"Mom! Mom!" little Enear wailed as hard as he could while watching their house devoured by flames.
"Your mother is not there! She's already dead since you were born!"
"No! Mom is there! Mom showed me everything!" he begged and his knees finally gave up. "S-she showed me beautiful flowers. Beautiful skies. Beautiful—"
His father slapped him. The old man breathed heavily, sweat running down his skin. Eyes were sore but no tears were coming. It was dry and red.
"Enough, please! Enough of these delusions!" He shrieked, and a tear finally cut down his cheeks. Until he no longer held it anymore and it rained.
The police came with snow trucks, firing thin smoke ice from giant hoses. Other officers meddled with their fight to guide them to the ambulance.
That day was the first and last time he saw his father cry. The first and last time his father was gentle with him.
The fire might be extinguished that day, but those memories will never be.
~
The door opened. They quickly ran inside the hidden passage. The girl was shocked to see the other survivors tied on rusty metal pillars. She looked at the only freed old man at the control panel, surprised by the door opening that he never intended to.
"H-How did you open–"
"What are you waiting for! Close the door!" she yelled, postponing all the questions she wanted to ask.
The old man flinced as he pressed the button. The ground rumbled as the door closed and a ghoul almost reached them until the door cut its hand, dropped on the ground.
The girl rushed to untie the survivors mumbling against the duck tape on their mouths. A woman and a pregnant one.
"Mom?" Arcus called, his eyes widened. "Mom!" he wailed as he rushed to her mother.
She gasped the moment her duck tape was released. "Arcus!" she cried and hugged him tightly.
The men untied the other one who rushed to the girl as soon as she was freed. "Reselda!" she cried.
Reselda patted his back. "It's okay now, Hajia. It's okay," she said yet the girl continued sobbing.
"You, Tonato!" the one named Marko called out the old man, "What the hell have you done here!?"
"They've been bitten! They're infected!" Tonato said face trembled in terror as he stepped back from them. "You too! You're a ghoul!" he pointed to one with a handkerchief wrapped in its bulk arms.
"I knew it! You're crazy!" Marko said and was about to punch Tonato when Dycron went in the middle.
"Everyone calm down!" he said and grabbed everybody's attention. "I know the situation is tense! But we must work together!"
"I saw it! I saw it!" the man insisted. "I saw he got bitten and turned into a ghoul!"
"Stop the nonsense!"
"You're bitten! You'll turn into a monster anytime soon!"
"You're not even sure about becoming a monster! Stop saying crazy!" Reselda butted in.
"LET'S EAT FIRST!" Dycron shouted out of the blue.
"Do you see any food here!?" Reselda shouted back. "The sword guy and his gang took them all away!"
Dycron raised his bag. "WHO WANTS NUTRIPACK!"
~
The evening came. The survivors went around the solar lamp. Hajia with short pink hair sitting on the floor, curved on her back, slicing the nutripack into tidbits. After she was done, she smiled gracefully, as adorable as his pink big eyes.
"Thank you very much to our three new friends who provided this food!" she said and reached the pack to Arcus with the brightest smile. Arcus picked one slice and then passed it to his mother, and then his mother passed it next to her and to another in a circle. After it came back to Hajia, there was still one last slice. Dycron looked at the old man pushing his body on the corner, ears covered with hands and murmuring repeated words.
"Forget about him. His mind had already given up," Reselda said and grabbed the last slice to reach it to Arcus' mother. "This one is for your baby."
"T-Thank you," she said and looked at Enear and Dycron. "Thank you for saving my son as well. You don't have any idea how hard for me to think about Arcus while I'm helpless here. If only…. If only his father was here…"
"Sensei promised to find Dad too, Mom," Arcus sweetly said, clinging to his mother's arms.
"Sensei?" she said and looked at Dycron smiling the brightest.
He gave him a thumbs up. "We will surely find him!"
His mother sighed in relief. "T-Thank you," she said, hugging his son tightly. "I'm Amelia Naitro. I really owe you for saving my son."
