The door wouldn’t open.

It was locked from the inside… and I wasn’t strong enough at the moment to force it open.

Banging on the door again, I leaned against the door and hit the door with my forehead too. It hurt, a lot, but it wasn’t the reason I was crying.

Merit was now on my back. I had shifted her there about half way here, because my right arm had started to go numb and fail me. I couldn’t lift it anymore. It hung lifelessly behind me, since I was pushing the arm as much as I could up against Merit’s body to hold her on my back.

“Anyone? It’s Renn!” I shouted as I banged on the door again.

Vim had said they might have left already… but even if they hadn’t, they could all just be locked up within the houses deep within the building. If so how was I going to get in? Was there a window somewhere I could break maybe…?

I banged on the door a little more as I tried to remember any windows on the ground floor. There were plenty on the second and above, some huge ones too… but I couldn’t remember any on the ground floor. None in the warehouse. None at the depot. Not a one at the bank or in the main lobbies…

“Please…” I begged as I hit the door one last time.

The creature roared behind me, and I flinched. Nothing came from the roar, it seemed like since I left Vim no more buildings had been collapsing nearby… but maybe I was just far enough away now. Yet I still flinched and expected more chaos to follow all the same. None of the buildings nearby seemed harmed, actually… it was a little strange how empty the area was. I glanced around and looked up and down the huge street that rounded the Animalia building and felt like I was in a dream. There was a strange layer of dust floating just above the ground, too thick to be mist, and there wasn’t a soul in sight.

I understood why there was no one here. Most of the buildings around here were warehouses. Places that one worked at, not lived… so it made sense for no one to be here. They had all ran home, or to safety… but what was up with the strange layer of dust floating around? None of the buildings seemed damaged around here, so had the dust just flowed in from elsewhere?

“Renn!”

I jumped at the sound of someone else, and spun around to see the source. Upon spinning too quickly, I accidentally bumped into the door I had been banging on with my arm and Merit. Luckily I didn’t drop her, but it hurt.

Brandy was hurrying towards me, and I nearly fell to my knees in relief at the sight of her.

“Brandy…” I sobbed at the sight of her. Her face was contorted into worry as she hurried up to me. A glance behind her showed me where she had come from. Another door was open about half way down the wall towards the depot. Was that the mail room’s entrance?

“What the hell happened,” Brandy groaned as she got close and stepped up to me. She brushed Merit’s hair out of the way to get a look at her face, and I smiled at the sight of Brandy’s gentle relief upon whatever she saw on Merit’s face.

“A lot… Would you take her, Brandy? I’m about to drop her…” I turned as to let her get an easy hold of Merit.

Brandy wasted no time, what little weight Merit had disappeared off my back and I breathed a sigh of relief as Brandy turned and shouted something… something…

“Renn. Renn!”

Suddenly I was drowning.

Trying to get free, I began to panic. I was covered in something thick. Heavy. Warm. What felt like pulling myself out of thick mud nearly made me choke, as I came awake.

Blinking wildly, I realized I was lying down. And not on hard stone.

“What?” I shifted, and flinched as something horribly bright blinded me. A horrid pain shot thru my head, and I tried to bring my arms up as to block the light a bit better… but couldn’t. Something heavy was wrapped around me, heavy enough to stop my arms from getting free and…

“Renn, calm down. You’re alright. Merit, she’s up!” Sofia’s voice hurt my ears, and oddly not just my non-human ones on my head. Even the human ones on the side of my head, which I normally never really ever noticed what I heard from, tinged in pain at Sofia’s words.

I’m up?

Finally getting my left arm free of whatever had been trying to hold it down, I covered my eyes and tried to peer through the pain and brightness.

I saw a fuzzy image of bedding. A blanket. And…

Blinking watery eyes, I realized I was in a room. A small one… made of wood? And I was in a bed.

Gulping a very dry mouth, I ignored the feeling of cuts and the bruises not just in my mouth but all over my whole body. Everything hurt.

