RUIN’S EDGE

It was a snowy night, like every other since the ice age began. Rations were low, and those creatures were everywhere, making it impossible to scavenge for supplies.

Reflecting on the past, I’m struck by how we took our planet’s beauty for granted. I’m no exception.

I never knew there would come a day when seeing even a blade of grass would feel like a special day.

The people of the old world used to say, “ Everything was fine until flowers bloom in the North Pole. “ It used to be nothing more than a joke, but guess what? We ain’t laughing now since the old world as we knew it ended.

It’s been a hell scape since the great bombing happened, which caused about ninety-five percent of people and animals to died off in the first two years of the catastrophe and the radiation left over in the atmosphere caused ash to raise up to the clouds and forced the earth into a global warming phase, while on the other hand the radiation started mutating what was left on earth.

Hi, I’m L, and this is my story of how I caused the world to end.

I was born to a single mother, Sarah, whose chronic alcoholism filled our small apartment with the stench of stale beer and broken dreams. My father, John, was a ghostly figure, absent from my life, and I later discovered that his tragic fate was sealed in a drug-fueled argument that ended with his brutal stabbing, an event that occurred before I took my first breath.

Growing up, our home was a war zone, with shattered glass, overturned furniture, and the cacophony of my mother’s screams echoing through the halls. My mother’s addiction consumed her, and I often went hungry. I remember rummaging through trash cans for food, feeling ashamed and scared. My mother’s behavior became increasingly erratic, and I learned to avoid her when she was drunk.

By the time I was three, my mother’s desperation and addiction consumed her, and she began to exploit me for money, selling my innocence to the highest bidder and shattering my childhood forever. She would send me to a known pedophile in our neighborhood, and I would be forced to endure unspeakable abuse. Our apartment reeked of stale cigarettes and last night’s booze, as my mother’s acquaintances came and went, their laughter and shouts echoing through the thin walls,The memories still haunt me.

As I grew older, the abuse continued. By the time I was seven, my mother was renting me out to multiple men, and I was forced to endure physical and emotional torture. I felt suffocated by the weight of my mother’s addiction, crushed by the loneliness that echoed through our empty apartment, and reduced to nothing more than a worthless commodity, a mere object to be used and discarded.

I struggled to concentrate in class, my mind constantly drifting back to the horrors I endured at home, as I fell behind my peers in reading, writing, and math. My mother’s addiction worsened, and our home became a revolving door for her acquaintances. I felt like I was living in a nightmare.

By the time I was twelve, I felt like a zombie, numb to the world around me, as I trudged through each day, desperate for a glimmer of hope, a chance to escape the hell that had become my life. My mother’s behavior became increasingly violent, and I began to fear for my life.

When I turned fifteen, the cumulative weight of years of abuse, neglect, and trauma finally crushed me, and I knew I had to escape, no matter the cost. I stuffed a few tattered clothes, a broken toy, and a faded photograph into a worn backpack, and slipped out into the night, the cool breeze a welcome respite from the stifling air of our apartment.

I had no idea where I was going or what I would do, but I knew I had to escape. I spent months living on the streets, scrounging for food and avoiding danger. It was a harsh reality, but it was better than the hell I had endured at home.

One day, while exploring the city, I stumbled upon an army recruitment center. Something about the structure and discipline appealed to me. I saw it as a way to escape my past and start anew. I enlisted, and my life changed forever. The army became my family, my support system. I finally felt like I belonged.

I served as a Cadet for nine months before being promoted to a Cadet Recruit, where I trained for an additional fourteen weeks after which I became a Cadet Lance Corporal,the training days were like hell fire but after being promoted I realized that the training so far was to ensure we’d survive the training to come.

After becoming a Cadet Lance Corporal I was quite literally put through hell and back for Six months before finally becoming a Cadet Corporal at the age of Seventeen but I still had so much to do ahead of me, I didn’t feel as though I was at the top of the ladder rather I felt I had just finally touched the bottom step of the ladder and I was determined to scale it all the way through.

Each time we got permission to speak to our families after being promoted a rank, most of my comrades would go to the visiting room to speak to their families but I have never been to that building because I know no one would ever care to find me to this place.

Three weeks after my promotion I was sent to a boot camp to train for an additional Six months and afterwards I was promoted to being a Cadet Sergeant , not too long after I became a Company Grade Officer at the age of Eighteen. I was a full fledged Soldier at that point and so I was shipped off to the war-front with a platoon consisting of four squadrons.

Hand in hand we fought and watched each others back as we fought and made a name for ourselves on the Battlefield Of Gazala. We were called the Jagdgeschwader 52 ( JG-52 ) Of The Luftwaffe and we carved that name into the hearts of people with the blood of countless brave soldiers.

Seven months into the battle of Gazala, we were led into an ambush and my commander died in battle so as to give us a chance to retreat and had given command authority to me, I had to take charge of the entire squad and get us back to the trench we had previously made where we had set camp at last,we had lost more than half of our troops that day.

The war raged on for two years, until finally, a truce was reached, and both sides withdrew their forces. In the aftermath, I was honored with a handful of medals, including the Navy Cross.

