Time resumed its flow. The wind blew again, dust settled on the ground, and leaves swayed gently.
Kyla appeared ahead, her face dirty, eyes wide with desperation.
"Clark!"
He stopped inches from her, senses sharpened. The scent of blood filled the air.
"My grandfather! He… he's being attacked! A man… he's not normal!"
She pointed behind her, breathing heavily.
Clark turned and vanished.
WHOOSH!
The clearing unfolded before him. Joseph lay on the ground, motionless, one arm bent at an unnatural angle. Over him, a pale man, covered in dirt, his clothes torn as if ripped from his own grave.
The putrid smell invaded Clark's nose. Something was wrong. Something unnatural.
'The undead.'
Lana's phone call flashed through his mind.
The man slowly turned his face. Deep, hollow eyes. Pale lips slightly parted.
Clark knelt beside Joseph. Two fingers pressed against the jugular. Nothing. No pulse. No heartbeat.
'No…'
His gaze lifted, focusing on the attacker. His breathing was irregular but… wrong.
Clark narrowed his eyes.
Voices screamed in his mind.
A void.
Pain.
Lana Lang… she is the key.
The man's thoughts didn't flow like a living being's. Scattered fragments, distorted memories, a broken stream.
I was Chad Nash.
Now I am Adam Knight.
But I shouldn't be here.
Clark saw everything.
The grave, the awakening, the deep darkness pulling him back. The hunger. The need for something he didn't understand.
Lana.
Adam's body moved. His neck cracked with a grotesque sound. His lifeless eyes met Clark's.
"I need her."
Clark stood up, his gaze cold.
"You're not getting near her."
Adam tilted his head, lips curling into an almost human smile.
"Who's going to stop me?"
Clark vanished from his sight.
WHOOOSH!
An impact.
BOOOM!
Adam's body was thrown against a tree. The wood cracked, leaves spiraled down.
Clark remained still, his chest rising and falling slowly.
The ground trembled as Adam rose. His bones creaked. He shouldn't be alive. But he was.
His hollow eyes locked onto Clark again.
"This changes nothing. I always come back."
Clark clenched his fists, but inside, something stirred.
'Is this a zombie apocalypse? I knew Smallville would still surprise me.'
He almost laughed. A part of him wanted to enjoy the moment, the nerd in him thrilled by the absurdity. But then, he activated his x-ray vision.
The amusement vanished.
Dark veins ran through Adam's body. Between decayed bones and organs, green fragments pulsed like poisoned roots.
Kryptonite. So that's how he came back.
Clark took a deep breath. There was nothing to save. Adam wasn't a man. He was an animated corpse, a mistake of nature.
"No matter how many times you return, I always end it."
Adam stepped forward, fingers curling like claws.
"Lana…"
WHOOOSH!
Heat glowed in Clark's eyes before Adam could take another step.
FOOOOOSH!
Flames engulfed Adam's body instantly. His skin cracked, his eyes became empty shadows. He tried to scream, but the sound came twisted, choked, as if even death refused to release him.
"Lan… a…"
His bones charred, flesh dissolved into smoke.
Adam fell to his knees.
CRACK!
His body collapsed, consumed by fire until only a blackened shell remained.
Clark relaxed his shoulders, exhaling slowly.
Hurried footsteps behind him.
"Grandpa!"
Kyla ran forward without hesitation, ignoring the grotesque scene.
She fell to her knees beside Joseph's body.
"No… no, please…"
Her fingers slid over her grandfather's face, feeling the already cold skin.
Clark's chest tightened.
He stepped back.
Said nothing.
Kyla clutched her grandfather's hand tightly, as if she could bring him back.
The wind blew, dry leaves danced around her.
Her sobs were soft at first.
Then, they became something deep, painful.
Clark only watched.
Her sorrow was real.
And there was nothing he could do.
---
Talon
The Talon's light flickered on the ceiling, casting distorted shadows over empty tables. The scent of coffee still lingered in the air, but Lana felt nothing but the cold weight in her chest.
Her phone screen glowed in her hand, Clark's name flashing in the list of missed calls.
VRRR. VRRR.
The device vibrated one last time before the call went to voicemail.
"Clark… please, pick up…"
Silence was the only answer.
She dropped the phone on the table, fingers gripping the sides of an untouched coffee cup.
'He promised. He said he would come.'
