Lucien, who had managed to rise to his feet on his own, attempted to peek through the sliding iron door crack, which was currently shaking anarchically. DDRRKK DDRRKK DDRRKK. It seemed like it wouldn't take long for the both of them to perish instantly if they were to be stormed by the "bulls" or whatever they were called on the other side. Until that thing opened.
Zuko turned towards Lucien, whose face and body were slightly reddened from the burns still emitting smoke. "Oh God, you need to wash those wounds and change clothes, right?" he asked with an awkward yet strange expression, intending to drag his friend's body to the employee room where the first aid kit was.
However, instead of following where Zuko was leading, Lucien chose his own path by heading to the bathroom. BYUUURRR. He poured a bucket of water over himself until his whole body was drenched and free from the remnants of noodles sticking to him. "This is enough. I'm not so weak that I need to be treated for just something like this. I also don't think we have time for such things," he said to Zuko, who had just returned from the employee locker to fetch the everyday clothes he used when coming and going from the grocery store.
"Just wear this, Lucien. We have to leave through the back door before the defenses of the front door collapse," he informed, glancing at the front iron door whose shaking was becoming more extreme. Plus, in Zuko's imagination, a crowbar was about to be seen trying to pry the padlock that he had indeed only installed one piece of.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Hysterical screams were heard from the direction of the back door. Not just one, but several screams. And also... "HRRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRHHHHH!!!" Another sound was heard that wasn't like a human voice.
What's that sound? Is it a lion? Or perhaps a tiger's roar? A jaguar or a bear? Maybe a hyena! Or could it be a wolf? But what kind of wolf would make such a noise in the middle of the city? Such sounds would only be heard from artificial dinosaurs in a theme park, Zuko wondered to himself.
"By God, what is happening right now? Why does it sound so dire?" Zuko asked incredulously, both of his knees hitting the floor. Dukh. His entire body shook with fear. His head spun with a tingling sensation running through his entire body.
In contrast to his friend, who was almost entirely paralyzed by the situation, Lucien, still feeling the burning sensation in his body, tried to remain more objective in facing this unexpected situation. Shouting to Zuko, "Where's the screen for the front surveillance camera?"
Zuko responded, "It's, It's over there," he said, pointing to a small room next to the bathroom.
They both observed what was happening outside through the surveillance camera feed. Unfortunately, it didn't provide much clarity as it only showed the scene of dozens of people crowded together.
"What's making them all so scared?" Zuko asked, trembling. He couldn't imagine what could make so many people move to do the same thing. It's as if there were public enemies from another world near them.
"Ah, the crowd seems to be dispersing. Look ahead and make sure the pounding has truly stopped!" Lucien urged.
Zuko did as the boy instructed. After peeking through the door crack, it seemed that everything had indeed calmed down, although distant screams could still be heard. What was that? Zuko could only wonder as he squinted his eyes, seeing something tall... large... and black running with... "How many legs does it have? Oh God, what creature is that?" He quickly straightened his back. His whole body shivered at the sight he had just witnessed.
It seemed like something truly unexpected was happening out there, wasn't it?
"How's it going, Zuko? What did you manage to see?" Lucien shouted from behind. He had just checked the condition of the back door, where the mysterious sounds had ceased. He thought they could slip out and find a safer place. Additionally, Lucien had filled several shopping bags with food supplies, just in case the situation escalated further.
No one knew what might happen. A sense of anxiety felt quite crucial in this situation.
Zuko turned to see Lucien, who was ready with his appearance ready to flee. He said, "I've locked all the front iron doors. It seems that staying inside is the best thing we can do right now," he concluded.
"What are you talking about?" Lucien asked angrily. He pushed Zuko's shoulder aside as he wanted to check the situation in front as well. Coincidentally, the surveillance camera installed only focused on the customer parking area. There was no one there. "There's nothing," Lucien commented more confidently. "We need to get out of here. I'll call Mr. Dillon to pick us up. You can take refuge at my place," he decided unilaterally.
However, instead of welcoming the offer with joy at finally being able to visit his friend's house, which was a different fate, Zuko instead turned around and sat on the floor, hugging his knees.
His gaze was empty, but his lips and almost his entire body trembled. The room was quite cold, but his face was sweating profusely. He seemed to be experiencing an extreme fear, Lucien tried to identify what his friend was going through.
Why? He asked again in his heart. The situation they were facing was indeed terrifying, but it didn't mean that such an attitude would produce anything. Moreover, they still didn't know what was happening.
Lucien looked at the mobile screen again, showing the low internet signal there. Even though his internet provider was usually very fast elsewhere. Only here was the signal very poor, he thought, feeling more depressed. He briefly moved away from Zuko while messing with his bangs. Somehow, he couldn't contact anyone either. Even when checking the minimarket phone, the connection was dead.
They both seemed to be in an enclosed space, with endless possibilities outside.
Lucien approached Zuko again. This time, he squatted down to be at eye level with him. "What's happening out there?" he asked.
Quickly, Zuko lifted his face. In his silent stance, tears had streamed down, wetting his entire face. The teenager's eyes were red, like someone addicted to illicit drugs. "You won't believe what I just witnessed! There's a creature out there that's terrifyingly chasing people."
"What?" Lucien inquired, curious.
"And it's not just that..." Zuko continued, his gaze becoming directionless again.
"What, Zuko? Please, tell me! If you don't talk, I won't know. What kind of creature are you talking about? It can't be real. We're not in a video game right now."
"I... I..."
"Please explain calmly," Lucien gently requested, trying not to push. He knew that someone in this state would only become more distraught if they were pushed.
Zuko gathered his resolve to convey the truth. After all, their situation didn't offer many choices. "In the creature's mouth... it was biting the head of someone who was still intact. And not only that, its throat and internal organs were sticking out, dripping fresh blood."
"You've seen something insane, Zuko. How could something like that exist in this world?" Lucien was bewildered.