The boy shook his head. Up close, he looked even stranger. His silver hair and unnaturally pale skin made him seem almost otherworldly.
"What's your name?"
"Gabriel," the boy said, his voice soft but steady. "You shouldn't have done that."
Mehdi frowned. "Done what?"
"Saved me."
For a moment, Mehdi wasn't sure how to respond. "You're welcome," he said dryly, already regretting his decision to intervene. He stood and motioned for Gabriel to follow him. "Come on. It's not safe here."
They found shelter in an abandoned apartment complex. The building was mostly intact, though the walls were scarred with deep claw marks. Mehdi barricaded the door and checked Gabriel for injuries, though the boy seemed unharmed.
As he worked, flashes of Lily's face filled his mind—her fevered body trembling beneath his hands as he tried to save her. Her tear-streaked face as she whispered, "Fix this, Mehdi. Please."
He hadn't. And she had died knowing he'd failed her.
"What's wrong?" Gabriel's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Nothing," Mehdi said curtly, turning away.
"You carry a heavy burden," Gabriel said, his tone strangely knowing. "But it's not your fault."
Mehdi stiffened, glaring at the boy. "What do you know about it?"
Gabriel met his gaze, his green eyes unsettlingly calm. "More than you think."
There was something about the boy—something unnatural. Mehdi couldn't put his finger on it, but every instinct told him Gabriel wasn't ordinary.
As if reading his thoughts, Gabriel smiled faintly. "You've been chosen, Mehdi. By forces far greater than you can imagine."
"Chosen for what?" Mehdi snapped.
"To lead," Gabriel said simply. "To protect what's left of humanity."
Mehdi laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "You've got the wrong guy. I couldn't even save my sister. What makes you think I can save anyone else?"
Gabriel didn't answer. He simply stared at Mehdi with a patience that made his skin crawl.
"Listen," Mehdi said, his voice hard. "I'm not a hero. I'm just trying to survive, same as everyone else."
"Survival isn't enough," Gabriel said softly. "Not anymore."
Before Mehdi could respond, the ground trembled beneath their feet. A low, guttural roar echoed through the building, followed by the unmistakable hum of a Hellgate.
Mehdi's blood ran cold. He grabbed Gabriel's arm and pulled him to his feet. "We need to move. Now."
They slipped out the back of the building, staying low as they navigated the darkened streets. But the Hellgate's glow was impossible to miss, a jagged tear in reality that pulsed with an ominous red light.
A figure emerged from the gate—a mid-tier demon, towering and grotesque. Its skin was a sickly shade of green, its eyes glowing like molten gold. It scanned the area, its gaze settling on Mehdi and Gabriel.
"Run," Mehdi whispered, gripping Gabriel's arm as they darted into the shadows.
The demon let out an earsplitting roar, its massive wings unfurling as it took to the air, its eyes locked on its prey.
Mehdi's heart pounded as he led Gabriel through the labyrinth of ruins, his mind racing. He didn't know how they were going to survive this, but one thing was clear—this was just the beginning.
"Survival isn't living," Mehdi thought grimly as they ran. "It's just a series of choices—each one darker than the last. And the worst part? You're never sure if they're the right ones until it's too late."
The ruins of Kuala Lumpur stretched endlessly, a maze of crumbling buildings and jagged debris. Mehdi's boots hit the ground in quick, calculated strides, his heart pounding in rhythm with the ragged breaths of the boy he half-dragged, half-carried beside him. Behind them, Baelrek's guttural roar cut through the air like a blade.
Mehdi stole a glance over his shoulder. The mid-tier demon loomed in the distance, a grotesque silhouette against the glowing crimson of the Hellgate it had emerged from. Its wings beat slowly, like a predator savoring the chase, and its glowing golden eyes locked onto them with unrelenting focus.
"Keep moving," Mehdi hissed to Gabriel, whose small frame stumbled beside him.
"I can't keep up," Gabriel murmured, his voice eerily calm for someone being hunted by a demon.
"You don't have a choice."
The terrain ahead grew more treacherous, the remnants of the city creating a labyrinth of collapsed highways and skeletal buildings. Mehdi knew the area well enough to navigate it, but Baelrek's wings gave it an advantage. They wouldn't outrun the creature for long.
"Over here!" Mehdi yanked Gabriel toward the remains of a department store, its shattered glass doors leading into a dark, cavernous interior. He shoved the boy forward and ducked inside, pressing his back to the wall.
For a moment, there was silence, broken only by the distant flapping of Baelrek's wings. Mehdi gripped his rebar tightly, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring.
"Stay quiet," he whispered, glancing at Gabriel.
The boy nodded, his silver hair gleaming faintly in the dim light. His unblinking green eyes stared at Mehdi, calm and unreadable.
The silence shattered as Baelrek's voice echoed through the ruins. "You can't hide, little insects." The demon's voice was deep and guttural, carrying a cruel edge of amusement. "I smell your fear."