We left the safe walls of the complex, hearing only the sound of the closing gate behind us. In the group there was me, a woman named Sio, and two men Thomas and Ario. They seemed friendly and full of hope, raring to find the hunter group.

I followed them through the dark forest with little fear of any possible monster encounters like before. Sio assured me that everything will be alright. She was a medic with great knowledge of medicine and medical treatments, having saved more than one life in the field. Thomas and Ario were great soldiers, sporting nearly perfect aim with their chosen weapons. Thomas was using a pistol and a modified sniper rifle, Ario on the other hand was using a knife and a crossbow, similar to my own style. He assured me, however, that his aim was way better. Knowing my own skills, I didn't say anything, not wanting to get confrontational. He was supposed to be one of the men protecting us, after all.

Not long after we left the gates, we reached the same abandoned city where I found Jim and Zack.

- So, where we can find the lost group? - I asked the group.

- The last signal that we received from them was around the blue canyon... So, I guess we should start looking there. – Sio answered me enthusiastically.

- Blue canyon... Where’s that? – They were only talking about places, and already I felt lost.

- Ah right! I forgot that you are "new" here! – She laughed softly. – Well, right now we are at the Red Zone of Poruln City, so... We need to go northwest, through the Abandoned Neighborhood and the waterfalls.

- Okay... But why is it named Blue Canyon?

- It's a canyon with weird blue stones in it, duh... – Thomas looked at me like I was some idiot. I returned the look.

- They aren't rocks... they are more like crystals. - Ario started to laugh at Thomas, who them sported a frustrated look.

Sio interrupted us to be quieter and more careful, so we ended our conversation to focus on the mission.

We made it out of the city and reached the Neighborhood without incident. Once there, I was surprised at how much it looked just how I imagined. Old, abandoned houses with a few broken cars on the streets. Something about this place made me feel uncomfortable, even sad. I looked towards my companions, hoping they would explain, but they stayed quiet and focused on walking straight.

- Did something happen here? – I asked with uncertainty.

Sio returned my question with sadness in her eyes. - It's better if we won't talk about it, Joker. Trust me... you don't want to know.

I decided to listen to her and avoided asking any further. Even so, I was still curious. We walked by the Welcome sign of the Neighborhood and I noticed a small sign underneath it. I approached the sign to get a better angle on what it said.

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"Welcome to the best Neighborhood in the City! Here your family and friends will feel like they’re in Heaven!"

It looked like a normal sign to me, for a normal Neighborhood near a big normal city and forest. It just confused me further, as I still felt uneasy. Sio touched my shoulder, the sadness still lingering around her, and told me to look to the left of the sign, towards in the forest. Once I did, I caught a glimpse of what she was focused on. It was a little graveyard.

- Parents didn't wanted their kids to live in world full of monsters and creatures...

The sudden truth about this “normal Neighborhood” shocked me, and I took a step back, the sadness was overwhelming. I couldn't, and didn't, want to imagine this "situation". How could anyone do this?

- I hope those "parents" are in hell right now... – Ario said quietly.

I apologized to them for my curiosity as we walked away from that place. Next stop was the waterfalls.

The night was still dark, and it was difficult to make out anything around us, but we pressed onward. Fatigue was beginning to creep up on me, and when I looked around, I found I wasn’t the only one. Thankfully, despite the distance we had already covered, we had not encountered any monsters. Sio decided we should make a stop near the waterfalls; we were close enough we could grab some rest.

Eventually we set up a cozy campfire near the shore of a lake fed by one of the waterfalls. The place was very peaceful and relaxing, the soft sound of the waterfall creating a serene atmosphere. I sat down near the lake, making sure to still stay within the range of the heat of the fire. Ario took the position of an observer just in case someone or something decided to show up.

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Sio came over and sat down beside me, looking deeply at the lake.

- Is it true that you are here just to find your brother? – She asked.

- Yes...

- How long has he been here?

- Like... Fifteen years, I think.

She turned to me in disbelief. – Are you serious? – She stopped for a moment, then spoke again. - I'm sorry Joker but I think... I think you should go back.

Her answer startled me. – Why?

- If you haven’t seen him for that long, and he’s been here by himself... Then I'm sorry... but I don't think he could have survived for that long.

- I know this sound crazy... But I know my brother and I know he is alive. I won't give up till I find him.

Sio just looked at me for a while, then she gave me a little smile and returned to the campfire, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I could see in her eyes that she didn’t believe me, but nothing could quell my hope. I would find Shaun, no matter the odds.

I rejoined Thomas and Sio near the fire, her words still lingering on my mind. We had one hour to rest up, then we had to continue our search mission. The sun was already slowly rising, illuminating the path before us.