The interior of the LC300 had no space left to give.

Metal groaned again as the frame continued to bend inward, the torn side opening stretching wider with each push from outside. The vehicle shifted slightly on its side, every movement sending broken glass sliding across the floor.

The Hunter didn’t stop.

It forced more of its body through the gap, pushing past twisted metal as if it wasn’t there. The edges scraped along its surface, bending further, widening the opening until it could move with less resistance.

Inside, Jayson backed up until his shoulders hit the front seats.

There was nowhere else to go.

"Shoot it!" the driver shouted, his voice breaking as he fumbled with the door handle that refused to open.

Jayson fired.

The muzzle flash lit the interior again and again, each shot cracking against the confined space. The rounds struck the Hunter at near point blank range, the impact visible in the way its body jerked.

But it didn’t stop.

It kept coming.

Relentless.

The Mayor raised his pistol again, arm steady despite the shaking vehicle.

"Hold it there," he said.

He fired.

Once.

Twice.

Each shot hit.

Close.

But the creature only slowed for a fraction of a second before pushing forward again, forcing its limb deeper into the vehicle.

It wasn’t testing anymore.

It was committing.

The driver snapped.

"Fuck this!" he shouted, scrambling forward, kicking at the front windshield, trying to break it open. His boots slammed against the glass, cracks spreading outward with each impact.

"Open! Open!" he yelled, panic fully taking over.

Behind him—

The Hunter moved.

Faster.

Its limb shot forward, catching him before he could strike again.

The driver screamed.

It grabbed him by the torso, lifting him partially off the floor, his legs kicking wildly as he tried to break free.

Jayson lunged.

He grabbed the driver’s arm, pulling back with everything he had.

"Hold on!" he shouted again, his voice strained.

For a moment, it held.

A brief struggle.

The driver suspended between them.

Then the Hunter pulled.

Harder.

The difference was immediate.

Jayson’s grip slipped.

The driver’s hand clawed at his sleeve.

"Don’t—!"

The rest of his words cut off as he was ripped away, dragged through the jagged opening, his body scraping violently against the torn metal.

Blood smeared across the edges as he disappeared outside.

His scream didn’t last long.

The sound that followed was worse.

Jayson froze.

His hand still out.

Empty.

The Mayor fired again, aiming directly into the opening.

"Useless," he muttered under his breath.

The Hunter returned almost immediately.

It didn’t leave.

It didn’t feed long.

It came back.

This time, there was no hesitation.

It forced more of its body inside, the opening widening further as the frame gave way under the pressure. The interior shrank even more, the space between them collapsing.

Jayson raised his rifle again.

His hands shook.

He fired.

Again.

Again.

The shots hit, but they no longer slowed it in any meaningful way.

It kept moving.

Closing the distance.

Until it was right in front of him.

For a second, they faced each other.

Jayson’s breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling as he tried to hold his aim.

"Stay back," he said, though there was no command left in his voice.

The Hunter didn’t respond.

It moved.

Its limb shot forward, faster than he could react.

It caught him across the chest.

The impact drove him back into the front seats, knocking the air out of him instantly. His rifle slipped from his hands as he struggled to breathe, his vision blurring for a split second.

Then it grabbed him.

Jayson tried to fight.

He grabbed onto the seat, onto anything he could find, his fingers digging in as he resisted.

But it didn’t matter.

The strength behind it was absolute.

He was dragged forward, his body pulled across the broken interior, glass cutting into his arms, his legs catching against twisted metal.

"Sir—!" he tried to shout.

The Mayor didn’t move to help. He just watched.

Jayson’s grip slipped.

And then he was gone.

Dragged out through the opening, his body vanishing into the darkness outside.

The sound that followed was short.

Then it stopped.

Silence filled the vehicle.

Only one person left.

The Mayor sat where he was.

Still holding his pistol, fear began to creep into his face.

The calm he held onto for so long began to crack, not all at once, but piece by piece as the silence inside the vehicle stretched too long.

No more voices.

No more gunfire inside.

Just him.

And it.

The Hunter didn’t rush him.

It stayed at the opening, its body partially inside the torn frame, blocking what little light remained. The shape of it filled the space, making the already cramped interior feel even smaller.

The Mayor swallowed.

For the first time, he didn’t speak.

He just stared.

His pistol was still in his hand, but his grip wasn’t as steady now. The barrel moved slightly as he tried to keep it aligned with the creature in front of him.

"...Stay back," he said, his voice lower than before.

It wasn’t a command anymore.

It was a warning.

One that meant nothing.

The Hunter moved.

It pushed further in, metal bending around it as the frame gave way with a strained groan. The gap widened again, allowing more of its body to enter, closing whatever distance remained.

The Mayor fired.

The shot cracked loud in the enclosed space.

The muzzle flash lit up everything for a split second.

The round hit.

Close.

But the Hunter didn’t stop.

It didn’t even hesitate this time.

It kept moving forward, its limb reaching inside, extending toward him with controlled precision.

The Mayor fired again.

Then again.

Each shot louder than the last.

Each one less effective.

The pistol clicked.

Empty.

The sound echoed louder than anything else.

For a moment, he froze.

His eyes dropped to the weapon.

Then back to it.

And that was when it showed.

"...Wait—" he said.

His voice broke slightly.

It was the first time it had.

He tried to shift backward, but the crushed interior gave him nowhere to go. His back pressed harder against the twisted metal, his shoulder catching on the frame as he tried to move.

The Hunter didn’t wait.

Its limb shot forward.

It grabbed him across the chest, the force pinning him instantly against the seat. The impact knocked the air out of him, a sharp gasp escaping his mouth as his body jerked under the pressure.

He struggled.

For the first time, truly.

His hands came up, trying to push it away, trying to find leverage against something stronger than anything he had ever faced.

"...No—no—!" he said, the words coming out uneven, desperate.

It didn’t matter.

The grip tightened.

The metal around them creaked again as the pressure shifted, the vehicle groaning under the combined force. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The Mayor tried to brace himself.

Tried to hold onto the seat.

His fingers dug into the torn leather, slipping as he was pulled forward inch by inch.

"...I can give you—" he started, the words collapsing into themselves.

There was nothing to offer.

Nothing to bargain.

The Hunter pulled.

Stronger.

The difference was immediate.

His grip broke.

His body slid forward across the broken interior, his clothes catching on jagged edges, tearing as he was dragged toward the opening.

He screamed.