The Maw lurched forward, its endless gullet splitting wider, revealing spiraling layers of flesh, bone, and writhing tongues. The Swarm flooded behind it—mutated horrors, a tidal wave of flesh and hunger. Lucas, Evelyn, Reaper, Mia, Sam, and Father Dominic stood their ground. There was nowhere left to run. "End of the road," Reaper muttered, reloading his shotgun. Evelyn's gaze locked onto The Maw. "Not yet." She activated the detonator. Explosives wired beneath the factory ignited in a chain reaction. The entire block erupted in flames, tearing through the street, obliterating dozens of creatures. The Maw staggered, its flesh splitting, regenerating, then splitting again. The ground crumbled beneath them. The factory collapsed, sending Lucas and the others plummeting into the ruins below. They hit the ground hard, buried beneath twisted steel and debris. Mia coughed, struggling to her feet. "Is it… dead?" A deep, grotesque churning filled the air. The Maw was still alive. And now, it was changing. Its body convulsed, splitting apart, tendrils bursting outward to form a grotesque cocoon of flesh. Evelyn's breath caught. "It's—evolving again." They had seconds to act. Lucas staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his temple. "We end this now." Reaper pulled Mia onto a collapsed beam, giving them higher ground. Sam and Dominic covered them, firing relentlessly into the pulsating cocoon. Lucas sprinted toward The Maw, his rifle empty, his blades drawn. The cocoon shattered. The Maw's final form emerged. A towering nightmare, its body now a fusion of its devoured victims. Faces twisted across its torso, screaming in eternal agony. Its eyes locked onto Lucas. He drove his blade deep into its skull. The Maw shrieked, its body convulsing. **Evelyn fired a flare—**the signal. Mia and Reaper ignited the last set of charges. The entire structure imploded. Flames engulfed The Maw as it let out a final, deafening roar. Its body collapsed, the Swarm withering, screaming, and burning to ash. Lucas lay on his back, staring at the smoke-filled sky. Evelyn pulled him up. "It's over," she whispered. Reaper laughed, his voice hoarse. "About damn time." The city was in ruins. And somewhere, deep underground… something still stirred. For now, though, the nightmare was over.