Obinai pushes the door open cautiously, the faint creak of the hinges cutting through the heavy silence. He peers into what remains of the building's lobby, his breath catching in his throat. The space is unrecognizable—a ruin of jagged edges and collapsed structures. Large chunks of the ceiling hang precariously, while other sections have caved in completely, leaving gaping holes that expose the skeleton of the building.
Daylight streams in through a massive breach in the outer wall, the light fractured by the haze of smoke and dust that fills the air. The outside world is visible through the opening, a chaotic tableau of destruction and fire. Twisted metal beams and shattered glass glint in the light, and the acrid smell of burning plastic and concrete makes Obinai's nose sting.
He quickly pulls the door shut again, leaning against it for a moment as he forces himself to steady his breathing. Turning to Mya, he plasters on a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Everything's fine," he says, his voice pitched a little too high. "We just need to keep going."
Mya looks up at him, her wide, questioning eyes flickering with doubt. "Are you sure?" she asks softly.
"Yeah," he says quickly, brushing her shoulder gently as he straightens up. "I promise. Just stick close to me, okay?"
She nods hesitantly, clutching at his shirt as they move forward. Obinai leads the way, his injured leg dragging slightly with each step, but he forces himself onward. The sound of their footsteps is muted by the thick layer of dust and debris that carpets the floor.
As they near the shattered remains of the front desk, something catches Obinai's eye—a splash of dark red against the pale rubble. He freezes mid-step. Beneath a pile of broken plaster and splintered wood, a human leg juts out, clad in the familiar uniform pants of Mr. Thompson, the doorman who had always greeted them with a kind smile.
Obinai's breath hitches, and his hand reflexively tightens around Mya's. He moves slightly to the side, angling his body to block her view of the gruesome scene.
"Why are we stopping?" Mya asks, her voice small but tinged with curiosity.
Obinai forces a smile, not trusting himself to meet her eyes. "Just checking the path," he says, his voice tight. He gently pulls her forward, keeping his body between her and the desk as they maneuver around the debris.
Mya hesitates, glancing at him suspiciously. "You're acting weird," she says, her tone unsure.
"Focus on the light, Mya," he says quickly, pointing toward the large breach in the wall. His voice softens as he adds, "We're almost there. Just keep looking ahead, okay?"
She frowns but nods, her grip on his shirt tightening as she follows his lead.
Obinai's heart pounds as they approach the jagged opening in the wall, each step feeling heavier than the last. The light grows brighter, spilling over them and casting long shadows against the crumbling remains of the lobby. The sounds of the chaotic outside grow louder.
"Careful here," Obinai murmurs as they step over a twisted piece of metal. His eyes dart around, scanning for any movement, any sign of danger.
Mya's hand shakes in his grasp. "It's so bright out there," she whispers.
"That's a good thing," Obinai replies, his tone firmer now. "It means we're heading in the right direction. Just stay close to me."
Mya nods silently, her wide eyes fixed on the bright daylight spilling through the jagged opening ahead. The light flickers faintly through the haze of dust and smoke. Each step over broken glass and twisted metal feels crunches loudly in the...silence.
Obinai glances at Mya, her small frame tense with every cautious movement. They'll be okay, he tells himself, forcing the thought to steady his own trembling hands. Mom and Dad are out there. They have to be. We're going to find them. Together.
He adjusts his grip on her hand, guiding her carefully around a large shard of glass embedded in the floor. "Watch your step," he murmurs, his voice hushed.
Mya doesn't respond, but her steps slow, her breathing shallow and sharp. The eerie silence around them seems to deepen with each step, the ruined landscape pressing in closer. The faint glow of emergency lights from behind them flickers one last time before vanishing completely, leaving them bathed only in the cold daylight from outside.
The quiet is suffocating, a stillness so profound that Obinai can hear the soft rasp of Mya's breath and the uneven pounding of his own heart. Every creak of the building's battered structure feels amplified, the sound slicing through the air.
"Obi," Mya whispers, her voice barely audible. "Do you think—"
"They're fine," Obinai cuts her off, more sharply than he intended. He softens his tone quickly, squeezing her hand as they step closer to the opening. "They're smart, Mya. They'll find us. We just have to keep moving."
His own words feel hollow, barely convincing even himself, but he clings to them like a lifeline. His mind flashes with memories of his mother's determined gaze, his father's steady presence. They're safe. They're out there somewhere, waiting for us...somewhere.
The opening is only a few steps away now, the outside world tantalizingly close. But as they near it, Obinai's gut twists with unease. The bright light ahead doesn't elate him, and the silence feels too deliberate...as if the world is holding its breath.