This was the point in my career which caught the notice of the higher up, I had returned from the War-front at the tender age of Twenty years old and I was already in command of an entire Squadron, this especially caught the attention of the Mossad Higher up and first contact was initiated by them not long after and at the age of twenty-one I was asked to becomes a Katsas. I was the youngest candidate to ever be given a shot, because most soldiers don’t get in till they are in their thirties. To become a full fledged Katsas, and work in Tzomet, candidates are taught intelligence gathering tradecraft for about three years.

Those three years I spent training here was a different level of hell than anything the military could ever have to offer, at some point I actually felt like giving up but my colleagues wouldn’t let me and so I kept on clawing my way through it and when I turned twenty-four I became a full fledged Katsas. The missions given here were off the grids, if you get caught your only options are either suicide or complete denial from your country, in other words failure wasn’t an option here and that’s why they needed only the best of the best, and I was finally one of them.

Three weeks after becoming a Katsas, I was assigned to Team 0x7 Alpha and for the first time in a long time I felt at peace to be around my comrades because most of us were all from the same batch of candidates that just became Katsas and even more so I had met with a friend of mine that we both served as JG-52 again here, he had been trained in another set but had been assigned to the same team as me,coincidence or not it made me happy.

As I looked back on our eleven months of missions together, I realized that our objective had been relatively straightforward: infiltration or recovery of stolen military-grade weapons and schematics.

We were feeling invincible at this point and that was our biggest mistake because when we were given this mission, a mission at the time we didn’t know how much it would change our lives, we had underestimated how dangerous it would turn out to be, the only classified information we were given was that we had to infiltrate a country recover the blueprints of a new bio weapon being developed and sabotage the entire operation if we saw a way to, we were given the foor dates and off we went.

Zulu’s voice was laced with skepticism ‘ North Korea, huh? This should be fun. ’

Said by one of my teammates who goes by the code-name ‘Zulu’, here we weren’t allowed to use our real names even amongst ourselves.

Golf’s tone was more anxious. ’ I don’t like this. What kind of weapon are we dealing with?

India’s response was firm and commanding. ’ Location and weapon specifics don’t matter. Our objectives are clear: infiltrate, gather intel, and exfiltrate. Got it?

****: “ YES SIR “ echoed through the cargo plane.

It was meant to be an easy mission, get in and get out, we’ve done this over a thousand times but even we couldn’t had seen the mission going this wrong.

Before we knew it, we were flanked on all sides. Three teammates lay dead,and the rest of us huddled together, desperate to escape.

With a loud bang ‘ Zulu ‘ fell to his knees, he had been shot with a sniper rifle to the back, he was dead on impact, with two more shots ‘ India ‘ and ‘ Golf ‘ were killed and now it was just ‘ Kilo ‘ and myself that remained and that was when ‘ Kilo ’ told me the plan he had came up with, he was going to be my human shield so that I could escape and relay the information we had uncovered.

I couldn’t stop him from using himself as bait because it would had been an insult to his resolve, and so we came out of hiding guns blazing, trying desperately to hit anything that moved, we were almost at the exits when ’ Kilo ’ got sniped in the head, the bullet had ricochet and hit me in my shoulder blade but I had no time to stop to feel the pain or look back at my teammates, I simply ran and ran till my legs couldn’t move anymore and even then, I crawled, I had sworn to survive no matter what it took as a way to honor my teammates.

It took me nine days to make it back to civilization but by then it was already too late.

Our mission was to infiltrate the facility and steal the blueprints of a Bio-atomic bomb, and after our failed attempt on the facility, it was launched merely three days after and sent to U.S soil and in turn an atomic war had broken out, most cities were already decimated at this point. Between the day the first one was dropped and today, over nineteen atomic bombs had been launched within six days and only a fraction of the world was left.

“ I HAD FAILED “

This word Kept resounding in my head for God knows how long, there was nothing left but a wasteland ahead of me, I had failed my mission and in turn failed the world, I couldn’t bring myself to accept this fact but I couldn’t kill myself and waste a life my teammates gave theirs to save, and so I wandered the scorched earth for the next five years alone and in rare occasions I came across humans or sometimes what’s left of the survivors after the mutates attack. The world is crawling with these things, former humans turned mindless and mutated beyond recognition by the radiation roamed the earth both day and night trying to feast on what ever they could find, this included other mindless mutates but human’s were not the only things that were mutated, the animals and plants that were able to survive long enough gradually started mutating along side the landscape and even new mutated species emerged.

As I navigated the post-apocalyptic wasteland, I stumbled upon a creature that would change my perspective forever.“ Cave Crawlers “; They are massive, heavily mutated spiders with powerful,armored legs and sharp, venomous fangs capable of crawling through narrow spaces and emitting a deadly, paralyzing venom through the spurs on their back, on my first encounter with these creatures did I determine that if I was to come across them ever again in the future, my only options are to either run or face my death. And the most common night terror and ruler of the dead night sky “ The Vespix “; they are flying mutated bats that developed vibrant glowing fur and enhanced wingspans, allowing them to fly longer distances and navigate through the toxic skies, they are cannibals and would eat anything in sight but they are very sensitive to fire and light and that and only that has been my saving Grace.

