In the dimly lit alleyway a figure lay hunched, resting on the wall, battered and bruised up as he pressed a palm on his abdomen trying to stem the bleeding but to no avail blood gushed out painting his once white shirt whom he treasured dearly a crimson red colour . Neon lights flickered above him casting an eerie glow as the city pulsed with life -from shady black-market deals to bars and nightclubs. Towering skyscrapers loomed above him as gigantic billboards advertised new technologies soon to be released.
The city was immersed with technology, humming with activity and illegal deals. The outskirts that he once called home - a piece of solace - was now a desolate nightmare filled with agony and misery. Heavy thick smoke covered his vision as he struggled to see.
The choking stench of burning flesh fueled his desire to escape; he stood up on weak legs leaning on a pole for support. His body could only keep up with him for a short time before it would reach its limit, so he had to move fast. Stepping out of the alleyway he limped and moved past corpses as desperate cries filled the air. The once peaceful protests had now turned into an endless madness with people scurrying for safety. The rebels fighting against injustice and for freedom clashed with the soldiers.
It was utter madness in front him, people pushing each other as they scrambled for safety. Faces contorted in urgency as they struggled to find an escape route. Bodies collided resulting in a cascade of falls as they fell like a deck of cards. He couldn't even remember how everything turned out like this as his mind was in a haze, vision blurry, ears ringing. He stumbled into a small corner as he hugged his body trying to shield himself from the ongoing slaughter as shots rang out in the air.
The bullets pierced bodies as blood spurted in front of him as they toppled to their death
Leaning heavily on a metal pole for support, Ezra muttered to himself "Alright move fast, don't die, preferably in that order "
A figure fell in front of him battered and bloodied as a face came into view. A wicked smile stretched across its face, a disturbing smile that revealed a row of crooked teeth- stained - some missing, mouth bloody. His hand weathered with grime and neglect, latched onto his thigh nails digging into his skin.
Ezra grimaced, kicking the hand away." Sorry buddy, not my type "
Ezra stumbled and fell - vision glossing over and tears pooled in his eyes. It hurt, everything hurt. Red liquid trickled down his forehead coating his sight. His ribs were most likely shattered as he crawled on all fours.
Fire was closing in, nipping and biting at his skin welcoming it as it danced around his skin covering him like a blanket. Ragged pants drew out of his mouth as he choked and coughed on his own blood
"Why the hell am I not healing "he shouted, his voice hoarse, frustration boiling over.
The fight between the soldiers and the rebels wasn't just a physical confrontation but a fight between ideologies and beliefs. Beliefs that both sides deemed correct, and the latter was wrong. People scurried away like moths dispersed quickly trying to close their stalls amidst the conflict. Stalls closing with a large bang, screeches were heard.
His clothes were burnt exposing his abdomen as a long fresh scar that ran from his collarbone to his hip. Witnessing the destruction of the outskirts, barely anything remained as they became victims to the fire. The distant screams he heard had faded away. Ezra clenched his fist as pain spread throughout his body whimpered as his body convulsed in pain. He was losing blood fast.
"Heal dammit! -"
He tried to focus as a faint glow emitted from him shrouded him in light. A gentle radiance seeping through the gashes and wounds as a familiar warmth spread throughout his body. A warmth that gave him comfort - something he dearly missed. The soft glow intensified as he felt his ribs being knitted back together. The large gash on his abdomen was now gone as if it was never there to begin with leaving smooth unmarred skin.
He had to escape quickly even if it meant putting his life out on the line, Even if it meant falling to his death. What if he didn't. What if he died? What next? . No, he pushed those thoughts away as he calmed himself down, his erratic heartbeat becoming normal again.
'Focus Ezra, think!'
'you're smart, cool and intelligent. You'll figure this out, no one's as smart as you. As a matter of fact, you're the smartest one here- '
His thoughts were interrupted with a halt as a large SUV was catapulted above his head defying gravity for a moment before it reclaimed its hold. It crashed into the path of fleeing figures, a deadly collision set a backdrop of sparks into the air, a prelude to the inferno that soon erupted upon impact, flames engulfed the scene devouring all in its path.
Flames licked upwards casting grotesque shadows against ruined buildings. His gaze flicked between destruction and the source of the chaos. His lips parted, the only words slipping as he muttered.
"What the actual heck...?"
It seemed he wasn't the only one who thought of the same thing as many stopped in their tracks and turned around. A mixture of confusion and fear etched in their faces as their sight was locked onto the wall looming above them.
"Alright, who's throwing cars now?" he muttered under his breath, trying to shake off the chill that ran up his spine.
The city walls, meant to protect against the unimaginable horrors lurking beyond, had been breached. Ezra had heard stories about the monsters, tales designed to scare kids into behaving, but he'd never thought he'd actually see one.
The world seemed to hold its breath for a moment, the chaos falling into an eerie stillness. Even the winds stilled. Ezra's heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears as he scanned the horizon, his mind racing to make sense of what was happening.
The quiet didn't last.
A screech shattered the stillness, low and guttural at first before rising into an unnatural wail that reverberated through the air. It twisted and warped, bouncing off the shattered buildings and broken glass, creating a dissonant symphony that made Ezra's skin crawl.
"Fantastic," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "As if today wasn't bad enough, now we've got nightmare fuel screaming at us."
The mechanical voice of the city's emergency broadcast system crackled to life, distorted and panicked.
"WARNING! EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY! BREACH AT WALL 5! PROCEED TO THE NEAREST S—"
The transmission dissolved into static, and the blaring alarms were the only sound that remained.
Ezra's breath caught as a hulking shadow emerged from the darkness, towering over the wreckage like some twisted nightmares come to life. Its limbs were grotesquely long, its movements jerky and unnatural as it stepped through the shattered remains of the wall.
"Okay, that's new," Ezra said, his voice tight but still laced with sarcasm. "Big, ugly, and probably really angry. Just my luck."
The creature let out another screech, louder this time, shaking the very ground beneath him. Ezra stumbled but caught himself, brushing ash from his torn shirt.
"Well, at least it can't get any worse," he quipped, glancing at his shredded clothes. "First my shirt, now this thing. What's next, a boulder with my name on it?"
The creature's head snapped in his direction, its empty eyes locking onto him as it lunged forward.