Chapter 8

・Corpses Fill These Buildings ・

“My memories of that day are hazy. I know they followed me to the station. Those irritating giggles that surrounded my existence. Not being able to see, hear or feel my surroundings as my life became numb to their rat like laughs. I know they followed me to the station, but…”

“Athena?” The trembling tone of a girl’s voice entered her ears as she came to.

“Athena!” She snapped open her eyes to Mae’s panicked face.

“Y- You just closed your eyes all of a sudden then started ignoring me…” whispered Mae as she pulled her legs up behind the edge of the wooden box the two of them hid behind.

“I know, I was just – thinking about my life.”

“You say that like you’re going to die.”

“Well, aren’t I? How can we fight…”

“If you kill-”

‘When his words…’ thought Athena, Nate clouding her mind.

“albeit on accident or intentionally-”

“Even if I were allowed to…” Athena clutched the ground. Her muscles twitched as she tried to make a fist.

“even a single soul-”

“I don’t think I would even want to… But – if – I did… N- Nate would…” A hefty gulp, a quickening breath. The world trembled around her, or… did it? Was it just her?

“Where the fuck even am I? What is even happening?”

Mae clutched onto Athena’s shoulders. She jumped slightly but after their eyes met, she stopped shaking. “Athena, listen. Listen!” Mae’s warmth grounded her. “Who said we had to fight? I’ve lived my whole life running away, why would I stop running now.”

Athena ran her hands up through Mae’s clothes, she grabbed it and tugged her forward. “Closer…” she muttered. Their heads gently touched together.

“Uhm… Athena,” muttered Mae, her tone growing softer…

“What do I do?” she asked, her arms grew weak with Mae’s touch.

“We need to run; they’re going to find us here.” They felt one another’s breath on their necks as they blushed and clutched each other harder. “Athena, they’re going to find us, they’re just around the corner…”

“J- just a second longer…” she whispered, her breath quickening again as footsteps began to grow louder in the street over.

“Athena please…” They began to jitter and tremble as time ran out. Pushing themselves closer against each other.

“W- w- we need to get to Benji…” muttered Athena. She slouched against the wall, Mae practically on top of her.

“Benji? Your Benji, from the cult?

“He saved me yesterday from wolves, he killed all of them. I- I know he can fight.”

“Why don’t we just run from them? Then we can circle round and grab Kole while they’re looking for us.”

“We can’t!” she stumbled out with a trembling breath, “Th- these people have sensing abilities. They’ll know where we are. I know because Benji has one too. We just need to get to him then he can fight for us.”

“Well… okay, but – Benji is in the hospital, right?”

“So? We just have to get to him.”

“But he’s injured, isn’t he? And what about Kole, we’re just leaving him?”

“W- We need Benji to save Kole.”

“Athena are you sure?”

“I- I- I am.”

“Athena, I’m sorry but that’s just stupid. He is injured, isn’t he? What can he do?”

“Pl-“ Athena paused. “Please trust me. He’s strong, he can do it.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I… I do.”

“If it means being able to save Kole – then sure… I’ll trust you, okay? Now come on, let’s go or we really will get caught here.” Athena didn’t loosen her grasp. “Athena…” Mae moaned slightly as she spoke. Her sweat dripped off her chin and onto Athena’s neck then slithered down her collar.

They fidgeted with one another as Athena pushed the time limit, “We’ll get caught, we’ll really get caught.” repeated Mae, biting her lip.

“Mmh… Okay.” said Athena, averting her gaze.

Finally, the two moved away from one another with a deep sigh and snuck out the alleyway they were in and into the street which ran parallel to the café.

“It’s just at the end of the road here, come on!” said Mae, leading Athena by the hand.

“I was so pumped up about fighting back earlier, but – the second I take a stance, I’m immediately shot down. The way Kole… The way he looked so pleased… I’m such a piece of shit. Sorry.”

* * *

Drey stared starstruck into the café.

“Why didn’t you chase her?” said Hugh, “Like I said before, I thought you wanted to fight her?”

Drey’s husk-like voice hovered into the air, “Hugh… Why’d ya do that t’ him.”

“Huh? You questioning your superior’s actions?”

“N-“ He paused. “No sir.”

“Then find them with your ability, otherwise I’ll be telling Miss Vides that you’ve deviated.”

Drey glanced over.

