A scream pierces through the area devolving into a slight cry awakening most of who were in deep sleep. The slight yellow tinted lights buzz as they flicker barely illuminating the dark area. A figure twists and turns on a thin stained mattress on the ground. The cries slowly go silent as a hand lays on the tears stained face of the crying figure.
"It's okay Antochi, it's okay." A soft voice reassures the boy as his head is placed on the lap of an unknown person. "It'll be okay, relax, breathe.. breathe." The soft reassuring voice echoes across the surroundings. "Thanks Sotiria.." Antochi murmured, slightly breathing heavily. The long brown haired girl flashes a slight smile at him showcasing her bright teeth. Her blue eyes staring into Antochi calm him as he slowly gets up brushing against her black long sleeved sweater slightly showing her collar bone.
Antochi stares at the depressing sight around him. The room was clad in once-white tiles, now mottled with brown stains. Hospital-grade tiles stretched across the floor and ceiling, giving the space a harsh, clinical feel. The slightly yellow buzzing and flickering lights add to the sad atmosphere around him. Grief-stricken souls lay on the floor or sit against the walls, there was no hope in their eyes. It was a truly sad situation.
"What are you thinking about?" The question escapes Sotiaria's dry lips, she's also not okay, she's weak but still acts as a light in Antochi's eyes. "Nothing much." He responds. He grabs at his left arm, its still there, the left side of his school shirt is still torn. He looks down at his blood stained shirt. His face tightens up in anger as he thinks to himself. "Enthou.. Ikano.. I promise.. I promise I'll kill that thing.. I'll kill it... For you guys."
The memories flash back into his head. To that fateful day, two months earlier, when it all began.
His eyes were locked onto the creature his face tightened up in rage as it smiled back at him, kicking him to the side. He quickly holds himself up with his right arm, crouched over the ground and stares at his left arm. It's grotesque but he notices movement in the bloody mess of his arm. "What's happening?" He shouts out as a warm liquid slowly rises up his throat leaving his mouth and landing on the hot tarmac.
His arm, what was happening to it? It was growing back he thought to himself. He rises up facing the monster that stood there motionless, ominously staring at the confused boy who was in pain. "I hate you, I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" He shouts out to the monster, his arm now fully grown back. He turns to Ikano who was still on the ground but now staring at Antochi with hope. "Antochi, I don't know what the fuck is happening but we have to run!" Ikano shouts out at Antochi getting the monsters attention.
A low guttural growl escapes from the monster even without a mouth it can still make sounds. Suddenly the monster disappears from Antochi's sight and appears in front of Ikano. Without any effort the monster uses the back of its hand hitting Ikano in the stomach into a nearby car as he screams out. "Antochi, run! Atleast one of us has to make it out, to our families. Please, go!" A slight tear escapes his eyes as he holds onto his gut. Blood leaks from his mouth.
Antochi with tears in his eyes turns his head, knowing he can't win and prepares to run away when suddenly.
"Hey!" A voice calls out. Antochi looks around and notices someone on one of the cars. A long brown haired girl with soft blue eyes. "Over here you ugly bag of bones!" She shouts out again grabbing the creatures attention. Suddenly she raised her hand, something forming on it. The temperature visibly changed around her hand as ice formed from it. It then molded into a sharp icicle that was swiftly hurled at the monster. An ear piercing scream escaped the monster as an iridescent blue color spurted from the its now missing shoulder.
"I can't beat that thing now! Tt's too fast, Come with me!" The heroine shouted towards Ikano and Antochi. Ikano quickly got up giving a slight tear covered smile to the both of them and dashed behind the vehicles disappearing into the large distorted metal chunks. The girl with surprising speed dashed towards the shocked Antochi grabbing his hand and leading him through the vehicles.
They ran and ran and ran until they got off the road and into the city before dashing behind some buildings. When they finally stopped they gained a chance to finally breathe. Antochi gasped for air but he was also surprised that the feeling quickly dissipated. The girl also stopped and sat against the wall of the building in the dark back alley.
"Who are you?" Antochi queried, his face showcasing concern, gladness and confusion. "Understandable question, I'm Elena, Elena Sotiria. You?" She exclaimed her soft breathy reassuring voice filling the silent back alley. "Antochi, Katapi Antochi." Antochi said letting out one last breath before calming down.
He's suddenly brought back to the moment with Sotiria tapping on his shoulder. "You spaced out again? Are you sure you're okay?" She asks with slight concern in her voice. "Yeah it's nothing don't worry about me." Antochi responds following up with a slight reassuring smile.
"It's the day, we have to go out and look for supplies for the shelter." Sotiria says with a slight sadness but hope in her voice. She looks at Antochi who stares off into the shelter. The depressing sight of the people gives him a slight boost of determination knowing he has to help them. "Yeah, give me a few tho, I need to sit down a bit." He says sitting down on his mattress that sinks connecting with the cold floor.
"Are you thinking about that day?" Sotiria mentions to him as she sits down next to him. "I know you want your revenge, we'll head back to the middle city, to Luminara soon. I fear that city so much but we also have to figure out how all this started. We can't just live in confusion for the rest of our days which really don't look like much now." Sotiria says looking down onto the slightly moist cold floor.
"Yeah I understand, also Ikano he might still be alive, Do you think he's in the city still?" Antochi asks with slight sadness in his voice. "It's best to hope for the best, but if he didn't get any abilities like the rest of us then if not the Nightclaw then its probably Fleshhounds that got to him, or even he might have turne- " Antochi interrupts her "Yeah I get it, I just don't wanna hear it."
"Aight, I'm ready, lets head out." Antochi says with determination in his voice as he gets up heading to the ladder of the cellar. Sotiria follows behind with determination in her face as she nods at him. The people in the cellar look at them with hope and determination in their eyes, even though they're weak they still manage to shout out to them. "Make it back safe!" "We love you guys!" "Come back safe guys!" Antochi and Sotiria look back them smiling at them and waving goodbye as they ascend the ladder to the surface.