Dycron introduced his name as well as Enear's, and then all of them told each other their name.
~
"Father, what's inside the briefcase?" young Enear asked.
The skies rumbled, striking thin lights against the dark morning clouds. They've been walking on muddy road for hours yet his father never answered his questions, nor let a single voice. Until they stopped on front of rusty container housing, crowding tightly, providing narrow alleys. The smell of pee etched little Enear's nose, forcing him to cover half of his face with his hand.
"From now on, this will be your home."
"Father, answer me," he demanded with his sleepy voice. "Why did you go to the house just after the snow trucks fought the fire?"
Instead of words, a hard slap was what he received.
"You don't ask for answers. It will just come to you one day."
The water leaked in rhythm sound tak tak tak, echoing through metals. The place was dark, no single light could pass through. They were lying on the cemented floor to sleep.
"Enear, you still up?" Dycron called, arms stretched to lean his nape on his hands. "Enear?"
"Hm," Enear replied uninterested.
"I can't sleep. There's too many things scrambling inside my head right now."
Enear's silence was a response to let him continue.
"Do you think the world will be back to how it was?"
"As soon as they bombed every district, the ghouls will be lessened and–"
"No. That's not what I mean," Dycron said and paused for a second. "The world we saw on tour. The Old World Tour."
"Forget about it," Enear said and shut his eyes. He had no time for nonsense. The fourth district was already bombed and they only had two days to step to another district. "We need our energy for tomorrow–"
"You're easy to give up, huh?" Dycron interrupted him. "Don't you find it odd? I felt like things had gotten too fast to keep up lately. We didn't even have time to theorize what happened. Why did a meteor strike and why suddenly there were monsters everywhere. It's like everything cannot be controlled by humans. The government couldn't do anything." He tilted his head to face Enear. "I can't help but think, what if Nature is avenging her losses? It felt like the Earth is the mother and the plants and animals are her children," he said and chuckled, "I know it's silly. But I just realized it when Arcus found his mother. I do not have parents, remember? So I don't exactly know how it feels."
Enear opened his eyes to stare at nothingness, trying to digest Dycron's randomness. He warned him when he gave false hope to Arcus, yet they found his mother on the way he didn't plan to. Even though, he still wasn't sure about finding his father tomorrow given the threat of bombing with its short tickling time. His hope was a virus, and here Enear was, trying not to be infected.
But in the back of his mind, he wondered, what if….
"I never saw my mom. But I…" Enear started to open up. The very first time he let his past slip to other people's ears. "I thought I'd been with her when I was a child." He waited for Dycron's response. But all he did hear was snores.
Enear slipped the hack-card from Dycron's pocket as soon as he stood up. He couldn't see anything but his memory could remember every layout of this place.
There was one mission when Enear retrieved a small brown round pointy object from his subject. His father instructed him to deliver it in this place. Enear clenched to the necklace on his pocket. It looked similar to this.
He reached the end wall. He opened flash light on his watch to search something. Until he found a symbol and he tapped the hack card on it. It didn't respond.
He drew out the necklace and used it instead. The ground rumbled and a hidden door was opened. It closed as soon as he entered and red lights were opened.
It was a small unpainted room with shelves full of old rotting books. He ran his fingers to the edges of the papers until he stopped on the one with burnt and dusty ashes.
He picked it up and his eyes widened as soon as he opened the pages. It was drawings. Familiar drawings he last seen when he was a child.
~
The next morning they planned on how to go to the District hospital. Enear told Dycron not to tell them about the bombing but he was stubborn. As soon as he told them, all the plans had changed.
"I'm sorry little boy, we need to go. Let's just hope your father is in police care as we assume," Marko said to Arcus and the others turned him down as well.
"If only three of us could find your father, what makes it impossible with the four of us!" Dycron told him with a hopeful smile.
"I appreciate your help, Dycron," Mrs. Naitro said, "...but I cannot risk my son's life," she said with a lump in her throat.
