Since it had already gone dark, there's no way of for us to venture to this pure darkness. The violent earthquake completely destroyed every possible infrastructure, including the poles, buildings, hell, even the roads.
So after comforting the lady in my arms, I went ahead outside of my collapsed home to examine the area under the bright full moon. Currently, all roads in every direction are either completely blocked by the debris of fallen buildings, or cars.
I only managed to enter mainly because I was alone, but right now I am weak, and with Luisa who is currently having a panic attack after seeing the situation we are in. I wasn't able to do anything about her condition except lending her my shoulder to rest on.
Although I have eaten what's left of the emergency food stored at the bed, my strength are yet to be restored. Probably, it will only happen if I rest for the night, but something like resting awaits only more disaster if we stay here.
So, we either rest on a secured place, or stay the entire night outside watching as the stars slowly drift from their places.
"Give me your hand" (John)
I grab her hand as we slowly and carefully left the destroyed buildings. Most of the time, I almost collapse due to my dizziness, but thankfully Luisa was there to support my body. And now that we have successfully left the place, I was contemplating of which direction should we go.
From my west side is a wide road that extend towards the industrial district where most factories are. Although it is a great place to secure resources, it is still dangerous for us to go there due to the fact that we might get expose by the dirty chemicals that lurks within it.
Onto my north, there is a wide road as well, but it extends to an expressway that I have used and is already either destroyed or too uncomfortable to use. I don't want her to see gross stuff like dismembered body of a child or people barely alive begging for help.
In my east, the road is completely close so it's not within the list.
To our south is the uptown, however, we can't be sure if the place there is full of people or purely destroyed buildings. Both are terrify for her.
But...
"We should go the Market, there might still be people there." (Luisa)
"What, how'd you know?" (John)
"I... Don't know." (Luisa)
I look at her puzzled, but when she look at me with determined expression, I set aside my suspicion and agreed to her proposal.
"Well, if you say so. But we must be cautious since at a time like this, people need everything they can have... That is dangerous." (John)
"I know, I'm not a child." (Luisa)
"Okay, let's go." (John)
I put the necessary things inside my bag, which I used when I went to work, such as emergency food, drinks, and a few tools like the improvised hammer while I removed the unnecessary object in my bag.
My head still felt heavy, and I am currently nauseous. As if, instead of the exhaustion subsiding, it's growing worse. Perhaps we need to find a possible place to rest ASAP before I collapse here, leaving Luisa unprotected.
After preparing, I held the warm hands of her and together, we walk through the debris and the formerly known road in my area. We pass through cars, a few people that is perhaps already dead. I can't always make Luisa unsee these, so perhaps, I should make her get used to it. It's better than what I saw on that destroyed expressway.
As we walk pass through every building I am familiar of, we noticed a few unusual things. Such as the clouds forming from afar, lightning strikes that are unusually frequent. But what truly is confusing is there is still no sign of tsunamis.
Often times, when an earthquake happen in certain parts my country, it will always be followed by different type of tsunamis. Sometimes big, sometimes as small as floods. The reason for this is because we're a maritime nation, surrounded by great oceans and seas.
We also suffer earthquakes most of the time, which leads me to a terrifying thought. How can an earthquake-proof city be destroyed by a single 15 seconds earthquake. Though the intensity of the earthquake is undoubtedly high, I thought the governments are prepared for even the most violent shake.
The lightning is also puzzling, though we are sometimes visited by earthquakes, it's very rare for us to have such frequent lightning strikes. Not only that, it takes place in one place at a time.
Due to my deep thought, I didn't realize that we have already arrived. And just like I imagine, the place is completely destroyed by the earthquake as well.
However, Luisa is acting weird. She seems restless as she turn her head here and there, as if she's searching for something.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Please keep quiet for a while."
I withdraw my hand as she run through a building that barely stands. She's acting cold.
When I look at the building I narrowed my eyes. I saw a few of these buildings on the way, but I didn't notice how it still can stand. Though it stands, most of the feature that highlights its beauty are nowhere to be found so it's just a standing pile of concrete.
Luisa dangerously tried to climb atop of the big stones that blocks the way, I tried to stop her, but before I could, my vision suddenly darken. I tried to fight off the nauseousness but I collapse completely onto my knee.
Feeling that my dizziness have overwhelmed me, I vomited, once more. And as if things are becoming unlucky, a loud thud followed by light flashes occur atop of me.
The lightning strike from before is happening in our place.
I look where Luisa should be, but I can't find her familiar figure. She has gone off from my vision that I can't protect her.
I... must find her and keep her by my side.
But, I can't seem to find the strength to stand, much less keep on walking. When I tried to stand, my mind forbids me to do so and collapse onto the ground.
It hurts... My leg hurts.
My head feels heavy.
My vision is losing its sight. I think I'm dying.
"Goddamn it, Luisa. Where the hell are you?" (John)
***
Luisa
It happened when she awoken from the loud thuds and feeling of pain caused by the impact of the bed, or wherever she was.