But mindless mutates weren’t the only things that happened as a result of the atomic fall out and mutations, on rare cases some humans were able to retain their sentience and as result get mutations that could be attributed to super powers but this was a far cry from it.

This came to light about six months after the cataclysm, a human I had come across was able to set his arm on fire but the mutation didn’t make his skin resistant to the heat so it was only natural he was later consumed by his own flames. About three months after that I came across a dead human who had apparently sprouted gills but had died due to dehydration because she wasn’t close to any body of water...

It’s been well over a year since I came across any human who wasn’t severely mutated or dead and I was about to give up, I felt I was the last human alive and with no will to keep moving on and a mind driven to near insanity by the mere silence and being constantly chased by mutates, I was about to end my life.

I stood at the edge of a bridge, gazing out at the polluted brown ocean raging beneath me. With a deep breath and a sense of relief, I was about to leap off when I heard screams echoing in the distance. The cries sounded too real to be coming from one of those mutates, so I rushed to investigate. What I saw surprised me: another human, a girl, being chased by those damned mutates.

As I tried to intervene, I witnessed something that would forever change my life. Right before my eyes, the girl compressed space and moved a great distance within a matter of seconds. However, this exertion wore her out, and she passed out just a couple of meters away from me.

“ Oh good, you’re awake, “ I said, relief evident in my voice.

“ What? Who are you? Where am I? “ she replied,disoriented and struggling to sit up.

“ Calm down, I saw you running from the mutates and helped you when you passed out. That was yesterday, by the way. “ I explained, trying to reassure her.

“ Yesterday?, you mean I’ve been asleep since yesterday “ Her eyes widened in alarm.

“ Yes, technically. What is your name? “ I asked, trying to distract her from her concerns.

“ My name is Eva. And yours? “ She looked up at me with a mix of curiosity and caution.

“ Call me ‘ L ’, “ I replied, omitting the painful truth about my name.

Eva’s gaze lingered on me, as if searching for more information. “ Why ‘ L ’? “ Eva asked, her voice softer.

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. “ I’ve been called that for so long it became my name, “ I said finally, leaving out the painful details.

L : So tell me Eva, what was that thing I saw you do earlier?

Eva : Oh, that? I can’t really explain it very well because it’s still a bit foreign for me, but by compressing space like a physical object, i can move really fast.

L : How long have you been able to do this?

Eva : About three years now, give or take. It started after…after everything changed.

L: Does it have any after-effects on your body?

Eva: Yeah… I get lightheaded due to blood loss from the process. The amount of blood I lose is in comparable to the total distance I travel.

L: Anything else?

Eva : Each time I use it, I loose a part of myself. Sometimes it’s just hair, but other times…it’s hard to explain.

L : What do you mean by that?

Eva : Sometimes I lose a nail or two. It’s like my body is paying a price for using this…this power.

L : That explains why your finger was bleeding and missing a nail.

Eva : Yes…thank you for helping me when I passed out. I owe you one.

L : You don’t owe me anything. But I do want you to be careful with this power. It’s not worth risking your life.

Eva : I know…but it’s all I have right now.

L : Well, we’ll talk more later. Come and eat,and get your strength back.

Eva : “ Thank you. “ She said, with a sign of relief.

It’s been a week since I met Eva, and we’ve been traveling together. The desolate landscape stretches out before us, a constant reminder of what we’ve lost.

Eva’s eyes cloud over as she recounts her past. “I was seventeen when the old world came crashing down. I remember the fear on my mother’s face as she pulled me out of school the day the Great Bombing began. The sound of sirens echoed through the halls, and the smell of smoke wafted through the air, making my eyes sting. I recall the feeling of my mother’s tight grip on my hand as we rushed out of the building, the sun hidden behind a thick haze of ash and debris. “

“As we made our way to the shelter, the ground shook beneath our feet, and the roar of explosions grew louder. I remember the taste of dust and fear in my mouth, and the feeling of my heart racing in my chest. My mother’s voice was hoarse from screaming, and her eyes were wide with terror as she pulled me closer.

" The car was caught in the shockwave of an atomic bomb being dropped in the city. I remember the sound of crunching metal, the feeling of weightlessness, and the smell of burning rubber. My mother’s scream was cut short, and my brother’s [ Emmanuel ] small body went limp in the backseat. I was the only one who survived, left alone in the ruins of our car, surrounded by the silence of death. “

“I’m sorry about what happened to your family. “I say, trying to offer some comfort. Losing someone is never easy.

Eva’s gaze drifts off into the distance. It’s not just the loss. It’s the guilt that comes with surviving. Wondering why I made it out alive when so many others didn’t.

She continued recounting the tales of her past “ My father, Clyde, was in the army so I didn’t know much about him except from the stories my mother, Amber, used to tell me. By the time I made it to the shelter, there was less than fifty people there and with what I knew, we were the last fifty people alive in our city, we were struck bad.

As time went on and rations became low.The people in the bunker had started getting pushed to the edge and some even tried leaving but either died soon after due to the massive amount of radiation still active in the atmosphere and the real unlucky ones got mutated and were left to wander the earth.

