"Leo, I know I wasn't as welcoming as Lily in the beginning. God knows there aren't many people who can match her energy... But honestly, I just wanted to tell you that despite everything that happened, I'm glad to call you my brother, blood or not.

You're a part of our family, so please remember that no matter what you need, I'm here for you. Heck, I'll even keep you hidden from Lily. Everyone needs some time away from that bloody girl... I swear, sometimes I have no idea how we're even related..."

~ Nicholas Hale to Leonardo Hale, a few years before the Outbreak

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As minute after minute ticked by, Leo sat slumped in the corridor wall; his back pressed firmly against the cold surface. He had already shed all the tears his body could muster, leaving only a mixture of blood, dirt, and salt to painfully sting his face. At this point, Leo knew he must have looked like a deranged maniac, covered in grime and gore, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to care even a little bit...

What was a bit of blood and dirt in the face of losing more people he loved?

Nothing, literally nothing.

In the past, Leo had believed that he had become accustomed to loved ones vanishing from his life, that life had desensitized him to such situations. He was wrong, so very wrong. There was no getting used to the pain of having family ripped out of his heart.

A bitter chuckle escaped Leo's throat. But I don't have a normal heart anymore, do I? A shard of some long-forgotten Goddess took even that away... This fucking Void is trying to take everything away... Edward, Nick, Adam... He shook his head. No. Their apartment was empty, no bodies. Until I find something that proves otherwise, they might still be out there.

Bones and muscles groaned as Leo slowly pushed himself up to his feet. Each step he took felt heavy and unsteady, and the images flashing through his mind became an even bigger nuisance now that Leo decided to move. Nevertheless, he carried on, to complete the task that lay ahead.

Door after door, Leo left no surface untouched. No matter how large an apartment was, he searched everything, stepping into every nook, every cranny. If there could be a body waiting somewhere out there, he couldn't leave it unidentified, whether it was a Voidling or human.

Sometimes a Scavenger or a Stuttlejaw would dash out of destroyed furniture or a hole in the wall, hoping to make an easy meal out of Leo. However, even in his current state, with the fog of hurt filling his mind, he never let those creatures touch him.

Instincts, Leo thought at one point as he ripped one rat to shreds with his claws and cut another into pieces thanks to the knife in his hand. Those puny Voidlings didn't stand a chance against a monster from the upper echelons, a monster ready to evolve into something far worse.

Not that Leo paid much attention to those fleeting thoughts that came and went like the wind. Most of his focus lay on his task, on overturning the fallen Voidlings and humans and looking them straight in the face. His eye searched for the familiar features of his family, of little Adam and Ava, but to his relief, he found nothing.

They are not here. Leo swallowed hard as he leaned against the entrance to the last apartment on the first floor, holding a large cloth sheet tightly in his hands. It took time, more than this entire trip should have, but in the end, he had searched every single spot in this building.

Leave nothing to chance.

Yet, how could he not? Leo didn't have all the necessary information to figure out what really had happened here. There were plenty of possibilities regarding Ava's and Adam's current predicament. The bodies lying all around the building only attested to that.

Maybe they escaped as soon as they woke up? Leo shook his head, gritting his teeth. No. Too many Voidlings all around... And Nick was somehow outside the flat during all of this. Was he coming back or going somewhere? So many questions.

Someone must have helped Ava and Adam escape if the two were even inside the building at that time. Ignoring the human bodies Leo found, almost all Voidlings were killed by man-made wounds, or so it seemed at least. It could have been one of the scouts from the bigger group or some other people altogether.

Not every flat had bodies inside. Maybe more people here got through the Outbreak. Leo reasoned, looking around the staircase. Even this floor had one apartment without any signs of fighting or Void's presence, excluding the living matter of course. Still, that leaves the Crawlers... Where did they come from?

Those two beasts made this building their home, and Leo remembered well the one crucial part about them in Bestiary. That one sentence made his insides twist painfully even back then, but now?

Formed from children's bodies that bonded with the nearby insects during an Outbreak.

Leo's head fell against the wall, fists clenching even as his claws dug into the bricks. Don't even fucking think about it! However, his mind already went in that direction, assaulting Leo with images of his young nephew's possible fate.

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It painted a picture of a crimson glare, six thin spider-like legs, and an emaciated body crawling along the walls like a night horror. Leo's mind spared him no pain as it even attached Adam's face to the Crawler's deformed body.

Stop! Leo's human fist sailed through the air, crashing into the brick wall. Pain immediately exploded across his fingers and knuckles, and Leo embraced it, pushing whatever his mind tried to conjure out of his head.

Even as blood dripped from the shallow scrapes on his fist, Leo paid it no mind and just snatched the sheet that had fallen to the ground. Dwelling on probable scenarios would only bring more suffering, and there was no need for more of that. Not when Leo had one last job to finish here.

One final goodbye.