“What…?” I coughed as I spoke, and more voices filled the room. As I coughed I heard Merit talking to Sofia, and someone else’s voice I didn’t recognize.

“Out!” Merit shouted, and I instantly became alert. I opened my eyes, and shot up fully and looked around.

Merit was pushing Sofia and… Reatti? Out of the room. My heart thumped wildly as I calmed down, and I realized that Merit’s shout hadn’t been one of pain or urgency but rather simple annoyance.

A weird feeling, akin to a cold sweat, began to seep from my whole body as I calmed down a little more, and finally understood we were safe.

“Merit… what’s going on?” I asked. She had a bandage wrapped around her head. It was white, yet had a dark splotch not far from her right eye.

“We’re on a boat. Getting ready to leave the harbor. I’m sorry we woke you, Renn, but we need to verify it before setting sail,” Merit spoke quickly, and sounded…

“What’s wrong?” I asked worriedly. Why did she sound so heartbroken? Why did she look so…

The door shook as it was hit… and I finally realized what I was hearing. Shouting. Arguing. Anger and…

“Reatti…” I groaned as somehow my heart realized it before my mind did.

“Brom’s the only one missing, Renn…” Merit said quietly. She stepped forward, up to the bed and leaned against it. To get as close as possible to me, she took a deep breath and released it slowly.

“I smell death. And not just your wounds, or that of humans… Renn, what happened?” Merit asked solemnly.

She already knew the answer. If even instinctively.

It was obvious after all.

Brom and Merit left. Only Merit and I returned… and I had done so while carrying her injured body.

“He was crushed. He…” I barely got the words out as I quickly relived the memories.

Being carried in that sack. Being beaten. Trying to escape. The fall into the pit… Fly, and then Vim… then that monster…

I closed my eyes as I started to sob while the memories flooded through me.

It was moments like these that I hated how accurately my mind could be. I was able to remember every vivid detail, so clearly and…

Then I was wrapped again. I blinked my blurry eyes a Merit wrapped me in a hug, and squeezed me.

It hurt, a lot, yet it still filled me with warmth as I returned her hug… but only with my left arm. My right was still under the blankets. I wiggled it free as we held each other.

Once my right arm was free I properly returned Merit’s affection, and sobbed with her. She wasn’t crying anywhere near as hard as I was but she was still trembling and…

“Vim found us. And…” I tried to continue telling her what happened, but it came out in bursts and haphazardly.

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“Did he see Brom’s body?” Merit asked gently.

I nodded.

Merit took a deep breath, and her trembling slowed as she got herself under control.

As she did I glanced at my right arm. It felt a little odd, somehow, even though I was holding Merit with it and…

Instead of a right arm, I had a giant wrap for an arm. I sniffed as the shock of the many bandages stopped me from crying anymore.

Merit slowly let me go, and I did too as I studied my right arm. I could feel my fingers within the bandages, but all the bandages made it look misshapen somehow.

“You were hurt quite badly, Renn. But I think you’ll be able to keep your arm,” Merit said as she noticed what I was staring at.

“Mhm…” I nodded, even though it somehow didn’t make me feel any better.

“Brom was crushed you said? By what Renn?” Merit asked.

“A giant boulder like thing. That… the creature was throwing them around for some reason,” I said as I tore my eyes from my wounds. It wasn’t just my right arm, but my left had bandages too… although not as bad. Several of my fingers were also bandaged in splints, which now that I noticed them it made me itchy.

“Alright… I’ll tell Reatti. Jeez…” Merit groaned softly, and I flinched as if something had just flicked me in the ear.

“I will!” I said as I moved to get up.

Merit reached out to stop me, but I didn’t let her. I forced my legs over the edge of the bed, and as I moved to get up I realized the bed I was lying in was makeshift. They had put a bunch of boxes together and laid down several layers of blankets and cloth over them all.

