Chapter 451: On the brink of death.

A lump grew in Zyra’s throat, "Feeding machine!" Zyra growled.

Her hand pulled back before she could stop it, and she slapped the doctor. While the woman was still reeling from pain, Zyra took off, following the arrows on the virtual map. All thoughts of caution were abandoned.

Her boots pounded against the metal floor as she sprinted into the next room. The others scrambled right behind her, breathing hard.

Zyra kicked the door open, using all of her strength. It went flying off the hinges. She was breathing ruggedly when she stopped to look inside.

The room was smaller, but a hundred times worse.

There was a large pool filled with thick, clear gel. Floating in the middle of it was a woman. Tubes were stuck into her arms, neck, and thighs. Beside her pool were bigger pods holding toddler sized hybrid children. Attached to her chest were cold, mechanical suction cups, endlessly pumping milk out of her and sending it through clear hoses into the babies’ pods.

Zyra stopped dead in her tracks. Her breath hitched.

"Mom..." she whispered.

It was horrifying. Zena’s once-vibrant, dark green hair had turned completely grey and brittle. Her smooth skin was wrinkled, stretched tight over her bones. She looked like she was eighty years old. They had used her as a human dairy farm, draining every single drop of life out of her body.

"Oh, Mom..." Zyra choked out.

[Host, that gel is draining her energy and keeping her weak. Stimulants are being injected into her body to cause continued lactation. Take her out of the pool and keep her warm.]

Four thick, warm blankets materialized out of thin air next to Zyra, dropping to the floor.

"Hunter! Almeida! Grab those!" Zyra yelled.

Hunter and Almeida didn’t ask questions. They grabbed the blankets and rushed to the edge of the pool. Zyra jumped into the pool, following Beauty’s instructions to detach the suction cups and tubes.

The mechanical clamps released with a hiss of steam. The moment the suction stopped, Zena took a small soft breath. It could have been one of relief or her last breath.

Zyra pulled her out her out of the pool and covered her entirely, because she was naked. "Please mom...please mom, don’t die on me." As she muttered and begged, Zyra poured healing liquid into Zena’s mouth. She was also trying to use her Soul maiden powers to heal her but they were so weakened in the yellow zone.

Zena let out a soft, painful groan. Her eyelids fluttered open, heavy and swollen. She looked up through blurred vision, squinting at the trembling girl standing over her.

A tiny, weak smile broke across Zena’s pale, cracked lips.

"Zyra... my baby girl..." Zena whispered, her voice like dry leaves scraping together. "I... I knew you’d come. I was waiting for you...to say goodbye..."

"I’m here, I’m here!" Zyra cried, reaching for her frail cheeks. "No one is saying goodbye mom."

Suddenly, Zena’s eyes rolled back. Her body began to shudder wildly, violently shaking as if an electric shock was running through her frame. Then, all at once, she went completely still. Her head fell back.

"NO!" Zyra gasped. Tears poured out of her eyes like a broken dam. "MOM!"

She shoved her hands onto Zena’s cold chest, pumping every ounce of her energy into the woman’s heart. "Live! Come on, mom, live!"

[Warning: Host’s abilities in this underground silo are heavily suppressed. Even I cannot boost your healing output here,] the System warned solemnly.

"I don’t care! Work, damn it, work!" Zyra sobbed, her hands glowing with a weak, flickering light.

Suddenly, a big, warm hand clamped over Zyra’s wrists. Almeida stepped closer and placed his hands right over hers. "Take my energy," Almeida grunted, his face straining. "Let us save her!"

A huge surge of pure, warm energy flowed from Almeida, through Zyra, and straight into Zena’s chest. The flickering light flared bright red and gold.

[Target is stabilizing... heart rate returning...]

Zena gasped, taking a big gulp of air into her lungs. Her eyes snapped wide open, color slowly returning to her grey cheeks. She was back. She was alive.

Zyra burst out laughing_ a loud, messy, tear-filled laugh of pure relief. "You made it! You actually made it!" She turned to thank Almeida, but he was coughing.

A violent spray of dark red blood burst from Almeida’s mouth, splattering across the white floor tiles. He crumpled to his knees, clutching his chest, coughing uncontrollably as more blood spilled over his lips.

"FATHER!" Hunter screamed.

Hunter leaped across the room, catching Almeida before he hit the ground. He pulled the man into his arms, his hands instantly getting covered in blood. "Father! What’s happening?! What did you do?"

Almeida looked up at Hunter. His eyes were heavy, filled with a deep, crushing sadness. He reached up a blood-stained hand and gently patted Hunter’s cheek.

"I’m sorry, son..." Almeida whispered softly, his voice fading fast. "I’m... I’m dying. I was bitten by a corrupted beast. I knew this time was coming soon."

"No! No, no, no!" Hunter yelled, shaking his head wildly, tears streaming down his face. "Don’t you dare say that! Tessi, heal him! Zyra, please do something!"

Zyra wiped her eyes, her heart beating like a drum. She looked at Almeida’s pale face, then at Hunter’s desperate eyes.

"We can’t heal him here," Zyra snapped, her brain kicking into overdrive. "The suppression field in this yellow zone is killing our ability! Hunter, we have to take him to the ship! The ship can save him!"

[Host, great thinking,] the System chimed in. [The medical pod on the ship can stabilize your mother too in ways that the instant healing liquids and pills cannot. Your mother needs long term care.]

Zyra jumped up and whirled around to face Bullet, Tessi, and the Grand Elder. "Grandfather! Listen to me!" Zyra shouted. "Take care of the doctor and guard these pods! I’m taking Almeida and Zena first! I will be right back for the rest of you!"

The grand elder nodded. The old man looked ten years older. He was still struggling with what they had found. All the missing Dark blood Soul maidens and a few that had gone on missions beyond the veil only to vanish, seemed to be in this place. For such an operation to run, they had to have traitors on the human side who had given up names and locations.

Bullet stood there, his jaw practically touching the floor. "Wait..." He blinked, looking back and forth between Hunter and Almeida. "Father?! Did he just say father?! The alien is your father? I am so confused."

Tessi’s eyes were wide as saucers. "Wait...one of them said Almeida is a prince. So, is Hunter a prince too?"

"Can you guys focus right now?!" Zyra yelled. "Heal those in need of healing. Teleport the ones in grave danger to the Sanctum."

"Sorry!" Bullet yelled back. "It’s just a huge plot twist!"

The grand elder motioned at her to go, "We will be okay...leave."

"Beauty!" Zyra commanded, ignoring the peanut gallery. "Open a portal right now! Move us straight to the Sanctum basement!"

[Portal unlocked. Initiating transfer now!]

A bright, glowing rift tore open in the air behind them. Hunter scooped his father up into his arms, while Elfy wrapped Zena in a blanket and hauled her up. Without looking back, they dived straight into the light.