He shook his head, the ghosts of his failures whispering in the back of his mind.
Gabriel sat nearby, watching the exchange in silence. When Mehdi finally turned to him, his frustration boiled over. "Why me?" he demanded.
Gabriel's green eyes met his, unblinking. "Because you're not a leader. Not yet. But you could be."
Mehdi let out a bitter laugh. "You're putting a lot of faith in someone who's just trying to survive."
"Survival isn't enough anymore," Gabriel said. "The Hellgates are growing stronger. If humanity doesn't unite, there won't be anyone left to survive."
Mehdi stared at him, the weight of the boy's words sinking in.
---
As dawn broke, the survivors prepared to leave the ruins, their few belongings packed into makeshift bags. The horizon glowed ominously, another Hellgate pulsing in the distance.
Gabriel stood beside Mehdi, his gaze fixed on the distant threat. "The worst is yet to come," he said softly.
Mehdi clenched his fists, the scars on his hands aching as he stared at the distant glow.
"They say leaders are born, not made," he thought, his jaw tightening. "But I wasn't born for this. I wasn't made for this. I'm just a man trying to survive. And somehow, that has to be enough."
The survivors began their march, their footsteps blending into the silence of the ruined city. Mehdi took his place at the front, his doubts still heavy but his resolve stronger than before.
The fight was far from over.
---
The desolate city stretched out before them, a graveyard of steel and stone swallowed by creeping vegetation and ash. The air reeked of sulfur, the sky perpetually overcast, casting the ruins of Kuala Lumpur in shades of gray. Mehdi took the lead, his eyes scanning the broken skyline for signs of danger. Behind him, the survivors moved cautiously, their footsteps muffled by layers of dust and debris.
It had been two days since they left their shattered shelter, and already, the journey was wearing on them. Supplies were dwindling, tempers were fraying, and every step brought fresh reminders of the world they had lost.
"Stop," Mehdi said, raising a hand. The group halted, their breaths caught in collective anticipation.
"What is it?" Farah asked, moving up beside him.
Mehdi pointed to the street ahead, where claw marks gouged the asphalt. Bloodstains painted the ground, fresh enough to glisten in the dim light. "Demon patrols. We'll take the alley instead."
Navigating the ruins proved to be a trial of its own. The survivors scavenged for supplies wherever they could, picking through abandoned stores and wrecked vehicles. They found a few cans of food and some clean water, but it was never enough to quell the gnawing hunger and thirst.
Tensions simmered among the group, erupting occasionally in whispered arguments that Mehdi pretended not to hear. Two men nearly came to blows over a rationed can of beans before Farah stepped in, her sharp words cutting through the rising anger.
Mehdi watched from a distance, his jaw tight. Leadership wasn't just about making plans or fighting demons; it was about holding people together. And as much as he tried, he wasn't sure he was the glue they needed.
Gabriel, ever the enigma, walked at the rear of the group, his presence unnervingly calm. Mehdi caught the boy watching him more than once, as though he were studying him.
"What?" Mehdi snapped at one point.
Gabriel smiled faintly. "You're doing better than you think."
"Yeah? Tell that to them," Mehdi muttered, jerking his head toward the bickering survivors.
Gabriel's expression didn't change. "Leadership isn't about perfection. It's about perseverance."
The ambush came without warning. The group had just entered a crumbling plaza, the skeletal remains of a skyscraper looming overhead, when the air filled with guttural growls. Shadows darted between the broken columns, red eyes gleaming in the dim light.
"Demons!" Mehdi shouted. "Form a circle! Protect the kids!"
Chaos erupted as a swarm of minor demons surged from the shadows, their twisted forms hunched and grotesque. Mehdi swung his makeshift blade, a sharpened length of steel, cleaving through the first creature that lunged at him.
Farah was already moving, dragging a wounded survivor behind cover. "I need bandages! Anything!" she yelled. A teenager scrambled to tear strips from a shirt, passing them to her with shaking hands.
The fight was brutal and chaotic. Mehdi shouted orders, directing the survivors to use debris and improvised weapons to hold off the horde. They managed to kill several demons, but not without cost. A young man screamed as claws raked across his back, and another fell, his chest pierced by jagged teeth.