Marcus held tightly on the trucks’ tailgates. His own wounds were already quite exhilarating, but he avoided looking ahead as much as he could.

Jack and Elicia were right in front of him, after all.

Then, as the pickup stopped next to the employees’ building, he dragged himself out of the trucks’ rear.

He was a cowardly bastard. But he wasn’t inhuman. Doing the best he could, Marcus dragged the semi-conscious Jack and the unconscious Elicia.

Soon Joe was next to him, and while he helped by putting Jacks’ good arm around his neck and walking him to the employees’ building, Joe cared for Elicia.

Of course, were not for the fact that the huge glass shard was embedded on his chest, Marcus would have been the one to hold Elicia, but what may have been isn’t what is.

***

Jacks’ conscience flashed in colors of pain. He could barely remember his own name, but he could understand that something bad was happening.

He walked wobbly through a lounge, while someone supported him from the side.

Why can’t I see what is happening…

Jacks’ head was severely burned, and his neck as well. Only his right eye was working, and he wasn’t able to turn his good eye towards his savior.

Still, he could see Elicia, and that was enough for him.

The known corridors flashed around him.

Everything seemed so fast, and, at the same time, so slow.

People seemed to pass by them. No one helped.

Why?

Then, a weird vibration hit his feet. Everything quaked and shook. He fell to the ground, and the person helping him didn’t do it anymore.

Elicia…

Jack looked for her, while almost giving up. He could feel the ground cracking and quaking. Something big was coming.

Elicia was on the ground. There was someone right at her side, but that person was down as well.

His head accelerated. His heart begun to pump blood. He could feel some strength coming to his flesh.

He crawled and then he managed to get up somehow.

He approached Elicia. She was hurt. There was someone at her side as well.

He didn’t really saw or felt it. At the time he realized someone else was by his side, the gentle lady had already kneeled and helped raising the guy in front of him.

He couldn’t care about her. He reached to Elicia, and tried to get her.

My arm…

He couldn’t see it. His head was tilted to the side. Was he a freak? An abomination? He surely looked like one.

Jack grabbed Elicia by the armpit, his whole body barely being able to try and lift her.

He couldn’t do it, so he resorted to crawling.

Another shock. The gentle lady was back. But she was hurt. She was bleeding from the waist.

She begun to pull Elicia by the arm. Jack did the same. The corridors were dark. Sparks flew here and there.

Jack didn’t understand what was happening. Still, his brain remembered some of it.

Was it because his subconscious mind knew what was to be done?

Or was it because he could see injured people entering their workstations?

Somewhere inside of him, he just remembered that he needed to go to work. Or Elicia would be mad at him.

Elicia… Elicia was hurt.

Jack kept pulling. The gentle lady fell to the side, leaving a mark of blood on a certain door.

Her mouth was moving, but Jack couldn’t hear. She rose from the ground, her face pale as a ghost. Still, a determined look on her face.

She kept pulling Elicia, side by side with Jack.

After what seemed like eternity, they reached her workstation. Jack didn’t knew what he needed to do.

He saw Elicia being put inside the tube, her body sinking on the goo.

The gentle lady to the side was gasping for breath, holding on the wall with all she had.

Jack tumbled backwards, his consciousness almost failing him.

The gentle lady hit his back strongly, a subtle jolt of electricity running through his brain and waking him up.

Demon king Meridith?

The pale woman in front of him was Her Highness herself. The kind and carrying Meridith, Demon King of Another World.

Jacks’ mind was turbulent, but Shabes’ fat face appeared on his mind. He understood now. And so, he walked to the corridor, Demon King Meridith at his side.

She looked to the right, and he knew her workstation was that way. Then, she looked at him.

She was dreadly pale. Her shirt dyed a pure and crimson shade of red. She was hesitant. Jack pushed her to the right, his mouth saying something, but he was unable to hear it.

Was it “[Go]”?

Meridiths’ face showed a look of comprehension and relief. She walked away as fast as she could, falling to the ground a couple of times. She was alone in her endeavor, she was alone in helping herself.

Jack, as well, soon found himself alone. There was no one in the corridors. Dust covered everything and the emergency lights were on.

He tripped and wobbled his way to his room, just to find Marcus passed out in front of it. It seems he had tried to enter, but Jacks’ door was locked as always.

Jack could barely move. If he tried to slap Marcus on the face, he would fall on the ground.

So, he kicked him instead.

Marcus woke up, whilst Jack dialed his password on the door.

Then, as Marcus tried to pull on his feet, Jack simply half-fell to the side, avoiding the cowards’ hand.

Jack looked at his bed, sleepiness creeping in with each stare. Luckly, his workstation was opened - so all he needed to do was to throw himself in it.