“Renn…” Merit sounded worried, but I ignored her as I shook my head and went to stand up.

Before I could get all the way off the bed, my legs buckled and I was caught by Merit.

“Sorry…!” I tried my best to get my feet under me, but for some reason I just didn’t have the strength. Merit however was solid, and firmly held me up… which made it a little awkward, since she was so small.

“Jeez Renn. I get it. Here, sit down… I’ll just open the door and let her in,” Merit said as she pushed me back to the bed.

I groaned but didn’t complain. How was I so weak? My legs were trembling and felt oddly numb… and…

Sitting back down, I huffed a relieved sigh of exhaustion. I suddenly felt like I needed to lay back down and go back to sleep.

Actually… how did I even get here? Last thing I remembered was giving Merit to Brandy and…

“Okay,” Merit said, and I looked up to see her firming herself… as she opened the door.

Once she opened it, I flinched again at the bright sunlight peering in. But my eyes quickly adjusted, and I realized it was the light of a setting sun. The door led to the outside it seemed, and it was angled right towards the bright orange in the sky.

“Come in Reatti,” Merit said stiffly as she stepped aside.

“Why are you acting so weird Merit? Did that hit to your head make you…” Reatti stepped in, and as she did I both heard… and saw her anger.

Reatti wasn’t her cheerful self.

She came to an abrupt stop right in front of Merit, and the open door… and glared at me.

Taking a deep breath, I felt my jaw quiver as I stared into her eyes. The same eyes that Brom had.

“Reatti…” I flinched when both I failed to keep speaking… and Reatti actually stepped back and away from me. She bumped into the open door, which Merit held firm.

A long heavy moment of silence made me start to shiver, as if suddenly cold. I’d blame the ocean breeze flowing into the room, but I honestly felt hot and was covered in sweat. I knew I wasn’t cold.

“Brom he…” I found my voice again and yelled at myself internally. To tell her. I had to. It was my duty to. I needed to… if I didn’t then…

I needed to say it before Merit did. I couldn’t let her take the blame. I couldn’t let her endure this and…

“Don’t…!” Reatti shook her head, and shut her eyes.

“He died. Crushed by that…” My words came to a stop as Reatti reached up and grabbed her head with both hands. She let loose a blood curdling scream. Although her scream hurt, and made me flinch… I didn’t look away. I held my eyes on hers as she shook her head and shouted wordlessly.

As Reatti screamed I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. People were drawing near the door. Likely drawn by her shout… but…

What would come next? Accusations? Would she yell at me? Attack me? I deserved it.

Yet after a few long heart throbbing moments… Reatti went quiet.

She heaved a few deep breaths… and then lowered her hands from her head. She slowly stood back up straight, and then her eyes found my own.

Her gaze was heavy, marred by tears… but she was actually looking at me. She looked almost normal, if not for the tears and ruffled hair from her movements earlier.

“I’m glad you’re okay Renn,” Reatti then said gently.

My throat constricted, and I hated myself. And here I thought she’d actually attack me.

“Reatti…” I groaned and started to cry again.

“May the Society prosper,” Reatti then said, and then turned and left.

I went to get up, to stop her, but not only did she leave too quickly… my body wouldn’t listen to me. I nearly fell of the bed as I started to sob.

“Renn… There’s nothing more you can do. Just rest,” Merit said softly.

I shook my head as I gripped the edge of the bed. The wooden box beneath the blanket felt hard, and it protested as I squeezed it. I heard wood creak, and even start to break.

“I was there too, Renn. Though I don’t remember it… So don’t endure all the blame,” Merit then said.

Blame? What blame could Merit possibly have?

She had pushed me out of the way too. Alongside Brom.

It had been me. I had been too weak. Too slow. Too hurt, to notice.

“Where’s Vim…?” I asked between hard breaths.

“Not here yet. The creature’s been screaming something fierce for awhile now, we think he’s fighting it,” Merit said.

