Leo crouched on yet another Vetilim covered roof, his hand coming to rest upon the living matter. Essence slipped out of his soul with barely a thought, the crimson pulse covering the entire building and area below. It returned faster than ever, even bringing back the energy used on the skill but no new information.

Empty, like all previous ones. Only Voidlings and zero signs of ordinary life. Leo sighed, rising to his feet.

Despite wanting to return to the Safe Zone as fast as possible, Leo decided to make a small detour and fulfill his promise to Ava. Not that it was the only reason for the delay. After all, no matter what deal he made with Holden, there was no real trust between them yet.

Such things took time to build up. And so Leo didn't want to show up at the Safe Zone until most of his bones stopped screaming in pain with every move.

Paranoid? Definitely, but taking precautions like this was necessary to survive in this messed-up world. It was either that or risk ending up with a few arrows between his eyes.

Happy thoughts... Happy thoughts. Leo snorted, looking around the small neighborhood again. He had already searched Ava's old home in and out, then scanned the entire area, hoping to find any survivors.

Not that he succeeded. Only Voidlings, corpses, and more Voidlings greeted him around those parts of Wolford. And even though he didn't find any remnants of Ava's family here, their fate was quite obvious with the number of monsters walking through the streets.

That is if they were even here to begin with. Leo frowned, watching the tens of Voidlings mingle on the streets below. Could have escaped in the beginning and joined a different group, as unlikely as it sounds...

Shaking his head, Leo pushed those thoughts away. Wondering about what-ifs and maybes wouldn't achieve anything. Not now, not ever. Besides, with the pain in his chest turning into an annoying ache, the time had come to go back.

I did what I could for now, Ava. Hope it will be enough. Leo thought and jumped on the closest Vetilim web, a new destination set. I have an hour at best before the Night comes. Have to hurry...

Leo's initial plan for the way back had been to visit a few more places, the Tainted Wasteland and Shadow Tail Nest being the main pitstops. He thought of going there even in his injured state, but once Hunter brought forth a certain memory about the former place, he reconsidered.

Leo might be stronger now and didn't have a death wish like he used to after finding Nick. However, approaching the Wasteland still seemed like a dumb idea in his current state.

To think my bloodthirsty part has more common sense than me. Ironic... Leo huffed, sprinting across rooftops and Vetilim platforms. I swear, this is all yours and Nikra's fault.

Hunter sniggered. 'We. One.'

Screw you. I liked you more when you couldn't use normal words.

The beast only laughed louder.

----------------------------------------

Good, they took everything. Leo noted, stopping at the familiar clearing in the forest behind the Safe Zone. Nothing remained in the area except for the multiple smears of blood leading into the bushes. Well, almost nothing, as he had spotted a few torn-off limbs peaking through the tall grass.

Must have happened during the transport... Or something else came here and ate all the bodies. Just the thought alone pulled a grimace on Leo's face. Yeah... Let's hope not. I don't want to know what could have eaten such a big pile this quick without Drain or some similar ability.

Leaving the clearing behind, Leo sprinted towards the Safe Zone, summoning the scarves out of his soul. He quickly covered his head and pulled his hood up. He didn't like hiding like this, but Holden was right.

No reason to spread panic due to his appearance alone.

Alright, Holden, let's see if you kept your word. Leo mused, raising his hand and knocking on the warehouse's backdoor. At first, only silence met his call, but then the entrance opened just wide enough for a familiar face to appear in the gap.

"It's you," the man murmured, opening the door a bit wider.

Leo tilted his head. "Evan, right? Holden clued you in?"

The leather-clad man nodded. "Wait here for a moment. I will get Tony." Without even a warning, Evan shut the door, leaving Leo alone on the other side.

Rude. He snorted. At least Holden didn't back out. That would have been a shame...

Time passed, maybe a minute or five, before the door opened once more. This time, Holden stood in the entrance, changed out of his armor. Although the same crimson blade still hung at his side.

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"You came," the man stated the obvious. "With the night around the corner, I thought I would need to wait until tomorrow. Glad I was wrong."

"Yeah, yeah," Leo waved him off, knowing they were on the timer. "Gonna let me inside? We better hurry if you don't want me to stick around after the dark."

"Aye, you're right," Holden nodded, stepping out of the way. "Come, Hale, and don't look around too much. We have people in the warehouse who aren't aware of you. I would like it to stay that way for now."

Leo shrugged but didn't argue as he followed the leader inside. They really didn't have time for unnecessary bickering...

They entered the same room he had met Ava in and took a seat on the opposite sides of the table. This time, no one accompanied them, leaving the duo to speak freely.

"Let's get the obvious out of the way first. Did you find my people? Anything?" Holden asked.

Leo shook his head. "I followed almost the exact path you gave me, but no one was there. Or at least no one I could see. Maybe they will still return, but I wouldn't count on that. Not with what I found."

