It was getting late, and the sky was adorned with the dark oranges and yellows of a sunset. But of course, there was still no sun. It was as if this world was only mimicking his own.

Unsettled, Rowan trailed behind Nero as they approached the assembly hall where they'd met. Nero's steps were stiff and rigid, and his confident demeanour had long vanished as he gazed up at the grand building. The ruckus inside could be heard from far away, causing Rowan to ponder as they walked.

'I have a bad feeling about this. If there really are Devoured in the forest all around us, can they really afford to be so noisy?'

Rowan had spent the last hour watching Nero attempt to wipe the disgusting red blood and viscera from his body on the grass and flowers.

Rowan had tried his best to hide his amusement, but Nero had been giving him the cold shoulder ever since. His stench was truly unpleasant, but Rowan trailed behind him anyway.

As they approached the door, Nero spoke up.

"What a pain. Don't think I haven't seen you smiling all this time, asshole. Let's just get this over with, ok?"

With a huff, Nero marched up the dining hall stairs, paused, and then eased the door. On his toes, Rowan peered over Nero's shoulder only to see what must have been the bustle of over a hundred Defected. Inside, the tables, whose size had seemed ineffable once, were now crowded and clustered with Defected men and women alike.

'Where the hell did they get all this food? All this alcohol?'

Overwhelming even the scent that still hung on Nero, the smell of alcohol flooded the room and rushed out the door as if escaping from the chaos within. Wrinkling his nose, Rowan quickly noticed Nero's similar apprehension in the doorway.

"Don't forget, Rowan, this isn't a safe place for people like us."

Rowan bit his lip. "...No kidding. You're probably used to it, but I've never been somewhere like this. Do we really have to go in?"

Many inside turned their heads to stare at the bickering two. Even amidst this chaos, the alcohol and the smell, their senses were attuned and their presence recognised. But most quickly shrugged or disregarded them both. The sight of a bloodied comrade was just a commonality, and they knew better than to stare.

"You were right. I'm sorry, Rowan, but it's already too late. I can't save you, not this time."

"What?"

Inside, one figure in particular was not so dismissive of them. With no hesitation, they arose from their seat and marched towards them. There was no mistaking who she was targeting.

Nero's face grew darker as he glanced at Rowan one last time and took a brave step inside. Soon enough, the two were face to face, and a redheaded woman an inch or two taller looked down on Nero.

Their silent stalemate ceased as the woman smirked. "Hehe." She grabbed and cupped Nero's face and brought him close. Rowan could only watch. Leaning in her mouth, curled into an even greater grin. It was Alicia, the beautiful Defected, who had found him in the forest.

"You smell awful, Nero."

Nero blinked in disapproval, but he couldn't help but smile a little as he glanced back at Rowan.

"And you're drunk. I got monster flesh all over me, so don't get any ideas."

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Even leaning back, he failed to evade her advance as her lips smothered his words. Even as she tugged him closer and closer, he continued to make eye contact with Rowan. But Nero, with all his strength, didn't resist her advancement, and as Alicia pulled away, his arrogant grin was shared with his friend.

'Nero... you?'

The beaming redhead failed to notice their staring standoff as she looked over the shoulder of the one trapped in her embrace. Finally noticing him.

"Oh, it's you. Your name is Rowan, right? Remember me? Sorry, hehe, I didn't notice you staring at us back there. But well, if you want to join us that bad, Rowan, then the more, the merrier."

Even Nero's face was horrified as he struggled to free himself from the grinning girl. He glanced over at Rowan pale.

"Ignore this idiot. She means, do you want to sit with us?"

"Whatttt, wasn't that obvious?"

Her expression was smitten with concern as she brushed the red locks away from her face. Yet just as easily, it reversed into a teasing grin.

"Gosh, I'm kidding! Come on, I saved you a seat."

Resigned to the girl's whims, Nero was grabbed and dragged by the redhead and her mighty grip. Rowan paused, then followed behind them. He had long forgotten his anxiety and was just plain annoyed with his new acquaintances.

'You don't have the right to make an expression like that, asshole. I listened so kindly to your moping before, too. We're nothing alike, not even a little.'

A tad envious, Rowan shook his head and watched the girl lead them to a table in the centre of the room. As he shuffled between the chaos of the drunkards, he wrinkled his brow. Their table was smeared with sticky, wet alcohol all over. Sitting beside an intimidating Defected, Rowan perched on the edge of the pew. Fortunately, they moved to the side, giving him space to sit properly.