“You know she’s practically the leader now, right? The boss ‘comes back’ from his trip in a few days but – how many times has he said that now? He’s been gone for months. You know Miss Vides is more fit for leadership than her brother.”

Drey’s shoulders loosened as he sighed. “I get it.”

“You just dislike her because the respect everyone had for you is slowly fading under her leadership. They’re realising how weak you actually are without the boss here. And you don’t like that. Start acting like a council member if you want to stay one.”

“I understand, sorry Hugh.”

“Good, now – where are they?”

“Gimmie a min-it, I need to be focused before I start usin’ my ability.”

“Okay…” scoffed Hugh, walking around idly.

After a moment, Drey’s sunken glare glued to one of the buildings.

“You found em? Do it. This village is fucked anyway; all these houses are filled with corpses.”

A spiralling orb began radiating in the palm of his hand, the world contorted to its will. Hugh’s throat tightened in its presence. Then, after a moment – the bursting release of energy left shockwaves in its stride as the ball of catastrophe ravaged through the building ahead.

On the other side, Athena heard the initial impact and shuddered at its intensity. Her mind spiralled back to sitting face to face with Nate back in the forest. It’s pressure. This feeling.

“No!” she yelped, hurling her arms into Mae which sent her flying into the street.

The blast burst through the wall next to her as she turned to it, “Nate?-”

Black.

* * *

A numbness covered the right side of her body. The rough texture of bricks behind her dug into her back. Athena glanced down at herself… Her pupils dilated at the sight, she tried to move but hadn’t the strength.

“Ah-“

A crevasse had opened in the side of her body. From the top of her thigh to the start of her collar. Blood spurted out like water from a busted pipe. The fabric of her clothes soaked in the velvet puddle that had begun to form.

Her breath thinned in her last moments of consciousness. She glared up at Hugh and Drey through the shadowed fuzz in her eyes before a heavy weight overcame her and she began to drift away into a slumber.

“I take back what I said,” chuckled Hugh, glass and ash crunching under his boots. “Even if everyone else is convinced you’re weak, I’ll admit you’re quite the powerhouse when you want to be. Now if only you could do that more than a couple times a day and Miss Vides might see just as much in you as the Boss does.”

* * *

“My memories from that day are hazy. I know they followed me to the station but…”

Athena’s eyes shot open, she squinted through the blurry filter at Hugh and Drey.

“This is my second time in complete control,” she muttered, putting her hand to the wound in the side of her body. “We’re going to die without blood, fuck.” she said, standing as blood dripped out the closing gap in her wound.

“Okay, I’ll kill those two, then-”

“Athena…?” muttered Mae from the floor as she crawled forwards.

“Athena? That was her name, right?”

“Huh?”

“Athe… Athena, Athhh… Alina, Athena, Aliiisa… Alisa? Alisa sounds good, I’ll just go with that for now then.” she said with a chuckle as Drey and Hugh approached.

“You’re already healed? That’s a demon for you,” said Hugh.

“Why am I wet?” thought, Alisa.

Hugh turned to Drey, his eyes didn't budge from Alisa however, “You go in, I’ll support.” he whispered.

“Mhm.” Muttered Drey, unsheathing his sword.

“That big guy has a lot of energy, the other dude has fuck all, I’ll kill him first to demoralize the big guy then.”

“Hey! What you hiding back there for? Aren’t you both going to come at me? Don’t tell me you’re scared or something? HaHaHaHaHa!”

Alisa took to a stance as Drey did too. Then with a grin, she dashed, heaved her blade behind her back and threw her entire weight down with the swing. Drey swung also, the slick edge of his blade brushed through the tail end of Alisa’s hair as she rolled under his sword and leapt for Hugh who stood behind them.

"Did he just let me pass?"

She chuckled anyway at Hugh’s jittery body language as she approached. He hurled his hands up as he fell off balance, causing Alisa to miss a deep cut and barely scrape through his skin on his forearms.

“tch-“ she muttered, before the rapid footsteps of Drey prompted her to spin herself around. Her blade smashed into his, repelling the two of them from each other as Alisa bounced into the wall behind her and Drey skidded out into the street.

From her left, Hugh fired off an orb of energy. With a forward lunge off the wall, Alisa ducked under it and sprinted for him. Only to hesitantly leap away as he shot another blast at her.

“The hell?” muttered Alisa.

