The eleventh sunrise brought no warmth. Just a cold light spilling over a cracked highway where weeds now grew between asphalt scars. The pickup rattled along as Abhi drove with one hand on the wheel and the other gripping a half-eaten protein bar.
RV sat in the back, flicking sparks between his fingers, the occasional accidental fireball slinging. Kriti sat shotgun, arms folded, glaring at him every time smoke rose.
"We just got this car" Kriti glaring at RV.
"Kid, if you set my seat on fire," Abhi said flatly, "you're walking to Germany."
RV rolled his eyes. "Relax, I've got control."
Snap.
The rearview mirror caught a flare that lit up half the truck bed.
"Totally," Abhi muttered, stomping on the brakes to douse the flames.
By mid-afternoon, they reached a stretch of abandoned farmland. Silos leaned like drunk giants, fields overgrown. It should have been peaceful. But as soon as they stepped out to scavenge, the air went heavy.
Kriti froze, pointing.
Figures lurched from the fields—undead. Dozens this time. Behind them strode something bulkier: a knight in rusted armor, sword dragging through the dirt.
RV whispered, "Oh crap. Not again."
"Yep," Abhi said, racking his rifle. "Its time we get used to this and now the difference is you two have powers. Time to grind."
RV and Kriti exchanged nervous glances.
"Go," Abhi barked.
Kriti thrust her arms forward. A wave of force hurled nearby debris into three zombies sending them flying—but also smashed their pickup truck's door clean off. Metal screeched as it clattered across the dirt.
"Seriously?!" Abhi yelled.
"I didn't mean for that to happen!" Kriti snapped, cheeks flushed.
Meanwhile, RV snapped both hands, hurling fireballs too close together. They collided mid-air and detonated, sending him flying backward into a haystack. He emerged coughing, hair smoking.
"This is not what I meant by AoE damage!" Abhi shouted.
The undead pressed closer, groaning, arms outstretched.
Abhi sighed. "Fine. Plan B. The carry hard and babysit noobs strategy." Clicking his rifle.
He leapt forward, katana flashing, rifle slung over his shoulder. A precise slice took down two undead. A headshot dropped a third. He ducked behind a haybale, shouting instructions like a raid leader in a game lobby.
"K, choke point the left side—force them into a funnel. RV, stagger your shots—fireballs are cooldowns, not machine guns!"
Somehow, they listened. Kriti shoved debris with telekinesis, her movements clumsy but effective, blocking half the horde. RV took breaths between snaps, sending controlled fireballs into groups instead of wasting them on single targets.
The knight charged. Abhi grinned.
"Perfect."
He unloaded a clip into its helm while shouting: "RV, burn the ground under it! K, slam its weapon away!"
Fireball detonated right below its feet and flames erupted beneath the knight's feet, and with a sharp gesture, Kriti yanked its sword from its hand, sending it spinning into the field. Abhi vaulted onto a broken fencepost, aimed carefully, and put a bullet straight through the glowing slit of its visor. The knight collapsed in a heap of ash.
The battlefield went quiet, smoke rising from burning stalks of wheat. RV collapsed onto the dirt, panting. Kriti dropped to her knees, hands trembling.
Abhi leaned on his katana, sweat dripping from his brow, but he was smirking.
"Not bad," he said. "Clumsy, messy, property damage through the roof—but not bad. You both worked almost in sync. That's called progress."
RV muttered, "I almost roasted myself alive…"
"Yeah, and I almost headshot you instead of the knight. Welcome to friendly fire." Abhi patted him on the shoulder. "The point is, you didn't."
Kriti looked at him. "You… you really think we can handle this?"
Abhi's smirk softened into something sharper. "No. I know you can. Because you're not just two scared survivors anymore."
The battlefield still smoked, the smell of scorched hay clinging to their clothes. RV sat on the ground, trying to pat soot out of his hair. Kriti steadied her hands on her knees, breath finally slowing. Abhi cleaned his rifle, humming tunelessly like they'd just cleared another dungeon.
The three of them sat there for a while, catching their breath, surrounded by smoking fields and scattered corpses. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled—long, low, and too close for comfort.
Abhi stared into the dark horizon. "And something tells me… this ain't over yet."
A low, guttural howl rolled across the fields—deep enough to rattle their chests. The three froze.
"That… isn't what I think it is,right?" RV whispered.
