‘Fuck that.’

Liam began walking away from the scream at a quickened pace. He didn’t know if the scream belonged to one of the three girls, nor did he care. Whatever trouble they had gotten themselves into wasn’t his problem. Either way, there was no chance he was going to throw himself into danger for someone else, let alone strangers; he wasn’t that kind of guy.

Isabelle raised her voice while chasing after Liam.

“Hey! – Where are you going in such a rush!”

Liam didn’t bother responding, Isabelle was the least of his concerns. The only thing on his mind was getting away from here as fast as possible. He didn’t want to be dragged into whatever mess was happening behind him.

Now that he was traveling alone, not counting Isabelle, getting involved in any face-to-face conflicts would prove dangerous. Aaron and Dan weren’t here to act as vanguards, and Liam wasn’t confident he could come out of a fight unscathed, even if it were only a two-headed dog. His only option was to avoid fighting or run away once it started. Since he wasn’t exactly confident in his speed, he preferred the former over the latter.

After passing through numerous streets, Liam finally came to a stop. He paused and looked up at the gray clouds swirling overhead. Sticking out one hand, snowflakes gently landed on his skin, instantly melting into nothingness.

‘I didn’t think it could get any worse… I was wrong.’

Liam shoved his hand back into his pocket. The adrenaline coursing through his veins earlier had faded. His foot throbbed in pain, or it would have – if he could feel it. He didn’t know when it started, maybe around the time he escaped the creature, but any feeling in his feet was gone.

‘Frostbite. Great, just great.’

Liam grumbled to himself.

Did he want to go home? – Yes.

Did he want a warm bed? – Yes.

Did he want a full set of winter clothing? – Yes. Right now, he’d trade a kidney for it.

There wasn’t much to be happy about, and while sarcasm didn’t help the situation, at least it made him feel a bit better. If there was anything positive about the current situation, it was two things. One, miraculously, he could still feel his fingers. Since he had kept them in his pockets, frostbite hadn’t affected them yet. That wouldn’t last forever; he could already feel the tips going numb.

Two… Liam looked at the lofty wall in front of him, blocking his progress. Liam was beginning to question if he should be happy about this. It felt as if he bought a scratch ticket, only to win back the money he spent. Was that feeling happiness?

Liam shook his head, trying to remove the sarcastic thoughts. Complaining wasn’t going to help him move past this obstacle.

The wall surrounded the entire castle and its grounds, stretching great distances in both directions. Unlike the church walls, there weren’t any protruding stones or holes to grip, so it wasn’t possible to climb. Even if it were, Liam wouldn’t want to try; it was over thirty feet tall.

Fortunately, there were large holes in the wall, which made perfect entrances. Despite this, Liam hesitated.

‘Should I go in or go around?’

A decision had to be made. From the moment Liam had first laid eyes on the castle, he had never planned to enter. As Dan had said, it was meant to be a landmark as they searched the city, not a final destination. But, now that he was here, the temptation to enter was growing stronger. He was cold, his body was tired, and his feet were numb, making it increasingly difficult to walk away. The thing stopping him was the same as what was driving him to enter - because the castle seemed to be the last bastion of hope in an otherwise decimated city.

His conscious mind was screaming at him to turn around while his body was instinctively urging him forward. Did he freeze to death? Or take his chances inside the castle? Neither option felt good.

“Hey, why are you staring off into space!? I’m cold, hungry, thirsty, and tired! So, move it!”

Pushed forward by Isabelle’s whining, Liam approached the nearest opening. There was no harm in checking out the castle before making his decision. If the castle appeared to be destroyed or surrounded by monsters, then it would make his decision a lot easier. Poking his head inside, Liam surveyed the area.

The castle grounds weren’t in much better shape than the city. Toppled statues, cracked cobblestone walkways, collapsed structures, and debris littered the ground. The once green lawn and beautiful gardens had become mounds of dirt, everything dead and withered. It might once have been a wondrous sight that warmed one’s heart; however, the patchy brown grass, leafless shrubs, withered trees, and cracked stonework, could only be called depressing. Given its surroundings, the castle in the distance looked more like a haunted manor.

The structure, unlike the grounds and city, remained in good condition; it was far from pristine but still acceptable. It was the right choice to consider shelter here, but…

‘I don’t like it.’

Liam found it strange. How could an entire city be decimated, yet a single building remained relatively untouched? It didn’t feel right.

‘Do I have to go in?’

His reluctance was comparable to how an arachnophobic might feel if they were told to walk into a room full of spiders.

“Hurry up! I don’t have all day!”

