Chereads / Rise : A Cat's Adventure / Chapter 6 - Human Nature(1)

Chapter 6 - Human Nature(1)

Everybody: Raban!!!!!

[during the rat tide...]

An abandoned building.

Footstep sound resounds throughout the corridors, mixing with the scrambling sound of the rattling outside the corridor. Heavy breathing is suddenly heard along the footstep as a person collapses on to the floor.

|huff.....huff.... huff.... |

Raban: haa... I don't know whether the others are alright. I should go outside to meet with them...

Suddenly, two sets of footsteps are heard...

|tap... tap...|

Raban turns his head towards the sound of footsteps and questions the sound. Appearing cautious, he is in no shape for a battle.

Raban: Who I am!!!!

when suddenly he is cut off by a massive arm grabbing him and banging his skull against the pothole-covered road. knocking him unconscious.

Faces covered in darkness speak to each other.

Voice(1): We got food for half a year...

Voice(2): And if possible, it may improve our power...

laughter starts to sound in the corridor, reverberating, making the already gloomy atmosphere more gloomy.

[after sometime...]

the same place.

Raban is seen hanging from a broken rod sticking from a pillar stripped naked in the room with a bowl placed beneath him... like... like... a pig to be slaughtered.

Suddenly, Raban starts to wake up, groggily opening his eyes. His nerves are still hurting from the thrashing he received before.

Rabaan (Thinking): Ugh... wha.. what happened? Why am I naked? Also, where is this?

Rabaan: Hello! anybody... Help me. I have food; I can give it to you...

Voice(1): You are our food.

Voice (2): Why would we need other food.. ha.. hahahaha.

Rabaan: Wait, you are.!!

Suddenly, a sound like a sharp object slicing through air is heard in the room.

|swish ...|

Suddenly Rabaan's neck is slit from the middle, blood flowing from the slit on his throat into the tub beneath him. When suddenly a hand is inserted into the slit on his throat and the hand is taken back after touching blood, suddenly a swallowing sound is heard in the background.

All the while, Rabaan watches all this with eyes wide open. On the deathbed, thrashing and flailing around in pain. slowly his movement coming to a stop. A sword is then inserted under his rib cage, opening it and splitting the body all the while the room fades into darkness.

[The present time...]

A campfire is lit on the roof of a building with the others sitting around it, while Nexus watches from the penthouse roof, watching them... coldly...with doubt.

Luna: We have to find Rabaan... He has the map needed for us to avoid the predators scavenging along the road.

Grant (Gravely): Don't you have a copy? He may have been eaten by the rats; we can't have our way lost due to bloody rats!!!!!

Horvath: lower your voice. Grant, we don't want the rats running to us.

Nexus: The rats are escaping from something.

Michelle (suspiciously): How do you know it?

Nexus: They haven't scavenged through any building, and they left when Luna just closed the door.

Luna: You were watching!!

Nexus doesn't reply; he just stares at Luna deeply as if he can see through her.

Michelle: What shall we do now?

Luna: Continue our search; if we can't find him by daybreak, we leave.

Horvath: In the night??

Luna: We don't have a choice; we can't have whatever is chasing those rats on our tails!

Everybody: All right.

Everybody splits and goes alone to search for Rabaan. Except Michelle and Luna, as Michelle is injured. 

Luna and Michelle continue to walk.

A flash light is seen spreading along the road as Luna and Michelle search for traces of Rabaan. When suddenly Michelle stops and suddenly turns around, startling Luna.

Luna: What happened, Michelle?

Michelle: I heard a footstep. It was low, like... sneaking on us.

Luna concentrates on her surroundings to hear any sound and finds nothing. When she hears a scream, startled, she tries to turn around when she is suddenly knocked out due to a heavy force on her head.

A bloody smell spreads in a corridor, awakening Luna. Who opens her eyes to see Grant nailed to a rod and Michelle's head severed laying on the ground, with dried blood on her mouth and Nexus... sitting on the ground wiping his blade with a body covered with cloth behind him. Luna calms her rapidly beating heart and starts to walk towards Nexus slowly and stops near the covered body, removes the cloth, and starts to vomit due to the gruesome sight under the cloth.

A body cut in half from the ribcage with the skull cracked open and his internal organs missing and his limbs half eaten.

