Remnya

The morning sun warmed up Remnya's cheeks, and sweat itched on her whole body. The thick, heavy fabric of her clothes had turned every step into a challenge, keeping the heat trapped in her torso like an oven. Merle strode ahead of her, whistling as he crossed through a field of sharp rocks that threatened to slice the flesh of whoever dared to stumble. He had purposely taken the steeper path, bordering a cliff with loose soil and deadly pits.

Thorns and branches had marked Remnya's exposed skin, drawing red stripes on her face. She gripped trees and vines not to fall to her doom and eyed two hawks circling a nearby corpse; animal or not, she didn't know.

After six hours of uninterrupted walking, Merle stopped next to a mountain creek.

Remnya exhaled a mouthful of fresh air and staggered toward a rotten log buried in moss. She dropped the bags she carried on her back and eased onto the ground, allowing her body to recover while she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Merle opened a flask of liquor he carried in his pocket and took a sip. "Nothing like some fresh drink before lunch." He smiled.

Catching her breath, Remnya nodded vacantly at his nonsense, feeling her head lighter and all her muscles throbbing like a heart.

"There's no time to rest." Merle scowled and pointed at their travel bags. "You need to prepare lunch."

"What?" Remnya said, feeling her entire body on the verge of passing out.

"You said you could cook, didn't you?" Merle's expression filled with annoyance.

A burning sensation grew in Remnya's chest as frustration and anger tried to erupt from her mouth, but she remained quiet. After all, he was right; she had chosen that of her own free will. Dragging herself toward the bags, Remnya looked for something edible, but all she could find were a pan, a pot, and silver tableware.

"Where's the food?" she asked, her heart racing in her chest, predicting the answer.

"That's your job." Merle glared at her menacingly. "If you can't even do that, you better run home, kid." His words cut deep into her skin.

A shiver ran down Remnya's back as her illusion shattered. She couldn't recognize the friendly man she had met at Debrin's house anymore. Remnya clenched her fists, biting her lower lip as she forced herself to remain silent. In her frustration, she imagined one of those rocks hitting his face. The kid from the past would have done something reckless, but not this Remnya. Swallowing her anger, she lowered her head, nodded, and took the first step into the forest to find food.

Accompanied by the song of birds, Remnya wandered for a while until Merle's scowl vanished in the distance. Looking left and right to ensure no one watched her, she unfastened her heavy boots and kicked them off her feet. Her toes were red and swollen, and blisters had formed around her ankles. The next thing was removing her jacket and pants. Remnya let out a exhale of relief when her body could finally feel the fresh air of nature.

Hanging her clothes on a low tree branch, she noticed how light her body had become. Remnya explored her surroundings, looking for fruits or mushrooms to cook, but all she could find were wild blackberries that caused diarrhea. The temptation to pick them up and feed them to Merle was strong, but she decided otherwise.

Not daring to go any further wearing just her underwear, she put on her pants again and broke into the denser part of the forest barefoot. Birds, snakes, and squirrels seemed like the only source of food. However, Remnya had never killed an animal nor was willing to change that, not even if Merle ordered her to do so.

Remnya walked for half an hour when she noticed smoke in the distance. Halting behind a bush, Remnya remained still with her eyes focused on the source of that smoke. Unintelligible voices reached her ears along with the smell of burning incense, irritating her nose. Despite her curiosity, getting closer would mean an unnecessary risk, so she decided to return.

Dry leaves crunched.

"Don't move."

Remnya froze as a young voice echoed behind her.

From the corner of her eyes, she glimpsed a boy around Zeo's age with a bow, aiming a golden arrow at her head. "DEMON! I FOUND A DEMON!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "HURRY UP!"

"What? That's not true!" Remnya tried to silence him, but as soon as she moved, the boy pulled the bowstring even further, ready to shoot her.

Her body became paralyzed. The boy's fingers trembled, yet the deadly glare in his dilated pupils revealed his killer intent.

"Listen. I am not your enemy," Remnya said, doing her best to sound as calm and friendly as possible, but his expression displayed deep hatred as if in the presence of a monster. "I am not a demon and don't want to hurt you. I got lost, and all I want is to go home. You gotta believe me."

He chuckled bitterly. "Demons with horns always say the same shit." His hazel eyes flickered under the sunlight. "But I'm not stupid. I won't make the same mistake as my father."

"I am sorry my kind has caused so much harm, but I am honest when I say I have nothing to do with them."

"Shut up." He smirked, glancing left toward the smoke. Remnya overhead steps, drawing nearer. "My village will be overwhelmed with joy when I return with a demon's head."

"Wait!" Remnya shouted, her eyes widening with fear.

The boy's hands moved on their own, pulling the bowstring violently while his gaze penetrated Remnya's soul with fury.

He shot the arrow, and the time slowed.

Silence.

A crimson flashed across the forest.

