THE RISE OF AN OMEGA-Chapter 65: The Unseen preadator

Marcel’s POV

Where am I? What is this place?

Everything was so dark that I couldn’t see a thing ahead of me. I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face and lips. Slowly, I opened my eyes—but immediately shut them when grains of sand trickled in.

That was when it hit me.

I was on that route.

Memories flooded back. Yeah... we were checking out that hole—the one that had been dug up. And then, out of nowhere, creatures erupted, like it was attacking us. Before we could react, the ground beneath us gave way. We fell...

Realizing this, I tried to move my feet—but I couldn’t. Something heavy was pinning them down. Panic surged through me. Just then, a strange sensation washed over my body.

I felt... lighter.

Was I dying? Or was this something else?

The weight on my body seemed to lessen, and then—

A hand reached out to me.

I grasped it without hesitation, and with surprising strength, I was pulled free. The rocks and debris that had trapped me were gone.

I blinked as my vision adjusted. Standing before me was Isabella—the only female Alpha we had. In fact, the only female Alpha that had existed in centuries.

She steadied me as I stumbled, my legs still feeling like they were made of stone. My eyes burned, irritated by the dust that clung to them.

"Easy, boy," Isabella said, her voice firm yet calm. She guided me to a spot where I could rest.

I sank onto the ground, trying to shake off the dizziness. "Where the hell is this place?" she muttered, glancing around.

I swallowed hard, then asked, "Where’s Clara? And the others?"

"I don’t know," she admitted. "I just woke up from this nightmare myself."

I exhaled sharply. "We have to find them."

"Stay here while I look around. Maybe I’ll find someone," Isabella instructed.

I hesitated but nodded. She wasn’t just an Alpha—she had once been betrothed to Ryker. Though things hadn’t worked out between them, she had lived as our Luna for a time before disappearing.

I rubbed at my eyes, finally clearing them enough to look around. Visibility was poor—I could barely see more than five steps ahead. My legs still felt heavy, but not as bad as before. I could move.

"Isabella!" I called out, my voice echoing in the eerie space.

I wasn’t just calling to check on her—I needed reassurance. I still couldn’t fully believe she was on our side. That she had willingly joined this fight.

After the hatred she had shown toward me when she first came to the pack, it was hard to believe she had suddenly changed.

"I’m here," she called back.

She must have sensed my doubts because she added, "And I know what’s going on in that head of yours, Marcel. But I assure you—" her voice softened slightly—"you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not leaving you. Or anyone else."

Honestly, it felt weird hearing Isabella say something like that. But at the same time, it was... comforting. Knowing she had our backs was a relief.

Isabella was strong. Really strong. And right now, we needed that strength.

I let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Clara! Ryker! Kira! Emilia!" Isabella called out, her voice echoing through the cave.

Silence.

She called again. And again.

Nothing.

Then—

A faint noise. A rock shifting. A stone falling against the cave floor.

Isabella froze. "Someone’s here," she whispered.

She rushed toward the sound. I could hear her footsteps, but suddenly, she stopped.

"what, Isabella?" I asked.

"The sound... it’s getting fainter," she murmured, sadness laced in her tone.

That was surprising. The Isabella I knew never cared about anyone but herself. She had never shown this level of concern.

"Come on, Marcel. You have to get up," she urged. "I need an extra hand to move these rocks. If we don’t act fast, whoever’s trapped under here might not make it."

My eyes widened. My heart pounded in my chest.

They could still be alive.

Fueled by that thought, I forced myself to stand. My legs were unsteady, but I managed.

By the time I reached Isabella, she had already begun pulling away the stones. And she was right—whoever was underneath didn’t have much time left.

Without hesitation, I dropped to my knees and started digging.

We worked fast, clearing the debris as quickly as we could. Dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe, but we didn’t stop.

Finally, we uncovered a body.

"Clara!" we both yelled at the same time.

She gasped, coughing violently as dust filled her lungs.

We lifted her carefully, carrying her to the spot where I had been resting earlier. She could barely move, let alone stand.

"Thank you," she managed to say between coughs, her voice weak from exhaustion and pain.

She looked around, and I could see the question forming in her mind even before she spoke.

"Where is Alpha Ryker? Kira? Emilia?"

Isabella and I exchanged glances.

"We... don’t know," I admitted.

Clara’s face paled. "Could they be dead? Or are they still somewhere in here?"

"No," Isabella answered firmly. "If they were here, I would have heard them. I opened my hearing sensors when we woke up."

Clara swallowed hard. "So does that mean... they’re dead?"

Isabella shook her head. "No. I don’t think they’re dead."

