CHAPTER FIVE

COLD AS ICE

The church doors open with a loud screech. Dust rises from the floor into the air welcoming their coming. They enter with weapons at the ready.

"Clear," Akira says, moving to the right.

"Clear," Big George adds, moving to the left.

"Nothing here," Davenport says.

Rayne enters last; he rests Olivia next to the chapel benches.

Big George closes the door. Best to keep away from prying eyes.

He returns the backpack to the Captain.

They lower their weapons while looking around. Waiting for something to happen. Nothing does.

Davenport scratches his head; he turns to Akira who shrugs.

Big George sits on a bench enjoying his Cuban cigar. The last one.

"Okay? We are here so now what?" Davenport asks as shrugs and sits next to Big George. Rayne walks toward the altar. Every step raises dust in the air. On his way to the altar he glances at the windows but the glass is black. He can't see anything through them. He steps through the crossing and into the altar. There is a half-ruined image showcasing a cross on the apse.

Must be when Jesus carried the cross, Rayne concludes.

An unexpected popping sound makes him turn around with his rifle at the ready. Davenport opened a can of beer.

"What?" Davenport remarks with the can of beer near his mouth.

Rayne lowers the rifle and shakes his head.

As he turns around he sees someone sitting on the altar!

"What the?" Rayne blurts out in surprise as he aims his rifle at the mysterious figure.

Someone is between the guns iron sights. A small figure covered in worn-out clothes wearing a large scarf covering their mouth. Big George, Akira, and Davenport pounce to action at the appearance of this stranger.

Rayne inspects the figure closely. He can see almond-shaped eyes and long black hair amid all the dirt and cloth. A human female? She looks pretty but it's hard to tell there underneath all that dirt.

"Are you human?" Rayne asks. He can clearly see her image but considering everything they experienced after entering the Entity it seems like double-checking is not nearly good enough.

The woman playfully waggles her feet in the air as she tilts her head left and right observing Rayne.

"Do you have a name?" Rayne asks. The woman does not respond.

The other members of the Fang Two unit approach.

"I think there might be something wrong with her up there," Big George says, pointing at the head.

Davenport carefully approaches her.

"Davenport! What are you doing? Get back here, Private!" Rayne warns him.

"It's okay, Cap. I have a way with women." Davenport responds as he ignores the warning and comes face to face with the mysterious woman, "Hello," he says as he smiles at her.

He turns back to the others and gives them a thumb-up.

"So..." Davenport adds.

“STAY BACK!” the woman screams in his face.

"The fuck?" Davenport blurts out as he jumps back.

"Problems, Casanova?" Big George laughs out loud.

She takes a deep breath to calm herself. Davenport turns with an awkward expression trying to hide his slightly wounded pride.

"My name is Yui," Yui introduces herself as she jumps down from the altar.

"Well nice to meet you, Yui. But did you really have to scream at me? It usually takes women at least an hour to reach that point," Davenport comments.

Yui moves past them as she goes to Olivia. She looks at her.

"She is sleeping but soon she will awaken," Yui explains.

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"Wait? Do you know what is wrong with the Doctor?" Rayne asks.

"I just told you." Yui says as she looks at them, "How did you see this place?" she asks.

"With our eyes? What?" Davenport says, confused at her question.

"There was a light. A strange creature that looks like a human child..." Rayne explains as Yui wanders off to the door. She checks outside before closing the doors again. The Fang Two unit members look at each other and shrug.

"Excuse me, miss? Do you mind explaining to us just what is going on here?" Big George asks.

"Darkness came to cover the light and light came to pierce the darkness. Our world is only the arena. We must fight for the light otherwise the darkness shall consume us." Yui explains, "Even though the light is the darkness," she murmurs.

Davenport and Big George look at each other in confusion.

"Oh yeah, that is what I thought," Davenport adds as he turns to his comrades and shakes his head with a sour expression.

"Did you see any other soldiers? A squad was supposed to..." Rayne asks as he gets cut off.

"Dead," Yui says. She shows takes out two identical knives. With a single glance, the Fang Two unit members can tell they are military equipment. They stand in a moment of silence.

None of them know the names of the previous squad but there is a solidarity between brothers and sisters in arms. A sort of unwritten respect.

"One of them is close," Yui says breaking the moment of silence. The Fang Two members turn to her, surprised.

"One of them is close? Do you mean someone from the previous squad?" Rayne asks.

Yui doesn't answer. She simply walks to one of the windows and opens it. The others approach her.

She points at an empty field.

"He is there," Yui says, still pointing. They take another look thinking they might have missed something even though it is clear that there is nothing there part ash-covered snow.

"Is he hiding in the snow?" Davenport jests. Big George smacks him on the head.

"Hey, come on man!"

"Yui, there is nothing there," Rayne says.

"It is there, beyond the invisible. Nothing in this place is as it seems," Yui says.

There is no arguing that, Rayne concludes.

Rayne watches the empty field of snow leading into oblivion. He watches as a breeze carries ash. There is something there. He doesn't know. He can't see it, hear it, smell it but there is something there. He can feel it deep in every fiber of his being. It calls him. The nothingness draws his gaze as...

"RAYNE!" Big George calls him as he breaks him out of his daze.

"What?" Rayne blurts out as he turns around.

He sees his unit watching him with a worrying expression.

"I'm going there," Rayne says, glancing outside.

There is no logical explanation to his decision nor a particularly sensible one; to even call it a feeling would be a stretch but... it is just something he has to do.

What a great way to do make decisions, Rayne says with his inner voice as he laughs out loud.

"Alright, I guess we are off to the... snowfield?" Davenport adds as he shrugs.

"No! You three stay here and watch over the Doctor," Rayne says.

"Captain, we are coming with you. You need back-up if you are going to go... outside on the snow?" Davenport says, slightly hesitant with his statement.

He turns to Big George and Akira. They shrug.

Fuck it, Davenport concludes.

"Negative. I need you to watch..." Rayne speaks as he gets cut off.

"I will watch her. Don't worry," Yui interjects.

The Fang Two unit members turn to her.

"No offense but you are..." Akira says as he gets cut off.

"She will be safe with me. I've been here longer than you have," Yui says, confidently.

Rayne thinks for a moment. He sighs.

"Fang Two, move out," Rayne orders as he vaults outside the window. The others follow. They step on the ashen snow as they make their forth toward... more snow. There isn't anything here yet they tread carefully. Experiencing what they experienced so far made them think differently.

As they walk a blizzard appears. It howls violently. Obscuring their vision.

More and more. Enveloping them like a whirlpool. The forces of nature intensify.

"RETREAT TO THE CHAPEL!" Rayne yells as loud as he can but the blizzard muffles his voice.

They turn but the chapel is gone. Slightly confused how they might have lost an entire building they turn left and right in an attempt to find it. It is not there. The blizzard intensifies as curdle up together enduring the storm. It covers them in the snow, and cold more and more like a white blanket.

Then, it stops leaving nothing else than ashen-covered snow.