Months had passed, since the attack on Leviathan City. Many lives were lost that day, and those who were spared from the dreaded clutches of death, had nothing left to return to. Everything was leveled to the ground, forcing thousands to migrate for survival.
However, among those who survived, a pair of girls did in fact have somewhere to go. Nikko Anderson and Maya Queens, after witnessing the death of Zephyr, had made it their goal to leave this god forsaken place..
The sky was swollen and dark, a heavy grey that made it hard to tell if evening had fallen, or if the sun had simply been swallowed by the endless waves of smoke drifting from the chaos.
At this point in time, only a few days had passed by since he was taken away by the ambulance, and since that time things have only gotten worse at the camp. There was far too little aid being sent, resulting in a shortage of food, water and medicine. Meaning, more and more of the dead were piling up by the day. And with nowhere to dispose of the bodies, disease spread even further out. That was the routine of anguish and suffering, till one day, things made a drastic change.
We see Nikko, who kept her gaze fixed on the ground, watching her feet crunch over gravel, over patches of stubborn, wilted grass. She didn't have to look up to see the buildings around her, still half-collapsed from the battle, crumbling brick walls looming overhead like mournful specters of the life they used to hold. It felt, she thought with a dull ache in her chest, like even the city itself had been left behind, a place too broken and ruined for anyone to bother putting back together. She supposed it was a fitting place for someone like her; a failure, abandoned by everything important to her.
Maya walked alongside her, her footsteps softer, her gaze flickering over the tents and makeshift homes.
Her dark hair was pulled back from her face, her shoulders were set, and there was a quiet strength in her stance that Nikko had come to recognize. Nikko wasn't sure if it was the resilience that came from recent loss, or if Maya had always been like that. However, she knew that it was what she herself needed right now.
They moved along the makeshift path that led through the refugee camp, squeezing past ragged tents, and avoiding scrap metal on the ground. When suddenly something caught everyone's attention.
In the background, sounds of machinery drew near, as heavy duty equipment was being brought over the horizon. Helicopters dot the sky, while trucks drove through the rubble. Both carrying tons of equipment, an act which brought a glimmer of hope to the eyes of those thought to be abandoned.
Thousands ran, rushing for a chance at getting supplies, a chance at living for a single day longer.
"We're saved!" One person shouted.
"Out of my way!" Another yelled.
"Let me through!" A man shouted.
"Back off, I need them more than you!"
"I won't let you take it!"
"Please, don't push."
"Move, I need this for my kids!"
The closer they got, the more violent the crowd became. Some pushed others to the ground, and dragged them by the hair; others were trampled upon like dirt. A few even used scrap metal as weapons, trying to intimidate others into giving up.
"Come on, Nikko, let's go."
"No." Nikko interrupted.
"But-"
Maya flinched at the cold finality in her tone.
"But-"
"It's going to be a massacre…" Nikko asserted with her claim.
Her pristine, silvery, hair flowed seamlessly with the wind, her bright red eyes, stripped of their color. It was like her very soul was taken away, leaving behind a hollow shell.
Seeing this, Maya unconsciously stepped back, her senses startled by the inhumane presence before her.
"How do you know?" Maya asked.
"People… kill over abundance." Nikko said darkly.
"So what do you think will happen when there's nothing to share?"
The girl shuddered at the thought.
"That's not all." Nikko continued.
Cold sweat ran down her skin, as the wind picked up pace.
"What are you talking about?"
Nikko pointed straight at one of the trucks, making clear the symbol they bore. Maya looked on in terror, the gravity of the situation forcing her mouth shut.
"The government didn't bring aid." Nikko murmured.
"They brought soldiers, and soldiers don't come to save, they silence."
In mere moments, the entire area was mapped out, and encircled by forces of the empire. Following that, many hours of conditioning took place, and a chain of command was set up. The people were effortlessly subdued by their presence, leaving no room for insubordination.
They brought forth a daily routine, and security was the top most priority.
Of course supplies were brought, but in quantities that would never satisfy the masses. Almost like the welfare of the people wasn't the top priority of the FUA.
The night was at its peak, and under the fleeting beams of light cast by the moon, Nikko and Maya lay. A few days had passed since then, and the camp was more hostile than ever before.
"Damn it all!" Nikko muttered, frustrated.
"What is it?" Maya asked softly.
"The timing couldn't have been worse, we were so close to leaving." Nikko grumbled on in annoyance.
"That's why they're here." Maya's voice laced with suspicion.
"What do you mean?" Nikko wondered.
"They're trying to cover up the actions of the Cult." Maya accused.
The Cult of Diablo. The group of satanists who came to the public eye, and made a deal to keep the Earth safe from the spawn.
"The Cult of Diablo? Those bastards are probably the ones behind the Undead."
While it was never stated, there had always been suspicions amongst the general public on the activities of the cult. Especially due to the fact that the Undead started appearing in mass following their arrival.
"But the governments around the world have always shut down any attempts to investigate the connection between the two." Maya added.
"So this is probably another cover up, they're trying their best to keep a good relationship with the Cult." Nikko said, as they both understood the situation.
"I can't blame them, it's for the sake of humanities future. The spawn would wipe us out in an instant." Maya reasoned.
"But this is too big an incident, the Cult messed up." Sasha said, and to which they both nodded in agreement.
A heavy silence fell between them before Nikko spoke again..
"We need to leave soon, Maya. They won't let us live long enough to question them."
"I know, It's only a matter of time before they find a way to silence us, alongside any criticism of the Cult."
"It's not just that. I need to get back the Willow Fall, and help her."
"Is it Naomi?" Maya asked, her voice calm and tranquil.
"I know she's waiting for Zephyr at this very moment; someone has to come back home; I'll make sure to take care of her."
Nikko barely held back the tears as she once again had to deliver the news of death, to family she could call her own.
This came as a surprise to Maya, she hadn't really put much thought into it. But there was a little girl out there, who hasn't seen her older brother in days, and is now meant to live on her own? It's a heart-wrenching thought.
As their conversation went on into the dead of night, they dozed off, released from the weight of urgency. But it seemed that even the release of sleep wasn't enough to subdue the pain each felt, as they tossed and turned all through the night.