[You have been selected to acquire the Gift of Abundance]
[You have gained an item (Elixir Of Seraphim)]
[You have gained an item (Mythical Sword of Leones)]
[You have gained an item (Spear of Tyrant Ophius)]
[You have gained an item (Staff of Warrior Julius)]
***
[System Status Menu]
Name: Luisa Smith
Age: 22 years old
Class: Abundance
Level: 1
Health: 100/100
Mana: 1000/1000
---
Status:
Atk: 34
Def: 29
Int: 47
Agi: 30
Dex: 41
Luk: 39
---
Skills:
Creation (Level 1), Summoning (Level 1), Materialization (Level 1), Gifted (Level °), Hawkeye (Level 1)
---
Passive Skills/Talent:
Enhanced Agility (Level 1)
***
The unknown holographic window surfaced in front of her face. However it soon vanished to thin air after giving her the notice of her "obtained items" and the "status menu".
She thought of it as nothing, she must've hit her head or played too much fantasy game that such thing would appear in front her. She decided to ignore it and instead mind the current situation she was in.
When she and John met, she felt a sense of happiness and relief inside her. However, when he collapsed onto her body, she felt a sense of dread, but she ignored it once more.
When she finally left the claustrophobic space that kept her from dying, she noticed her vision being too clear from before. Though there's no source of light, the vision she has where very vivid, as if the light that reflect from the moon is so bright that she felt like it's still yet to dusk.
When the two of them decided to leave the place, she insisted on using the south, perhaps she got a feeling that there was people there. It was her gut, and she decided to follow it, yet remain ignorant of the fact that the dreadful feeling she has remained.
When they arrived at their destined place, she went to the specific place where her feelings told so. It was as if she was very sure there is someone in there. And to her luck, she met someone.
A group of survivor, or what's left of them, crowded together to an open space. She smile upon discovering them, and so does the group when they noticed her.
They immediately approached her, they started asking about her condition which she happily reply without hesitation, as if they already knew each other beforehand. The feeling of dread remains, but she kept being ignorant of such meaningless matter and instead continue conversing with them.
And only did she realize that someone was missing when she was asked about her companion.
"Do you have someone with you?"
Her mind went blank, her mouth open slightly, trying to mutter words that couldn't escape her lips.
'I do.' (Luisa)
She turn her head, expecting John to be right by her side. To her horror, he was not there. When she tried to recollect her memory, she realize she had left him behind.
"W-wait a sec... I was with someone, I must've left him on the streets. That idiot, why didn't he followed?" (Luisa)
She curses, but deep within her heart she's feeling a severe anxiety. As if something bad happened to her boyfriend.
She ran, the tiredness she have when she was inside that little box was already gone. She climb on to the debris, and she run. After a few more meters to run into, she finally arrived where her most vivid memories told her where he was left.
And...tears started to drip from her eyes when she saw a man lying on to the ground with no signs of any movement.
'No, no, no... you idiot, why didn't you told so?!' she panics and shouts in her mind as she hastily approach the body on the streets.
When she get close enough, she kneel quickly and grab the hem of his clothes. She turn his body around, only to see a pain expression on his face.
Still, his heart is beating, albeit faint.
"W-what happened to you?!" (Luisa)
Luisa tried to do something, such as tap his face, dove her face onto her heart, or hug her to keep him warm. However none seems to be working.
"He's dying." (Unknown Man 1)
Instantly, after hearing the unknown voice, she turn her head. Only to see the man she spoke with from the group.
"W-what... What do you mean??" (Luisa)
"We're currently in a judgment phase, you are fine which means you are also chosen. Unfortunately, he's not, thus his condition." (Unknown Man 2)
Her mind is going blank, she can't utter more words for an argument and instead focus herself to her man.
"He's gone... In any seconds, his heart will surely stop beating." (Unknown Man 1)
"No!...You don't know that! John, wake up! Please!" (Luisa)
"I know that, because I saw it happen in front of my eyes." (Unknown Man 1)
"What do you mean by that? How can you be so sure it's the same situation?!" (Luisa)
Once again, Luisa turn her head to the two man, then she glares at them. But upon looking at his face, she noticed his pained expression.
"Because it happened to someone close to me too." (Unknown Man 1)
The other man then turn and pointed his finger towards the forming curly clouds that execute numerous lightning with unusual frequency.
"That lightning, when it stops, so is his heart. And all the people that are not chosen in this area. Even those in the camp, before we left, we got the same situation." (Unknown Man 2)
"You don't know that! He's not the same as them, he's not weak!" (Luisa)
"Weak or not, if he's not chosen, he'll die." (Unknown Man 1)
"That's...not true..." (Luisa)
Tears drip from her eyes once more, this time, due to hopelessness.
The man approached Luisa and hold her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She cries loudly as the lightning grew wilder by each strike.
"I'm sorry..." (Unknown Man 1)