Chapter 2
The crowd went quiet for a split second, then erupted into a thunderous roar of celebration.
"Awesome, we're finally going home!" someone cheered.
"No more dealing with Lucas the dictator!" another voice shouted.
"Let him rot in that coffin! He deserves it." someone yelled.
Everyone was laughing and crying, tears and cheers mixing as they finally felt free.
"Alright, everyone, split into two groups! Emily, Mark, you each take a team down the mountain, pick different routes, and meet up in Northgate City!" Sarah ordered.
As soon as Sarah finished speaking, everyone started moving.
Emily led over five hundred people, a massive crowd, as they made their way down the mountain.
"Sarah, are those monsters really hiding? I'm worried they might lose control and scare everyone into running off. If the crowd scatters, it'll be a nightmare to round them up," Mark murmured from behind her.
"Relax. I've already made arrangements with several king-tier monsters. They're all hiding in Northgate City right now and won't make any rash moves," Sarah replied.
"The king-tier monsters have already woven an inescapable net in Northgate City. All we have to do is herd these thousand-plus fat sheep right into their trap," Sarah added.
A twisted, cold smile curled on Sarah's lips.
"Sarah, we agreed, after this is over, we split everything fifty-fifty, and Emily's all mine! Watching her cling to Lucas for ten years has been driving me insane," Mark said, his eyes gleaming with twisted desire.
Mark's grin was pure wickedness, his gaze full of hunger for Emily.
"Of course. She's just a woman, take her, do whatever you please," Sarah sneered.
*****
By now, Emily had led over five hundred people halfway down the mountain.
With not a hint of monsters anywhere, everyone finally relaxed. Some folks even started belting out old tunes, their voices echoing through the night.
But while laughter and singing filled the air, nobody noticed the pairs of green and crimson eyes glinting with hungry, predatory light in the darkness over half a mile away.
"Kekeke. The Eternity Ward that kept us at bay for ten years has finally been destroyed!" one of the monsters sneered.
"That Sarah really has some tricks up her sleeve. With Lucas sealed in that coffin, there's no one left to stop us!" another monster hissed.
"Humans, our top-grade blood food, have been getting scarcer for years. Now, with over a thousand flooding out of Dragonspire Peak, I can't wait to rip them to shreds!" a third monster growled, its voice dripping with hunger.
A few monsters lurked in the shadows, their faces twisted with cold, vicious grins.
And behind them, countless crimson eyes began to light up in the darkness, one after another.
By the time dawn broke, Emily had finally led her group of over five hundred people out of Dragonspire Peak.
But even then, it would still take them three days to reach Northgate City.
"Look, that's the highway! And there's a village up ahead! We're finally out from under Lucas's control!" someone shouted, their voice bursting with relief.
"If we can just find someone, we can borrow a phone and contact the authorities, then we'll get rescued for sure!" another person chimed in, hope lighting up their face.
"Wait, this feels weird. Why aren't there any cars? And why does that village look completely deserted?" someone else muttered, unease creeping into their voice.
As the minutes ticked by, the smiles on everyone's faces slowly faded away, replaced by unease.
Emily's brows knitted together. She couldn't reach Mark, so she tried to calm everyone down. "Don't panic, everyone. We have to trust Sarah. Sure, we haven't seen anyone, but at least we haven't run into any monsters, right?"
Everyone nodded, and most of their anxiety faded away.
"It's been ten years, of course the world's changed a lot. Let's keep heading for Northgate City. We'll get back to normal life, I promise," Emily said, her smile gentle and reassuring.
Just then, a teenage girl suddenly spoke up. "Emily, Dragonspire Peak is a famous tourist spot. If the monsters are really gone, how come nobody from outside has come here in all these years?"
Emily froze.
She couldn't answer.
"Yeah, why hasn't anyone from outside ever come to Dragonspire Peak? Are the monsters really all gone?" someone else asked, their voice full of doubt.
"The further we go, the more nervous I get," another person muttered, sounding more and more uneasy.
Worried looks spread across everyone's faces again as they all turned to Emily for reassurance.
Emily bit her lip, her voice steady and resolute. "Everyone, trust Sarah. Let's move faster and get to Northgate City to meet up with Mark and the others. Everything's going to be fine."