PROLOGUE
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, UNITED STATES — 20XX
KAI
I don’t think I can feel my legs anymore. “Practice makes perfect”? What a fucking joke! I have been walking, running, and doing the same thing over and over again to survive from these human-like monsters. It practically became a part of me, and yet, one night of sleep, and my legs turned soggy. Great.
Actually no. This is bad. My stomach has been grumbling since this morning because I haven’t eaten a single meal except for yesterday’s water that I found at the side of the street. Why? Because every major city in the States has turned into Ground Zero for these “humans”. Vegas is one of them. It’s not safe for me to stay here anymore, but I can’t leave since leaving by myself would be a deathmatch.
That’s why, if I need to move, I have to be careful about it. Very careful. Think about A Quiet Place, but lighter than that. That’s the exact situation I am in. One wrong move and there’s the consequence, and I wish not to be in that situation.
For a year and a half, I have managed to survive them. With help and without help. I have gone through all of it. Even losing everything in one night...
Their voices, their scents, and their screams. Everything is still stuck at the back of my mind. If only I weren’t so weak to save them, would they still be alive? The only reason I’m still here is that they saved me. So, I need to live for them. No matter what.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
What’s that?
“I could smell one here.” Shit. Had they already found me? No. I can’t have that. I have to get out of here quietly and quickly. I take off my shoes to ensure my footsteps won’t attract a lot of attention. These creatures are most imperceptible with noise. “Find them.” In any second, they are going to find the unfinished section of this level, and when they see the little ashes from the fire I made yesterday, I’m going to be doomed.
Thankfully, I slept in the closed section on the level. The thing separating us is a door. There is no way out of the room except for going out the door and exposing myself to them or jumping out of the window and breaking my bones. I don’t think the latter is the best option. Not to mention that healthcare around here is practically nonexistent. If I jump out, I am just as good as dead. So I decided to stick with the safest option. It might be dangerous, but at least I won’t be dead.
Thankfully, I had left the emergency door open just in case a situation like this arose. The problem, however, is that the emergency staircase is located at the opposite end of the room I am currently in. Thinking back at how safe it would be to stay behind closed doors makes me regret my decision immensely right now.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Their footsteps are getting louder by the second, which means they are getting closer to me. Alright, I need to get myself together. This is not the first time I have been in this kind of situation, and I have won multiple track and field competitions. I will be fine. Right?
Technically, there is not much planning needed since I have nothing with me except for my shoes. I have one job. Open the door and run to the other side of the building. Also, avoid being caught. That’s the most important part of the whole plan.
I picked up my shoes and shifted my body to face the door. My right hand rests on the doorknob. For unknown reasons, today’s air seems to be way harsher and tenser than other days. I could feel the hair in my arms stand up, and my legs were still shaking from the cramp. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to keep the noise down.
This or nothing.
With an anxious heart, I push the door open. It was unintentionally loud, but it certainly attracted them. “Hey! I heard noise over there!” I could hear the sounds of multiple footsteps coming my way. Despite the urgency, the muscles in my legs decide to grip themselves painfully. I almost let out a sound from the pain. Fuck! The muscle on my right foot feels like it clamped down on something.
I massage my right foot hurriedly. There are millions of bad words that I could say to express my pain, but unless I wanted to be found, I would rather keep them to myself. “I hear a heartbeat around this area!”
Shit. Shit. Shit!
“I get to have them first!”
“What? Why should you? I’m the one who found him first!”
“I’m the leader. Without me, both of you wouldn’t survive.”
“That’s unfair!”
“Shut up! If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
“Hey, if we keep making noise, they’re going to escape, so I need both of you to shut up!”
“So, I need to shut up? Even though I help you guys a lot?”
Their bantering caused my body to loosen up a bit. They also gave me some time to massage my leg.
After a short while, my right leg relaxed, and I took this opportunity to stand out without caring if the cramps had been relieved or not. I needed to get out. The moment I rushed out of the room, they arrived in front of me. Without hesitation, I pushed them away with all my might and continued running to the stairs.
It took them a while to realize what was happening, and by the time they did, I had already locked the door. As I raced down the stairs, I could hear the rattling sound before they busted down the door. With that, I picked up my pace. The intense clacking sound follows behind me. Since they are naturally faster than humans, I have to run faster—just one more level.
