WITH THE OCEAN floor exposed, giving way to the heat of the sun to penetrate the mouth of the trench, the special rocks attached to and surrounding the geological feature glowed so bright that it ignited a series of explosions. The explosion caused earthquakes and it swept the serceans away. The influence of the Song perished and the telepathic connection of all serceans was cut off. The space they opened in the sea was closed and filled with water, but the explosion didn't stop and went deeper and deeper into the trench.

Yrevia gasped for air again and took off the helmet the moment she lost her balance and dropped to the floor. The water in the glass tank nearby was moving, but Asceia remained frozen at the bottom as her body continued breathing the drugged water around her. Frejean on the other hand was also on the floor and unconscious. Small cracks started to appear on the wall and they became bigger and spread to the ceiling and floor each second that passed by, corrupting the integrity of the building.

Yrevia didn't waste any second and screamed. Her voice broke the glass tank. The water flowed out, carrying Asceia which started to change into her human form. She approached her, forcefully destroyed the device covering her mouth, and removed the helmet.

"Asceia, get up! Let's get out of here!" Yrevia ordered and picked up the helmet she used.

With the drug still in the system of Asceia, she complied. Together, with the guidance of Yrevia's voice commands, they rushed to the laboratory's door before being crushed by the building that was about to collapse. They climbed the stairs and headed to the rooftop. Cracks were written everywhere and clouds of dust were spread in the air. They exerted so much force just to maintain their balance and to prevent themselves from being carried by the shaking environment. And they came across several panicking humans that they both stabbed with a barbed stinger, ensuring their deaths.

They took hundreds of steps, until luckily, they both got on the rooftop unscathed, and just in time. Right that moment, the ground stopped shaking. The building of Herozoan Genetics was still standing. From the top, they have seen what the earthquake caused to other nearby buildings and the sea itself. They were near the coast and surrounded by several establishments and high-rise buildings that were severely damaged. Emergency alarms were blaring, humans cried for help, and the water receded way further back, warning them of what will come.

"Look at what you've done, Asceia. If you have only given me the Song, this wouldn't have to happen. These people would have died quickly and painlessly." Yrevia heaved a sigh.

"Oh fuck off, Yrevia. You have me under your control, you have access to my powers but you haven't flooded the world. I know you like it this way, you fucking monster," Asceia telepathically said as she was standing frozen beside her. "Why did you work with her? They were hunting our kind!"

She chuckled. "Yeah, right. I need her resources, honestly. It was a win-win situation. Now, the human will face their extinction through the most natural way --- predation from the most savage species."

"I'm going to kill you, Yrevia. Once I'll be free from this drug. I will kill you."

"Do your best because I will be everywhere." Yrevia smiled. "Asceia, leave this place and ran away. Don't stop running until the drug wears out."

Asceia tried to fight her urges to walk away but it was so hard, that she failed. Staying on that rooftop and resisting her orders felt like her insides were torn and twisted repeatedly. Every step away was torture as she tried to slow herself down from the command of running. She kept grunting and wincing. She went back to the stairs and walked down. She was thinking of Troy whom she can hardly connect with.

Yrevia on the other hand remained on top and waited for how everything will unfold. With her eyes closed, she wore the helmet she brought and activated it. Her mind wandered and jumped to the serceans that remained in the Philippine Seas and near the trench. Through their eyes, she noticed the water was a bit of a blur from the series of explosions. But she heard something from the deep: growls and shrieks of the beasts being hatched.

She used one of the serceans and brought it down closer to the trench that became bigger and wider. She peeked and she was mesmerized by the strands of vibrant light originating from the deep. But among these lights, the creatures she unleashed started crawling out.

She left the body of the sercean and jumped to the mutated human stationed nearby the weapon she put in place, a missile launcher. She found herself holding a tablet. Through the device, she powered up the missile launcher. She opened the map next and pinned the specific locations she wanted to send the missiles. In one press, missiles were launched, and Yrevia, with a big smile, watched them projectile in the air. She jumped to other minds and bodies near her target site and not long, she saw the missile approaching the area at a very fast speed. And the explosion of the missiles she delivered to the military bases of the Philippines was like music to her ears. She watched how the fire engulfed the bases, crippling the defense of the Philippines.

On the other hand, the creatures of the trench rode along with the violent waves and emerged on the coastlines of the Philippines, exposing themselves to the eye of the public. The creatures were soft-bodied organisms with a slender and black body; they had no eyes and nose, and fully relied on their heightened sense of hearing; their head only had a wide mouth with overlapping and long and sharp teeth that continuously excrete venom; it had two pairs of legs, the front legs have longer fingers and sharper claws; and long flat tail that has a sharp-pointed end.

The humans were horrified to see them flood the coasts and started attacking everyone, except for the species in the water. They have a speed that no one can outrun, even those riding their cars and motorcycles. Many tried to fight back and used their blades and guns in their home, but the beasts were invulnerable to any attacks. They quickly healed their wounds as they drew power and energy from the heat of the sun. It was a bloodbath. The beast fed on the flesh and blood of the humans and other terrestrial animals and they never get full, always hungry for more. They kept going, and in a short period, they reached the big cities.

••°°••

You can share your thoughts on the other social media platforms by using our official hashtag: #EverAfterSeriesWP #WavesOfScales