From the mist at the far edge of the farmland, it emerged: a wolf the size of a horse, its fur a pure, ghostly white that shimmered faintly like moonlight. Its eyes glowed faint blue, intelligent and hungry. Every step it took was soundless, deliberate, the kind of movement that screamed predator.
Abhi tightened his grip on the katana. "Great. Boss fight number two. Lets get this done."
The beast circled them, slow and confident. Its growl wasn't just a sound—it vibrated in their bones, daring them to move.
RV snapped his fingers in panic, a fireball flashing out and missing wide. The wolf didn't even flinch. It tilted its head, almost amused, it fixed its gaze on RV and lunged. Abhi shoved RV aside just as claws slashed through the dirt. He rolled to his feet, katana raised.
"K, force it back! Push it—anything!"
Kriti swung her arms. A surge of telekinetic force shoved against the wolf, but it dug its claws in, resisting, growling louder.
"Harder!" Abhi shouted, firing a burst from his rifle. Bullets tore into its flank, staggering it just enough for Kriti's shove to send it tumbling back.
The wolf landed gracefully, pacing again, eyes fixed on Abhi now. He smirked despite the sweat on his brow. "Oh, you've got taste. Good. I'll give you a fight."
He sprinted for the nearest silo, scrambling up the ladder while the wolf prowled below. "RV—light the ground! K—keep it off me!"
From above, Abhi lined up the RPG he'd scavenged earlier. The wolf leapt for the silo—just as RV's fire streaked across its path, flames licking its fur. Kriti yanked it midair with her telekinesis, dragging it just off-balance.
"Say cheese," Abhi muttered, firing.
The rocket slammed into the beast, the explosion lighting up the night. When the smoke cleared, the wolf staggered once, eyes dimming, before collapsing in a heap of white fur and ash.
The silence afterward was deafening.
RV exhaled shakily. "That… that was easy."
Abhi climbed down, reloading with a smirk. "That was teamwork. Still sloppy, but hey—you didn't get eaten. That's a win."
Kriti felt warmth on her lips. She moved her hand to touch and saw blood. "Im bleeding?"
Abhi heard her and turned towards her. He saw streak of red dripping down her nose. Their eyes locked. "Be calm"
Kriti's hand trembled. "What is happening to me?"
"I think you overused your powers."
"Am i going to be fine?" She reverted blocking the flow.
"Yes, that wolf really took a toll on you it seems."
"Are you sure, sure?"
"Yes, you will be fine just don't try to push yourself too much, probably your body hasn't adjusted enough to your powers."
"What do you mean?"
RV interrupted "its like sports, the more you practice the better you get but if you over do it you run the risk of damaging your muscle, something like that."
"Thanks kid." Abhi held kriti by her shoulders, "Rest is important for your newfound abilities also."
But the night wasn't finished with them.
A sound slithered through the mist—soft at first, almost human. A voice.
"…come closer…"
Kriti stiffened. "Did you hear that?"
The voice grew clearer, layered, as if dozens of people were whispering in unison. "…closer… closer…"
From the tree line, a figure staggered forward. Not undead. Not beast. This one was thin, elongated, its face obscured by shadows that writhed like smoke. Its mouth never moved, yet the whispers grew louder with every step.
RV clapped his hands over his ears. "Make it stop! It's in my head!"
Kriti faltered, hands shaking as her telekinesis fizzled.
Abhi gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move. His ears rang, his head throbbed, but he charged forward with the katana drawn.
"Eyes up, party!" he barked through the haze. "Don't listen—look! Target's slow, weak, long hitbox!"
He grabbed RV, "I need you to concentrate".
The Whisperer shrieked—not from its mouth, but inside their skulls.
Kriti stumbled but managed to fling debris into it, shattering its form. RV, desperate, snapped his fingers. A fireball slammed into its chest, and this time it stuck.
The creature convulsed, whispers rising to a maddening crescendo, before exploding into nothing but a lingering echo.
Silence returned. The three of them collapsed in the dirt, shaking.
Abhi lay back, staring at the stars. His head still buzzed with phantom whispers. "New rule," he muttered. "We don't camp near farmland. Ever."
Kriti gave a weak laugh. RV groaned, clutching his temples.
But deep down, Abhi's gut twisted. Wolf, Whisperer, undead knights… these weren't random. Something was feeding the world new horrors, one encounter at a time. And no matter how much they fought, he knew—this was only the beginning, just a page in a book. The bigger question is, where does this all lead to, what is the end goal, and is there something else waiting for them.