And the heat in her chest erupted through her skin.

What she witnessed afterward froze her blood.

The arrow aimed at her head had turned into ashes, and the boy in front of her, shrieked in horror as his arms were engulfed by crimson flames. His skin hissed and began to melt while he ran desperately, trying to put it out.

Instinctively, Remnya summoned her fire back to her hands. The flames vanished, but the boy's arms had turned into roasted flesh that boiled and smoked like embers. He collapsed on the ground, convulsing with his eyes twisted into nothingness.

Everything moved in slow motion as Remnya ran to him. The reek of burnt flesh and hair triggered the horrible memories of her past. From Persen to Skado, and their screams of terror when the crimson monster devoured them slowly.

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Shouts and curses in the distance alerted Remnya of the presence of more people. A horde of men advanced in her direction with guns, bows, and torches.

Remnya had two choices: staying and risking getting killed or running. The decision seemed easy, but her heart didn't allow her to move away from the boy she had hurt accidentally. Remnya kneeled beside him, holding his burnt body while the mob surrounded her.

"Cursed demon! We're too late!" an old man said, aiming a shotgun at her head.

"I didn't mean to do this. . ." she murmured, shaking. "He attacked me. . . I didn't want to!"

"DIE, DEMON!"

The man shot.

A crimson silence invaded her mind.

*°*°*

Zeo

The mornings were a cold, timeless routine. Metallic noises echoed throughout the lifeless corridors, cell doors opening one by one, interrupted by the cries of a lost soul, quickly silenced by the mercy of a fist or the edge of a sword. A pointless fight in the jaws of a demon, a never-ending battle an Anglish couldn't win.

Life had always been a cruel joke.

Sleepless, Zeo sat on the gelid floor, staring vacantly at the blood-stained walls. On the opposite corner, Maria still rested, trembling, and wrapped by two blankets. Like two caged animals, their fates belonged to someone else. They were puppets, dancing to the tides of anger and melancholy; a crude reality Zeo had come to embrace with spite.

A shadow obscured the light coming through the gaps in the door. Had they finally decided to end their misery?

Silence.

"It's purge season. Comply with their requests, and don't fight if you want to keep her alive."

That was Alayna's voice. Springing from the ground, Zeo dragged himself toward the door. "What do you mean?" he asked, leaning against the metal, but Alayna was already gone. Only a soft breeze remained, sneaking through the door cracks to caress his bruised skin.

After that, the minutes felt like hours for Zeo, who waited to discover the truth behind her words. Why would she even care about them?

She was his enemy.

. . .

Or was she?

The truth wasn't clear anymore.

A loud beep drilled into his ears. The locks clanked one by one, and the door opened for the first time in four weeks.

On the other side, a silhouette emerged amid dust and fog. Zeo recognized the face of the same Nephilim who tortured that young man in the dungeon. Listening to the murmurs of the walls, Zeo had learned his name was Pyon, the beast who had taken thirty lives in the past week.

His sole presence filled their cell with the reek of death.

Next to the Nephilim stood a massive man in a violet suit. Short blonde hair and a smirk that emanated ill intentions. Zeo scanned him and spotted two small horns sprouting from his head. However, there was no tail.

A hybrid.

Pyon walked forward, ignoring Zeo. His eyes searched for someone else.

"Is she the one?" the man in the suit asked, caressing his chin as he looked at a sleeping Maria.

"Yeah, that's the human," the Nephilim said, walking toward her.

"What's the meaning of this?" Zeo said, standing on guard with both fists clenched.

Pyon glanced at Zeo with contempt. "Stay quiet if you want to keep your remaining eye, crossbreed." He stomped toward Maria and grabbed her blankets, yanking them away to uncover her body. Before she could wake up, he took her by the torso with his massive hands, lifting her like a rag doll.

"What's going on?" Maria screamed, shooting terrified glances in every direction, his pupils dilated.

"Brand new human, good behavior, groomed by Lady Magenta herself," Pyon said as a disgusting smile spread across his face.

"Leave her alone!" Zeo roared, charging at Pyon with his fists, ready to strike him.

But before Zeo could reach the Nephilim, his body was slammed against the wall, cracking the concrete. From the corner of his eye, Zeo witnessed Edo holding him with brutal force.

"Calm down, or it'll be much worse for her. Don't be stupid!" Edo shouted, glaring at him as he buried his nails into his skin.

"Oh, fuck you!" Zeo spat, summoning his vectors with the sheer will of his rage. Two spectral arms emerged from the ground beneath Edo and snatched his legs.

He released Zeo and smashed a fist against his jaw.

The cell spun around Zeo as his body rolled and hit the unyielding floor. Yet his vectors refused to release his enemy. A powerful electric wave traveled from his brain and throughout his body, focusing on his vectors to crush Edo's bones.

Zeo sprung from the floor and tried to land a punch in Edo's face.

