Jack's back tensed as he felt the weight of two dark, ominous eyes staring at him from behind. Time seemed to stretch painfully, each second dragging like an eternity. A shiver ran through him, goosebumps prickling his skin, as he slowly tilted his head up and turned it slightly to the right.
In front of him stood a wounded woman wearing beige pants and a white shirt. Her deep, dark purple eyes locked onto him menacingly, drilling into his soul. Before she could speak, Jack blurted out in fear, "What... what do you want from me?" The woman's voice was harsh and unforgiving.
"Someone like you," she snapped. "Heal me, or I'll kill you." Terrified, Jack flinched. Her icy tone made his right arm move instinctively toward her.
"Healing of the Righteous!" he called out, his voice trembling. He watched as the golden aura flowed from his skin toward the menacing woman. But as soon as the healing energy touched her, it shifted, morphing into a sinister black-and-red aura that engulfed her.
"What are you doing?!" she demanded, her voice trembling as her body weakened. "I... I'm sorry! I don't know!" Jack shouted back, panic rising in his chest. The woman shut her left eye tightly, clutching her chest as though thousands of needles were piercing her heart.
"ARGH!" As she groaned in agony, the pitch-black aura twisted around her neck, tightening like a noose. "You'll pay for this!" she screamed, foam gathering at the corners of her mouth as she raised her palm toward Jack.
"Porce pu--"
"Slash!"
Before she could finish her words, a tall, slender man with dark red hair and glasses decapitated her in a flash, the blade moving so swiftly that not a single drop of blood spilled at first. Her head separated cleanly from her body, tilting to the side as it fell with a soft thud into a growing pool of her blood.
"Plop,"
the sound echoed as her head hit the floor. Jack felt bile rising in his throat, but he managed to swallow it down. He turned his terrified gaze toward the man who had just saved him.
Jack studied the stranger carefully, mentally noting every detail: dark red hair, glasses, red eyes, a white coat, and black jeans. The mysterious man with red hair scanned the train before finally standing still.
"My name is Daryl Harrington," he said calmly. "I'm from the Heart Citadel. We were on a reconnaissance mission and happened to stumble upon you. We saw the woman go berserk and had to intervene." The few survivors, including Jack, nodded nervously, a faint glimmer of hope flickering amidst their fear.
"Can you also explain why there's suddenly a hologram floating around?" an older man in a bloodstained navy suit shouted, his voice a mix of confusion and desperation. The other survivors exchanged uneasy glances, looking back and forth between Daryl and the older man.
"Yeah! Mine says something about a powerful healing entity being interested in me!" added a young blonde woman in a pink blouse and blue joggers, her tone filled with both curiosity and fear.
Jack glanced at her curiously, a single thought crossing his mind: Are there other healers too? "Don't panic," Daryl said firmly, commanding everyone's attention. "We don't have all the answers yet, but we've observed that many people are manifesting similar abilities, tailored to their personalities."
At that moment, another figure entered the train. "Boss, no signs of more beasts nearby," the newcomer, a young woman, reported. Daryl's expression tightened. "Good. We need to move quickly before more show up," he said, his voice laced with urgency. "Beasts?" the passengers whispered, their voices trembling as dread settled over them.
"Survivors, get ready for a short trip," Daryl commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. The passengers obediently rose to their feet, stiff with fear. A few minutes later, the last of the survivors exited the train and were greeted by a shocking sight. "Holy crap," Jack muttered, his jaw dropping and his eyes widening in disbelief. Towering stone walls surrounded them, massive and imposing, rivaling the height of the Eiffel Tower.
"How did this turn from a futuristic city into a giant labyrinth?" Jack wondered aloud. Everywhere he looked, enormous stone walls rose into the sky, forming a maze that stretched endlessly in every direction. Behind them, the train rested at the end of a dead-end track. Jack turned around, spotting several paths they could take. Daryl's sharp eyes swept over the group of survivors, assessing each one of them before motioning them forward. And so, their journey began.