A wintry storm was brewing as we stepped out of the grocery store. The moonlight cascaded against the ground, but as the storm came closer, the clouds covered the night sky. Followed by the cracks of thunder and lightning, casting eerie shadows on the crumbled buildings, street lights flickered. My partially destroyed apartment wasn’t far. The icy wind bit into my skin, making me shiver. Her lips, her lips, were a frostbite blue. I wrapped her inside of my coat, trying my best to keep her warm, but as we approached my apartment, my eyes locked on to the familiar form. It was one of them.

My heart raced, adrenaline coursing through my veins, as my hand tightened around the trigger of my shotgun, aimed directly at the figure. It turned its head and chased after us. The deafening silence filled the air as my shotgun remained silent in my hands. I tossed it to the ground and fled, shielding the child from harm, before tripping over an unfamiliar obstruction. The creature bent down and reached for us…. As a bullet tore through his head. The creature fell to the snow, and the storm cleared, revealing a silhouette standing on top of a nearby skyscraper. Who are you? I shouted, hoping to get an answer from the mysterious figure on the roof. It nodded and disappeared into the Distance Without a response.

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As she sobbed in my arms, her cries seemed to consume the entire room, blending with the crackling flames of the fire. After a while, her face stopped being pale and started showing signs of color again, and her crying subsided. She looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes, her voice barely audible as she mumbled, my big brother, before drifting back into slumber. As I tucked her into my bed, my eyes caught sight of a gun lying next to a note. It read: This is to protect Maya. It’s an energy-based rifle and won’t freeze in colder temperatures. Please protect her…