Edo dodged it, staggering due to the pressure around his legs.

A second strike by Zeo reached his cheekbone.

However, Edo took advantage of his uncoordinated movements to wrap his arms around Zeo's neck, oppressing his throat.

The vectors cut through Edo's skin, but oxygen had begun to leave Zeo's lungs rapidly. Despite his fury, reality blurred before his eyes as hypoxia threatened to shut his brain. Driven by his wildest instincts, Zeo bit Edo's forearm.

His enemy let out a muffled grunt of pain and tightened the grip around his neck even more. Zeo's bones cracked, and his spine felt on the verge of breaking.

Without oxygen and close to losing consciousness, the vectors loosened, giving Edo time to break free and crush Zeo's jaw with an uppercut.

Zeo hit the ground, half unconscious.

"The crossbreed is a tough bastard, isn't he?" Pyon sneered and released Maria, who dragged herself to Zeo's side.

"Zeo! Please resist!" Maria shouted desperately, caressing his face with trembling fingers.

"Maria. . ." Zeo mumbled. "I won't let them take you away."

"Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Carlsen," the Nephilim said, gesturing at Edo to hold Zeo. "As you can see, this crossbreed here has grown attached to his human."

"I can see that." The man giggled as he scanned Maria from head to toe with lustful eyes. "She seems like a fine specimen. No wonder this boy is willing to die for her."

"She's a bit dirty and unhealthy right now, but I think you'll be able to take care of that."

"Don't worry, Lieutenant. I can still see her beauty through all that shit and dust." He licked his lips.

Edo crushed Zeo's body against the floor while Maria pleaded with them to leave him alone. Glaring at Edo, Zeo noticed his enemy's uniform had changed. It was no longer black but brown and had been stripped from all its badges and emblems.

"Edo!" the Nephilim shouted. "Bring that human here right now! We need to deliver at least twenty today."

Edo bared his teeth. "Since when do you follow the orders of a crossbreed, Pyon?" He stared at Carlsen with contempt.

"Lieutenant Pyon for you!" Pyon snatched a whip from his belt and struck Edo across the face. He glared and pointed at Maria. "Do it, unless you want to lose your remaining hand, fucking cunt." He wiggled his fingers mockingly.

A trail of blood rolled down Edo's cheek. He clenched his fists and lowered his head, the veins in his forehead bulging with rage. Hesitantly, he took his remote control from his pocket and activated Zeo's collar.

A shock exploded throughout Zeo's body as the needles in the collar penetrated his neck, paralyzing and cramping all his muscles. He contorted on the ground, unable to move his body on his own. Yet he kept fighting the pain to protect Maria, who sobbed next to him and begged them to stop.

Edo grabbed Maria by the arm and dragged her away from Zeo. "Please, stop it!" she pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Don't hurt him anymore. I'll do anything!"

"Shut up, bitch!" Pyon roared, glaring at her. "You have no idea how lucky you are. Most humans here are disposed of as a residue of flesh and bones, but Mr. Carlsen considers you worth buying. He'll give you a better life. That's more than you deserve, pathetic human."

Maria kneeled in front of them and sobbed in silence, trembling. She crossed her fingers, begging them. "I'll go with you, but please, don't hurt Zeo anymore. Please! If you still have a heart. . ."

Pyon and Carlsen exchanged looks and then guffawed at her stupid words, their voices booming throughout the cell. However, Edo's face was cold stone, his gaze locked on the ground. Pyon reached out for a knife in his belt and tossed it at Edo, who caught it mid-air. "If that bitch speaks again, slice her tongue," he said.

"Hey!" Carlsen widened his eyes.

Edo gritted his teeth and stood still like a statue for long seconds. His fists trembled as if trying to hold back his true intentions: murdering the two men in front of him. But eventually, he kneeled next to Maria and murmured something in her ear. Maria nodded while her tears flowed like a waterfall, soaking her ruined dress.

He stretched his hand at Maria. Reluctantly, she took it and eased herself from the floor. Maria stared at Zeo for the last time, her beautiful eyes deprived of life and hope, and followed Edo.

Zeo let out a monstrous roar of anger, pain, and frustration witnessing the scene and forced his arms to drag his body toward them. Electric shocks attacked his heart and brain, yet he refused to give her up.

I have to protect Maria. . .

I HAVE TO! I HAVE TO!

With his last ounce of strength, he summoned a single vector and shoved it against Pyon.

Blood spilled in the air, splattering the walls.

. . .

His energy was suddenly gone.

Pyon stepped in front of him, his black eyes burning with fury. "You're a persistent one, aren't you?"

A fist heavy like iron crushed his jaw, spinning his head. Zeo felt his neck breaking and then his body shutting down.

He collapsed, and the last image in his mind was three monsters and a sweet, broken soul.

I'm sorry, Maria. . . I've failed again.

*°*°*

Next Chapter: November 26