Clara’s breathing quickened. Then, as if remembering something important, she gasped.

"The map! Where is it?!"

I had completely forgotten about the map I was holding.

"We need to find that map," Isabella said urgently. "It’s our only way out of here—and our only way to the Moonstone."

She was right. It must have slipped from my hands when we fell. Maybe it was buried under the rocks. Maybe it had been torn to pieces.

The three of us scanned the cave, but all we could see were endless piles of stones and debris. Finding a single sheet of paper in this mess? It would take hours. Time we didn’t have.

We let out a collective sigh. Not one of relief, but of pure frustration.

"We can’t afford to waste time digging through these rocks," Isabella said, folding her arms. "We have to find the others. Hopefully, they’re together."

"But how did we even get separated?" Clara asked, frowning. "We all stood on the same ground. We all fell at the same time."

"Beats me," I muttered.

Clara suddenly tensed, pointing ahead. "What are those things?"

I followed her gaze, but at first, I saw nothing. "What things?"

"Those... those things that came out of the ground," she said, her voice tight.

"They’re shadow creatures. The undead," I said grimly.

Clara shivered at the mention of them. "I’ve heard stories about them. Decades-old stories. When I was little, I thought they were just myths."

Isabella abruptly spun around, her body rigid, eyes sharp. She had sensed something.

"Isabella?" I whispered.

She lifted a hand to silence me.

Then—

A creature lunged out of the shadows.

With one swift strike, Isabella caught it mid-air. Her claws wrapped around its throat, squeezing tight. The creature let out a piercing growl, writhing in pain.

With her free hand, Isabella’s claws elongated—then pierced straight through its chest. A sickening squelch filled the air as she tore its heart out.

The creature went limp.

She flung its body aside like it was nothing.

Clara’s breath hitched. "What... was that?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"That was not a shadow creature," I murmured, still staring at the body.

"Definitely not," Isabella agreed.

"Then what the hell was it?" Clara demanded.

Isabella exhaled sharply, her patience wearing thin. "Do you expect me to know, Clara? We’re all in this place for the first time!"

The anger in her voice hung between us. But then, she took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"I’m sorry," she muttered. "I just... I feel on edge. There’s something off about this place."

I understood exactly what she meant. I could feel it too.

And I had no doubt—there were more of those things lurking in the shadows.

"We need to leave," I said.

Isabella nodded. "Now."

"This place isn’t safe," I muttered, my senses on high alert. "I can feel more of those creatures lurking in the shadows."

We were outnumbered. Half of us were injured. This wasn’t a battle we could win.

Isabella groaned, struggling to stay on her feet. "We... we need to keep moving," she managed to say.

I nodded, lifting Clara onto my back. "Come on!"

We ran, pushing forward through the darkness, our only hope lying ahead—wherever ahead was. The ground was uneven, loose rocks shifting beneath our feet. But we didn’t stop. We couldn’t.

Then, just as hope sparked—we hit a dead end.

The path was blocked. There was nowhere left to run.

We spun around, and that’s when we saw them.

Glowing blue eyes pierced through the darkness, surrounding us from every direction. The creatures advanced slowly, their snarls vibrating through the cave walls.

"We’re trapped," Isabella murmured, her grip tightening on her weapon.

I swallowed hard. There was no escape. No time to strategize. This was it.

"Drop me down," Clara said firmly. "I can fight."

I hesitated for only a second before placing her on her feet. She wobbled slightly but steadied herself, determination flashing in her eyes.

We took our defensive stances, bracing for impact.

Then, they charged.

The first two lunged at me. I ducked swiftly, dodging their claws. With a sharp uppercut, I struck one under the chin, snapping its neck. The other slashed at my side, but I twisted away, delivering a brutal kick to its ribs.

Isabella fought with ferocity, slashing through anything that got too close. She was fast—almost too fast—like a blur of claws and blood.

Clara held her ground, dealing heavy blows, but I could see it—the exhaustion.

We were tiring. The creatures weren’t.

And they kept coming.

Then, just when I thought we were done for—

They stopped.

Without warning, the creatures turned and fled, retreating into the shadows at full speed.

We panted heavily, confusion sinking in.

Something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

A chill crawled up my spine. The air felt heavy, suffocating. A presence stronger, darker, more evil filled the space. But the most terrifying part?

None of us had sensed it coming.

Not even Isabella.

Then—

Clara collapsed.

She was breathing, but unmoving.

"Clara?!" I rushed toward her, shaking her gently. No response.

I turned to Isabella—just in time to see her fall too.

Panic tightened around my chest.

I was the last one standing.

And something—or someone—had just made its move.