The Bigshot's Superstar Wife-Chapter 210: Fail (3)

Athena and Xavier moved swiftly, their bodies acting on instinct as they advanced toward the source of the disturbance. The ruins around them were eerily silent, but that silence never meant safety. Athena's grip on her sword tightened, her muscles coiled like a predator waiting to strike. She didn't know why her instincts felt so sharp, but she was beginning to accept that she had been a warrior long before she had lost her memories.

Xavier took the lead, stepping over the remnants of fallen creatures, his movements careful but confident. His demeanor had changed again—no longer the smirking, enigmatic man teasing her about forgotten memories. Now, he was a soldier, a leader, someone who had seen enough battles to recognize when something wasn't right. Athena kept close behind him, listening for any shift in the environment.

Then it came. A faint rustling in the distance. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Athena caught it. Her body reacted before her mind could fully process the threat, and she grabbed Xavier's arm just as he was about to take another step forward.

"Wait," she whispered, her eyes scanning the debris-strewn ground. "There's something here."

Xavier didn't question her. Instead, he shifted his stance, adjusting his grip on his weapon as he followed her gaze. The tension in the air thickened, the moment stretching until—

A blur of movement erupted from the shadows.

Athena barely had time to raise her sword before a creature lunged at them, its grotesque form twisting unnaturally as it moved. It wasn't like the zombies or the mutated beasts they had encountered before. This one was different. Faster. Smarter. Its skin was an ashen gray, and its elongated limbs bent in ways that defied human anatomy. Its eyes—if they could even be called that—glowed faintly, a sickly green light radiating from its hollow sockets.

Xavier reacted immediately, dodging to the side as Athena swung her sword in a sharp arc. The creature screeched, narrowly avoiding the blade, and twisted mid-air to land in a crouch several feet away. It was watching them now, assessing them.

Athena's pulse pounded in her ears. This thing wasn't just attacking blindly. It was studying them. Learning.

Xavier's voice was low, nearly a growl. "That's not a normal mutation."

She didn't need to be told that. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't just another mindless monster.

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The creature moved again, faster than before. It zigzagged unpredictably, forcing Athena and Xavier to split up as it targeted them both. Athena barely managed to parry its strike, the force behind the attack nearly knocking her off balance. She gritted her teeth, adjusting her stance as she countered with a sharp jab.

The creature twisted its body unnaturally, avoiding the attack with a flexibility that shouldn't have been possible. It retaliated with a swipe of its elongated claws, catching Xavier across the chest. He hissed but didn't falter, slashing his own blade through the creature's arm in response.

A high-pitched shriek echoed through the air as black ichor splattered onto the ground. The wound didn't stop the creature, but it slowed it. Athena took the opening, darting forward with a well-placed strike aimed at its neck.

Her blade connected.

The creature let out a strangled sound as its head severed from its body, rolling onto the cracked pavement. For a moment, everything was still.

Then, the corpse twitched.

Athena stepped back, watching in horror as the body began to convulse violently. The severed head remained lifeless, but something in the creature's torso shifted.

Xavier cursed. "Move!"

Athena barely managed to leap away before the body exploded.

A thick, noxious mist burst from the remains, spreading rapidly through the air. Xavier grabbed her wrist, pulling her backward as they retreated from the spreading fog.

Athena coughed, covering her mouth as the smell of decay filled her lungs. The mist wasn't dissipating—it was lingering, swirling unnaturally as if it were alive.

Xavier's grip on her tightened. "We need to leave. Now."

She nodded, and they broke into a sprint, weaving through the ruins as the mist continued to spread behind them. Whatever that thing had been, it wasn't just another mindless monster. It was something worse.

Something designed.

By the time they reached a safe distance, the mist had already blanketed the area where the creature had fallen. Athena leaned against a half-collapsed wall, catching her breath as she tried to process what had just happened.

Xavier ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched. "That wasn't a random mutation. That thing was engineered."

Athena swallowed hard. "Then that means someone—or something—is still creating them."

The thought sent a chill down her spine.

They had fought through countless horrors since the world had fallen apart, but this was something else entirely. This wasn't just a battle for survival anymore. This was a war.

And they had no idea who—or what—they were fighting against.

Xavier exhaled, his expression hardening. "We need to find out who's behind this."

Athena nodded. They couldn't afford to hesitate. If more of those creatures existed, if someone was still experimenting, still creating new horrors, then they were running out of time.

She pushed herself off the wall, gripping her sword tightly. "Let's go."

Without another word, they moved.

Athena and Xavier didn't waste any more time. The moment they regained their breath, they pushed forward, moving through the ruins with heightened awareness. Every shadow, every broken structure felt like a potential hiding place for another one of those engineered horrors. The idea that someone—or something—was still manufacturing these creatures unsettled Athena more than she cared to admit.

Xavier led the way, his steps deliberate as he scanned their surroundings. The air still carried traces of the toxic mist from the creature's explosion, a sickly-sweet stench that clung to their senses. Athena did her best to ignore it, focusing instead on the path ahead.

"We need to find shelter before nightfall," Xavier muttered, his eyes narrowing as he glanced up at the sky. The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting long shadows over the ruined cityscape. "If more of those things are out here, we don't want to be caught in the open when it gets dark."

Athena agreed. They had fought their fair share of monsters, but this was different. The enemy they were up against was evolving, adapting in ways they hadn't expected. And that meant their usual survival tactics might not be enough.

They moved in silence for a while, their steps swift but cautious. Athena's grip on her sword remained firm, her senses tuned in to every sound around them. The city was quiet—too quiet.

Then, in the distance, a faint sound reached her ears.

A voice.

Someone was calling for help.