“The fuck are you doing, Drey! Trying to get me killed on purpose or something?” squawked Hugh. “You tired?”

Alisa glanced over her shoulder at Drey to assess the situation, “I need to pull some funky shit if I want to get to him…” she thought, strengthening her glare at the rumbling approach of Drey.

“hup-“ muttered Alisa, the whizzing sound of Drey’s blade skidding over her head as she ducked under it put a smile on her face. The second she would get away from Drey, however, the rapid-fire assault of energy blasts would begin, restricting her movement until-

-Whack-

Drey landed a snap kick onto Alisa which jolted her into the floor. Instantly, she threw herself up over her head and onto her feet, only to be caught off guard by an energy blast. She spun round, slashing through the blast with her sword. Light shockwaves fluttered her clothes as she spun back to Drey, missing the moment to block by milliseconds as Drey slashed off her arm.

“Whoops,” muttered Alisa as she leapt back and Drey followed suit.

“I won’t win like this; my other side mustn’t have been consuming any blood at all. My vision is blurry. My muscles are growing weak. If I die here, then I’m thoroughly fucked,” thought Alisa as she dodged and ducked out the way of Drey’s attacks.

“Athena lost to Nate once, then I lost to Nate once but then I killed those wolves… But then Athena must’ve lost to these two! That’s a 1-3 win to loss ratio… I get a chance to restart my winning streak and this bitch Athena already threw it. If she didn’t lose to Nate the first time I would have won at full strength. Fucking Athena…”

Alisa side glanced over to Mae. “I could kill her for blood but taking another look at her she’s so perfect, I can’t kill her. Absolutely not. It really comes down to these two then, huh?” thought Alisa, as she glared at Drey and Hugh.

“If they’re playing 2v1 then I’ll play like a dirty trash diving scoundrel.” she thought before Drey swung down at her and sliced off her other hand.

Drey grinned at the sight of victory, “This’ll show everyone how useful I am. I c’N do things on my own ya high strung fucks! he thought. However, as Drey met eyes with Alisa, his smile straightened. She smiled too. That was when, in the corner of his eye, Drey noticed it. Alisa’s other hand had already regenerated. Her void black nails long like an eagle’s talons.

“Humans become distracted when they see an opening. Simple creatures.”

Moments from penetrating Drey’s skin, the radiating energy of one of Hugh’s attacks tunnelled through the air. Alisa cut her strike short and only managed to get a light slash across Drey’s torso before shifting back.

“2 versus 1 scum,” she scoffed, managing to escape the grasp of death by centimetres.

“So, how is he doing that. He has fuck all energ- Ah, they’re using abilities. Makes sense how he can fire off such a pathetically structured attack to begin with, it hardly even explodes on impact, but why isn’t he burning through soul energy? Infinite energy? No, surely not something that ridiculous in a place like this, if it was, he would have flattened me by now. Whatever, the logistics won’t matter if it’s 2v1. I’m fucked.”

Alisa regenerated her other hand that had been cut off prior, in an instant.

“Hey, big guy!” she called out.

“What?” replied Drey.

“Why’re you partnered up with such a weakling. Wanna team up with me instead and kill him?”

“huh?” Drey turned to Hugh.

“What’s the look for? You know- H- Hey Dre-!”

Alisa had jumped forward as Drey turned his head. The two of them made eye contact for a second before Alisa pummelled her fist into his face, sending him tumbling back into the ruins of the building behind.

"Drey...?"

“Now it’s me and you, Mr support.” Her smug grin said it all. She looked on the edge of bursting into manic laughter, but her eyes. Her eyes were like lava, ready to devour everything in her path as she shot her stern glare at Hugh.

“I-“ muttered Hugh, unable to even say a word as Alisa lunged forward. He took a deep breath.

She slashed through his forearms as he took a guard. Once again only managing a slim cut as he stumbled back. Alisa spun her body round for another attack-

She froze. Her attention snapped to it. This sudden build-up of immense energy.

“Twice a day, this is my limit.” he whispered from the ruined building.

Alisa’s eyes widened at the sight.

She shot round. “If that hit’s me I’m dead!” she thought, tumbling over herself as she swiped up Mae by her back collar and ran.

“Come with me.”

“A- Athena?” squealed Mae.

“We’re running.”

Alisa glanced over her shoulder as the tremendous power weighed over her.

‘Wait… Does running – count as losing?’