Suddenly Luna feels a meaty hand tapping her back, calming her down. She turns around to see Horvath holding her. 

Luna (shakily): What happened here?

Then Horvath starts to narrate what has happened after she fell unconscious.

[After Luna has fallen unconscious, near Rabaan's death place.]

Luna is seen being carried on the shoulder of a man with a woman walking closely behind, like a human puppet. The man puts Luna down, near a puddle of blood ready to tie her up, when suddenly he hears footsteps. turning around.

Horvath: Grant!!!

Grant (smirking): more food.

Horvath: I didn't think you would betray us!! Michelle, Grant!

Grant: It is survival, meat.

Nexus (suddenly): She is dead!

Horvath (tense up): Luna?

Nexus (coldly): Michelle.

Horvath gets confused as in front of him he sees Michelle standing behind Grant. When suddenly Grant starts to maniacally.

Grant: hahhahhhahhahh...khahhhhhhahahah.

Horvath: Get ready, Nexus!!

He doesn't get a reply, then he sees Nexus suddenly appearing beside Michelle and cutting her head off and sending it flying. 

Horvath: Now only Grant is remaining.

Nexus: No, it has just begun...

Suddenly tentacles like octopus start to grow from the neck of Michelle, who start to shapeshift into a monster, combining Grant in the way as he continues to laugh maniacally.

A giant monster with 8 arms and a human lower body now stands between Nexus and Horvath, stopping them from saving Luna.

Horvath: I will take Luna to safety. Distract it while I do it. and we will kill it together.

Nexus: My prey, I can hunt myself.

Nexus starts to run towards the monster while drawing his blade, ready to hunt. 

Nexus stood poised in the dimly lit corridor, his eyes fixed on the twisting, Cthulhu-like monstrosity before him. Grant's bulging, green eyes seemed to drink in the darkness.

"You'll never escape this place," Grant's voice boomed, shaking the walls.

Nexus drew his sword, its curved blade shining in the dark.

Nexus: I'll send you to hell.

Grant charged, its massive claws swiping through the air.

Kato dodged, using the corridor's narrowness to evade the blows.

He struck, slicing through Grant's tentacles, but the monster's inhuman strength allowed it to shrug off the wounds.

Grant retaliated, slamming Nexus into the wall. His agility saved him from crushing impact.

He sprang back, using the corridor's pipes and ducts to his advantage. Leaping onto a ventilation shaft, avoiding Grant's snapping claws.

From his elevated perch, Nexus struck downward, aiming for Grant's eyes. The monster howled as the blade bit deep into its cheek.

Enraged, Grant unleashed a tidal wave of tentacles, ensnaring Nexus. He struggled, but Grant's grip was unyielding.

Nexus used the walls to push off, kicking Grant's body. The monster stumbled, releasing its grip.

He landed a series of swift strikes, exploiting Grant's momentary weakness. But the monster's strength quickly returned.

Grant pinned Kato to the wall, its claws digging into the stone. Nexus's sword arm was trapped.

With a feral cry, Nexus used his free arm to grab a nearby fire extinguisher. He smashed it into Grant's face, momentarily blinding the monster.

Seizing the opening, Nexus broke free, his sword flashing in the dim light. He sliced through Grant's tentacles, creating an opening.

Nexus sprinted down the corridor, luring Grant into a maintenance room. The swordsman dodged the monster's claws, using the room's machinery to his advantage.

He leapt onto a workbench, using the height to strike downward. Grants claws shattered the bench, but Nexus had already jumped clear.

The swordsman landed a devastating blow, striking Grant's exposed core. The monster stumbled, its strength waning. and collapsing onto an exposed rod, piercing grants heart.

As Grant collapsed, Nexus stood victorious, his chest heaving. The corridor lay silent; its darkness temporarily vanquished.

Nexus sheathed his blade, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and respect.

Nexus: You are a worthy prey.

Horvath comes rushing, slowing down as he sees Grant's figure laying there, dead.

Horvath: You killed him.

Nexus: It was a hunt, either me or him.

Horvath: Haa... we should search for anything to eat and the map. We may find something if we search the bags of Michelle and Grant.

Nexus nods, walking towards their luggage, ready to search for something useful.

 

 

To be continued!!!