Before we knew it, we were less than fifteen people left and two weeks after that only four people remained. After a couple days without food because the rations we had had been completely exhausted, two people out of the four of us resulted to cannibalizing the dead bodies that littered the floor but after a while they turned on us saying they needed fresh meat, I was forced to watch as they killed the boy who was barely thirteen years old and ate his flesh raw, after they were done with this, they turned on me and as they approached I had closed my eyes to accept my fate that awaited me but I waited and waited with my eyes closed and by the time I opened them I realized I was no longer in the bunker, that was the day I realized how I survived the car crash, and that I had this power. “ She said clutching her fist so tightly, her fingertips turned blistering red. “

So, with nowhere to go and nowhere to head to I was left wandering the earth like one of those mutates.

I also thought I was the last person alive before I met you. So tell me about you and did you get any mutations from the fall out?

L : I’m not sure if I got any as a result of the old world but my life in the old world wasn’t a nice one.

Our conversation is interrupted by the sound of mutates in the distance. We exchange a tense glance before taking off in a sprint.

As we run, the silence between us is palpable. We’ve developed a rhythm in our steps, but the weight of our past still lingers.

We eventually find ourselves trapped, surrounded by mutates. Eva’s eyes lock onto mine, a desperate glint in their depths .

“ What should we do? “ she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

I hesitate, unsure of our next move . “ I don’t know. “

Eva’s jaw sets in determination. “ I’ll try to get us out of here. “

She focused her energy, and we disappear into the unknown. The sensation is disorienting, leaving me breathless and disoriented.

As we reappear, I take a moment to collect myself. “ God, I’m never doing that again. “

Eva offers a wry smile. “ Sorry about that. “

I returned the smile, a sense of camaraderie forming between us. “ it’s alright. We made it out alive . “ I said, with a smile stretched across my face.

This area’s been tapped out. We’ve scavenged every last scarp of food and supplies. It’s time to move on. By dawn, we’ll be heading out to the next town, hoping to find something more than just scraps to survive on.

“ IF YOU WANT YOUR SISTER TO BE FINE, GO OUT THERE AND GET US SOME SUPPLIES, “ or at least that’s what they said. I know there’s no way in hell they would simply let us go, and I know this because this is the fifth time they’ve sent me out here to get supplies, and it’s the same story I get back each time I return:

“ YOU CAN BUY YOUR SISTER BACK FROM THE BOSS WHEN YOU’VE BRING IN ENOUGH SUPPLIES. “ I’m not even sure if they’re going to keep their word, but I have to do anything to keep my sister alive; she’s all I have left in this God forsaken world.

It’s really difficult surviving out here.The cold gets up to negative 32 degree Celsius on a good night, and on some nights, it feels like absolute zero. You’d even get to see some mutates who have frozen over, but those darn things just defrost by morning and keep moving around like nothing happened. But I’m able to get away from them because I have a secret, a secret even Union-Busan doesn’t know of.

I’ve been told if I saw any survivors on the way, I should bring them back with me with the disguise of having a safe place where they can stay for a while. But in reality it’s so they could be used as slaves at Union-Busan. I didn’t want to go along with this plan, not until they told me I could trade two slaves for my sister. But they probably only told me this because they didn’t think there were any survivors left out there, or so I thought too, until I saw them. At first, I thought they were mutates till I saw how they were dressed and moved, and so I decided to follow them in secret in the meantime.

L : Be careful, Eva; we don’t know if there are any mutates in this environment, so we have to move in total silence. Stay close to me.

Eva : I know; I’m sorry, it’sthis damn snow that keeps getting in my feet. I’ll try to be more careful.

L : let’s check this super-mart; it looks like it still has some supplies we can use in it. Keep your eyes peeled for any signs of danger.

Eva : Really? Alright let’s go in. I could use some warmer clothes and food.

It’s been over twenty-three minutes since I’ve been trailing them, and these people are weird. At first, I had thought the girl was his sex slave [ Thought Bubble : just how my sister is for the boss at Union-Busan ], but I was wrong. It looks as though he’s just caring for her, and with the way they’re talking to one another, it doesn’t seem like they’re blood relatives. So, what is it then? I can’t let this distract me; I have to do it.

I don’t know who created this pill, but every scavenger is given only one of these at Union-Busan whenever they’re going out to scavenge, and it’s banned from being brought into Union-Busan, let alone being used. it’s only to be used when you want to capture new slaves.

Once the pill is crushed, it releases two pheromones; one that attract every mutates in the area, and the second makes theperson who crushed it becomes practically invincible to them by changing their own smell to that of a mutate. If i use this, I can go with the next plan to capture them. There’s no turning back now [ Action bubble: Crushes the pill on the floor ] Now, all I have to do is wait.

L : Eva, your footsteps are getting louder, what are you doing over there? Try to be quieter.

Eva : L? I’m right behind you, what do you mean by my footsteps? I thought I was being quiet.

L : they’re here Eva, we have to go,NOW!

