BANG!

"Dad!"

His father's head knocked back. A red mist sprayed from the blow.

Soon, his body followed. His weight crashed onto the floor and life in the next moment vanished from his face. Blood spurted out of his right eye, seeping out beneath him into a puddle of red.

Adam gulped. He stood in shock with the torn hem of his dad's shirt in his hands.

Dead. He was dead.

His dad was-

Krooaaar!

All of them froze in an instant. The man with the pistol gritted his teeth and whipped around to his men.

"I thought there weren't any in this area!?" He hissed.

"They said they-"

Adam immediately shoved past them. He ran down the courtyard and started to head towards the farthest building.

"Hey! Get that kid!"

"Wait- Stop! Don't shoot, you fucking idiot, or else the-"

The distant monster's noise roared again in the night.

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

They were right though. There shouldn't be any monsters this close by. Not this far into the zone.

Adam breathed heavily as he picked his way up clumsily over the broken concrete and vines sprawled on the street. As he bursted through the fog, his mind and chest became a whirlwind of emotions. He wanted to scream and cry but all his forced rational thought was put into the need of escape.

Away.

Away from these people.

Away from the monsters.

Adam could feel tears emerging. The temptation to just curl and cry in his arms pulled on his mind. And yet he felt possessed to race on forward. Their footsteps echoed after him as he skidded to a stop and began sprinting left behind the corner of a building.

But just as he was turning the corner–a column of some sorts that stood in his way–time suddenly started to slow.

Because what was before him gave a new wash of cold terror.

Something...something was outlined in the mist.

The figure appeared to be a man. Tall in comparison to himself. Its smell reeked of hot rot and death that betrayed the coldness in the figure's eyes.

Those eyes...Maybe they could have served as beautiful stones he'd used to collect and perch next to his bed. Stones he would ask his father about what kind they were and hear a whole history behind them.

But what sort of precious item belonged on a creature's face?

Unable to pull away, unable to do anything else but to react, Adam's mouth gaped open, and a scream began to build in his throat. But before he could let it out, the shadowed hands lurched forward and grabbed him.

"Mmph!"

Cracked and dried skin covered his mouth. He tried to reach behind him for a pocketknife but then found himself completely restrained at the mercy of the creature.

The next moment, he was pulled away into one of the broken crumbled walls of the side of a building. He felt like he was hovering, the floor gone beneath him. It was as if darkness had lifted him off his feet and dragged him into its den of shadows.

Adam wiggled desperately against the creature's grasp. He didn't want to die. Not like this!

"Shhh."

Adam froze at the shushed tone. He slowly turned his head to look up behind him.

A set of blue eyes met his. Cold. Chilling. The contact strangely made his whole-body tremble over.

"Quiet."

Human.

The voice sounded human.

Adam gulped. He fought off the revolting smell he was hugged by and remained silent.

"Over here!"

"What about the tunn-"

"Pfft! That kid wouldn't be brave enough for five minutes even if he tried."

He didn't know what tunnels they were talking about, but he knew he definitely would have soiled his pants if it meant being completely on his own for too long.

Both Adam and this unknown person holding onto him were hiding behind some knocked down round table in the dark. He squinted his eyes to view around the room, wondering of what sort of building they were in. He registered the other fallen tables, the number of chairs, a long counter with mechanic machinery built in the walls; a filter, and a sink...

'A cafe...?'

Adam had scavenged a couple of those with his dad before along with another group. He remembered a conversation was usually brought up about how people served others, laid orders, but most of all, brought out a nice, delicious cup of drink with a sugary bread along with it. What did those taste like? Did ever a time like that truly exist? His dad-

"..."

His dad...was still outside.

Lifeless.

With a bullet in his head.

Gulp.

His dad died. His dad was really dead.

Adam didn't have to see the mysterious man's face, but he could feel his chilling blue eyes turn towards him at that moment. Adam's body trembled even more over as tears poured themselves out, his face crumpling into whimper. He choked back his sobs against the dirtied hand over his mouth. At least he was 'held' by somebody so he wouldn't be left to grieve uncontrollably. Not when there was danger nearby. He didn't want to make another mistake at the cost of someone's life. Not again.

'Oh why...why...'

He squeezed his eyes shut. The clustered steps from the group resounded closer outside.

"Hey."

Adam shuddered.

The voice spoke close in his ear. Like a dark whisper.

"These men...do you think they know where the next settlement is?"

"..."

'Huh...?'

Adam opened his eyes slightly and forced himself to meet the person's gaze. His face...It was definitely human. Same shape noise. Same shape chin. Same shape cheeks. Although the blood around his mouth made him doubt otherwise...

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And the smell-

"These men." The man pointed with his other hand. "Do they know?"

The man paused.

"Or do you know?"

