh and viscera laid bare as they crawled, clinging to life by a thread of sheer will.Sofie pressed closer to Evee, her grip tight and trembling, as though she feared losing hold of the only stable thing left. Perched on the ceiling in a far corner, Binge watched them like a predatory beast, his overgrown nails and twisted limbs planted firmly against the walls. His stare felt invasive, a silent threat daring them to make a wrong move.“You are ever so generous!” he hissed, the crimson glow of his eyes locking onto Sofie, who buried herself deeper against Evee, her arms wound protectively around Evee’s waist.Without w

Claps echoed in the distance—slow, steady pulses that weren’t loud enough to draw the wax moths’ attention, yet insistent enough to pique curiosity. The black-armored soldiers moved in formation along the vine-choked walls of a derelict building, rifles raised. At a silent command from their leader, they halted at the structure’s corner, preparing for whatever lay beyond.Just as they readied themselves to rush in, the echo of shotgun shells being loaded made their hearts jolt. Instantly on alert, they realized they were surrounded by a different band of survivors—far less welcoming than the last group. Some perched on rooftops, others crouched in nearby alleys, all hidden behind wax-coated masks and training weapons on the soldiers. A dozen pairs of eyes glinted in the murk. Remarkably, that rhythmic clapping persisted, but no one spared it a glance.Time passed in a tense stalemate before they finally understood the source of the sound. Beneath the stifling hush of the apocalypse, t

Hound stood atop a small podium outside his residence, facing rows of seers assembled in strict formation. Their eyes bore faint, glowing tear marks that betrayed a shared unease. It was stiflingly quiet; the throng of onlookers included scientists kept under watch and, on the podium beside Hound, Emily and Evee—Sofie clinging to Evee’s side. Although the sun blazed overhead, the sweat on the seers’ faces wasn’t from heat, but from raw anticipation of what Hound might demand.He began pacing, shoulders tight. His gaze skimmed over the crowd, lingering on each wary face. Finally, he spoke in a low, resonant voice:“You are bound to me by oath. You live for me, and you die for me if I will it so.”A murmur rippled through the onlookers, their apprehension flaring at his words. He paused, hands trembling as if he fought to steady them.“Yet you have served me faithfully all this time. As your Baron, I offer you a choice.”Hound glanced to the side, where the scientists stood under guard,

His lifeless body slumped under its own weight as Emily looked on, her expression disturbingly blank. Another corpse—nothing more. She slowly raised her gaze from the fallen soldier to Gazier, who stood hunched forward, struggling for breath.“How much for your gun?” he asked through a pained grin, wincing at the burn of his recent backstab wound. Emily, edging closer, offered a curt reply:“I’m not selling.”She moved until she was almost within arm’s reach, studying Gazier with a blend of concern and malice. He, noticing her tense scrutiny, tried to dispel the uneasy silence:“Let’s see. You tracked me down, handled those soldiers, and showed up just in time. So, let me guess—the big, bad boss is on his way, and I’m screwed?”He tried a dry chuckle, but Emily’s face remained impassive.“Tough crowd,” he added quietly.Her anger slowly melted into grief. She rested her forehead on Gazier’s shoulder, tears flowing silently as her fingers bunched in his shirt, wrinkling it with every t