Liam turned around. Stepping to the side, he held out his arm in front waving it towards the gap in the wall, pretending that he was holding a door open, inviting her to go first.

“You can go first.”

“Huh?”

“I said that you could go first. Please, lead the way.”

Isabelle raised both her eyebrows, slowing nodding as if she had come to an important conclusion.

“Oh, I see, so not only are you hideous, but you aren’t even a gentleman. Is there anything good about you?”

Liam resisted the urge to shout, “You’re one to be talking!” After spending time with her, he had learned that nothing useful ever came out of her mouth. Suppressing his rising irritation, Liam responded.

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“What does that have to do with anything?”

Isabell’s eyes widened. There was a look of utter astonishment on her face as if Liam had admitted to not knowing basic arithmetic.

“It’s a man’s duty to go first. I’m sure you’ve heard that before.”

“I’m pretty sure the saying goes, ladies first…”

“Well, in this case, you should go first. Now, hurry up, I’m cold!”

“…”

Liam didn’t have the energy to argue, so he begrudgingly began to walk forward.

Tap.

Hearing a faint sound behind him, Liam stopped.

‘What was that?’

The width of the main street circling the wall was enough for two carriages to travel side-by-side, so the closest buildings were approximately twenty feet away. Aside from it creating a natural wind tunnel, the faintest of noises were amplified. The sound of debris shifting in the wind or even a pebble falling was enough to make them jump. Liam listened carefully, trying to distinguish what it was.

Tap…tap…tap…

Footsteps, and it sounded like more than one set. Quickly, Liam’s eyes searched the street, trying to identify the direction the sound came from. He couldn’t tell exactly but felt it was from one of the roads on his right, the closest being less than a hundred feet away.

Liam turned back towards the castle. His hesitation had vanished, replaced now by an urgency to move as fast as possible. Having paid the price once for reacting too slowly to warning signs, he wasn’t willing to make the same mistake.

Liam began to move quickly, but cautiously, there could be things lurking inside the walls. Liam planned to move stealthily, paying attention to his surroundings. Isabelle’s loud snippy voice shouted at him again.

“Hey, what’s taking so long!? Aren’t you supposed to be a man!? If you are, then stop hesitating and MOVE!!”

Liam frowned.

‘Does she ever shut up?’

If it was any other time, Liam thought, but now wasn’t the time to bicker. Ignoring her, hoping she would quiet down once he resumed moving, he began walking.

“Are you listening to me!?”

“Yeah, I heard you.”

“Then stop standing around! Go faster! You’re slower than a turtle!”

‘I need her to shut the fuck up.’

Liam glanced back at her and spoke; his irritation evident from his sharp tone.

“Can you be quiet if you’re not going to say anything useful? There was a sound behind us. Did you forget what happens when you flap your lips too much?”

“Of course, I remember! I’m not stupid, stop treating me like I am.”

Liam raised his eyebrows.

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“You have such a shitty personality. Can’t you see that I’m-!”

Liam couldn’t hold back irritation and cut Isabelle off.

“A bitch, yes, I can see that.”

“W-what did just call me!?”

“A bitch. Now can you shut up already?”

Isabelle loudly clicked her tongue and glared at Liam as if he was a piece of trash.

“Tsk. You're a rude bastard, you know? It’s like you haven’t ever talked to a girl. Wait, have you?”

Isabelle covered her mouth, pretending to gasp.

Rolling his eyes, Liam threw out a response hoping to silence her; he didn’t want to continue their pointless conversation.

“Yeah, I have. Now be quiet.”

Unfortunately, Isabelle wasn’t planning to let it go that easily. She wanted to ridicule Liam as much possible, especially after his earlier disdain for her.

“Talking to your mom doesn’t count.”

“Please shut up…”

Isabelle clapped her hands together with an expression as if she had come to an incredible realization.

“Oh, I forgot relatives don’t count either. I really should have been more specific with such a sad person like yourself.”

“Are you done?”

“Oops, I can’t forget those girls in your fantasies… I’m sorry to break it to you, but those aren’t real.”

“…”

Liam stayed silent. He gave up on trying to make Isabelle shut up. Before he could turn away, he caught sight of something that made his hair stand on end.

Seeing him react like this, Isabelle figured that her words were finally getting to him. She smirked and spoke with a voice of false pity.

“Don’t worry. There's still hope for someone like you. In a few years, I’m sure there will be robots that can show you affection. While you may never be able to find a real girl, at least you’ll have a robot, right?”

