The wind howled through the broken city, carrying with it the bitter scent of ash and decay. Yeon-ah stood at the edge of what had once been a bustling market square, now reduced to a wasteland of shattered buildings and scorched earth. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional distant roar of the Deborer.
She clenched her fists, her knuckles white against the cold metal of the makeshift blade she carried. Her mind raced with fragments of memories—her home, her brother, the world before it all fell apart. Each memory felt like a distant echo, fading into the background of the nightmare she now found herself in.
Beside her, the woman moved with purpose, her eyes scanning the desolate landscape. Yeon-ah had come to rely on her presence, even if she barely knew anything about her. The woman was a mystery, but one thing was clear—she knew how to survive in this new world.
"Keep moving," the woman said, her voice cutting through the silence.
Yeon-ah nodded, her legs heavy with exhaustion as they made their way through the ruins. The past few days had been a blur of running, hiding, and fighting. She could feel her body wearing down, the constant strain taking its toll. But she couldn't stop. Not now.
As they moved deeper into the city, the air grew colder, the wind biting at Yeon-ah's skin. The sun had long since disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds, casting everything in a dull, gray light.
Suddenly, the woman stopped, her eyes narrowing as she looked at something in the distance. Yeon-ah followed her gaze, her breath catching in her throat.
There, amidst the rubble, stood a figure—tall, thin, and motionless. It was a man, his back turned to them, his head bowed as if he were staring at the ground.
Yeon-ah's heart raced. "Is he...?"
"Stay back," the woman warned, her hand moving to the hilt of her blade. "We don't know if he's hostile."
They watched in silence for a moment, waiting for the man to move. But he didn't. He just stood there, unmoving, as if he were frozen in place.
The woman took a step forward, her eyes never leaving the figure. "Stay here," she whispered, her voice tense. "I'll check it out."
Yeon-ah hesitated but nodded, her fingers tightening around her blade as she watched the woman approach the man.
The woman moved cautiously, her footsteps almost silent against the cracked pavement. When she was just a few feet away, she stopped, her eyes narrowing as she studied the figure more closely.
Then, without warning, the man moved.
It was subtle—a slight twitch of his head, followed by a slow, deliberate turn. His face was pale, his eyes wide and vacant, as if he were staring through the world rather than at it. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
The woman tensed, her hand tightening around her blade. "What are you doing out here?" she asked, her voice low and calm.
The man didn't respond. His eyes flickered for a moment, then slowly, he lifted his head, his gaze locking onto the woman.
For a brief moment, Yeon-ah thought he was going to attack. Her heart pounded in her chest, her body tensing as she prepared to rush forward. But instead, the man's lips parted, and he spoke.
"It's coming."
His voice was barely a whisper, but the weight of the words sent a chill down Yeon-ah's spine.
The woman didn't flinch. "What's coming?" she asked, her voice sharp.
The man's eyes glazed over, his body swaying slightly as if he were about to collapse. "The end," he murmured. "It's all coming to an end."
Before the woman could respond, the man suddenly collapsed, his body hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Yeon-ah's breath caught in her throat as the woman knelt beside the man, her fingers pressing against his neck, checking for a pulse.
After a moment, the woman stood, her expression unreadable. "He's gone."
Yeon-ah swallowed hard, her mind racing. "What did he mean? The end...?"
The woman's eyes flickered with something—something Yeon-ah couldn't quite place. "I don't know," she said quietly. "But we need to move."
They continued through the city, the man's cryptic words echoing in Yeon-ah's mind. What had he meant? Was he just another casualty of this broken world, driven mad by the horrors around him? Or was there something more—something darker—waiting for them?
As they moved, the wind picked up, howling through the empty streets like a ghostly wail. The further they went, the more desolate the city became, the ruins giving way to vast stretches of barren land, devoid of any sign of life.
Then, without warning, the ground beneath them began to shake.
Yeon-ah stumbled, her hands flying out to steady herself as the earth rumbled beneath her feet. The woman grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the safety of a nearby building as the tremors grew stronger.
"What's happening?" Yeon-ah shouted over the roar of the quake.
The woman didn't answer, her eyes scanning the horizon. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the shaking stopped.
For a moment, everything was still. The air was thick with dust, the silence almost deafening.
Then, from the distance, came a sound that made Yeon-ah's blood run cold—a deep, guttural roar, louder than anything she had ever heard before. It echoed through the city, shaking the very ground beneath them.
The woman's eyes widened. "Run."
They took off, sprinting through the ruins as the roar grew louder, closer. Yeon-ah's heart pounded in her chest, her legs burning with the effort, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop.
Behind them, the sound of crashing debris filled the air, and Yeon-ah risked a glance over her shoulder. What she saw made her stomach drop.
A massive figure was moving through the city, its hulking form tearing through the buildings like they were nothing. Its skin was dark and slick, its eyes glowing with a menacing light. It was a Deborer, but unlike any they had seen before. It was bigger, faster, and far more dangerous.
"Keep moving!" the woman shouted, her voice sharp with urgency.
Yeon-ah pushed herself harder, her lungs burning as she raced through the narrow streets, dodging debris and rubble. The creature was gaining on them, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground with each step.
They reached the edge of the city, and the woman skidded to a halt, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of shelter. There was nothing—just empty wasteland stretching out as far as the eye could see.
"We need to hide," Yeon-ah gasped, her chest heaving.
The woman didn't respond. Instead, she grabbed Yeon-ah's arm, pulling her toward a nearby building that looked relatively intact. They ducked inside, the heavy metal door slamming shut behind them just as the creature's roar echoed through the streets once more.
For a moment, they stood in the darkness, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The ground shook as the creature passed by, but it didn't seem to notice them.
Yeon-ah pressed her back against the wall, her heart pounding in her chest. She had never been so close to death. Not like this.
"That thing..." she whispered, her voice shaking. "What was that?"
The woman didn't answer right away. She stared at the door, her expression grim. "It's something worse than we've ever seen. And it's just the beginning."
Yeon-ah swallowed hard, the weight of the words sinking in. The end... It was coming. And they were running out of time.