We ran, ran as fast as we could. Zack on Jim's back unconscious and me trying to protect them if any monster decided to attack us. I was worried, not only about Zack but about their people.

I was heading straight into a place where people could welcome me with open arms or kill me at first glance, and I was doing it blind.

- We are almost there! – Jim yelled back while still running.

I saw a large half destroyed building with a wall constructed around it and wooden towers that appeared to be guard posts.

I could see people watching us approach from atop the towers, and I clenched the knife in my hand a little tighter.

We stopped near the wall and immediately I was blinded by bright lights. I heard weapons ready to fire and footsteps getting closer from the direction of one of the towers.

I tried to make out anyone beyond the light, but it was too bright to see anything.

- It's us! Zack needs help! Quick! – Jim shouted at them. I could hear the panic in his voice

Suddenly I saw what seemed to be a large gate opening in the wall. As Jim walked through the gate, I hung a safe distance behind him and followed him in. We halfway through when guards rushed in from all sides and trained guns at us.

Jim became quiet, keeping a calm demeanor, and I attempted to do the same. One of them got closer to Jim and Zack, and after a quick check he nodded as a sign of acceptance. When the guard turned to me, however, his expression became grim.

- Who is he?! He doesn’t have a sign! – He angerly shouted, making me confused. What did he mean by a sign?

- That's Joker. He helped us! – Jim answered.

He approached me and locked his eyes to mine. He then leaned in, maintaining his stare and making me feel very uncomfortable.

- Alright... but now he needs to go. – The guard said with an assertive voice.

- But he can help us! – Jim looked at me – Right?!

My eyes kept switching between Jim and the guard, I had no idea how to reply. The guard wasn't sure what to do either.

- Jim, go with Zack to the doctor. – He said with a tinge of worry. – I will take your new "friend" to the boss and she will decide what to do with him.

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/82661c93-9351-4e6d-b82f-6e1e720e90f5/ddwbi4o-f6da9e7f-d958-4b31-ba30-64446d76d6db.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_464,q_80,strp/art_page_5_cz1_by_kinia24lara_ddwbi4o-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD00NjQiLCJwYXRoIjoiXC9mXC84MjY2MWM5My05MzUxLTRlNmQtYjgyZi02ZTFlNzIwZTkwZjVcL2Rkd2JpNG8tZjZkYTllN2YtZDk1OC00YjMxLWJhMzAtNjQ0NDZkNzZkNmRiLnBuZyIsIndpZHRoIjoiPD0xMjgwIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmltYWdlLm9wZXJhdGlvbnMiXX0.eyqTS8rVI1PXh3aJTaEKzOukOrGougYR03bQ9dj5TsY [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/82661c93-9351-4e6d-b82f-6e1e720e90f5/ddwbi4o-f6da9e7f-d958-4b31-ba30-64446d76d6db.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_464,q_80,strp/art_page_5_cz1_by_kinia24lara_ddwbi4o-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD00NjQiLCJwYXRoIjoiXC9mXC84MjY2MWM5My05MzUxLTRlNmQtYjgyZi02ZTFlNzIwZTkwZjVcL2Rkd2JpNG8tZjZkYTllN2YtZDk1OC00YjMxLWJhMzAtNjQ0NDZkNzZkNmRiLnBuZyIsIndpZHRoIjoiPD0xMjgwIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmltYWdlLm9wZXJhdGlvbnMiXX0.eyqTS8rVI1PXh3aJTaEKzOukOrGougYR03bQ9dj5TsY]

Jim took Zack away and the guard held me by my arm while other guards took my knife and arrows. Once they were convinced I had no more weapons, the first guard led me forcibly further into the compound.

I kept quiet during the trip through their “home”, people were eyeballing me from aside the path, I was likely something they had never seen before.

The guard sped up, still holding my arm tight, he was likely attempting to attract as little attention to me as possible.

- That's him! – I recognized the voice behind me, it was the little girl I had saved before, likely with her sister. I tried to turn to them and call for help, but by the time I looked back, they were gone. The guard pulled me back to the path, and we walked on.

The guard and I were climbing a staircase to the top of the central building, and through the broken glass windows to each side I saw something like an old car park with people living about.

I realized that these people would have had to have been here for a long time to build a base as large as they have.

We stopped in front of a set of large doors, and the guard gave me a distrustful glance.

-Don't try anything stupid... – he said and then faced the doors and knocked.

Someone from beyond said "Come in”, their voice soft and feminine. The guard opened the doors, revealing a woman sitting in a leather chair inside the room. As we approached her, she trained her eyes on me.

The room was dark, just a little bit of light was making inside through some gaps in the walls. Spooky, but somehow pleasantly.

- So, we have a new guest I see? - She asked the guard. Her voice had an air of dignity to it.

- Yes. His name is... – the man was cut off by a gesture from the woman.