Looking up at her, I frowned at Merit’s face.

She was crying. Yet it wasn’t her tears that was worrying… it was the line of blood flowing down from her forehead, from under the bandages.

“You’re bleeding, Merit,” I warned her softly.

“So are you, Renn. So are you,” she said.

I was? Where?

“At least we can bleed,” I said.

“We can blame ourselves later, Renn. Right now we have to get out of here and make sure no one else suffers,” Merit said.

I nodded… even though I knew I’d not be much help anymore. I couldn’t even stand on my own two feet right now…

Sniffing a horrible thought down, I did my best to smile at Merit. “Thank you Merit, for coming to find me. I’m so sorry it…” I couldn’t finish my sentence.

“It’s okay Renn. It really is,” Merit said, and I noted the trembling in her voice. She was as emotional as I was right now.

Before I or she could say anything more, Sofia ran into the room.

“Reatti just left the ship!” Sofia shouted worriedly.

“Of course she did…!” Merit groaned as she hurried past Sofia, leaving the room.

My stomach and heart squirmed and tightened as I realized how serious the situation was. I once again tried to get out of bed, and this time… my legs somewhat listened to me. I wobbly got to my feet as Sofia turned to leave, but then she noticed what I was doing.

“Renn… Jeez,” Sofia mumbled a complaint, yet still came over to help. Instead of pushing me back down as Merit had, Sofia put herself under my left arm as to support me.

“Thank you, Sofia,” I said, and meant it, as she helped me out of the room.

A harsh breeze of familiar cold ocean air buffeted us as we left the room, and my eyes narrowed both as I got used to the bright setting sun, and the horrible pain all over my body. From movement and the salty air.

Looking around, I realized we really were on a boat. A huge one. There were people running all around, and we were on the top deck. The room I had been in was near a stairwell that led upward, likely to another deck near the rear of the ship.

“Are we all here?” I asked Sofia as she and I stood still, watching the chaos.

I found Merit. She was with Brandy near the side of the ship, near what had likely been where the bridge connecting the ship to the dock had been. It was now closed off, and the dock was…

We were setting sail!

“Everyone but Reatti now. And Vim, of course,” Sofia said softly.

“Reatti…” I groaned as I realized what that meant. She was going to be left behind. In this city. Alone…

Hopefully Vim would be able to find her. She likely had gone to find her brother’s body and…

“You shouldn’t have told her yet. You should have waited until we were at sea. She can’t swim,” Sofia said softly.

I nodded, agreeing with her… but also didn’t.

“It was my duty to tell her as fast as possible,” I said.

“I know, Renn. I’m not blaming you… I just wish it had gone differently,” Sofia whispered.

Brandy’s loud voice echoed out as she turned away from Merit and the railing, yelling orders to everyone on the deck. Orders to unfold masts, and set sail.

“Who are these people?” I asked Sofia. Some were recognizable, others weren’t.

“Sailors. This is our ship. Have you seen enough Renn? You need to rest and I have a job to do,” Sofia asked me gently. She was being kind, but I could hear the urgency and desperation in her voice. She’d never deny me, and would help me… but desperately wanted to leave to attend whatever assignment she had been given.

“Alright,” I agreed to stop being a burden, if anything so I wouldn’t start sobbing again.

Sofia helped me back into the room, and back into the bed. She gave me a gentle smile, and a reminder that I just needed to shout if I needed anything… then she left the room.

She left the door open, which I was a little thankful for. The sounds of all the people, and the sea, was comforting… and the breeze also felt good on my hot skin.

Blinking heavy eyes, I sent a tiny prayer out to Vim as I fell back to sleep. I prayed he’d not only be okay… but that he would take care of Reatti too. Since I had failed her, I needed him to cover for me.

I needed him to do what he did best, and make sure that poor girl’s soul didn’t break.

Because if it did… mine might do so too.