Holden furrowed his brow. "Elaborate."

"Wolford's mall got turned into a Graveyard, with capital G. The place is even recognized by the System under such a name, but it didn't want to give me any more info without going in."

"I take you did exactly that," Holden stated more than asked.

"Yeah, and almost died," Leo nodded, wincing a bit. "That place is a fucking breeding ground for Nightmares, Holden. Much worse than the Nests I have seen... Corpses hanging from the ceilings with dozens of those monsters sleeping on the ground. A hell on earth."

Of course, Leo didn't stop his explanation at that. No, he also described in detail how he discovered the existence of a third type of Nightmares, monsters with the potential to become even more dangerous than a Collector and Scouter combined.

"Bloody hell," Holden cursed at the end, running a hand through his long hair.

"That was my reaction too, just more colorful," Leo snorted. "At least until those bastards decided to wake up and give me a heart attack."

"But you escaped. How?"

"Had a headstart, a few Ether Flares, and I'm fast," Leo pointed out. "Not that it stopped one of the Collectors from following me out of the mall. That's where I almost died, not inside."

Even though Holden tried to keep most emotions from showing on his face, his eyes still widened a bit. "They can go outside during the day? We thought there must be a reason for their nocturnal nature, but if what you say-"

"I wouldn't worry too much," Leo cut him off. "You're right. There is a reason they don't walk around during daytime, and that's because they literally can't. Or at least not for long... Sunlight burns them. In a matter of two minutes, barely anything remained of the Collector that followed me."

"That's... good," Holden took a deep breath, his expression turning cold again. "We are nowhere ready to face Nightmares."

"No one is."

The leader nodded. "Aye... So the mall is out. Not good, not good at all."

No need to tell me that. Leo sighed. The mall really seemed like the best place for a Safe Zone, but the universe evidently had different plans. What's new...

"You need to tell everyone to stay away from that place," Leo pointed out before Holden could change the subject. "Nightmares are one thing, but after I got out, the System gave me some information about the Graveyard. A similar amount to what Identify gives you when used on a Voidling."

Holden looked at him pointedly, and Leo elaborated. "It mentioned something about Corruption and it being in the first stage. I have no idea what it exactly means, but in my opinion, no one should even come close to that building. Better to be safe than sorry."

"I'll do that. Nobody will even think of it once I mention Nightmares. All of us here have seen those beasts, and no one wants to face them," Holden explained before going silent for a moment. "As much as it pains me to say it, with the mall out of the question, nests are our only choice left."

"There are two we know of, not including the Ameists," Holden continued. "The first is in the old church. You should know which one, you worked near it after all... Can't tell you what it houses, but the System calls them Soullings."

Leo grimaced. Nothing with 'soul' in its name could be an ordinary monster. Besides, the area around the church was quite populated. Not the best place to move a group to if they were to survive.

Thus, he decided to ask, "And the other?"

"It's in the area where every damn company has a warehouse. This one houses some kind of a cat, Shadow Tail."

"I know this one," Leo interrupted. "Been there a few days ago and even fought against a few. If you want my opinion, this is a good place to start. Unless you have other ideas."

Holden nodded. "No, and Clara and I've thought the same... That area should be safer than the church, and I would rather not have my people live near the middle of the city... Now, are you still willing to help?"

Stupid question. As if I would fully leave Adam's and Ava's safety in your hands now that I have found them. Leo almost snorted. "I am. And if you want, I might be able to clear the nest alone."

This earned a raised eyebrow from Holden, "Oh?"

"It's quite simple really," Leo grinned slightly, raising his hands. Instantly, two long blades of shadows formed above them. "You see, normally, those cats can be quite annoying to fight against thanks to their use of shadow affinity... I don't have such a problem."

Holden swallowed visibly and muttered, "So Tyler didn't lie about this."

Leo rolled his eyes. Of course he was the one to reveal everything I could do. Why am I not surprised?

"So?" He asked when Holden refused to say anything else.

The man blinked. "Forgive me, got lost in thoughts... As for the nest... Are you sure you can do it?"

"No," Leo replied instantly. "A lot could have changed since I've been there. That's why I will go there tomorrow and test the waters. If going solo proves too hard, I will come back, and we can go with whatever plan you already have or will have."

"I can work with that," Holden nodded. "Just have one request for you... I would like for someone to go with you tomorrow. Not to fight, but observe the nest. I want to know how they function inside and outside."

Leo narrowed his eyes, not really liking the idea. Unfortunately, he also didn't really have good reason to disagree. "Fine," he almost spat. "But make sure that they stay out of my way... Also, I won't slow down for them."

"That's not a problem," Holden answered. "Clara can handle herself and will catch up if necessary."

Her? Really? You want me to kill her or what? Leo grumbled with a sigh. "Whatever... Now tell me, how is Adam?"