- Let him speak. - she nodded as a sign of acceptance. - Don't be shy.

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/82661c93-9351-4e6d-b82f-6e1e720e90f5/ddwbi5q-69f13761-d105-4b80-a1d8-fcf503227d53.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_493,q_80,strp/art_page_5_cz2_by_kinia24lara_ddwbi5q-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD00OTMiLCJwYXRoIjoiXC9mXC84MjY2MWM5My05MzUxLTRlNmQtYjgyZi02ZTFlNzIwZTkwZjVcL2Rkd2JpNXEtNjlmMTM3NjEtZDEwNS00YjgwLWExZDgtZmNmNTAzMjI3ZDUzLnBuZyIsIndpZHRoIjoiPD0xMjgwIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmltYWdlLm9wZXJhdGlvbnMiXX0.XaORigi10TlBmhLGHN-Ow1NgNURiIQM1nSwXG-g7xtA [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/82661c93-9351-4e6d-b82f-6e1e720e90f5/ddwbi5q-69f13761-d105-4b80-a1d8-fcf503227d53.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_493,q_80,strp/art_page_5_cz2_by_kinia24lara_ddwbi5q-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD00OTMiLCJwYXRoIjoiXC9mXC84MjY2MWM5My05MzUxLTRlNmQtYjgyZi02ZTFlNzIwZTkwZjVcL2Rkd2JpNXEtNjlmMTM3NjEtZDEwNS00YjgwLWExZDgtZmNmNTAzMjI3ZDUzLnBuZyIsIndpZHRoIjoiPD0xMjgwIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmltYWdlLm9wZXJhdGlvbnMiXX0.XaORigi10TlBmhLGHN-Ow1NgNURiIQM1nSwXG-g7xtA]

I looked toward the guard, but he backed off. I approached the woman, still not sure of her intentions.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

- My name is Joker.

- And my name is Emma, I am a leader of the "Red Star" house. It is the house that you are in right now. – She smiled -What are you doing here, may I ask?

- I helped one of your people... he was attacked by one of those monsters.

- Oh, that was very nice of you, Joker! Thank you so much. – Her gaze was still locked on me. – But what are you doing in this world?

Somehow, she knew I wasn’t from this world, and that made me nervous. I tried to keep a straight face and not give any reason for suspicion.

- I'm looking for my brother... I know that he is somewhere here, in this world.

- Your brother? What is his name? Perhaps I might know him. – her manner became more curious.

- His name is Shaun Kayn...

Her expression suddenly changed, her eyes echoing surprise. She attempted to hide it, but I still noticed, unsure of what it meant.

- And could you describe him? What he looks like?

- He... – I paused for a moment, mentioning his “demonic” eyes might not have been ideal. - He's a bit shorted than me... brown, short hair and um... – Glancing at her, it was obvious she could tell I was struggling.

- To be honest, I'm not sure how he looks now… It's been fifteen years since I last saw him.

- Fifteen years? – She seemed taken by surprise again. Her eyes shifted between the guard and me. - Well Joker... I do not think he was here... – She rose from the chair and approached me. - But maybe we could help you look for him?

- You could? For what? – The offer sounded suspicious.

- Oh, not much... Help for help. - She began circling me. - As you can see, we need more people to help gather food… and other items. – she leaned even closer to me. - and I can see that you could be a good hunter for us.

- So… You want me to hunt some animals for you?

- Yes! We have a few hunters already, but we need more. We have a lot of people to feed... – She returned to her chair. - So, what do you say?

I thought about it for a short while, I knew it would be hard to survive and look for Shaun on my own, but with help I could find him.

- Alright... I will be a hunter for you.

- Great! I will find someone who will be able to hunt and look for your brother with you! – Her tone became happy, and her eyes went to the guard. - Noiry, please show Joker where he can stay, and give him the sign.

Once we left Emma’s room, Noiry looked at me and apologized for his earlier behavior. Together we walked to the old car park I saw earlier.

People were really sleeping and trying to live their lives there, like a large communal living hall made of stone and metal. Noiry showed me to a tiny space with a small bed, it seemed like this was my new home.

- Thanks... – I wasn't really happy about it, but I didn't know what I was expecting. - And what about that sign? What even is that?

- It's a piece of material with a red star we all wear here... – He lifted his arm and I saw the sign wrapped around it. - It's a sign that you are our ally. – He looked around. - But for now, you will need to wait to get it... I will get back to you whenever I next get my hands on one.

I made sure to thank him as he was heading away. I didn’t have a lot of space to work with, it wasn’t even a room so much as an empty space separated by sort-of walls. I inspected my “bed”.

It wasn’t much and smelled, but I was too tired to care, and it was better than the cold hard concrete. I was still worried about my new “friends” and their intentions, but for the moment I laid down and tried drifting off to sleep.

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