The same voice from the crowd spoke up again, "What are you saying? We shall see our world no more? You have to be joking!" A man stepped out from the crowd, his grey suit already dirty, his eyes sunken with dark circles, a testament to the stress of a family man. "My whole family is out there - my wife, my kids. You expect me to forget them? What kind of sick man are you?"

Captain Levy's demeanor remained unchanged, but his gaze locked onto the man. "Then why don't you join them?" he asked, his tone devoid of empathy.

The man's face contorted in anger. "Huh? You mean...?"

"I mean, why don't you go out there and reunite with your family? They're probably dead by now, anyway." Captain Levy's words dripped with sarcasm. "If you want, I'll gladly throw you out myself."

The man's face turned red with rage. "Why, you son of a...!"

Captain Levy cut him off, his face inches from the man's. "You, sir, are the type I dislike the most. You act like you care about your family, but here you are, alone. You chose to save yourself instead of trying to save them. Why is that?"

The man glared at Captain Levy, but said nothing.

Captain Levy continued, his words piercing. "Let me give you a hard truth to swallow, fat man. If anyone deserved to die, it's you. Your family was probably waiting, hoping, expecting their father to come save them, but no... their father is here, happy to have saved himself. Alone."

The man's anger boiled over, and he grabbed Captain Levy's collar, balling his fist. "You don't know anything about...!"

Captain Levy smirked. "Will hitting me bring back your family?"

The man's face twisted in anger, but he didn't strike. Instead, he muttered, "Shut up!" Captain Levy slowly pried the man's hands off his collar and adjusted his attire, his composure unbroken.

"As I was saying," Captain Levy continued, patting the man on the back, "Some of you might wonder why this happened. But it won't change a thing. What's done is done, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Ayid was confused, struggling to understand what Levy was trying to convey. The message seemed unclear, but before he could ponder further, Captain Levy added, "However, having survived and being here means there's hope for you and me."

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Just then, Ayid's gaze drifted towards the dome walls, where the creatures had gathered and were banging incessantly. Amidst the chaos, a black fog appeared, spreading rapidly and getting closer. "It seems it's already started," Captain Levy remarked, walking towards the dome walls.

Ayid watched in horror as the outside of the dome was engulfed in an inky darkness, making it impossible to discern anything. Panic set in, and the crowd's imagination ran wild. "Sir...," Ayid stammered, his voice cracking.

Captain Levy turned his head towards Ayid, giving him his attention.

"What were those things that attacked us?" Ayid asked, wincing in pain as he touched his broken rib.

Captain Levy leaned in, his face inches from Ayid's. "Oh, you were one of the few who made it here after facing a nightmare on the way."

Ayid's expression turned confused. " what do you mean by Nightmare?"

Captain Levy nodded, his eyes glinting with a knowing look. "Some might call them monsters from another realm, hell-bent on destroying anything that's not one of them."

Ayid's breathing quickened as he took in the words. "Oh no..."

Captain Levy's smile grew wider as he nodded in agreement. "Oh yes. They're quite... enthusiastic about their work."

Ayid's eyes narrowed, suspicion etched on his face. "Why did they come here?"

Captain Levy shrugged nonchalantly. "Let's just say their presence is....... complicated . But I do know they'll be sticking around for a while."

Ayid's gaze turned accusatory. "Did you know about this before it happened?"

Captain Levy rolled his eyes, exhaling heavily. "Look, kid, I know what you're thinking, but I swear I had no hand in this. But I will promise you one thing..."

He leaned in closer, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "You're safe here." With a quick flick, he tapped Ayid's forehead, his touch unexpectedly gentle.

"How can you be so sure we're safe?" Ayid asked, wincing in pain as he slowly stood up. "What if they break in? Who's going to protect us?"

Captain Levy's enthusiasm was evident as he spread his arms wide. "This is the Arcane Sanctuary, humanity's greatest accomplishment! This dome is impenetrable, trust me. It's not just any ordinary dome covering this city. This is practically our safest bet."

Ayid's skepticism was clear. "But what about those... nightmares? Are we just going to let them take over our world?"

Captain Levy's expression turned somber. "Those things are immune to modern weapons. Killing them is nearly impossible. You should know that. You've seen them up close."

Ayid's face fell, his fist clenched in frustration. "No... there has to be a way. We can't just hide like wounded animals. We have to fight back!"

Captain Levy shrugged nonchalantly. "As someone who's seen them in person, tell me, how did you feel when you looked at them? Were you able to move? Speak?"

Ayid's body froze, recalling the horror he felt. He remained silent, unable to answer.

Captain Levy's tone turned mysterious. "Killing them is still a possibility, kid. But it won't be easy"

Ayid's eyes widened. "What do you mean? You said modern weapons don't work?"

Captain Levy smirked, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Who said anything about modern weapons?"

Ayid hope was rekindled. "Tell me!"

"Captain Levy tapped his lip, a sly grin plastered on his face "It's kind of a secret, sooo..... But don't worry, you'll find out soon enough".

Ayid's mind went blank, consumed by a tidal wave of anger. The pain, the heartache, the weight of his emotions - it all boiled down to one thing: the nightmares. They were the reason for his suffering, and he couldn't help but seethe with rage. His vision turned red, not just from the blood trickling down his face from the cut on his head, but from the fury that coursed through his veins. He felt it in every fiber of his being, a primal scream building in his chest.

With a clenched fist and a gaze that burned with intensity, Ayid locked eyes with Captain Levy. His voice was low and menacing, each word dripping with venom. "I'll kill every nightmare... I'll kill them all." The conviction in his tone was palpable, a declaration of war against the monsters that had destroyed his life.

Captain Levy's smile grew wider, his eyes gleaming with intrigue.