"But mom–"
"Arcus, I'm sorry. But it's for you and for your brother," she said massaging her belly.
"But Mrs. Nitro–" Dycron insisted and was cut off.
"Can't you see the situation outside!? It's not just an earthquake or bomb, but ghouls! There were thousands or millions of monsters waiting to feast on us before the bombing would happen! I cannot risk my son's life! I've lost him once and I cannot lose him again!" she cried, "I already lost my husband. I can't take it if I lose another one again."
"You haven't lost your husband yet," Dycron said and stood up, brows fierce, eyes with determination. "And you don't need to risk Arcus, Mrs. Nitro! Leave it to us and we will find him in no time!" he exclaimed and looked at Enear, "Right, Enear?"
"Dycron," Enear said in his low voice while his head bowed as he gazed on the unfurnished floor. He carried a huge backpack while cradling the rifle on his shoulder. "This will be the last time we will see each other."
"Hm?" Dycron asked not realizing what he meant.
"Since last night…" Enear said and paused for long seconds. "I decided to live. There are things I need to find and see myself."
"Then let's see it together!"
"You'll just slow me down." Enear looked at him with his cold soulless eyes. "More likely, you're a burden who'll just get in my way."
"Sensei," Arcus called in concern but her mother grabbed his arms to go with the group at the passageway.
As if Dycron was punched in his chest. "E-Enear? What do you mean?"
Enear gazed back at the floor, did not know how to compose his words, or have the strength to tell him. "I used to take lives, not save them," he said averting his eyes. "If you just know."
Dycron knees trembled but he tried his best to keep his composure. He didn't know what to say or feel. He didn't want to loose his only friend, but what Enear said made sense. All this time, all Enear did was to save him while he pushed him to save others too.
"Enear, if that's your decision," he said trying to hide his trembling lips. He pushed his cheeks to smile the widest and gave him a thumbs up. "I would respect your decision!"
Enear clenched his fist as if this wasn't the answer he wanted to hear.
Nevertheless, it wasn't important for him. All he could think about was the journals in his bag. This was what all matters now. This was the first time he received a miracle.
A bomb exploded followed by a huge shake of the ground.
"What is happening?" Reselda said in his fierce alto voice. They looked at the monitor. Their front was free of ghouls but the buildings were crumbling, making it more dangerous than monsters. The plane and its sirens could be heard inside.
The radio in Dycron's pocket made a static sound.
[Districts five and six are subject to bombing at twelve hundred. I repeat districts five and six are subject to bombing at twelve hundred. May all the soldiers make it safely]
[Foxtrot reporting. We're stuck on District Six.]
[Delta reporting! We got company!]
[Medic! Medi–]
The radio was turned off, out of battery.
"We only have an hour!" Marko exclaimed.
Before they could add a word, the earthquake gone heavier, the ceiling started to rain pieces of cements. They covered their head and quickly opened the door.
"We can't walk with ground shaking!" Marko protested.
"Do you want to get buried here!? It was now or never!" said Reselda and they rushed outside. Dycron carried Arcus and followed Mrs. Naitro's pace. Once they were out of the alley, ghouls were waiting for them, though they couldn't fix their balance and some were pinned down by falling debris.
Dycron found a van. "Everyone!" he called as he tapped the door with card and it lit green and opened. Enear didn't move from his place. He looked around the chaos, how skycrapers shattered and falling from skies to the wide roads and full of monsters. The man made structures were descending like fragments of heavens scorched into a chaotic hell of distractions.
He stooped his head, his hair covered his green eyes. "I can do it," he said in his breath. He was trained hardly since he was a child. He can do it alone. "They will just slow me down."
But then someone gripped his wrist. "Enear! What are you standing there for? You just said you wanted to live from now on! Are you planning to die now?" Dycron scolded and dragged him to the van next to the driver's seat.
Dycron pushed the pedal and the van accelerated. The earthquake subsided but replaced by a thousand feet stamping rapidly. Enear looked at the mirror and saw the ghouls recovering one by one and was now after them. He stared at the place he stood up. It couldn't barely seen now. He clenched his fist.
