My eyes followed every movement, alert, as massive red pincers neared me, clashing together with a metallic, threatening sound. The ants were only a few centimeters away when I pressed myself hard against the wall, trying to distance myself as much as possible. In the next instant, one of their mandibles sank into the wall behind me, anchoring there and preventing it from closing around me.
With the dagger firmly in hand, I drove its blade into the ant's skull with a precise strike. Its red eyes flickered for a brief moment, reflecting the impact of the attack. Without hesitation, I twisted the dagger still embedded in its head, and the creature's spasms ceased entirely.
Taking advantage of the moment, I pushed off the ant's mandibles like a trampoline and jumped into the open space left by the others, disappearing into the gap before more could appear.
As soon as my feet hit the ground, I kept running without hesitation, while rhythmic cracks echoed behind me like muffled gunshots. Through Noa's eyes, I saw the last remaining ant chasing me with relentless fury, its legs pounding heavily against the ground, making the earth vibrate with every step.
Taking control of Noa's body, I repeated the move I'd already executed with my own male body: I drove the dagger with precision into the creature's skull as it sank its mandibles into the wall, momentarily trapped—a moment I seized without mercy.
I twisted the dagger forcefully, sending a thick jet of green blood slowly dripping down the blade before the ant stopped moving altogether. The other two continued to writhe desperately, trying to reach Noa, their bodies pressing grotesquely against each other as if they were one repulsive living mass.
Taking control of Justin's body, I gripped the dagger's hilt and leapt. My body cut through the air for a brief instant before crashing onto one of the creatures. As with the previous strikes, I drove the dagger violently into the ant's skull—the impact was dry, and another burst of green blood splattered onto my face and chest. I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was stopping them.
Or rather, I didn't have time to worry about something as trivial as the blood dripping onto me. Once I eliminated the other ant controlling Justin's body, I had to jump immediately—the previous creature, still chasing me, lunged forward, even stepping over its fallen companion without hesitation.
Personally, I couldn't say if these things actually have any sense of camaraderie or if they simply act on instinct. Either way, knowing that wouldn't help me now, since it wouldn't change the gravity of my situation in the slightest.
In any case, only two ants remained. Still controlling Justin's body, I cast a sharp look at the one still chasing me. To be honest, I no longer saw anywhere to run. These giant ants are much faster than they look. Even if I tried to escape, it was almost certain I'd be caught before reaching the wall. My heart raced, and every step I took seemed to echo the sound of inevitability.
In the end, time slipped away too quickly for me to think clearly. The ant was almost right in front of me, its claws threatening to close with deadly precision on both sides, as if it intended to tear me in half.
It was then, at the exact moment of impact, that something within me impulsively awakened, driving me to throw myself to the ground. Was it some kind of survival instinct? I couldn't say, but in that moment, the only certainty I had was that I had barely escaped the relentless jaws of the ant.
Either way, I didn't let that opportunity slip away. As soon as I turned my attention to the other body, Noa's, I leapt agilely onto the ant I had just killed. With unexpected speed, I ran toward Justin, not hesitating. I glanced quickly over my shoulder, and as I did, I saw the other ant on my tail, its voracious run echoing as its massive pincers slammed into the ground with relentless fury.
I felt a sharp pain in my chest, as if my heart were on fire, as I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The pincers of the last ant were dangerously close, just inches from my back.
Each beat of its legs on the ground reverberated, making the earth tremble slightly, as if death itself were relentlessly behind me. The exact moment its claws closed, I leapt, my body propelled by desperation. I used the force of the fall to quickly spin around and, with the dagger firmly in hand, aimed with precision.
As the creature's mandibles sank into the wall, following the same pattern as before, I drove my dagger with all my strength into the center of its skull. The metallic sound of its skull cracking mixed with the final snap of its jaws, creating a brutal symphony.
I twisted the blade with calculated violence, feeling the resistance give way under the pressure, as if the metal had found the weak point. The ant's body trembled one last time, as if still fighting death, before it collapsed lifeless, its weight smashing into the ground with a muffled thud.
Breathing heavily, my lungs burning with every breath, I looked at Justin, still under my control, his tense expression reflecting the inner struggle. The last ant roared horrifically, its high-pitched sound cutting through the air as it zigzagged, maneuvering around the carcasses scattered on the ground as if nothing could stop it.
Determined to reach my other body, its frantic speed showed it wouldn't hesitate to attack. I couldn't let it do that. None of us could be touched by those jaws. I turned my attention back to Justin and, without hesitation, ran toward him.
When it lunged, I took advantage of the momentum of my run, pushing myself forcefully against the wall to gain height. In the air, time seemed to slow as I adjusted my aim with precision. As I landed on it, driving the dagger with a swift and sure movement, the blade buried directly between its eyes.
She shook violently, trying to throw me off, but I resisted, keeping the blade firmly planted as I twisted the handle with force. The pressure of my hand drove the blade even deeper, and then a gush of thick, hot blood exploded from her forehead, spraying into the air and splattering on my face. The warmth of the blood was instant, and the sticky sensation felt almost surreal, like time had slowed down for a brief moment.