Adam felt his mouth go dry. The question sounded threatening. Almost as if daring him if he even should be honest with his answer.

He knew the way. Sort of. His dad definitely knew. But these other men?

Adam looked unsurely back at the group that was approaching the broken entrance.

They had too as well. They patrolled at least near the border to know of it.

He nodded.

A flicker of calculation, and resolve crossed the man's eyes in a matter of seconds. Almost in comparison to someone planning a hunt. Adam didn't know if he should feel relieved in that or not.

The man casually stretched out his left hand again. Light glistened before them and started to form into a circular shape. Round. A dome. Silver or iron it seemed like.

A shield!

"..."

A...small shield?

Quite small...

But-

'Is he an Awakened...?'

Adam turned and was about to try and ask, but something forced his body to be paralyzed in that moment. It was already dark around them, but he could see another set of darkness creeping into his vision. His eyes felt heavy too for some reason.

"See you when you wake up, kid."

Then his mind went blank.

***

"Shit. You think that monster is going to pass through here?"

"Probably. That good-for-nothing father will buy us sometime though."

Hope slowly laid the boy's head onto the floor, careful to not make any noise. He then felt through his pockets and pulled out a small pocketknife. Huh. So that was what the boy was reaching for before.

Hope's fingers lightly caressed the blade and recognized it as a spear point blade.

He decided he will return it later.

The entire time he was preparing himself, his eyes remained locked on the men's visible entry. Their bodies, as they appeared, silhouetted against the gray fog like shadowed predators. One by one they entered with wafts of mist clinging to their clothes. Sounds of their carried guns clicked, and their scratchy steps against the rubble floor followed carelessly after them.

Five men; two rifles, one pistol, two crowbars.

'Mm. These odds are a bit-'

"..."

A bitterness filled his mouth again.

'Nevermind...'

Hope internally sighed.

Right. No time to be bitter about it. For one thing, he wasn't actually sure which part of the city he was in. The main road through the city could be blocks away, maybe even the next street over. But he would have to wait till morning to properly scout the area.

Or.

He could also get some answers from one of these men.

'But...'

Hope eyed the guns they were holding.

This was not how he wanted to start his first day in the city.

"Forget about the damn kid. He probably won't make it through the night anyway."

"He stole my knife though!"

'Ah.'

Hope nonchalantly spun the knife in his right hand.

It was a decent knife.

"We still got the rest of our stuff back." The other lifted the bag that the father had thrown at their feet.

The man with the pistol let out an annoying grunt as he picked up a fallen chair and sat on it.

"Well, too bad. You just wanted to get him for his pretty face."

They all laughed in unison.

Hope eyed the man who sat down. He must be the leader of the group.

A leader with knowledge.

'The main target.'

Hope's body itched at that moment; legs tensed as they prepared themselves to spring.

Even the voices in his head began to come in waves. They rose and fell, but all related to the lessons his commanding officer had drilled into him on how to approach a beast.

But before him instead were people.

But that was still the same thing, wasn't it?

They continued their chatter as Hope repositioned himself into a proper crouch. A natural calm filled his mind as he silently circled around the edge of the room where the shadows were thickest. His steps cautiously finding empty gaps between the spewed vines and wreckage on the tiled floor.

Five men were a lot. He would have been more hesitant before like in his First Nightmare.

But they seemed to be human. Just ordinary humans.

And Hope finally had some weapons to serve him.

Hope finally reached an angle that seemed best for attack. Fourteen paces away just like the small cave he rested at the night before. He could make it in half if he exerted a little more energy. But instead of raising the blade, he laid the knife gently out in front of him.

He was going to approach a little differently.

One of the men picked their nose.

"You think it's just one beast or a pack this time?"

"It better be fucking one. Greg, go check on the-"

Swish!

"What the!?"

One of the men's voices raised.

Suddenly, a light spun and split through the darkness. They reacted too late. In fact, they couldn't properly figure out what just happened as the thing flew at them.

Puok!

Before they knew it, a flashlight hit square onto their leader's face. His body hit the floor as the light bounced and slid across, casting wild shadows and drawing eyes away from one area that truly mattered: himself.

"Who the hell-"

Hwiiik!

Hope finally let the blade fly.

It found itself right in one of the gunmen's head.

Without wasting another moment, Hope's body pulled itself towards the second man with the rifle. He took out the black shard from behind and slid it right into his throat. The man's eyes had widened in that instance with a sheen of horror across his face. The sound of his choked gurgles followed.

[You have slain a dormant human...]

[You have slain a dormant human...]

A part of Hope's mind was almost pulled away by the Spell's uncanny voice.

But instinct hurriedly enveloped his senses as he felt the others' presence.