"Enear," Dycron started as he quickly opened the radio. "Does this slow you down?"
Enear eyes widened. This was exactly what he felt ashamed of.
Dycron held his clenching hand. "If I could catch with your pace, will you let me with you?"
Enear tried his best to hold back his betraying tears. He was completely ashamed. But at the same time, back in his heart, he felt something he couldn't tell.
"Dycron…" he said with a long pause, trying to brace the lump in his throat. "Do you really think…" He looked straight at Dycron's bright yellow eyes focused on the road. "...we can change the world together? To bring back the old world"
🎵
As I went to breathe outside
The oxygen is getting tight
I've been looking for the trees
I've been looking for the rivers
It was all…
Artificials
🎵
Dycron smirked without hesitation. He glanced at Enear's vivid green eyes. "I already told you many times. Scientists already done the impossible. So what makes them different from geniuses like us!" He looked in the mirror to see Arcus listening to their conversation. "And Arcus is with us too."
The little boy smiled.
The plane emerged on the skies and the ground shook, demanding Dycron's both hands to maneuver the wheel while still trying to evade the falling debris. He peeked in the rear mirror and saw a giant explosion, smoke almost reaching the skies while the city burned.
Marko checked the time on his watch. "But we still have half of hour!"
"They're military so their time is in military!" Reselda answered.
"F*ck that military time!"
Dycron put more weight on the pedal, increasing the arrow on the speedometer.
🎵
Since when these all started?
Was it all my fault?
Have I just tried to listen?
Ohh…
🎵
They could now see the arc. A hope filled their faces.
As they went near, they saw a group of people on the arc firing at the ghouls trying to go inside. They do not wear black uniforms, instead, they're on their different casual wear.
"We're almost there! And we got more people!"
🎵
It's too late now!
🎵
Then a thick spike of rock suddenly ascended on the ground. Dycron tried to push the break while spinning the wheel but it was too fast and they crushed on the giant rock. The van threw out and spun outside down until it drifted sideward on the ground. Enear with blood on his forehead stood up, cocking his rifle and aiming against the horde of ghouls.
He peeked into his scope to kill those who were ahead of the horde.
"Dycron! Get your sleepy ass up and run!"
Dycron groaned, could barely open his eyes trying to reach Arcus.
Enear clicked his tongue and a slip of tears flew from his eyes. He continued and continued until his bullets ran out. He started to feel numb and his heart racing. He looked at Dycron lying on its own blood. It was only he who could stand up.
He went to Dycron, unfastened his belt but he realized his feet was stuck, pinned by the part of the van. Dycron held his trembling hand.
"Go… Go on without me."
Enear pushed away his tears with his thumb. "No! You said we will change the world together! Get up you still have a job!"
A few ghouls already reached them. He gripped tightly to his bayonet.
"WE WILL RESURRECT THE PLANTS!"
A ghoul almost bit him and dodged it but a broken metal pierced on his back. His necklace glew green.
"WE WILL RESURRECT MOM'S FAVORITE FLOWER AND PUT IT IN HER GRAVE!" he shouted and continued fighting. But his vision became blurry and his body numbing. Still, he tried to move his body but kept betraying him.
A ghoul jumped to him and all he could do was to yell, as his necklace gleamed brighter.
"I WILL BRING BACK THE WORLD FROM WHERE IT BELONG!"
A green light exploded, blinding everyone around. And before they knew it, a tree already grew beside the van, branches were moving, grabbing every ghouls going nearby, rose in the air and clenched them supremely tight until their body popped in black blood, showering the tree.
The new era had begun.
🎵
I've been running from the monsters
That I had myself created
Is this the end?
Am I all too late?
🎵
I've been striving for the cure
Hold on until I make it
Is this the end?
Ohh…
🎵
Goodbye Earth
🎵
Quintessence Nightmare | Huniyango