Eva : Sh!t, but we didn’t even make any noise and where did they suddenly come from? I thought we scouted here out

L : I don’t know but I’m not waiting to find out. Eva, we have to go! Follow me!

Eva : They’re blocking the entrance. What do we do now?

L : Same as the emergency exit. Why the fuck are they so much? I’ve never seen so many mutates in one place. We need to find another way out.

Eva : What do we do L? Or should we try and fight?

L : I don’t think that’s a good idea, Eva. You’re still recovering from the last time we encountered mutates. I don’t want to rush exhausting you.

[ for now character remains unknown and conversation bubbles will be labeled as such ]

Unknown : Heyyyyy, over here!!!!!

Eva : huh? Who’s that? A survivor? Where did he come from?

L : we don’t have time to contemplate; let’s go. It seems that person knows a way out. Let’s follow him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Unknown : We should have lost them by now

L : Thank you so much, we would have been in a pickle if you hadn’t showed up

Unknown : You’re Welcome, if you need a place to rest for the night you can accompany me back to my camp, they’re good people who always welcome any survivor of this harsh world

L : Thank you, lead the way please

Forty-Nine Minutes After The Three Departed, They Arrived At Their Destination. Humanity’s Last Hope : Union-Busan

Unknown : We’re here, please give me a moment so I could get them to open the gate.

L : Alright, thank you once again.

Unknown :it really isn’t anything, “ it’s the end of the world, the least we can do is to be kind to one another “ that’s the slogan of Union-Busan, I’ll be right back

[ any unknown characters introduced now without being given a name will be labeled from Unknown #2 upward from now on ]

Unknown #1 : I have two packages for the boss

Unknown #2 : Sex?

Unknown #1 : One Adult male and one female in her late teens

Unknown #2 : Are they still caught up in the act?

Unknown #1 : Yes, so make sure you show them only those places

Unknown #2 : Alright, here’s your ticket you can go in now.

[ Thought Bubble : I’m sorry I don’t know you guys well but I know you’re not bad people but I have to do anything I can to save my sister and you guys coming in pair means I’ll never have to do this ever again to another person, I’m really sorry ]

Unknown : Alright guys let’s go inside

L : Eva stay close to me at all time once we’re inside

Eva : Alright…

We walked for about seven minutes before we had to go our separate ways for the time being.

Unknown : you can go along with this man here, he’ll take you to the refugee camp ground so you can get your things sorted out, I’ll meet up with you after I see the boss and give him a report.

L : Alright, we’ll be waiting…

Unknown #3 : Name?

Unknown #1 :Sui Reigen

Unknown #3 : Package or Transaction?

Sui :Package

Unknown #3 : You can go inside [ Thought Bubble : so the little cunt finally found a package, I didn’t think he had the guts ]

Sui : I’ve returned sir

Boss : That’s good, did you see any worthy supplies out there?

Sui : “ I actually came to trade packages. “ Sui said, raising his head.

Boss : Ohhh packages? How many?

Sui : Two sir, one male and one female

Boss : Female? How old is she?

Sui : She shouldn’t be more than twenty boss, just how you like it

Boss : Hmmm, you’ve indeed brought me a wonderful find, well I guess you’re expecting a trade for them

Sui :Yes boss, as you promised me earlier I think they should suffice your expectations

Boss : What about the Male?

Sui : He’s got a really huge build and shouldn’t be up to his forties yet, so you should be able to put him to good use boss

Boss : That’s good, truly excellent boy.

Sui : So boss when will the exchange happen? When can I have my sister back sir. The anxiety in Sui voice was evident.

Boss : Ain’t you a being a little bit hasty? At least, allow me to get a glimpse of the package first then we’d discuss about the transaction, take me to where they’re

Sui : Okay boss [ Thought bubble : This damn old geezer is trying to bit around the bush ]

********************************************

Sui : Eva, L I’m back, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting

L : ooh that is fine, you’ve been more than generous with us so the little we can do is wait till you finished your business

Sui : hahaha thank you and speaking of business, this is my boss, Mr Jin-sung.

L : Good afternoon sir

Jin-sung [ From here on would be called Mr Sung for short ] : Good afternoon lucky survivors and allow me welcome you both to UNION BUSAN, a place with no discrimination

L : Thank you very much once again Mr Sung, Sui here saved us from a horde of mutates, if not for his help we’d have been mutates dinner right about now

Mr Sung : You’re welcome and like we say here in Union Busan “ it’s the end of the world, the least we can do is to be kind to one another “ and i’m glad we were able to lend a helping hand, I’m pretty sure you’ve had a very tough life struggling to stay alive out there but in here you don’t have to worry anymore because you’ve made it to your final destination

L : What do you mean by that Mr Sung?

Mr Sung : sorry to soon, that’s a topic we should discuss much later, come, come I want to hear all about your story over a couple drinks and a good meal. I’ll be treating our new friends today to a celebratory feast for having made it this far.

We were taken into his office where we had a pretty decent meal for the first time in years that isn’t either almost expired or in a can, during this time I also learnt that the name of our savior was Sui.

After the meal I started feeling the exhaustion from our journey and soon fell asleep.

