Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 57: Please.. Don’t Leave Me.

Chapter 57: Please.. Don’t Leave Me.

The group froze in horror as the monster began to drain her blood, its growls mixing with Golden’s terrified screams.

Garvin’s eyes widened in horror as Golden’s frail body was lifted into the air, the monster’s horror, elongated tongue penetrating her chest. A surge of adrenaline and rage surged through him. Without a second thought, he charged toward the creature, joined by Ethan and Larry, who had already engaged it in battle.

The monster, sensing their approach, turned its attention away from Golden. Its tongue retracted, and her lifeless body dropped to the ground with a sickening thud. Garvin froze for a moment, staring in shock at her small, broken form.

The creature was monstrous in every sense of the word, its black-scaled body glistened like wet coal in the storm’s flickering light, and its eyes glowed a smoldering ember red. The air around it shimmered and warped unnaturally, as though its very presence was poisoning the atmosphere. It unleashed a guttural growl, sending shivers down everyone’s spines.

Ignoring the looming threat, Garvin rushed back to Golden’s side, cradling her head in his lap. Maya and Louise quickly joined him, forming a protective circle while Ethan and Larry continued their fierce battle with the beast, their elemental powers clashing against its unnatural strength.

"Golden, please stay with me," Garvin pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation. He pressed his hand against the massive wound on her chest, trying in vain to stop the flow of blackened blood. "Larry, come here! Do something! You have to help her!"

Larry glanced back briefly, his face etched with anguish. "It’s too late, Garvin!" he called, his voice strained as he sent a torrent of fire at the creature. "The poison’s already reached her heart. There’s nothing I can do, she won’t survive this."

"No! No, no, no!" Garvin cried, holding the girl closer to his chest. "You’re not going to turn, Golden. I won’t let it happen!"

Golden’s body convulsed slightly as she coughed, black blood spilling from her lips. Her eyes fluttered weakly, barely staying open as she fought to speak.

"S...Sc..." she tried, but the effort left her choking, more blood staining her mouth.

"Don’t say anything, please," Garvin begged, tears streaming down his face. "Save your strength, Golden. You’re going to be okay."

Her trembling hand reached up, gripping his shirt weakly as her gaze locked onto his. "Scarlett...is in danger," she rasped, her voice barely audible. "My brother...and Hope...they’re in danger too." Her words came out haltingly, interrupted by harsh coughs. "I...don’t...want to become a monster."

Garvin’s heart shattered at her words. The pain in her voice, the fear, and her childlike vulnerability were too much to bear. He couldn’t tell her the truth about Scarlett, not now. All he could do was weep, holding her as though his embrace could shield her from the inevitable.

"You were kidnapped by the Axe Squad," Louise interjected, his voice tight with both pain and urgency. "Do you know where their base is? If you can tell us, we’ll save your brother and Hope. Just tell us how to find them."

Golden’s lips parted as though she wanted to answer, but before she could speak, a faint glow caught Garvin’s attention. His tear-filled eyes dropped to the metallic collar around her neck, which was now pulsing with a faint, ominous light.

"What is this?" Garvin asked, his voice breaking as fresh tears rolled down his cheeks.

"A bomb," Louise said grimly, moving closer. His hands reached for the collar, but he was unable to remove it. "Dammit, it’s locked tight!"

Larry, abandoning the fight as Ethan managed to drive the monster back temporarily, rushed to their side. "Let me try," he said, his hands igniting with flames as he attempted to melt the collar’s metal. But the material refused to yield, the glow intensifying with each passing second.

"You’ll kill her if you try that!" Ethan shouted from a distance, still engaged with the monster. "Victor doesn’t want us knowing anything about his base. That collar’s not just a bomb, it’s his way of silencing her for good. She must know something he doesn’t want us to find out."

"No! There has to be a way!" Garvin cried, his voice filled with anguish as he clung to Golden.

Golden’s eyes met his, filled with a heartbreaking mixture of fear and acceptance. Her small hand brushed against his cheek, smearing blood across his skin as she gave him a faint, trembling smile.

"Garvin..." she whispered, her voice almost lost beneath the rain.

"Don’t leave me, Golden," he sobbed. "Please... don’t leave."

Her lips moved, forming silent words he couldn’t make out. The collar’s glow intensified, counting down the seconds with an audible series of beeps. The tenth and final number flashed on the small display.

"Golden!" Garvin screamed, his voice raw and broken.

The explosion was deafening. Blood and fragments of the collar splattered across everyone in the immediate vicinity. Garvin was thrown back by the force, his arms instinctively shielding his face. When the smoke and chaos cleared, Golden’s lifeless body lay on the ground, her head severed by the blast.

For a moment, everything was still. Even the monstrous creature seemed to pause, as though reveling in the horror it had witnessed. Then Garvin let out a guttural, heart-wrenching scream, his grief echoing through the storm.

Louise knelt beside him, his face pale, unable to find the words to console him. Maya covered her mouth, tears streaming silently down her face as she turned away, unable to bear the sight.

Ethan and Larry stood frozen in place, their battle momentarily forgotten. The monster, however, growled once more, snapping them back to reality and in an instant, it’s hesd was severe by Ethan’s fire element in shape of a sword.

"This isn’t over," Ethan muttered, his voice cold as steel. "Victor will pay for this. Every last one of them will pay."

But Garvin didn’t hear him. He couldn’t. All he could see, all he could feel, was the blood on his hands and the unbearable weight of his failure to protect her.