For one second, as Morbus locked eyes with the oversized mosquito, his mind went completely bnk. All the relief he had just felt drained away, like water spiraling down a whirlpool. For that second, he truly didn't know if he'd ever been more terrified—during the sessions with his father or now.

  Then adrenaline took over. Without looking back, he shot forward, his body consumed by fear and instinct. Ignoring Misabelle calling his name from below, he followed his sense of direction, running as fast as he could toward where he thought they had come from. But at the same time, he could hear the mosquito behind him move, creating a buzzing sound that outdid any horror film.

  Morbus couldn't resist looking back.

  What he saw didn't sit well with him. The mosquito was about as fast as he was, and its rge compound eyes seemed to taunt him devilishly. Its wings beat so quickly it could easily hover above the ground.

  That's why it sounds so strange, Morbus thought. It's like the buzz of a normal mosquito, but amplified and with a lower pitch.

  Immediately, he pushed himself to run faster. His dirty shoes spshed mud with each step, forcing him to concentrate hard to avoid slipping. He didn't want to think about what would happen if...

  Don't think about it! he yelled at himself.

  He reached an area where the Marsh became less swampy, making it easier to run. Through the mist, he could already make out the outline of the forest ahead.

  This is how we got here. This has to be the right way.

  Soon, Morbus's shoes gained more traction on the solid ground. Despite his lungs already being exhausted, he managed to pick up speed. It worked—he could hear the distance between him and the massive mosquito growing.

  Once he reached the forest, he could almost smell victory.

  If I get to the horses fast enough, I can escape.

  His legs couldn't take it much longer. But he had to keep going. For the first time in his life, he regretted not being more athletic.

  Fortunately, the mist only clustered around the swamp, allowing the st bit of evening light—despite the thick cloud cover—to make visibility in the forest clear enough. In the distance, the forest seemed to thin, and—yes, there was the edge. Just a little farther, and he'd reach the horses.

  The sound of the mosquito was even farther away now.

  I'm gonna make it.

  But a tree root had other pns.

  Exactly when Morbus misstepped, thunder cracked, now even closer, as if it had triggered his fall. He felt his toes catch, and before he knew it, his entire body smmed hard against the ground. A sharp pain shot through his right knee. He felt his jaw smack against his skull, and blood filled his mouth. Something was very wrong.

  Now that he y still, the dreadful mosquito buzz quickly closed in on him again.

  Get up! NOW!

  He pnted his hands on the ground to push himself up, but his knee immediately protested. The pain was unbearable. He felt warm blood seep between his lips, and a wave of dizziness washed over him.

  Why isn't my body cooperating? Compared to Horatio, this is nothing!

  Desperate, he rolled onto his back, trying to sit up. But his knee was clearly in bad shape; he couldn't bend it, let alone stand up.

  Through the trees, he saw a dark shape zooming toward him. The buzzing was now so intense that Morbus thought he'd never get it out of his head. He made one st attempt to get to his feet, but the mosquito was faster.

  Before he knew it, the creature nded on top of him, its sharp proboscis hovering just above his abdomen.

  "No! Get off!" he screamed in a st attempt.

  Morbus felt the pressure increase, and finally, the tip pierced through his vest and shirt. He felt his skin tear violently.

  "Aaaah! S-s-t-top!"

  But the mosquito didn't relent. Helpless, he y there as the proboscis pushed deeper and deeper into his body. With each inch, the pain doubled.

  "AAAAAGH."

  "Morbus?" said a distant female voice.

  Misabelle?

  He thought the mosquito would bore straight through him, but it stopped just as the pain reached its peak, right in the center of his abdomen. That's when it began to suck.

  "Morbus! Hang on!"

  He felt his blood being drawn from his body through the proboscis. He screamed until his throat was raw, and his body went into shock. His heart thumped erratically, struggling to maintain circution.

  He grew dizzy, and his vision went bck. He'd screamed so hard his voice was gone. Morbus thought back to Horatio's ser, and his own compass. A form of suffering that was many levels below this.

  This was a new kind of pain. Almost alien, far worse than anything else. He hadn't thought it was even possible to feel this mu—

  Through the bck spots dancing in front of his eyes, he saw a female figure appear behind the mosquito. She held a thick, long stick and struck the mosquito's head. The moment she hit it, Morbus felt the suction stop. The mosquito's head jerked aside, and its proboscis broke off, half still embedded in his body.

  But the pain didn't go away.

  The headless mosquito wobbled and colpsed onto the ground beside him. A gray-red fluid dripped from where its neck should have been.

  Misabelle knelt beside him. He could barely see her. His vision was nearly pitch-bck. His ears were ringing, and he felt sick and dizzy. All the blood had drained from his head, and he felt like he could die at any moment.

  "Morbus?" She sounded very far away. "Morbus, please say something."

  She shook his body. "MORBUS!" From the sound of her voice, she was in tears. "You look way too pale. This isn't good." She grabbed his wrist, feeling his pulse. He could hear it in his own ringing ears, faint and weak.

  "Fuck, fuck, FUCK." She stood up and, with all her might, yanked the remaining stinger from his body. Morbus wanted to scream, but he no longer had the strength to open his mouth. He felt Misabelle remove his t-shirt, tying it around him to stop the bleeding. Then she took off her own shirt and id it over his wound.

  While she pressed down on it with her hands, she tried to reach him again. "Morbus. Wake up." Then she removed her belt and tied it around his torso to keep the cloth in pce. "I'm sorry I was too te. Believe me, I really didn't know that..." She turned her head to the lifeless body of the oversized mosquito.

  "We have to get out of here. Back as fast as possible," she panted. "Hold on. I'm getting the horses."

  She sprinted off in the direction where they had left Flox and Zinzia. By now, Morbus could see nothing but bck. All sounds seemed distant, as if they were on the other side of a tunnel.

  Moments ter, he heard heavy footsteps approaching. He felt his body being lifted and pced on the back of a horse. Misabelle grabbed his arms and tied them... to the reins? She also strapped his feet into the stirrups.

  "Zinzia," he heard Misabelle whisper. "Stay close to us, and move as smoothly as possible. Don't let him fall."

  Zinzia responded with a soft, understanding neigh.

  She can communicate with her?

  He heard Misabelle climbing her own horse. She clicked her tongue, causing Zinzia to move.

  Morbus couldn't see anything, only listen and feel. His entire body shook painfully with every step she took. He felt his head hanging on one side of her neck. The fact that his hand was holding the other side was the only thing keeping him from falling off the animal.

  Misabelle made a sound again, and Zinzia went into a higher gear.

  Morbus stayed lying beside her for a while as Misabelle led the way back to Aquinox. He had no idea how much time had passed since the mosquito had stung him, and it was a miracle he hadn't fainted yet.

  Maybe Zinzia is making the blood circute again?

  But he had cheered too early. The dizziness returned, and he had to struggle to stay awake. He tried to think of nice things. The eluminashrooms in the underground chasm. The fact that Misabelle was going to make an antidote against cold bloom. The appointment with Mora on Saturday.

  That helped. Thinking of her made his heart beat a little faster, causing the dizziness to slowly fade. But the unbearable pain in his stomach remained.

  "Okay, ho!" Misabelle said after a while, and brought her horse to a stop. Zinzia did the same.

  She dismounted and walked toward him. "Morbus? How are you now? Can you say something?" She grabbed his bound hand and felt his pulse. "Please!"

  With all his might, Morbus tried to use his voice.

  "Gnfk"

  Misabelle let go of his hand. "We're almost there. Please try to hold on. As soon as we're back, I'll take you straight to the hospital."

  Morbus slowly tried to open one eye. He still saw bck, but could vaguely make out the contours of her head. Even though he couldn't see her face clearly, it was obvious that she was extremely worried.

  Misabelle remounted her horse and Zinzia followed her. Morbus tried to take in his surroundings, but that was difficult from his position. Where they were now was a barren pin. Strange. He couldn't remember this from the way there.

  Wait. The river. Misabelle said it would dry up in the evening. Is this...

  He looked at the wet sandy ground, where the horses' hooves left soggy prints. Yep, it couldn't be otherwise. Two hours ago, water was still flowing here. But now, only a few puddles remained here and there.

  Incredible.

  The thunderstorm rumbled just above their heads. Morbus wasn't in a position to look up, but you don't have to be a genius to guess that it could break loose at any moment.

  Suddenly, he heard a high-pitched scream.

  "Morbus! Everything okay?"

  He heard Misabelle turning on Flox. For a moment, Morbus first thought the sound was coming from his mouth. But he soon realized it wasn't his voice.

  The scream sounded a second time. The sound made him shiver.

  "What the heck is that?" he heard Misabelle muttering.

  Now, multiple such screams sounded. It was as if cars were screeching their brakes on a highway made of styrofoam. Only it was unlikely that there were any working cars anywhere today.

  Morbus got goosebumps from it. He had never heard anything like it.

  The sound was getting closer and closer. It seemed like it was coming from behind.

  He tried to turn his eye sideways so he could see Misabelle just above Zinzia's mane. She had also stretched her neck and kept staring behind her. If only he could see her face.

  But that was no longer necessary. Misabelle muttered a word that provided enough information.

  "Fuck."