A new sound slices through the stillness—a low, rhythmic thumping, faint at first but growing steadily louder. Obinai freezes mid-step, his blood running cold. The sound isn't random; it's deliberate, heavy, like something massive is moving.
"Do you hear that?" Mya asks, her voice trembling.
Obinai nods, his body tense as he scans the opening ahead and the shadows behind them. "Stay close," he says quietly, his voice firm but low. His arm instinctively moves in front of her, shielding her as the thumping grows louder, reverberating through the floor beneath their feet.
"What is it?" Mya whispers, clutching his arm.
"I don't know," Obinai replies, his voice tight as his eyes dart around the ruined lobby. It's too close. Whatever it is, it's too close. His chest tightens with dread, but he forces himself to think past the fear. Mom and Dad. They're out there. They have to be.
The thumping becomes deafening now, each impact shaking the crumbling walls around them. Dust rains from the cracks above, and the metallic groan of the weakened structure fills the air. Obinai tightens his grip on Mya's hand, pulling her slightly behind him.
"Mya," he says, his voice steady despite the tremor in his legs. "When I say run, you run. Got it?"
"But—"
"No arguing," he cuts her off, his tone firm but not unkind. He crouches slightly, placing himself between her and the direction of the sound. "Stay behind me. Don't look back."
The source of the noise steps into view, just beyond the jagged opening of the wall. Obinai's breath catches as the shadow shifts and grows, the light casting a distorted, terrifying silhouette. The creature's form becomes clearer—a hulking figure, pale and smooth, its monstrous eyes glowing faintly with golden irises that pulse like a heartbeat.
Mya's grip on his arm tightens painfully, and she stifles a whimper. "Obi…"
"I know," he whispers, his voice barely audible as his heart pounds in his ears. He glances back at her, his jaw tightening as he sees the fear etched into her face. "We'll be okay," he lies again, his voice soft. "We have to be."
The creature pauses, its gaze sweeping the ruined lobby, its golden eyes scanning the devastation with an eerie intelligence. The rhythmic thumping of its steps halts, replaced by an unnatural silence that presses against Obinai's ears like a physical weight.
Obinai takes a deep breath, his chest heaving as his thoughts spiral. They're out there. They're waiting. They have to be. I can't stop now. I have to get her out of here.
His breath catches in his throat as the creature steps into view.
Its skin is an unsettling ashen white, the pale surface marred by streaks of blood—some dried, some fresh—that drip lazily down its elongated limbs. A dark burn scars its side, the mark twisting into jagged symbols that seem to pulse faintly, as if alive. Six massive wings unfurl from its back with a noise like tearing fabric, their sharp, metallic-like feathers glistening ominously. The wings twitch erratically, an unsettling contrast to the otherwise fluid movements of the creature.
Its head, void of a mouth or nose, is covered with countless eyes—small, beady, and frantic. They shift and flicker independently, scanning every inch of the room in a chaotic frenzy, each one darting to a new angle as though searching for something unseen.
Obinai steps instinctively in front of Mya, his arm outstretched protectively as he stares at the creature. What is that? Why does it look like…? The thought dies as the creature freezes, its many eyes snapping to focus directly on them.
"Mya," he says softly, his voice strained, "stay behind me."
Mya doesn't answer, her small hands gripping his shirt tightly as she peeks out from behind him. Her breath is quick and shallow, her trembling fingers digging into the fabric.
The creature's gaze is oppressive, its multitude of eyes boring into them. Obinai's legs feel like they might give out under the weight of its stare, but he doesn't move. His mind screams at him to think, to act, but all he can do is stand there, frozen.
Then, with a sudden, fluid motion, the creature's hand rises. Obinai flinches as something gleams in its grasp, catching the dim light in the ruined lobby. Mya gasps, her hand trembling as she points.
"What is that…?" her voice wavers, barely audible.
Obinai glances quickly, his stomach twisting violently as he realizes what the creature is holding. In its bloodied hand are two severed heads, the lifeless faces of Amos and Maria staring back at him. Their features are frozen in terror, their eyes wide and glassy, their mouths slightly open as if caught mid-scream.
"No," Obinai whispers, the word barely forming as his throat tightens. "No, no, no…"
Mya's gasp becomes a choked sob. "Obi…" she cries, pulling at his arm as if to confirm that what she's seeing isn't real.
The creature moves again, its grotesque grace making Obinai recoil. With a casual flick of its wrist, it tosses the heads toward them. They land with a sickening thud, rolling across the dusty floor before stopping unnervingly close to their feet.
