***
Lucy gazed out of the window; her thoughts consumed by worry as she waited for Lucas. Meri's younger brother, Cale, played quietly beside her, seemingly untouched by the fear that gripped Lucy. They sat together in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
It had been nearly six hours since Lucas had ventured out, and the sun, indifferent to Lucy's desperation, was gradually descending, casting a warm, golden glow. Lucy released a heavy sigh.
Her wish to leave Cale and search for Lucas’s warring with her need to protect the child. After all, he was just a young boy, and despite the protective barrier surrounding them, she couldn't completely trust his safety.
Turning her attention to the katana in her hand, Lucy then looked back at Cale. “Are you enjoying yourself, Cale?”
Cale responded with a cheerful, “Yes, aunty.”
Lucy observed him, realizing that he couldn't fully grasp the gravity of the situation. She tried to have faith in Lucas, hoping he would return safely, but doubt lingered at the edges of her mind. Maybe Lucas was facing dangerous foes or encountering unforeseen problems, and perhaps something had gone wrong for both Lucas and Aunt Meri. As time stretched on, her worry deepened.
Lucy's eyes alternated between the window and Cale as she wrestled with her concerns. She knew she had to stay strong for the child, shielding him from the harsh realities of their world as best she could. Yet, with every passing moment, her resolve grew thinner.
Cale, oblivious to Lucy's inner turmoil, remained absorbed in his improvised game with action figures. His laughter, so full of childlike innocence, punctuated the heavy atmosphere occasionally, providing a small but welcome distraction from Lucy's anxious thoughts.
As hours passed, Lucy's worry only intensified. Her grip on the katana tightened, her knuckles paling with tension. She couldn't help but replay the worst-case scenarios in her mind, each one darker than the last.
“Cale,” she began, her voice gentle yet tinged with unease, “I want you to promise me something.”
Cale shifted his attention to Lucy, his innocent eyes meeting her worried gaze. “What is it, aunty?”
Lucy kneeled down to be at eye level with Cale, gently taking his small hands into her own, her grip offering reassurance. “Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll stay right here, inside the barrier, okay? Don't go outside, no matter what sounds or sights you encounter.”
Cale nodded, a touch of seriousness in his expression. “I promise, aunty.”
Lucy's heart ached at the earnestness in Cale's young face. “That's a good boy,” she said, mustering a small smile. “Just keep playing and stay safe. Aunty will be back soon.”
As Lucy stood up and retrieved the katana, the nagging worry still clung to her thoughts. She prayed fervently that Lucas would return unharmed, and that her fear would ultimately prove unfounded.
Outside, the sun continued its descent, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch like fingers of doubt, clutching at her resolve.
Time seemed to creep at a snail's pace as she maintained her anxious vigil by the university's entrance. Every distant noise or rustle in the wind made her heart skip a beat. She strained her ears, hoping to catch any sign of Lucas's return.
With cautious steps, she approached the barrier that separated them from the outside world. Just as doubt began to gnaw at her, a faint yet unmistakable sound reached her ears. It was a distant shuffling, a noise that didn't belong within their barricaded haven.
Lucy's heart raced, and her fear seemed to tighten its grip on her. She knew the barrier offered protection, but she also understood its limitations. As if uncaring of her anxiety and concern, the shuffling sounds grew louder, amplifying her dread, her knuckles white as she tightly gripped her katana, ready to confront whatever or whoever approached.
“Lucas?” she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of hope and fear. Her eyes darted around the area outside, searching for any signs of movement. The barrier provided some defense, but it couldn't shield them from all dangers.
With each passing second, the shuffling drew nearer, and Lucy's heart raced in response. An overwhelming sense of dread washed over her, transforming the once comforting sunset into an eerie, foreboding spectacle.
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Her grip on the katana tightened, ready to defend both herself and Cale if the need arose. In her heart, she held onto a fervent hope that the approaching presence would prove to be Lucas, returning safely from his mission. However, in the merciless world they inhabited, hope was a fragile and fleeting thing.
Lucy strained her eyes, peering through the barrier, and her anxiety reached a fever pitch. She whispered Lucas's name once more, her voice trembling with concern. Her worry peaked as she saw a figure approaching, but it wasn't Lucas emerging from the dusky twilight. It was Meri, cradling Lucas's unconscious form in her arms.
Meri's clothing hung in tatters, marred by ragged tears and stained with blood. A gash on her arm oozed blood, forming a somber trail as she bore Lucas's weight.
