Day 22: A Moment of Rest
As the last rays of the sickly red light faded from the sky, Eli's legs burned with exhaustion. They had wandered for what felt like hours after the encounter with the monstrous creature and the mysterious swordsman. The oppressive weight of the ruins seemed to lessen the further they moved, and though his body was screaming for rest, Eli knew they couldn't stop until they found somewhere secure.
Finally, as the night began to fall, Cass pointed out a half-collapsed building up ahead. Its walls were cracked but mostly intact, and part of the roof still held, offering a semblance of protection. It wasn't much, but it would do.
"That'll have to be it," Cass said, her voice low and strained from both exhaustion and pain. Her leg had gotten worse as they walked, and it was clear she was barely holding on, though she never complained. "We need to rest."
Eli nodded, glancing at Luke, who looked just as worn out as Cass. His face was pale, and sweat dripped from his brow, but he managed a tired smile when their eyes met. "Let's hope it's not home to something nasty."
With great effort, they made their way inside the crumbling structure. The air inside was cool, a welcome relief from the oppressive heat that seemed to cling to the ruins during the day. Dust coated everything, and the shadows that filled the corners of the room were thick and deep, but for the first time in days, Eli felt a small flicker of hope. Here, at least, they could rest.
Luke quickly set up a small barricade near the door, dragging a piece of fallen debris to block any unwanted visitors. Cass, leaning heavily on Eli for support, sat down against the far wall, letting out a long, tired sigh as she stretched out her injured leg.
Eli knelt beside her, checking the makeshift bandage he had wrapped around her wound earlier. "It's still holding, but we'll need to find proper supplies soon," he said quietly.
Cass nodded, her face tight with pain but still resolute. "We'll manage. For now, we need sleep."
Luke settled down beside them, his eyes half-closed already. "I'll take first watch," he muttered, though it was clear he could barely keep his eyes open.
Eli shook his head. "No. You sleep. I'll watch. We need you rested if something happens."
Luke didn't argue, too tired to resist. He simply nodded and lay down, closing his eyes almost immediately. Within minutes, his breathing evened out, and he was asleep.
Cass, too, closed her eyes, though she remained sitting up, her body tense even as exhaustion dragged her toward unconsciousness. Eli could tell she was still alert, ready to wake at the slightest sound. But soon, her breathing slowed, and she drifted off as well.
Eli, now alone with his thoughts, leaned against the cracked wall, his mind racing despite the weariness pulling at him. The day had been long, filled with terror and uncertainty, but they had survived. Somehow, they had made it this far. The thought gave him a small spark of hope, but it was quickly overshadowed by the looming question: How much longer could they keep going like this?
He stared out at the dim light coming through the cracks in the wall, his mind drifting. Slowly, despite his best efforts to stay awake, his eyes grew heavy, and before he realized it, sleep claimed him.
Eli was running.
The world around him was dark and twisted, the sky overhead a swirling mass of black clouds, shot through with streaks of red lightning. The ground beneath his feet cracked and crumbled with each step, as if the earth itself was trying to pull him down into its depths. He could hear voices—faint, indistinct, but calling his name. They were far away, but urgent, filled with fear and desperation.
He tried to reach for them, but his body wouldn't obey. His legs moved on their own, carrying him forward through the crumbling ruins, his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn't sure where he was running, but he knew he had to keep going. Something was chasing him, something unseen but terrifying. He could feel its presence looming behind him, a cold, suffocating weight that pressed down on him with every step.
He ran faster, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but no matter how far he went, the voices never got closer. The ruins around him shifted and warped, changing shape as he moved. Buildings collapsed and reformed, the ground cracking open beneath him only to seal up again as soon as he passed.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the distance—a familiar shape. Cass, standing in the middle of the chaos, her face pale and bloodied, her leg twisted and broken. She looked at him with wide, pleading eyes, her voice barely a whisper as she called his name.
"Eli…" she said, her voice echoing through the twisted landscape. "Help me."
But he couldn't stop. His body wouldn't let him. He tried to call out to her, tried to reach for her, but his legs kept moving, carrying him further and further away. The ground beneath her began to crumble, and she fell, disappearing into the black void below.
"No!" Eli screamed, but his voice was swallowed by the darkness.
He turned to run back, but the world around him shifted again. The ground lurched beneath him, and suddenly, he was falling—tumbling through the air, the wind rushing past him as the void swallowed him whole.
And then, he landed in a field.
The sudden quiet was disorienting. The sky above was clear, no longer filled with the red lightning and swirling clouds. Instead, it was a deep blue, the sun warm on his skin. The field stretched out endlessly in all directions, filled with tall, golden grass that waved gently in the breeze.
Eli stood up, his heart still pounding, but the terror that had gripped him moments ago had faded. The field was peaceful, calm. He could hear birds singing in the distance, and the soft rustle of the grass in the wind.
But something felt wrong.
Ahead of him, in the distance, was a tree—a massive oak, its branches reaching up toward the sky. And beneath the tree stood a figure. Eli's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the silhouette.
The swordsman.
The man who had fought the massive, decaying creature earlier that day. He stood still beneath the tree, his massive sword resting in the dirt at his feet, his face hidden in shadow. But Eli could feel the weight of the man's gaze on him, watching, waiting.
Eli took a step forward, his heart racing again. He tried to call out to the man, but no sound came from his lips. The figure remained silent, unmoving, like a statue carved from stone.
And then, without warning, the ground beneath Eli's feet split open. The field was gone, replaced by the crumbling ruins once again, the darkness closing in around him.
The last thing he heard before he woke was the swordsman's voice, low and cold, echoing through the void:
"Run."
Eli jerked awake, his breath coming in short gasps, his heart pounding in his chest. The room was still dark, the faint light from outside barely illuminating the cracked walls. Cass and Luke were still asleep beside him, their breathing slow and steady.
For a moment, Eli sat there, trying to calm his racing heart, the dream still vivid in his mind. He could still feel the weight of the swordsman's gaze, still hear that single word echoing in his ears.
"Run."
Eli glanced around the room, his unease growing. The dream had felt too real, too vivid. And something about it gnawed at him, filling him with a sense of dread he couldn't shake.
Something was coming.