"It's snowing," Spring-Autumn said when they stepped outside. One hand, holding a bag filled with food. His injured back shivered from the cold wind.
"It is winter after all," Blue said. She was in better condition now. Her face was not as haggard and worn down.
The buildings were even more collapsed than the last time they've seen. Snow piled the ground. There was no life to be seen in this once-bustling city.
"This is quite sad." He said.
"Why did you move here?" She questioned.
The mood took a strange turn. Without any life around, the two strangely felt at peace. "Away from your family. Probably from your friends who you grew up with too. You came last year, where everyone already had groups and cliques of their own and excelled in your own years. This year was supposed to be our last year within high school, and yet you're still alone. I've always been curious. Will you tell me?"
"That's the most I've ever heard you speak to me." Spring-Autumn chuckled and replied.
Blue didn't answer. She only looked at him in the eyes with those dark eyes of hers.
"Let's see." Spring-Autumn thought. "I'm from the Nations which is a neighboring country of this country we're on. My family has quite the influence in the Nations. But-" He chuckled. "It's funny that I said my family to you. They don't consider me family. I'm just a bastard child. That's why I moved out here. Away from the home that I didn't belong in."
"I see." That was the only thing she could reply with. She didn't know what to say.
They continued to take calm, yet hurried steps to find safe space. To get away from the danger. To get to her home.
Before long, they started talking again.
"My father passed at an early age from a car accident." Blue started.
In this apocalyptic situation, the two classmates were opening up to each other.
"Growing up, it was my mother who raised me alone. She was an ordinary person before she met my father. My father came from a major family that had a say in the country's doing. That's why despite the fact that my mother is a widow, I've always had a safe sailing life. My father's family always supported us despite the fact that he's passed away. Of course, that's under the conditions that my mother would remain loyal to his family."
"Interesting," Spring-Autumn said with a small grin. He was happy that she was opening up to him.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only telling you because you told me about yourself!" She said in a flustered manner.
"Hahaha. Whatever you say."
Snow eventually stopped. They reached an area where snow was thinly piled on the ground. They could see the numerous dead bodies peeking out of the ground. It was not just humans, there were also corpses of goblins and even bigger unidentifiable creatures. They were killed by bullets.
"They were killed by the military." Blue made an observation. A tinge of joy appeared on her pale face.
"That's a relief. What are you going to do now?"
"I'm still going to go home and find my mom. I would assume she'd head there to find me first too. She's the only one I have, I have to find her." She said with a determined look on her face.
"Okay, I'll just follow you," Spring-Autumn said casually. He was very easy-going about the situation. His con has always been that he did not care about stuff very much but it seems to be very well working in his favor right now.
They arrived at the housing district after a very long walk. The sun was falling. Spring-Autumn instinctively felt that danger would come with the night.
"My house isn't so far away. Let's hurry." Blue said in a hushed voice. She felt the danger too.
"I don't know what I was expecting when I heard of the housing district." Spring-Autumn made a side comment. He held a pipe in one hand. "Are those zombies?"
The housing district was possibly in a worse state than the commercial district. There were no monsters around but there were walking dead people. It was a relief that not all dead people got up and became a part of the living dead population.
Some buildings were torn down to the point it seemed like a tornado passed by with the foundations ripped out. The sun was almost down and the sky was dyed a cloudy red. The two were in a ghost town now.
Blue took several deep breaths. Before she could say anything, they were noticed by a living dead.
The zombie was a long-limbed, lanky man. His eyes were rolled back, and his tongue was hanging out of his mouth. There was a particular aura about this former human man.
[Ghoul]
"Ghoul, zombies, what's the fucking difference?" Spring-Autumn gripped his pipe harder as the ghoul lunged to him. It was fast.
However, at this moment, Spring-Autumn foresaw the future once again. He seemed to be able to see every action the ghoul was about to take and he followed it.
With concentrated movements, he sidestepped to dodge the ghoul and smacked it hard with his pipe. Without missing a beat, he kicked it away and smashed its head all in one movement.
"I didn't like that." He murmured as brain matter dripped down from his pipe. "Stand back, there's more coming."
As soon as he said that, three more ghouls came out from a corner and made a mad dash for him. Their mouths were wide open with saliva flying out everywhere.
"You want to eat me?"
He jammed his pipe straight through the mouth and out its head of the first ghoul and jumped high into the air with its body. In the air, he pulled out the pipe and smacked away the second incoming ghoul. With the second ghoul a distance away, he repeated what he did with the first ghoul to the third ghoul.
"I lied. I like this. This is pretty fun."
Spring-Autumn felt invincible with his prediction ability. He jumped on the second ghoul and stabbed its brain out as he did with the others. His eyes shone an eerie green light as he stood up, making his usual bright green eyes appear more bright than usual.
In an unknown place, far away.
A group of scientists was analyzing a piece of data. They've long been monitoring the state of the earth due to some abnormalities they've observed a few months back. However, they've never expected the abnormality to turn into something so huge and groundbreaking.
At the first sign of change they sent out several devices to monitor the changes and today, they've uncovered a huge piece of information.
"Analysis complete!" A team member said with a solemn look on his face.
Immediately, all the surrounding scientists in white lab coats surrounded the piece of data.
"H-how can this be..?"
"That's impossible!"
"What do you mean impossible? The act of monsters appearing out of thin air is already beyond impossible." A senior scientist reprimanded.
This particular man lifted up his glasses and grinned.
"Now isn't this interesting?"
"The earth is no longer the earth. It's not even a planet anymore! Hahahaha!"
He laughed crazily at the revelation.