By then, the redhead had sat beside Nero and found a full wooden tankard from who knows where brimming with who knows what. Her beady eyes examined the bubbles, ignoring Rowan's perplexed gaze. She took a big gulp and slammed it down proudly alongside multiple other empty tankards.

"Haaaah. Hey, don't look at me like that. Come on, it's a special occasion? Are you old enough to drink?"

"Umm, no, I'm... now that I think about it. Don't I turn eighteen tomorrow, maybe? Wait, why is it a special occasion?"

Rowan didn't feel like indulging the drunken girl was a good idea. But unlike Nero, who sat quietly, he failed to escape inside his head.

"You! It's because of you, Rowan! The word's spread by now. We've been stuck here for years, and you're the first Defected since the beginning. It's incredible news!"

Rowan's eyes widened as he shrunk into himself on the bench. Attracted by her jeers, many in the hall turned to look, yell or cheer, raising their mugs all at once. 'But I don't even have a Defect?'

Nero watched all this as he folded his arms, annoyed. "Relax, Rowan. Don't let Alicia fuck with you. These people do this every day anyway. You're just an excuse."

Booming laughs, then sheepish grins escaped many of the Defected as they cheered Nero's words before continuing to drink and shout amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Alicia wrapped her arm around the quiet Nero, ignoring Rowan's presence.

"Ah, come on, Nero, you're glad too, aren't you? To take in some fellow deadweight."

Nero spared her a long glance, then laughed and gestured for her to hand him her tankard. As Alicia watched Nero drink with a pleased grin, she clung to his shoulder. Her broad, beaming smile seemed to lose some of its vitality as she whispered to him. It was supposed to be quiet, but in her drunken, haggard state, Rowan made out every word.

"You didn't get hurt, did you? I know you hide some of your strength, but fighting Devoured alone is dangerous, even for me. You won't do it again, will you?"

Her soft, elusive words garnered no reaction from Nero, who continued to finish her drink with an enthusiastic gulp. Her vibrant red eyes glanced down at his hands, holding onto the cup, and she continued to murmur to him.

"Well, I didn't think you'd listen. Did you hear? I fought a Devoured today, too. It was Vile, and I failed to kill it. Someone... someone will probably get hurt now."

Alicia finally glanced up at Nero. Her eyes sought contact with him, but his gaze remained fixed on his drink. But soon, her visceral vermillion pupils drew him away from his tankard as he sighed.

"Alright, fine. Let's talk it over at my place. Once we're done here."

The corners of her mouth widened as she nodded, and a faint blush arose on her pale cheeks. Then, as if rejuvenated, she let go and turned back to Rowan, only to find him scowling. Excited, she ignored his expression and leaned over the table to engage with him.

"Well, anyway. You joined the camp at a good time, Rowan. There's more Docile meat for us to hunt than ever..." Concerned, Rowan glanced at the meat stick by her side as she grabbed it by its obnoxiously large bone.

"More meatttt, less Devoured than everrrr. Our alcohol-producing thing. Grinning, she paused for dramatic effect. "I'm told it has never been more efficient. Oh, ah, I almost forgot 'burp'. Lastly, we're due to be rescued from here any day now. Burp. Probably."

The more she spoke, the greater the slur in her words, but Rowan couldn't help but pick up on that last part. Blinking to himself, he felt a little dread as he contemplated her words. When he glanced at Nero, he simply shrugged, watching with an amused smile.

'Rescued?... So they don't need me?'

"Hold on, Alicia. You mean we're going to be saved from here. When? By who?" Rowan asked.

Her eyes were unfocused as she gazed up at the roof. "Huh, uh, what. Right. I think maybe. Maybe someone else should tell you all about that"

A moment later, her eyes lost their focus on Rowan. Then her head came falling down, striking the hard wooden table with a painful "Smack."

No one seemed to care, but Rowan couldn't help but be shocked. He watched the limp redhead sprawled across the table and felt compelled to look up. Only to find a stoic, gruff Hector towering over him, staring at her.

"Ha!" Hector laughed.

Hector's indifferent face was still. "That's our number two Defected for you." Once he was finished, he glanced down at Rowan.

He blinked. "What? It's fine. Those tables are reinforced with metal, but that won't hurt her either. Come on... the Boss is ready to see you now."