* * *

Chloe started running towards the entrance of the cave. Even though the wooden door seemed open from a faraway, Chloe noticed scratches and red stains splattered around.

"I'm sure the kids are just playing around!" Chloe thought.

She was really worried and she wanted to hurry up and give the salvia to the sick boy.

But as she was getting closer to the entrance, she noticed an awful smell and growling noises coming from inside the cave.

"Everyone is fine! They must have played a lot when we weren't here!"

Cold sweat was running down her face as she kept getting closer.

Until she entered inside and saw...

[ Grrrr! ]

The children's bodies were laying on the ground without moving. Most of their limbs and flesh were gone.

[ E-everyone... ] ( Chloe )

A weak voice came from Chloe's mouth.

Further inside the cave were three inferior wolves that were eating something.

It was the young girl... Ava!

Her expression was frozen into a face that had been screaming and crying for help.

The monsters were ripping apart all of her guts and flesh without a problem.

"No...It's not true!"

Chloe tried convincing herself that all of this was nothing more but a dream.

She stared at the emotionless dead faces of all the kids that were laying around.

[ NO! Its-its okay! You all, a-are going to b-be okay! ] ( Chloe )

She rushed towards one of the kids who was laying near her.

She brought out the lizard's tongue and tried squeezing salvia over the kid. Chloe insisted on helping everyone!

[ Come on! It's just a scratch! *sniff* Don't s-sleep like that!! ] ( Chloe )

Tears started rolling out of her eyes without realizing that... what she was trying to save was just a bodyless head.

The wolves which were interrupted by Chloe's noise charged towards her in anger.

[ [ [ GRRRRRR!! ] ] ]

The wolves weren't happy about being interrupted from their meal. Even if they aren't hungry, they still have the instincts of killing anyone in their sight, then playing with their prey's dead body after they had their fill.

But those monsters never reached their target.

[ You enjoyed eating them didn't you? ] ( Hatsuko )

A cold voice was heard near Chloe.

Those monsters were sliced in half by a green katana in an instant. The wolves couldn't even get the time to think.

[ No! C-come on wake up! ] ( Chloe )

Chloe was desperately trying to heal everyone around her. Her hands were shaking as she was trying to heal them.

* * *

Hatsuko POV

——————————

[ Chloe, let's go. ] ( Hatsuko )

I told her as I was looking at her.

She was on both of her knees trying to rub the saliva of the lizard's tongue over the injuries of those children.

But can't she see their state?

They are already gone!

Everything around her are nothing more but empty bodies. Most bodies were eaten by those monsters. All that was left from them, were their guts, some bones, and on a head without its body.

There is no way for these kids to be saved anymore.

[ No! NO! NO! Everyone is injured I need to help them! ] ( Chloe )

She kept insisting on helping them. Why does she care so much about them? Why doesn't she just accept reality?

I clenched my fists in anger.

[ Can't you see that they're dead already!? ] ( Hatsuko )

[ No! T-they are fine! *Sniff* I c-can heal them! ] ( Chloe )

She kept insisting on helping dead children.

Why is she like this?!

I grabbed her by her hair and showed the dead faces of the kids.

[ Wake up already! Look at them! There is nothing more you can do about them anymore! They are already dead! ] ( Hatsuko )

I mercilessly told her.

[ Nooo... ] ( Chloe )

More tears started falling down from her face.

She looked at her own hands which were soaked with the blood of all of the kids. Her hands started shaking a lot more.

[ NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! EVERYONE!!! ] ( Chloe )

I let go of her hair as she started crying loudly.

[ AVA! ROZII! HIDE!! Everyone! IM SORRY!! I...I couldn't protect you! ] ( Chloe )

This is the dark truth of this world. If you aren't strong enough, you can die at any moment without even knowing it.

[ I'm sorry!! WAAAAAA!! ] ( Chloe )

No matter how much you cry, no matter how much you hate someone, even if you struggle with everything you got...no one will save you!

.

.

.

.

.

Chloe kept crying straight for about 30 minutes. And after calming down for a bit, she wanted to make a grave for everyone who died here. But her tears never stopped rolling off her face.

From all the remains that were left, Chloe buried them with all the names of the kids who used to live here.

There was nothing we could do here.

[ Let's go. ] ( Hatsuko )

I said to her.

[ ... ] ( Chloe )

There was no response from Chloe. She quietly followed me without saying anything.

I was a bit surprised because I expected her to be complaining.

And now that I realize, killing that lizard was nothing but a waste of time.

I even lost my left arm because of that.

I stared at the cloth which Chloe tightened around my wound.

My wound was already closed, and I couldn't feel any pain coming from it anymore. My body felt a bit weird from not having one arm. And I had a hard time balancing myself on my left side.

I should probably find a monster around here and regenerate my own arm.

On my side was Chloe who was following me. She was looking down quietly.

Her eyes were swollen from all that crying and her clothes were a mess from the blood.

[ Meow! ] ( Shiro )

Shiro got her head out from my hood and reacted.

[ Yeah, I know. ] ( Hatsuko )

I responded to Shiro.

I had already sensed them since while ago. Some meters away I could feel the presence of some monster rushing towards us.

So the rest of the wolf's pack have come to greet us?

This is going to be fun!

A grin appeared on my face.