But when I had awakened, I was bound by chains and sat in a room with no lights or windows, after what felt like an eternity of struggling to get free somebody finally came into the room and turned on the lights.

L :What’s going on? Why am I chained up Sui?

Sui : I’m sorry, I am really sorry I had to do this

L : Where’s Eva? Sui where the fuck is EVA

Sui : The boss took her. Bios voice shaking with guilt.

L : Took her? For what?

Sui : I’m sorry Mr L, I haven’t known you for that long but I’m certain you’re not a bad person but I have to do this

L : Why? Why do you have to do this

Sui : I have to or my sister will…

# voice over the speaker : that’s enough Sui, get out of there now

Sui : OKAY!! I’m sorry please but I have to do this.

L : NO SUI GET BACK HERE, NOOOO FUCKK NOOO, DON’T YOU FUCKERS DO ANYTHING TO EVA, DO YOU HEAR ME? I’LL SKIN YOU ALL ALIVE IF YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON HER, I’LL KILL YOU ALL

It was nothing but dead silence for yet another eternity but this time I knew someone was watching me ever since that voice came over the speaker and the reason the room is dark is because it’s being observed with a night vision security camera but I can’t stay here forever, Eva needs my help.

I struggled and struggled for hours but each time I almost got free, somebody comes in to redo my binds and beat the breaks of me and so I was always set back to square one over and over again but I can’t give up, I can’t allow the one friend I finally made in this God forsaken world die before my eyes or worse, I’m not sure if I can keep living with myself if anything ever happens to her.

This is all my fault, I shouldn’t have brought her here.

Eva : whEre am I? Arrrggghhhh, WHO ARE YOU? What are you doing here?

Mr Sung : Calm down Eva. it’s me, Mr Sung.

Eva : What are you doing? Where’s L? WHAT DID YOU TO MY CLOT… why are my arms bound? Release meeee!!!

Mr Sung : ain’t you a bit of a rough one, Sui indeed brought me a wonderful package worth a trade

Eva : what do you mean Sui? Are you saying we were lead here for this?

Mr. Sung leaned back in his chair, a sly smile spreading across his face as he steepled his fingers together. “I must say, I’m impressed. You’re quite the feisty one, Eva.”

He gestured to one of his guards, who stepped forward and handed him a small, leather-bound book. Mr. Sung flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the contents before landing on a specific entry.

“Ah, yes. Sui’s latest acquisition. A male and female, both in good health. The perfect additions to our little community.”

Eva’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the implications. “What do you plan to do with us?”

Mr. Sung’s smile grew wider. “Oh, I think you’ll find your new home quite... accommodating.”

Eva : WHAT???

Mr. Sung: It’s the truth, but you don’t have to channel your anger towards him. I will have him disposed of today anyway, since I have no plan of trading with him. My son already took a liking to her... (he trailed off, his gaze drifting to a nearby guard) See to it that Sui is taken care of. Permanently.

The guard nodded curtly and exited the room, leaving Eva in stunned silence.

Eva: ~ left speechless due to shock ~

Sui : I was on my way to tell the boss that L had woken up when I had over hear him speaking with Eva, just when I was about to walk in I heard him say he was going to kill me since he wasn’t going through with the trade, I knew he wouldn’t give my sister back to me but I never anticipated he would view me as dead weight and try to get rid of me, but what do I do? I have to do something or else I’ll be killed and if I die, I know sooner or later his son would grow tired of my sister and they would kill her too, so I had turned around and headed to my room to think of a way to escape Union Busan before the guards realized I overheard them.

Unknown #5 : How many more times do I have to keep coming back in here to retie you, you fucking yankee

He said within the flurry of blows, one after the other I sat there in the dark taking it but that wasn’t the worst part, it’s was the waiting not knowing where or when I’d be struck by his fists. Over and over again I tried to escape and each time he comes to beat me.

fEEt!

ON YOUR FEET LIMA!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING BOY? ALREADY GIVING UP?

[ L is the short for Lima ]

L : Sir ! No Sir !!

Drill Sergeant : NOW CATCH UP TO THE BROOD OR YOU’d GIVE ME 50 AROUND THE COURT YARD

L : YES SIR !!!

[ SPECIAL FORCES QUALIFICATION COURSE ( SFQC ) and for short Q- Course ]

Q - course 1 : The princess has finally made it back.

Q- course 2 : Come on, give Lima a break,

Why would an old man like you be bullying the young

Q - course 1 : what did you say? You’re also an old man if you compare to Lima

Q -course 2 : and do you see me whining about it? Lima forget about him, his a bitter old man.

Lima : Thank you very much, Oscar

Oscar : Anytime, anyways let’s go to get cleaned up, that was a tedious jug across the mountain

Lima : You speak my mind brother

The days were like these, simply and easy. We trained and built bonds together, we were a family and I wished we could have stayed that way, I have wished that every single day ever since that day but why am I remembering this memory now of all times, ah! it seems my body still recalls the torture I endured in that place also, how ironic.

A broken, dishuffled voice whispered and called out to me admits my thoughts

mr. l !mr. L !! mR. L!!!

MR. L!!!!

