"Everyone! Please, calm down! Stop this, please!"
"..."
Elena’s cry, thick with sorrow, rang out across the grounds.
As the animals heard her voice, they momentarily ceased their movements as if snapping back to their senses. Watching them, Marcos held his breath, a flicker of hope rising within him.
Elena possessed the rare ability to commune with monsters; perhaps she could do the same with ordinary animals.
Though the situation was clearly unnatural, Marcos clung to the faint possibility that if her voice could reach them, they might resolve the crisis before the casualties mounted. But that fragile hope was instantly crushed by a savage roar.
"Guooooh! Vaooooh!"
"Elena, look out!"
"Kyaah!"
Elena screamed as a wolf-like beast lunged at her, its sharp fangs bared.
Yugo moved in a blur, snatching her up and leaping back just in time to avoid disaster. Though she was safe, Elena remained dazed, her face pale with shock.
"Elena, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"It’s no use... my voice won’t reach them. Something is wrong with them! They aren’t acting out of fear or anger—their hearts are in complete turmoil!"
Marcos rushed to her side as Yugo set her down, only to fall silent at the sight of her frantic expression.
Elena was more sensitive to the shifting emotions of animals than anyone else present. Seeing her this distressed made Marcos realize that the rampage was far more severe than they had initially feared. He looked out at the chaos unfolding across the zoo with a grim expression.
(What do we do? How do we handle this? Why did they start rampaging in the first place?)
The cause remained a complete mystery.
As Marcos agonized over their next move, the voices of the zoo staff reached his ears, confirming his worst fears.
"Tch...! At this rate, the casualties will only keep rising. We have no choice. We have to cull them...!"
"W-Wait, please! They aren't themselves right now! They aren't doing this on purpose! It’s too cruel to kill them!"
"We know that better than anyone! But we can’t just let animals continue an unexplained rampage like this!"
"No... how could you...?"
Elena was devastated by the staff’s cold ultimatum.
However, the workers who had raised and cared for these animals were clearly suffering just as much as she was. Their pained expressions made it obvious that culling the creatures was the last thing they wanted to do.
But as zoo employees, they had a duty to ensure the safety of the visitors.
Above all, they felt a crushing responsibility to stop the animals before their beloved charges became killers. As they prepared to begin the cull with heavy hearts, Marcos finally spoke up.
"Wait! Give us a moment! We'll find the cause of the madness and find a way to snap them out of it! Just give us a little more time!"
"We can't. If someone dies while you're searching for a cause, we'll have to cull them all anyway. It’s better to end it now, before blood is shed!"
The staff were right; the moment a human was killed, every animal involved would be condemned.
Faced with their tragic resolve to end the crisis with their own hands rather than risk the lives of the attendees, Marcos found himself unable to argue. He wanted to save both the people and the animals, but the logic was stacked against him.
"But... but still...!"
Marcos desperately tried to find a way to resolve the incident without sacrifice. He racked his brain, but in his state of confusion, no brilliant ideas came to mind.
He didn't want to see the creatures Elena loved be slaughtered in front of her. He didn't want to see her heart broken. He searched frantically for any kind of breakthrough.
But as a solution eluded him and the staff prepared to move out, Melt stepped forward to block their path.
"Wait! We might actually be able to find the source of the rampage!"
"What was that...?"
The staff paused, turning their attention toward her. Melt ignored them for a moment, looking directly at Elena.
"Elena, try calling out to them one more time. Tell them to stop!"
"But... it'll just be like before..."
"Just do it, please! I know we can find a way to save them!"
Elena hesitated for a split second before nodding firmly at Melt’s encouraging words.
She turned back toward the frenzied animals and cried out, pouring her entire soul into a plea directed straight at their hearts.