Hope turned and met eyes with the two men who remained still in shock some distance away, standing with their rustic crowbars. He then saw a slight movement from one of them-

Hope wrenched the shard from the throat, hearing the body drop behind him as he faced towards the flying crowbar.

Shiiik!

Parried just in time with his shield.

"Who the fuck are you!?"

Hope dismissed the man's words as his eyes narrowed at the sight of their leader reaching out for his pistol. He must have dropped it from Hope's previous blow. Hope could see a runny bloody nose as well.

Two dead.

Three left.

Although, there didn't seem to be any harm in keeping three alive instead of just one.

With that thought, a shine of metal shined at the corner of Hope's eye.

Hope side-stepped, having the crowbar pass in front of him. At the same time, he pulled his right arm back and threw the black shard past them.

"Aaaaaacckk!"

The leader hugged his hand. A spill of blood could be seen from where the shard had impaled.

"H-hit him dammit!"

Shiiik!

Hope blocked another swing. His foot stepped forward and then he pummeled his fist squarely between the man's ribs. A forced gasp escaped his lips as he collapsed and started to hoarsely breathe for air.

"Y-you! Grraaaaaah!"

The last man standing yelled and swung with blind fury.

Shiiik! Shiiik! Shiiik!

Metal clashed and pitched in the air.

As Hope blocked the man's trajectories, he could faintly see their behemoth shadows from the flashlight mimicking along the walls and floor. Even the mist that seeped through the entrance dragged along their movements like a clingy ghost.

The visible wrath started to make the man lose more control of his swings. After the fourth swing, Hope dodged with a simple extra step back. Just as the man's weight carried himself through the attack, Hope pounded his shield right into the man's face.

Slam!

His head knocked back, eyes rolled up, probably seeing stars as well, and collapsed onto the floor.

Kroooaaar!

The sudden roar from the monster from earlier cried out. But it came a lot closer. Too close.

A flurry of lights appeared on Hope's left arm then quickly disappeared along with his shield.

Hope dropped down to one knee and picked up one of the rifle guns.

He aimed it at the crumbled wall's entrance just as a shadowed figure started to emerge-

Bang! BANG! BANG!

A spew of flashes sparked through the fog followed by deafening shots.

In the next moment, a lizard-like creature that was making its way through the hole fell limp on top of the rubble. Deep holes blotched across its head from the bullets as rivulets of blood seeped out from them.

"..."

Hope froze and held his position.

One. Two. Three. Four...

"..."

Five. Six. Seven...

Ears attentive for further threatening noise.

But nothing else followed.

It seemed only one monster was nearby rather than a pack of them just as the men had hoped. It may have been by itself, but one was enough to be a threatening monster inside a slum city.

[You have slain a dormant beast-]

'Shut up.'

Hope stood up and stared down at the lying men around him with the rifle still in his hands.

He didn't exactly feel any sense of triumph. Only a calm poise.

"Cough! Uggh..."

The collected groans of alarm and confusion echoed from the two wounded. The flashlight was still on, its light emanating at their feet creating large shadows against the wall. Hope's shadow being the tallest of them.

Step. Step. Step.

Hope strode towards their leader. The man helplessly scrambled back as he cradled his injured hand.

"W-who are you-"

Instead of approaching face to face with the leader, Hope bent down and picked up the backpack that was dropped earlier during the battle.

"...?"

Hope nonchalantly looked inside then began to rummage through, feeling around on the items for something specific. Once his hands grabbed onto something cylinder, he quickly pulled it out.

He opened the bottle and greedily drank from it.

His dry throat soothed at the long-awaited moist. A desire and thirst finally able to be satisfied.

But after a few seconds he forced himself to pull away. He had to save some for later and not waste it all in one go. The lid was screwed back on silently as he ignored the confused expressions of the remaining two who were awake.

The third was alive but knocked out.

The other two dead.

And the last one was sleeping peacefully in the corner.

Hope slung the backpack over his shoulder then raised the rifle back on the leader. He felt his own eyes still glazed with a direct prowl nature. It didn't seem to be a bad thing, but the voices were surprisingly still hushed down to a murmur as his focus remained unnaturally undisturbed. He supposed he could blame it from his training days. Such things could not be erased so easily.

The man shuddered from the pointed barrel and shrank away.

"H-hey let's not get too h-hasty now..."

"..."

"W-what do you need? Food? Water? M-more weapons? W-we can get it for you! Isn't that right?"

The leader looked expectantly at his partner who still struggled to recover from the blow to his ribs. He forced a nod.

"..."

The man squirmed under Hope's gaze.

"Hahaha...well speak...you know how to speak right...?"

Hope blinked. Then an inaudible sigh passed his lips.

"Questions." Hope said calmly. "I have some questions for you. And it would be sufficient if you could have some answers ready for me. It is a matter of life or death after all."