However, that wasn't enough to knock her down for good. Her huge, red, agile, and furious body continued to sway back and forth as she desperately tried to rip me off her at any cost. Staying calm, I controlled Noa and quickly ran toward Justin.
The ant, noticing my approach, was already too late. With a precise movement, I drove my dagger into the other still-intact eye, burying it deep. I twisted the blade, feeling it tear through the flesh, and a jet of green blood poured out, splashing my face and staining the ground around us, as the ant let out a final gasp of agony.
The ant let out a muffled screech, and with one last effort, it toppled to its side, too weak to continue. I stood over its lifeless body for a few seconds, my lungs burning with pain, my arm still stretched out, the dagger firmly in my grip. The silence filled the space.
For the first time since the fight began, there was no incessant sound of its legs striking the ground, nor the threatening snaps of its mandibles closing. The only sound was the dripping of the green blood, slowly trickling across the stone floor. The two bodies I controlled stared at each other briefly, a silent exchange of understanding, as if, even without words, they shared relief.
Unfortunately, the relief was short-lived. As both my bodies, the male and the female, tried to catch their breath, heavy sounds of legs pounding on the concrete began to echo again. My eyes moved quickly toward the noise.
It was Noa who noticed first. Her eyes, which I still partially controlled, saw shadows moving through one of the entrances to the hall. When I turned to Justin, the confirmation came like a punch to the stomach.
More ants. Nine of them, exactly. They emerged from cracks in the walls, pouring out like a living, dark, relentless flood. Their carapaces gleamed under the flickering crypt light, a shine that seemed to mock the surrounding gloom. The snaps of their mandibles, a sharp and incessant sound, echoed in my mind like rhythmic hammering, filling the oppressive silence of the place.
Some ran along the stone walls with supernatural agility, defying gravity, while others moved across the floor, their sharp legs like daggers, scratching the cold surface. They were bigger, faster — or maybe it was just the fatigue making me see them that way.
Several red eyes, almost perfectly aligned, gleamed in the shadows, side by side. But that wasn't all. There were more eyes, further back, multiplying like sinister shadows. Somehow, it was as if a red nightmare had taken form before me, suddenly appearing in the empty space.
There was nowhere to run. The hall, which had once seemed vast, now felt narrower as we were surrounded by the threatening presence of the nine monsters from all sides. The air was heavy, thick with tension. With a quick gesture, I positioned Justin with his back to Noa, both of them in defense, daggers raised, breathing synchronized as one.
The rhythmic sound of our breaths seemed to be the only calm point in the chaos. It was strange coordinating two bodies under such intense pressure, but my mind had already disconnected from logic. There was no room for doubt or thought. I was just acting — by instinct, by pure necessity, survival was the only thing that mattered now.
The first strike was sudden, without warning. One of the ants shot from a wall, leaping straight at Noa. At the last second, I spun her body, feeling the cold air around us, and with a swift motion, I pulled the dagger upward, slicing the ant's abdomen in mid-air.
The green blood gushed like a heavy rain, staining the ground and the air around us. The beast's carapace cracked with the impact, making a dry, loud sound as it shattered against the floor.
There was no time for celebration. Justin spun quickly on his heels and drove the dagger into the eye of another ant creeping along the flank, so close to the ground it seemed to merge with it.
Even with half of its skull crushed, it still tried to bite, its body twisting in one last act of resistance. It took another stab, burying the blade deeper, a guttural scream stuck in its throat, coming out with difficulty, as if the pain of the battle was trying to choke it.
The others started to surround us, more cautious now, as if they had learned from the deaths of their companions. The air was thick with tension, and the snapping of their legs echoed off the stone walls, like war drums, signaling imminent danger.
Noa lunged at two that came together, rolling on the ground between their massive legs, agile as a shadow. I spun my body as I passed under, my muscles tense, and drove the dagger with precision into the blind spot between the head and carapace of one of them. The blade sank easily, as if the ant's fate had been sealed since the first strike.
The second tried to retaliate, but it had no time. Justin was already on top of it, his movements quick and lethal. I jumped to his side, driving the blade into the top of the creature's skull with brutal force.
I twisted the dagger, and the sound of bone cracking filled my ears, blending with the buzzing of rage and pain that still echoed from those surrounding us. The metallic smell of blood spread through the air, making the atmosphere even more suffocating.
Five were left. My bodies were bleeding, though only superficially, the dark liquid staining the flesh, but the pain felt distant, as if it wasn't mine. My arms, already exhausted, began to feel like they were made of stone, and my breath became increasingly erratic, each inhale a struggle.
But there was no room for weakness. With every movement, precision was crucial, and with every strike, the intention was deadly. The ants, like a black tide, grouped together in a tight line, forming a deadly semicircle around us.
The sound of their legs scraping across the floor echoed like a bad omen. I took a deep breath, feeling the hot, dense air of the crypt. If this place were to be my tomb, then I'd make sure to drag these ants to hell with me.