As the winds carried the remains of ash in their breaths, Arin cautiously stepped through the ruins of a world that had become nothing more than a memory. His sharp eyes were watching everything around him, yet they did not focus on anything in particular. His world was blurry, filled with devastation and destruction, but he did not feel the fear or sadness that any other person might feel. He had become accustomed to this dark place, and he no longer saw it as a threat or even a tragedy.
Kyle, on the other hand, was following Arin's steps, desperately trying to understand him. At first, he walked behind him as if following a thread lost among the ruins, trying to find meaning in this destruction. But he began to feel something. There was an invisible wall between him and Arin, a wall thicker than any physical one. Arin avoided any attempt at communication or even slowing down to look at Kyle, as if his presence was just a fleeting part of the scene.
"Why did you follow me?" Arin asked in a quiet but sharp voice, without looking at Kyle.
There was no sarcasm in his voice, but there was something that conveyed rejection. It was as though Arin saw him as just a passing person, not even worth a moment of his attention.
Kyle, who had been watching his slow steps, answered in a trembling voice, "Because... I have nowhere else to go."
Arin did not stop, nor did he turn to him. He just continued his steps on the ash-covered ground, as if he hadn't heard anything. But his voice came back suddenly, low but soaked in its coldness: "You won't find what you're looking for with me. I don't need anyone, and if you think you can change something, you're mistaken."
Kyle felt a sense of worry creeping into his chest. "But maybe I can help. Maybe there's something I can do."
Arin stopped him with a harsh look, as if words were just an inaudible noise to him. "No, there's nothing you can do."
Arin's calmness was frightening. It made Kyle feel as if his words were melting into the air, reaching no goal. He was just another person in Arin's path, nothing more. And though Kyle felt a kind of pain, he realized something deep within: Arin wasn't looking for company; he was only looking for his goal, and he would fight for that goal even if he remained alone.
"Not here to be anyone's friend," Arin continued as he slowed his steps slightly. "Just following a path that has no place for the weak, and soon enough, death will sweep you away if you lack strength."
Then he continued his walk. Kyle felt helpless. No opportunities, no words could plant a relationship between them. All he could do was follow Arin's steps. He had nothing else to offer.
As they continued walking through the ruins, the sky rained ash as if it were condemning their lives, conveying to them the disappointment of a whole world.
But as Kyle glanced behind him, he felt something strange. Maybe it was just a figment of his imagination, or perhaps his hand had brushed against something when he passed near a collapsed wall. But his heart was racing in his chest, as if this was the final warning: nothing would make Arin change his course. Nothing would stop him.
Kyle was running with stumbling steps, trying to catch up to Arin, his mind occupied with how he could get this strange man's attention. Suddenly, he felt a whisper near his ear, a whisper that was nothing but a faint voice saying:
"Don't follow the path of this person. His path brings nothing but destruction."
Kyle stopped in his tracks, confused. He looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice, but there was nothing but the shadows cast by the debris on the ground. He felt a chill run through his body, but he quickly ignored it, resuming his run behind Arin. All he wanted was to prove his existence.
But he didn't need to, because Arin suddenly stopped, as if a strange sensation had struck him. He slowly turned and said in a loud, sharp voice:
"I know you're here. And I have no intention of letting you sneak behind me. How about you show yourself here and now? Or leave silently without making any noise?"
Kyle stared in shock, not understanding what was happening. His eyes widened when he saw Arin fix his gaze on a spot in the empty space.
Amid the silence that enveloped the place, a man in a black cloak suddenly appeared from the shadows. He walked with slow, confident steps, as if he were part of this grim world. He said in an arrogant voice, his tone carrying a hidden threat:
"Sorry, but I have no intention of leaving. My presence here is not by choice... these are orders."
Kyle took a few steps back, but his body was exhausted. The pain from the beating he had received earlier made him stumble slightly and almost fall to the ground. He tried to stay composed, but every movement only increased his suffering.
His breathing was heavy and painful, as if carrying a mountain on his chest. Each breath was like a dagger thrust into his damaged ribs, yet he tried to hide his pain, clinging to the hope that Arin might help him in some way.
Kyle looked at the man who had appeared suddenly with wide eyes, while his mind struggled to make sense of what was happening. The fear from this sudden appearance mixed with his physical pain, leaving him in a complete state of confusion.
But Arin did not seem surprised. On the contrary, he looked at the man in black with a cold, expressionless gaze. He said in a low but firm voice:
"Orders? A laughable word... especially when you're just a puppet moved by strings from behind the curtain."
The man in the black cloak laughed a short laugh, which settled in Kyle's ear like a terrifying echo. He was trying to stand firm, but his legs did not respond. The pain from the wounds on his body began to intensify, as if punishing him for trying to move.
The man in the black cloak said loudly, his voice laced with arrogance:
"I'm not here to argue with you. I'm only here because someone wants to keep an eye on you. You know very well that the world no longer has room for people like you without surveillance."
Arin glanced briefly at Kyle, who seemed as though he might collapse at any moment. It was clear that he could barely stand on his feet and that pain was devouring him. Yet, there was no sign of sympathy from Arin. On the contrary, he turned to him with a sharp look and said in a dry voice:
"If you want to stay alive, stay where you are."
Kyle, despite the pain that almost made him lose consciousness, tried to adhere to what Arin had said. But he felt that his body might not endure much more. Thoughts surged in his mind: "Is this the place where I'll die? In the midst of this destruction?"
"Fear completely controlled him, but it was the pain that asserted itself harshly, reminding him that any movement could be a fatal mistake."