L : Yes, yes who is it?

Whisper ~: it’s me Mr. L, please stay calm and quiet or else they will over-hear us, please just listen to what I have to say I beg you.

L : okay

Whisper ~: Sir it’s me Sui and I am really sorry for bringing you into this, they have my sister and have been using her as a sex slave, they forced me out each time to bring more supplies for them to trade yet my sister was never returned, the hordes of mutates I saved you from, it was my fault they were after you in the first place, I brought them to you, I am sorry I have been deceiving you from the moment we met and I am so sorry, I am responsible for bringing you both here and I will not push that blame onto anyone else or say I did it because I was forced by Union Busan and it’s people, I am here to apologize and beg for you to help me

Lima : It is fine, Sui. You never appeared to me as a bad person, and that was why I followed you. You say you need my help; What for? How can I be of help to you?

Sui : Thank you, thank you very much, Mr. L. Mr. Sing promised to give my sister to me in exchange for two slaves, but now that I have actually completed that quota, he doesn’t want to hold on to his end of the bargain and is trying to kill me now.

L : So, what do you want from me? What’s your plan?

Sui : I want to break you out of here so we can go and save Eva and my sister from Mr. Sung. We need to be careful; the guards are everywhere.

L : if I can save Eva, I don’t care what I have to do. what is the plan, Sui? How are we going to take down the guard if my hands and feet are tied?

Sui : Mr. L, how do you think I am in this room right now and have not been spotted by the guards?

L : it also occurred to me but I haven’t been able to piece it together, how are you doing it?

Sui : since we can’t have secrets between us I’ll tell you, I got bitten by a mutate that came out of no where suddenly once when I was out scavenging, at first I was scared I would turn into one but after a week went by I didn’t and that was when I realized I had gained the mutates power instead, I was able to camouflage with any and every surface even air, right now I am invisible to the infrared cameras, so here’s the plan.

L : Alright, let’s do this. But Sui, if you’re tricking me, you’ll regret it.

Sui : I’m not trying to trick you, Mr. L, I swear on my sister’s life.

L : (struggling) Ahh, help me! This crazy guy is trying to kill me!

Unknown #5 : this is the last time I’ll come and retie you, you this stupid idiot, when will you realize that you can’t escape?

Here’s the plan Mr. L, I’ll untie you a little bit and then I’ll hide while you pretend and make noise attracting the guard and when he comes in and is close enough to you I’ll give you a signal and we would both jump him…

Sui’s voice was a low growl. “ NOW! MR. L ”

Before the guard could react Mr. L and I jumped him from both sides and a brief struggle ensued. The guards muffled screams were the only sound for forty seconds before they ceased, and the room fell silent once more.

Sui : Let’s go, Mr. L. We have to move fast before more guards arrive.

L : Lead the way, Sui. And call me L.

They made their way through the corridors of Union-Busan, avoiding guards and security cameras. Sui leads L to a hidden exit, and they escape into the snowy night.

L: Where are we headed, Sui?

Sui: We need to get to the old clock tower on the outskirts of town. My sister and Eva are being held there.

L: Let’s move. We don’t have much time.

They trudge through the snow, determined to rescue Eva and Sui’s sister.

As they approached the room, blood curdling screams and pleas for help grew louder, And L’s expression turned cold. He crept into the room silently.

Before I could process what was going on, I saw Mr. L walk into the room, so silently that it scared me, that a man filled with so much anger could hide it this much from his prey, at that moment what I saw attack Mr. Sung was not a human acting like a monster but a monster finally taking off its human skin.

With a huge swing, the metal pool Mr. L had secured from the guard made contact with Mr. Sung’s face and it knocked him off Eva while screaming Who was it that hit him but Mr. L never gave a response nor did he stop, he kept hammering away at him even as he begged for his life, the sound of crunching bone and Mr. Sung’s desperate pleas for mercy filled the air but what scared me was that Mr. L didn’t even say a single word or sound during this whole ordeal, it was simply a cold murder.

After what seemed like an eternity, L finally stopped, his chest heaving with exertion. He turned to Sui, his eyes still blazing with fury.

L : Sui, where is your sister?

Sui : once we exist this building, his son is in the next one to the left

After I gave a response, he didn’t reply but silently norged me to lead the way and so I did, the silence while we ventured to the next building was so eerie that I was scared what he was planning to do next and after four minutes we arrived, by the time we had arrived the alarms went off, it seemed someone had discovered Mr. Sung’s body and had sounded the alarm and the guards have started to search for the culprit.

As they approached the clock tower, L could feel a sense of unease. Something didn’t feel right

L: Sui, I don’t like this. Something feels off.

Sui: What are you talking about, L? This is the place.

L: “ I know, but...I don’t know, it just feels wrong. “ I replied, with a puzzled tone to my voice.

Sui: We have to be careful, L. Mr. Sung’s son “ Choi Sung “ is not someone to be trifled with.

L: I know, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Let’s just be quiet for a second and listen.

They stood there in silence, listening to the wind and the creaks of the old clock tower. Suddenly, L heard a faint noise.

L: “ Do you hear that? “ I Asked.

Sui: Hear what?

