Erley’s body stirs as he tries to stand, only to hit his head against something solid.
'Ouch. Where am I?'
The room is dark, the faint glow of the moon filtering through the cracks in the walls. Footsteps echo through the building, growing louder with each passing second. Erley ducks behind the reception desk, his breath shallow as he peers out into the shadows.
A group of men enters the room, their white armor with blue accents gleaming faintly in the dim light. The armor is surprisingly clean, a stark contrast to the ruins surrounding them. In the center of the group stands a tall man with strong face, black eyes and straight hair, clad in sleek, metallic armor. Circuits and cables snake across its surface, exposed along his arms and legs. The armor is clearly designed for combat, advanced and deadly. A badge on his shoulder depicts four arrows descending behind a shield.
the man in the metallic armor asks, his voice calm.
"Did they faint?"
A faint, mechanical voice responds from within the armor.
"Affirmative."
The sergeant barks an order.
"Advance to the next room, find the ones that fainted."
The soldiers ready their weapons, flashlights attached to their rifles scanning the room. They wear gas masks, their movements precise and deliberate as they move toward the next room.
The sergeant pauses, glancing over his shoulder.
"I felt something looking at me."
He then presses a button on the neck of his armor.
"Did you retract the gas? Affirm."
The footsteps and mechanical voice start getting closer.
The mechanical voice replies
"Affirmative, you are safe to proceed without a mask."
The footsteps stop for a second.
Erley freezes, his eyes looking up, nervous. A few seconds pass. The footsteps resume. fading as the group moves further into the building.
Erley exhales slowly.
'Shit shit shit... what do i do?!'
Panicking, Erley tries his best to stay quiet under the reception table.
'Are the other guys alive? i should asses the situation, maybe those guys aren't bad people?'
He crawls out from under the desk, his movements cautious. Suddenly, the lights in the skyscraper flicker to life, flooding the room with blinding brightness.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
'Ouch my eyes!'
Erley blinks rapidly, scanning the room. He spots Annie’s broken spear lying nearby.
'Isn't this Annie's spear?'
Grabs it, gripping the shaft tightly.
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Footsteps can be heard in the darkness.
"How long has it been."
Hao wanders aimlessly. The same broken furniture and water fountain haunt him every time he passes by. He sits down, crossing his legs, his usual smile replaced by a look of exhaustion.
"I've already tried every single direction and everything is still the same. I'm starting to lose hope..."
Forcing a grin, he puts a fist up in the sky.
"But i cant give up! i will save myself and the rest of the group!"
----------------------------------------
Annie’s voice cuts through the silence, her frustration boiling over.
"TO HELL WITH THIS! WHY DOES EVERYONE MOVE AWAY EVERY TIME I TRY TO GET CLOSE?!"
It's been days since she lost track of time.
She’s been chasing faint lights ever since.
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The lights look like stars, so far away that Moen can barely see them anymore.
Stumbling through the void, his massive frame dwarfed by the endless darkness. The fiery lights he’s been chasing grow fainter with each step.
he whispers, his voice trembling.
"No... please come back. I don’t want to be alone,"
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Myora sits cross-legged in the darkness, her expression calm but determined.
"I'm not hungry, I'm not dehydrated."
She moves her eyes as if she realized something.
"I'm unconscious and this is all a dream. What could've done this? Was it a imp?"
She pauses, looking up, her gaze hardening.
"Whatever, i will soon find out."
She draws one of her swords, and in one swift motion. Decapitates herself. Her head flies through the air, disappearing into the void.
----------------------------------------
Back in the skyscraper, Erley grips the broken spear, his mind racing.
'What do I do?'
He hears voices coming from the next room.
In front of the sergeant 4 people lay, all of them handcuffed. The sergeant’s voice is calm but menacing.
"Hm, they are probably with the small bitch we caught the other day."
A bald man with no nose responds, his voice raspy.
"The little man Ron got yesterday? Yes indeed, he probably got lost or something while trying to follow them. But what are they doing here?"
The sergeant shrugs.
"No idea. We'll get the information out of them when we get back to camp."
The noseless man scans the room.
"Don't you think its a little dangerous to have all these lights on?"
The sergeant smirks.
"Don’t worry. Nothing will come close. They’re afraid of that thing a couple floors above-"
A yell interrupts him.
"Who are you? Don’t take another step!"
Erley stands in the doorway, the broken spear in his hands. He mutters under his breath.
"Around six in white armor, the guy in metal armor is probably the leader... and some weirdo with no nose."
'He looks like a homeless person.'
He raises his voice, steady and defiant.
"What will you do if I do?"
The soldier steps forward, however hes cut off by the sergeant. His voice cold.
"We will not kill you."
He pauses for a second, his face contorting into a fearsome gaze.
"We will torture you until we get all the information we can out of you."
Erley flinches but quickly regains his composure.
'It's fine what can this guy do that i can't anyways?'
The sergeant moves in a blur, closing the distance in an instant. Erley barely dodges the punch, the force of it grazing his cheek.
'Shit! too fast!'
The noseless man watches from the sidelines, his expression indifferent.
"Hmmm, should i put him to sleep?"
Before he can act, a voice cuts through the air.
"So it was you."
Flinching, the noseless man turns. Suddenly he is struck by a kick. Sending him flying away towards one of the windows.
The man bounces on the ground but manages to recover his posture.
'Shit what was that?! should i use my gas?!'
His gaze shifts to the ferocious fight between Erley and the sergeant.
'Fuck he doesn't have his mask on.'
One of the guards is hurled toward him, but he swats the body aside effortlessly.
Myora breaks her handcuffs, her gaze locking onto the noseless man. She dashes forward, her fist aimed at his stomach. He blocks but is forced back several meters.
Meanwhile, Erley struggles to keep up with the sergeant’s relentless attacks. A punch narrowly misses his head, and he contorts his body to avoid it. Suddenly, a blade extends from the sergeant’s armor, slicing through the air.
'Shit!'
Blood spills onto the floor.