I take a peek behind me to check where they are. When I see that they are close behind me, my heart internally leaps. I was not expecting them to catch up so quickly. I wish there were a way to slow them down.
Wait. My shoes.
I turn around and throw one of my shoes at them. “Ah!” One of them falls from the impact of my shoe. I was very surprised that I managed to hit one of them in the head. The guy in the middle looks at me in disbelief. Without thinking straight, I throw the other one at him. I turned back and continued down. Hearing a thud, I assumed that it had missed him.
From afar, I saw the front door. I didn’t waste any more time and sprinted towards it. I push the door open and immediately close it after I get out.
I hold the door by pulling the handle tightly. The “humans” bang on the door strongly, leaving a dent in the steel door next to my face. One of them was twisting the doorknob from the inside. Thank goodness, I noticed it immediately and pulled the doorknob with all my strength and might. I don’t know how long we are in a standstill, but a few moments later, the banging and the rattling stop.
To say I was skeptical would be an understatement. I stay in the same position for a few moments before slowly releasing the door. I waited for a while to see if they would suddenly pull the door open or do something wild. No response.
I let out a sigh after a while. My shoulder drops as the feelings of relief flood in. After the whole charade ended, the sense of the blood rushing down was evident. The sound of my heartbeat was louder than everything else around me. It has been a while since I felt adrenaline rushes like this. Back then, I had help from the people that I met along the way. Since I was still 20 years old, the elders protected me and the other younglings so that we didn’t need to worry as much. Now that I’m alone, the feelings are more overwhelming than I thought.
As the adrenaline washed off, my stomach grumbled loudly, begging me for scraps of food. Even worse, there is a slight stabbing sensation present. I need food, and I need it badly. If I remember correctly, this street is closed to the main street, so there might be a lot of stores nearby.
Okay. I need a checklist.
Find a store
Get foods that sustain for longer times
Find first-aid kits
Get new clothes and definitely new shoes.
Clap. Clap. Clap. “Making a checklist? Ahh, you humans really do delight me with your uhh...ordinary task.” Instantaneously, my body froze. Fuck. Don’t tell me there’s another one. Please do not tell me there’s another one.
I shifted my weight slowly toward them. In that moment, my heart dropped. There are five of them. Five. A guy with white hair stepped in front of them. If I’m betting against someone, I’ll bet that he’s the leader.
“They told me that you rushed past them. How amazing. I did not know that humans could do that... or maybe you’re just different?” I keep my mouth shut, not answering his question.
I noticed that his lips curled upward. There’s no smugness in the way his lips moved. Just... amusement? “Quiet. I like the quiet one.” His words seem harmless, but there’s no harmlessness in them. I can feel my stomach swirling after he muttered those two sentences.
“Let’s see how far you can go, human.” With that, four of them rushed at me with their accelerated speed. I didn’t waste any time and bolted.
Four against one is unfair. Four of them split up into two groups. Two of them turned their direction to the nearby alley, while the other two chased me from behind. Not to mention the scorching heat of Vegas was not helping my case either, since I had no shoes on my feet. The heat radiated from the asphalt on the road almost erased my footprints.
I struggled against the heat and continued running when suddenly my body fell on the ground. “Ughh...” I was confused about what happened until I moved my right leg. All nerves in my body screamed at me to stop moving. Have I sprained my ankle? I wiggled my foot again, and immediately, pain blasted down my body. Damn it. This is not a good time.
I tried to drag my body away from them, but as soon as I could, my leg was lifted to the air, and I was pulled back harshly. The pain from my throbbing ankle spread through my body.
“Aghhhh!”
After tearing my ankle apart, they turned my body around, forcing me to face them. Their height towers over me. Under direct sunlight, I have a harder time identifying them. Their pale face weren’t helping me either. The leader arrived shortly and closed the distance between us. His fingertips lightly touched my chin, tilting my head up. Instinctively, I push his cold hands off my chin.
The leader seems stunned for a moment. His gaze focused on his hand. “Cain?” One of them called out. So, his name is Cain. Fitting for someone like him.
He snapped out and let out a low chuckle. The buzzing from his voice seems to carry a darker tone. Suddenly, my throat feels constricted, like the tube was pushing itself together to merge.
Without asking for my consent, he yanked my chin closer to him. The distance between us was crazily close, so close I could smell his breath. It was mint. He tilts my head up and down and left to right. His lips pursed together like he was making a decision.