Slowly, Leo trudged up the stairs, his eyes fixed straight ahead, never straying from his path. Only when he reached the third floor did he come to a halt, a grimace spreading on his face as his feet once again carried him to Nick's body. He just couldn't leave his brother like that, not even after the Void claimed his life.

Time to get to work.

Almost like he was cradling a baby, Leo moved Nick's body, lying it fully on the floor. No matter how much he detested it, this corner in a random staircase would become his brother's tomb. There was little more Leo could do, and if Nick were still alive, he would tell him that even this was way too much. Especially with what waited outside this building…

Doesn't matter. I'm not leaving you here like this. Leo shook his head as he covered the body with the cloth sheet. Now for the rest.

From there, Leo moved on autopilot, dragging debris and other scattered materials from all corners of the building back to Nick's corpse. Carefully, he placed all of it over the sheet, forming a makeshift headstone. It was a poor substitute for what his brother deserved, but all that Leo could give.

Without a word, Leo sank to the ground next to the makeshift grave, slumping against the wall as his hand dug through the insides of his backpack. His fingers clicked against one of the few new items inside the sack, and Leo pulled it out in one go.

A full bottle of red wine dropped into his lap, and Leo sighed. He would much rather have something else to drink, but beggars couldn't be choosers, not in a world like this one.

Leo flicked his claws and made quick work of the cork shielding the foul beverage. Snorting, he raised the bottle towards the grave and muttered, "Cheers."

Taking a swig out of the bottle, Leo grimaced as the sour taste spread across his dry throat.

"Bloody hell," he coughed, nearly spitting out the wine. "I forgot how fucking bad this shit is. Give me the cheapest beer or vodka any day over this vomit-inducing piss... Fucking wine," Leo added in a mumble even as he took another sip.

Anything was better than nothing, right?

"You should be here, you know?" Leo whispered after a short silence. "No matter how much shit we had given you for bending over to please Ava, you were always the smartest of the three of us. The strongest probably too, considering who your wife is," he chuckled. "Void knows how you survived with her for all those years..."

Leo took a swig once more, ignoring the burning traveling down his throat. "It's a shithole out there, Nick, and I didn't even scratch the fucking surface yet. My heart is already gone, and I will probably lose much more soon," he shook his head. "Fuck, my evolutions are practically screaming at me to abandon my humanity. Bloody Void and System want to take everything away from me, just like they took you..."

A bitter laugh escaped Leo's lips as he tapped against the glass bottle with his claws. "I know, I know. You would probably tell me now that I am acting like a brooding bitch. That I'm crying over something I should have expected to happen instead of pushing forward, surviving, and growing stronger so I can give this new reality the finger when I stand at the top."

Leo took a deep breath, eyes narrowing. "But guess fucking what, Nick!" He shouted, shattering the bottle against a far-off wall. "You guys are all I have, and I don't know if I can handle losing everything all over again! Ninety bloody percent of the Universe's population is dead, probably more. And here I fucking am, still holding onto hope, no matter how stupid that is!"

Chest heaving up and down, Leo closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, just like he learned long ago. It had been a while since he exploded like this, years even. Those thoughts, those fears clung to him ever since the Outbreak began. So finally letting them out, even by shouting at his brother's grave, was almost cathartic.

"Sorry, I'm better now. Just had to get this off my chest," Leo muttered to someone who wasn't even there. "I should probably get going. Wasted enough time as it is... Shit, I'm gonna miss you, Nick. And don't worry, brother. If Ava and Adam are out there, I will find them. No matter what, the same goes for Lily."

Groaning, Leo climbed to his feet and slung the backpack over his shoulder. He slumped just a bit under the weight and looked towards the grave one last time. Time to finish what he had started.

"Goodbye, Nick. I hope that wherever you are, it's better than this shithole. Maybe someday we will see each other again..."

With his final words said, Leo turned away and headed for the stairs. He didn't go down; nothing waited for him there. Instead, upon reaching the fourth floor, Leo entered one of the apartments and headed straight for the smallest room. Once inside, he nodded in acknowledgment.

That's better.

A hole in the ceiling, leading straight to the building's roof, stared back at him. Leo quickly climbed through, using the Vetilim and some overturned furniture to speed up the process. At the same time, Essence surged through his body, blanketing his skin in the familiar layer of True Stealth.

Back outside. Leo took in a deep breath, relishing the sensation of fresh air filling his lungs. After spending probably over an hour inside, covered and surrounded by death and gore, no one could fault him for enjoying this small act. Not after what he had just learned…

Slouching, Leo sat down at the edge of the roof. Still have a few more hours before the dark. I could try to track Ava and Adam from here, but there is no way I'll find anything useful. My best bet is to go back, evolve and start with that larger group. They might know something if they are already running all across the city.

Leo closed his eyes. But before that, System. Got any good news? I really could use some right about now…