Mya screams, ripping through the silence. She stumbles back, her legs giving way as she collapses into the debris. Her small hands clutch her head, her cries muffled by her arms as she curls into herself, rocking slightly. "No! No! No!" she wails, her voice cracking.
Obinai stares at the heads, his mind blanking as tears spill uncontrollably down his face. This isn't real. It can't be. They were supposed to be safe. We were going to find them. This isn't… this isn't how it ends.
His legs tremble, threatening to buckle, but he forces himself to stay upright. The creature's gaze doesn't waver, its beady eyes still locked on them with unsettling precision. Obinai wipes at his face, the tears mixing with the grime on his skin.
"Mya," he chokes out, his voice cracking. "Look at me."
She doesn't respond, her sobs growing louder.
"Mya!" he says again, louder this time. He crouches next to her, gently pulling her arms away from her face. Her tear-streaked eyes meet his, wide and filled with raw terror.
"I'm here," he says shakily, gripping her shoulders. "Look at me. Don't look at them. Just at me. We're going to get through this, okay?"
Her lip quivers, and she nods faintly, though her breathing is still uneven. Obinai pulls her into his chest, shielding her view from the heads.
Behind him, the creature shifts, its wings spreading slightly as the sound of its movement fills the ruined lobby. Obinai tenses, holding Mya tighter. His mind races, the image of his parents' lifeless faces seared into his memory, but he pushes it aside. I have to protect her. I have to keep her safe. If I stop now, we're both dead.
Slowly, he stands, pulling Mya up with him. His voice is low but firm as he whispers in her ear, "When I say run, you don't stop. You hear me? Don't stop, no matter what."
Her hands clutch his tightly, her nod almost imperceptible. Obinai's eyes flicker to the creature, its many eyes still trained on them, its presence suffocating.
Mom. Dad. I'll make it count, he thinks grimly, his tears blurring the edges of his vision. Obinai takes a shaky breath, the command to run dying on his lips as the creature's voice reverberates through the air. It doesn't come from its head or mouth—if it even has one—but from everywhere at once, a thunderous, hoarse proclamation that seems to twist the very air around them.
"As it is written," it declares, its words heavy and cryptic, dripping with an eerie finality.
The sound sends an icy chill down Obinai's spine, rooting him to the spot. His heart pounds painfully against his ribs as he stares at the creature, its many eyes locking onto him with an intensity that feels like a physical weight pressing down on his chest.
Behind him, Mya clings tightly to his arm, her sobs muffled against his back. He feels her shaking, her small fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. "Obi…" she cries softly, her voice cracking.
Obinai swallows hard, his throat dry as he kneels beside her amidst the rubble and chaos. His hands shake as he cups her tear-streaked face, forcing her to look at him. "Mya, look at me!" he yells, his voice desperate to break through her shock.
She lifts her head slowly, her wide, haunted eyes meeting his. Her face is streaked with grime and tears, her lip trembling as she sniffs, trying to catch her breath. Her gaze flits nervously to the creature, then back to her brother.
Obinai tightens his grip on her shoulders, his voice trembling as he says, "You have to run, Mya. Now."
She shakes her head violently, her hands clutching his shirt. "I can't!" she cries, her voice a broken whisper. "I can't leave you!"
"You have to!" Obinai shouts, his voice cracking under the strain of his own emotions. He shakes her gently, trying to make her understand. "I'm useless here! I can't run fast enough! But you can. You must! "
Mya's sobs grow louder, her head shaking again. "No, Obi! I won't go without you!"
Obinai clenches his teeth, his jaw trembling as tears spill from his eyes. He pulls her into a tight hug, his voice lowering to a near-whisper as he says, "You have to live, Mya. For Mom and Dad. For me."
She freezes in his arms, her sobs quieting to muffled sniffles. "But… but I'm scared," she whispers.
"So am I," Obinai admits, his voice barely audible. He pulls back just enough to look her in the eyes. "But you're strong, Mya. Stronger than me. You can do this."
The creature shifts slightly, its massive wings spreading with a sound like tearing metal. Obinai's head jerks up, his breath catching as the many eyes focus on them again.
"Mya," he says firmly, his voice trembling but resolute. "Run. Don't stop, don't look back. Just keep going."
She hesitates, her fingers clinging to his for just a moment longer before she nods, her movements small and hesitant. She wipes her face roughly with her sleeve, her shoulders still shaking as she stands on unsteady legs.
"I'll find you," Obinai says, forcing a weak smile despite the lump in his throat. "I promise."
Mya looks at him one last time, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and trust, before she turns and runs, her small figure weaving through the debris.