Liam didn’t hear Isabelle. As soon as he had caught sight of the pack of two-headed dogs entering the street, he bolted towards the castle. Stealth was meaningless; all he could think of was getting into the castle grounds as quickly as possible.

“Huh? Where are you going!?”

Seeing Liam sprint off like a madman, Isabelle stood in total confusion.

BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK!

Whipping her head around, she saw the pack of two-headed dogs wildly charging towards her.

“Hiiick!?”

Isabelle stumbled, desperately running after Liam.

“WAIT, DON’T LEAVE ME!!”

Liam heard Isabelle’s plea for help but didn’t turn around; nothing could change his decision.

“Aaaaaaahh!!”

Liam continued running without looking back. Pausing would only slow his pace and rattle his nerves. He knew a dog was already faster than a human; the distance between them didn’t amount to much.

“Heeeelp!!”

Along with Isabelle’s tearful cry was the sound of paws pounding against the hard soil.

‘Fuck!’

One of the three dogs was chasing Liam instead of Isabelle. Liam didn’t have time to consider why; it was running at a much faster pace, quickly closing the distance.

‘Damnit! Only a bit further!’

The arched front doorway and two mahogany wood doors at the castle entrance were within sight. They only obstacle in his way was a low stone wall.

“Haa…haa…”

‘Close! So, close!

Short on breath, Liam put more strength into his legs, forcing himself forward. Between his tired body and poor fitness, it was no surprise he couldn’t continue in a full sprint for an extended period.

The dog’s pants grew louder as it continued to close the gap between them. Despite there being over ten feet between them, Liam felt as if the dog was directly behind him, close enough for him to feel its raunchy, humid breath on his neck.

“Haa…haa…haa…”

Ignoring the burning pain coming from his strained muscles, Liam pushed himself.

“Haa...haa…cough…haa…”

Liam felt lightheaded, and his chest burned. He wanted to stop, but he couldn’t; giving up meant certain death.

Closing in on the stone wall, Liam put the last of his remaining strength into his knees and launched himself off the ground. Far from graceful, his jump resembled a football player making a desperate dive to try and catch the ball in the endzone. Liam hit the ground with a loud thud. With no cushioning to absorb the fall, his shoulder took the brunt of the impact.

From the ground, Liam saw the dog clearing the wall as he tried to push himself up. Time seemed to slow down as his eyes widened at the dog in midair. Blood dripped from its teeth, and its claws were stained a murky red. Liam tried to scramble away, but his body wouldn’t cooperate – he was done. He could only watch as the beast eyes glistened, seeing him motionless on the ground.

BANG!

With a loud sound, the dog was suddenly stopped mid-jump and knocked to the ground before making it over the wall.

“Huh?”

Liam tilted his head, thinking he just witnessed Newton’s first law of motion being disproven before his eyes. A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. That was what Liam had learned in his high school physics class.

Right before the dog cross over the wall, it was knocked back by an unknown force. From the ground, it looked like the dog had run headfirst into a wall, but that didn’t make sense. As Liam was thinking, the dog got up. Shaking its body to settle its rattled bones, it gave a low growl filled with hostility before charging again.

Grrrrrrrrr…

“!!”

In a panic, Liam pushed himself up, still shaken and out of breath, but before he could continue running, the dog jumped.

BANG!

Again, the dog collided with something midair.

‘An invisible barrier?’

It was something that defied common sense, but after witnessing it twice now, Liam was positive that’s what he saw. While he may have concluded that this world was virtual reality, it didn’t lessen his surprise when he saw magical forces at work for the first time.

‘Why can I cross, though?’

Moving towards the wall, Liam put his hand where the barrier should be. It passed through with no resistance as if there was nothing there in the first place.

‘Can only people pass through?’

Liam didn’t know the principles of the invisible barrier, but from the information available, that was his best guess.

He released his breath in a sigh of relief at his newfound safety.

“No! Get away from meeee!!”

Hearing Isabelle’s scream and looking back down the hill, he saw her surrounded by the dogs.

‘She’s still alive? How?’

Liam had written her off as dead, but somehow just like a cockroach, she managed to cling onto life. Instead of running toward the castle, she had climbed up a tree.

Across the castle grounds, Isabelle sat high up, frantically throwing down withered branches at the dogs as they tried to claw their way up. The tree wasn’t very tall, so it only brought her a few feet from then dogs reach.

“Please, help meeee!!”

Isabelle cried out to Liam, who was standing safely behind the barrier. Her stuck-up attitude from before rapidly crumbling, exposing a frightened teenage girl who didn’t want to die.

At her plight, Liam cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted…