Chapter 162

After everything Ashley had been through today, the idea of mermaids existing no longer seemed entirely implausible. She and Elara had both witnessed the moment when the entire building was swallowed by darkness—not in a dream, but in reality. Yet, in an instant, the pitch-black substance outside the windows and the mutated humanoid creatures that had surrounded them vanished like a mirage. It was as if everything had been nothing more than a momentary collective illusion. When the rescue team from the base arrived, they found no trace of the blood-drinking, shape-shifting creatures the two had described. Instead, they discovered a series of blood-drained corpses. So where had those strange creatures gone? How could they just vanish into thin air? The news reported a series of attacks by sea monsters on cities, claiming that the military had everything under control. With a composed and righteous demeanor, the Allied Forces' spokesperson addressed the public on live television,