L: That noise. It sounds like...whispering.

Sui: Whispering? What are you talking about, L? I don’t hear anything.

L: I don’t know, but I don’t like it. Let’s get out of here.

Sui: No, L, we can’t leave now. We have to rescue my sister.

L: Fine, but we’re doing this my way. Stay close and stay quiet.

They cautiously entered the clock tower, guns drawn. As they made their way up the stairs, the whispering grew louder.

L: What is this place?

Sui: I don’t know, L. I’ve never been here before. Mr. Sung always said it was off limits.

L: This feels like some kind of trap.

Sui: We have to keep moving, L. We can’t turn back now.

As they reached the top of the stairs, they saw Sui’s sister being held captive by Choi Sung.

Choi Sung : “ Ah, you must be the ones who have been causing so much trouble. I’ve heard a lot about you. “ His voice was shaky, and uncertain.

L: Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.

Choi Sung : Oh, but she does. She’s a valuable pawn in my plans. And as for you...I’m not sure what to do with you yet.

Sui: You’ll never get away with this! We’ll stop you!

Choi Sung : We’ll see about that. But for now, let’s just focus on...tidying up.

Choi Sung’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at L and Sui. “My father’s passing has created a power vacuum, and I intend to fill it. You two are obstacles that need to be eliminated.”

L’s expression remained stoic, but his eyes flashed with warning. “You’re not thinking clearly, Choi. Killing us won’t solve your problems.”

Choi Sung sneered. “You’re just trying to stall. But I’m not foolish enough to fall for it. My father may have underestimated you, but I won’t make the same mistake.”

Sui’s eyes blazed with anger. “You’ll never get away with this, Choi. There are people who will stop you.”

Choi Sung’s smile was cold and calculating. ” I’m counting on it. But until they arrive, you two are at my mercy. And I always get what I want. ”

L’s gaze locked onto Choi Sung’s, a silent challenge issued. “We’ll see about that.”

The air was thick with tension as the two men engaged in a silent standoff, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

The first to break the silence was Sui,as he whispered to L. “ Get ready to run and grab my sister once I say so Mr. L. “

L nodded subtly, his eyes fixed on Choi Sung.

Sui slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pill. It was the same type given to scavengers, designed to attract mutates.

Choi Sung’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing?”

Sui smiled grimly. “Just evening the odds.”

With a swift motion, Sui threw the pill to the ground, shattering it. The air was immediately filled with a pungent smell, and the sound of mutates echoed in the distance.

“Go!” Sui shouted, grabbing his sister’s hand. Freeing her from Choi’s hold.

L sprang into action, covering them as they made a run for the stairs. Choi Sung’s guards gave chase, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the mutates pouring into the clock tower.

In the chaos, Sui’s sister was torn from his grasp. “Sister!” he screamed, desperately trying to reach her.

But it was too late. A mutate dragged her screaming into the darkness, and she was gone. And soon after, her screams ceased.

Sui’s eyes went wide with horror as he screamed, “Sister!” He desperately tried to reach her, but it was too late. A mutate dragged her screaming into the darkness, and she was gone.

Sui’s face contorted in anguish, and he stumbled backward, his eyes fixed on the spot where his sister had vanished. “No...no...no...” he whispered, his voice cracking with despair.

L grabbed Sui’s arm, trying to pull him away from the danger zone. “Sui, we have to go! Now!” But Sui didn’t respond, frozen in his grief.

L shook him harder, trying to snap him out of his trance-like state. “Sui, come on! We can’t stay here!” Sui slowly turned to L, his eyes empty and haunted. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the only sound was the distant screams and snarls of the mutates. Then, L’s words seemed to penetrate Sui’s fog of grief, and he nodded, his face set in a determined grimace. Together, they fought their way through the mutates and escaped into the night, leaving the carnage behind.

The next morning, L and Sui sat in silence, nursing cups of cold coffee in a cramped, dingy café on the outskirts of the city. The events of the previous night still lingered, etched on their faces like scars.

Sui stared blankly into his cup, his eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. L’s expression was grim, his jaw clenched in a mixture of anger and determination.

They had barely spoken since escaping the clock tower, each lost in their own thoughts. But as the morning wore on, the silence became oppressive, weighing heavily on their shoulders.

Finally, L spoke up, his voice low and rough. “We can’t stay here. Choi Sung will have every available resource searching for us.”

Sui nodded, his eyes still fixed on his coffee. “I know. But where can we go? We can’t trust anyone.”

L’s gaze swept the café, his eyes lingering on the few patrons scattered about. “We need to find someone who can help us. Someone who knows the city, knows how to navigate the underworld.”

Sui raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of interest sparking in his eyes. “You have someone in mind?”

L’s expression turned thoughtful, his eyes narrowing as he considered their options. “I’m not sure yet. But I do know that we can’t stay here. We need to keep moving, find a way to gather our strength and come up with a plan to take down Choi Sung.”

Sui nodded, his eyes never leaving L’s face. “And then what?”

L’s smile was thin, his eyes glinting with determination. “Then we take back what’s ours. We make Choi Sung pay for what he’s done.”