Lucas, in Meri's arms, appeared to be in dire straits. His clothes were scorched and torn, blood seeping through the fabric. His hair was singed and matted, his face pallid, marked by soot and dirt. It was evident that he had confronted unimaginable danger and suffered severe injuries.
A surge of emotions cascaded through Lucy—relief at their return, fear for Lucas's condition, and deep concern for Meri's well-being. She immediately rushed outside the barrier to assist them, knowing that Lucas required urgent attention.
Lucas's weight proved substantial, and Lucy marveled at how Aunt Meri had managed to carry him all the way to safety. Nevertheless, her focus was on getting Lucas inside the university as quickly as possible. As they safely transported Lucas indoors, Lucy wasted no time in arranging desks into a makeshift stretcher to support him.
“Meri, what happened?” Lucy's voice quivered with a mix of relief and anxiety as she assisted Meri in gently laying Lucas onto the makeshift stretcher.
Meri, still catching her breath, examined her injured arm and hastily applied a makeshift bandage to staunch the bleeding. Afterward, she cleaned the dirt and grime from Lucas's body with warm water before finally finding her voice, though it was hoarse.
“It was... a nightmare,” Meri began, her eyes darting between Lucas and Lucy. “Sir was attacked by a horde of zombies. He... he fought them off, but not without sustaining serious injuries. I... I used all my strength to drag him away. By the time I found him, he was already unconscious, surrounded by the corpses of the zombies he'd defeated.”
Lucy's eyes filled with tears as she absorbed Meri's harrowing narrative of the ordeal. The sheer magnitude of the terror he had endured out there was beyond her comprehension.
“Thank you for bringing him back,” Lucy said to Meri, her voice filled with gratitude, though it trembled with emotion. “We need to tend to his injuries right away.”
As they worked together to care for Lucas, the setting sun cast long, haunting shadows within the room—a stark reminder of the perils that lurked beyond the safety of their university walls. Yet, in that moment, they were together, and that brought a glimmer of hope to their weary hearts.
Besides Lucas, Lucy kneeled, her hands trembling as she gently wiped away the dirt and soot that marred his pale face. Her worry hung heavy in the air, and guilt weighed on her heart. She couldn't help but blame herself for allowing Lucas to venture out alone, even though she knew he possessed the skills to handle himself.
“I should've gone with him,” she whispered to herself, her voice quivering with regret. “I should've never let him face this danger alone.”
As she tended to his injuries, cleaning the burns and doing her best to assess the extent of his wounds, her mind whirled with thoughts. She remembered all the times Lucas had shielded her, how he had always been there when she needed him. And now it was he who needed her.
“Miss, I will go clean myself up a bit. I'll be back soon,” a voice broke through her concentration.
Lucy nodded, her gaze still fixed on Lucas, her concern evident.
In the meantime, Meri discreetly left the room under the pretext of requiring a visit to the bathroom. Her steps were measured, and upon disappearing from view, she discovered a secluded corner. She surveyed her surroundings cautiously before drawing a deep breath, and then, in hushed tones, she began, “Shadow Spirit, we need to talk,” her voice hushed yet imbued with a sense of urgency.
A flicker of darkness stirred within the shadows, and an eerie presence seemed to materialize, taking on the form of an ethereal figure with obsidian-black eyes.
“What do you want, Meri?” the Shadow Spirit hissed, its voice resonating with an otherworldly quality.
Meri's expression was somber as she glanced back towards the room where Lucy tended to Lucas. “I need your assistance. Sir Lucas was ambushed by zombies, and he's gravely injured. I'm not certain if he'll make it.”
The Shadow Spirit remained silent for a moment, its shadowy form shifting and swaying. “Why should I assist? Your friend is not my concern.”
Meri's gaze bore into the shadows, her desperation evident. “Because if Sir Lucas perishes, I won't be able to fulfill the task you've assigned me. You need my success, and I require your power to protect him.”
The Shadow Spirit appeared to contemplate her words, and then it reluctantly consented, its voice a sinister murmur. “Very well, I will lend you my power to save your friend, but remember our agreement. You must not fail in your mission. “
Meri nodded; her eyes filled with determination. “I won't fail. Now, give me the strength to help sir Lucas.”
With that, the shadowy presence merged with Meri, and she felt a surge of dark energy coursing through her veins. She was aware that the newfound power came at a cost, but at this moment, saving Lucas was her sole focus. She returned to the room; her expression dire.