The Talon's door creaked in the wind, but no one entered. The town slept, and she was alone.
Her hands trembled as she recalled the earth shifting, pale fingers emerging from the darkness.
Her mouth went dry. A lump formed in her throat. The lifeless stare of that… that thing.
Her stomach churned.
"This can't be happening…"
Her eyes burned. She blinked fast, but the emptiness before her was crushing.
'Clark always comes. Always.'
But not this time.
The Talon's lights seemed dimmer. The world, colder.
She picked up her phone again, hesitated.
VRRR. VRRR.
Voicemail.
Her chest rose and fell in uneven breaths. Her eyes stared at the dark screen.
Press it. Call again. He will answer.
But her fingers didn't move.
'He chose not to come.'
Her breath hitched. Her mind spun.
Maybe he was busy. Maybe another emergency came up.
Maybe…
Her eyes shut, nails digging into her palm.
Or maybe she just wasn't a priority.
The chair creaked as she stood, her footsteps echoing on the wooden floor. The empty Talon felt like a reflection of her feelings.
Alone.
No answers.
No Clark.
She grabbed her bag and walked to the door.
The cold wind cut against her skin as she stepped outside, and for the first time, she didn't hesitate.
Clark didn't come.
And she wouldn't wait for him anymore.
---
Clark remained silent as Kyla sobbed beside her grandfather. The cold wind rustled through the trees, but all he felt was the weight of death around them.
"I can cremate the body."
Kyla lifted her face, eyes red and swollen. The pain still etched in every expression.
"Why?"
Clark crouched beside her, his gaze steady.
"He fought for this land. He fought for you. The forest he protected can be his final resting place."
Her fingers trembled as she held Joseph's lifeless hand.
"I… I don't know."
Clark waited. She needed to decide. Not him.
Her sobs gradually quieted, the silence growing even heavier.
"He always said the earth and sky were one. That one day, he would return to them."
She took a deep breath, eyes locked on the still body.
"Do it."
Clark rose slowly.
Kyla stepped back, hugging herself.
He inhaled, his eyes glowing red.
FOOOOOSH!
Heat consumed the flesh in seconds. Ash filled the air, swirling in a silent dance beneath the moon.
Clark blew gently.
The ashes scattered among the trees, blending into the land.
Kyla closed her eyes.
The wind carried what remained of Joseph, returning him to the soil he had defended.
She knelt, her hands touching the earth.
"Grandpa…"
Clark watched, respecting the moment.
Kyla stood slowly, meeting his gaze.
"Thank you."
Clark nodded.
"You can't stay here alone."
She opened her mouth to reply, then hesitated. Her fingers trembled slightly, her breathing unsteady.
Clark read her thoughts.
Behind the grief, there was another certainty.
'He is the man from the stars. My destiny. The man of my life.'
She knew. She had always known.
Her eyes shone, waiting.
"Come with me. To my home."
Kyla's heart pounded. She didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The answer came quickly, without hesitation.
Clark held her hand. The warmth of his skin against hers was enough to erase any trace of doubt.
He led her to the car. Kyla got in, her gaze fixed on him the entire time.
Clark sat behind the wheel, started the engine, and sped down the dark road.
The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable. It was filled with something new. Something inevitable.
Kyla lowered her head for a moment, absorbing everything that had happened. But when she lifted her face again, there was no longer just sadness.
There was determination.
Clark glanced at her.
"I'll take you to my truck. From there, you'll take the wheel and follow me."
She nodded, clasping her hands in her lap.
"Understood. I won't lose sight of you."
Clark accelerated, the engine humming low in the dark road. The silence between them was heavy. Neither needed to say anything more.
The trip was quick. The headlights cut through the darkness as Kyla kept her eyes locked on the road.
Minutes later, Clark parked beside his truck. He stepped out first, moving naturally.
Kyla turned off the car, her hands still firm on the steering wheel.
"Clark."
He turned to face her, his expression calm but attentive.
"I'm not going to run away. If that's what you were thinking."
Clark narrowed his eyes slightly, but a small smile crossed his lips.
"I know."
He walked over to the truck and opened the door, climbing in without hurry.
Kyla watched him for a second, then grabbed the keys and started the engine.
The headlights illuminated the back of the truck, casting long shadows on the empty road.
She didn't hesitate.
Pressed the accelerator and followed Clark.
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