FLINCHING backwards at the first bullet, Johan stops for a brief second to look down at his uniform, a clean hole in the flat of his shoulder, seeping blood. What a shame⊠heâd liked the tailoring of this one. The second powers into the fleshy softness where the sternum ended, a shot that would have killed any mortal almost instantly, but this time he dosnât look down, and keeps walking, eyes fixated and cold.Â
     The third scrapes his neck, whizzing past and cutting into the carotid artery, quickly gushing blood from the ghastly wound that would, again, have instantly killed any mortal. Was it painful ? Indeed. What kind of creature would he be if pain were a facet lost on him ? But it would take more than three bullets to stop any advance. Any further shots were panicked and missed their target, his attacker quickly realizing their futile efforts.Â
     In moments heâs upon her, large, imposing, looming with a stoic expression and cold lifeless tone â That was rather unkind of youâŠÂ â
   Thatâs not a human being, thatâs her first thought. Her second shot should have killed him instantly â even the first one should have inflicted some sort of pain, at the very least, and perhaps put him down momentarily in order for the partisan to step closer and finish her job; but each hit has no effect on him. What in the world was capable of enduring that torture with terrifying indifference? And what creature had the ability to SURVIVE that?
    It has to be a nightmare, thatâs her second thought. However, as heâs merely INCHES away from her, he doesnât feel unreal at all; the blacklight defines a tall and built silhouette capable of freezing at once even the bravest of rebels â and Miriam, far shorter than the CREATURE, is no exception.
   Itâs as if her heart, banging that violently on her ribs, has its own mind and will to flee from that intense situation; her whole body might just shred in a million pieces before he gets a chance to do so himself.
   Her third thought is too chaotic; one can barely hear a word from the SCREAMS inside her head. But they manage to transform all together in one single sentence, stuttered and trembling.
         â  ââ--- - What are you? â