“Not bad. Has a great jaw, great face structure—” His eyes trailed down my body. “—Great body. They would love him.” The way he was examining me sounds like he is scouting me for America’s Next Top Model. I wished he were. “Bring him in.” With that, his men stood next to me and hooked their arms with mine, forcing me to stand against my will.
Is this my end? Am I finally getting caught? No. I can not get caught like this. Come on, Kai. Think of something. I look around, trying to find something that can help me escape from their grasp.
“Hey!” A woman? That’s a woman’s voice. Why is there a woman? Hearing the sudden intrusion, their movement comes to a halt. They looked around, searching for her. “Over here, bitch!”
Bang! A bullet ricocheted against a car, landing next to it. Following the bullet’s trajectory, they found her on top of a building. Because of the sunlight, I was unable to make out her face, but I took notice of the rifle she was holding.
She reloaded her rifle, and since their attention was on her, I took the chance and bit the lefty’s arm roughly. Stunned by my sudden action, he lets out a painful howl.
Within seconds, the sounds of the rifle going off rang in my head, and the right one fell on the ground. With her help, I hobbled as fast as I could down the street. Each steps feel like hell decides to shower me with balls of fire. Meanwhile, she keeps shooting at them, preventing them from coming after me.
I looked forward and saw a family store just a couple of steps from where I’m standing. Just a little bit more, Kai. Just a little bit more.
As I was about to open the door of the store, I heard a yell. “Help!” It was that woman. My hand hangs in the air, the handle of the store. “Help!” She lets out another scream of help.
For a moment, I don’t want to turn back. I mean, I’m already in front of a store. I can hide in there for the time being. Even so, she did help me. I feel obligated to know what happens. My head turned to them.
The woman was already on the road; no doubt it was the creatures. They make her go down on her knees. Then, I couldn’t see most of what happened. Cain’s tall body covered what they were doing to her. I could only hear her voice. She gasped like something was constricting her.
What should I do? I alternate between the two options: the woman or the store. If I help her, I may have a companion, but I can’t be sure what’s going to happen later. If I go into the store, I can stock up and hide for a moment, but I also can’t tell what would happen after that.
I can’t risk it. I’m sorry, whoever you are.
I tugged on the handle and pushed her away from my thoughts. I walked into the store and immediately limped to the storage room. I can hide in there for a while.
After closing the door, I noticed a few boxes on the side. Maybe I can use it for extra defense. Make sure that they’re having a harder time opening the door. I picked up a few boxes and placed them against the door.
After I was done, I leaned against the wall, sliding down slowly. The silence in the room was deafening except for my heartbeat. Due to the ensuing silence, I’ve just realized that my heart was hammering against my ribcage. My whole body was buzzing.
Just as I shifted my bodyweight slightly, flares of throbbing sensation shot up my body. That’s when I remember that I sprained my ankle. I reached out and took off my sock to see mild swelling and red bruising around my ankle.
I must admit the look of it is bad. When they pulled my leg, they must’ve ripped my ligament as well. I need an ice pack and a pack of bandages.
I hold onto a shelf nearby and push myself up to no avail. My body is getting frail as every nerve in my body is begging me to stop moving. In the end, I have no choice but to sit down.
When my stomach continues to rumble, I am again being reminded that I need food to fuel up. I look around to see if there’s any food that I can munch on, and thankfully, the box next to me contains a lot of energy bars.
I tear open a packet and begin to chew on it like my life depended on it.
Bang!
My attention turned toward the door.
Bang!
The boxes shifted slightly.
Bang!
The sound of banging echoed in the storage room. The door slowly begins to crack.
Fuck. Can’t they let me rest for a moment? Now, I need to move again. I forced myself to get up against every ache in my body.
Bang! The door flew open, causing me to fall back down on my right leg. My body froze momentarily as the pain intensified.
I snapped out when I felt a tug on my hair. My head was roughly pulled up by Cain. He gives me a smile that reaches his eyes like the Joker’s.
Without a warning, he grabbed me by the neck and dug his fingers deeper.
I can’t breathe. Oh god, I can’t breathe. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The feeling of his hand wrapping around me was too much. It was like he wanted to leave an imprint on me.
I try to pry his hand away, but he only presses further, constricting my throat.
Oh, my head is spinning. I can’t keep my eyes open.
Black spots start to appear in my vision. As time passes, Cain slowly looks blurrier until he disappears.
