Chapter 6: The Point of No Return

The march continued. One after another, the army left the fog behind and became visible.

Doger and Gitta, paralyzed by fear, welcomed the dozens of creatures that invaded the streets like a disturbed swarm.

Perhaps saying that they were paralyzed would be inaccurate to justify their stillness. The reality is that there was nowhere to run.

Even so, one of them, Doger, was agitated and uselessly looked from side to side trying to find a way out that did not exist.

Doger: AH! S-SHIT! AH!

It was a swarm, a tide, a surrounding cluster.

The pressure increased while Gitta, still, continued thinking what they could do, what options they had, as if looking for traces of water in an empty well, until…

Doger: Tsk…!

Like a bull the Dreamer charged Doger's shoulder, but it was a brush that merely pushed him aside.

Another Dreamer followed, this time crossing between the two.

Gitta: ...!

One after the other, the Dreamers ran and continued on their way. It was impossible not to have been seen, which only meant that they had been ignored.

Confused, Gitta quickly realized that they were not the ones being chased, at least not this time.

Slowly he turned his head, cautiously to avoid drawing attention, turning his eyes to the home behind him.

The creatures jumped over the railings, some demolishing them without caring what. Windows flew, glass scattered in the air.

What were they after? Not them. They knew that right away. If they had been, they themselves would have been a pile of flesh and blood staining the pavement at that very moment.

The boy's heart suddenly raced as he heard the muffled screams coming from inside that cabin. He easily recognized them; they were the screams of that couple.

How long would it take for those screams to be muffled? No more than a few seconds. And what would follow after such carnage ended?

They would be next.

A premonition and a prediction.

Gitta placed a hand on his companion's shoulder, wringing his shirt from the tension. He warned him that they had to escape, and nodding he pointed to where; a wooden and concrete fence that bordered the street and the settlement, high enough to hide and low enough to be surpassed.

They headed there and jumped.

The duo leaned their backs against the wall trying to control their breathing. Beside them, Doger raised his index finger warning them to keep quiet. Considering the scandal at the site the warning was superfluous, but at that point they no longer knew what exactly should be done. And yet they could hear nothing but a high-pitched hum, a loud Tinnitus.

Gitta saw it and turned to look at the distance in front of them.

The fog. The waves of shadows continued to run through it, however, some separated from the cluster to the right.

Despite the poor visibility, one of the shadows was able to make eye contact with the hidden pair. Raising her arm, it was clear to them who it was.

The young Audrey Kissandra once again pointed the way. Shaun in front, and Garwin behind, carrying Izzy on his back.

There was no other escape route considering the large horde right behind them. The way back to the shelter was blocked by the raging sea of ​​bodies.

Ducking their heads and avoiding being spotted, both desperately pursued the rest of the group through the dense fog and towards the only exit, the coast of La Quilla.

-[Ø]-

The evening sun was barely a pale glow behind the curtain of fog that engulfed the horizon. The thick sea mist had already advanced from the ocean, covering the waters, the wind, and blurring the outlines of houses, docks, and abandoned fishing boats.

The buildings poked their pointed roofs out and, just like in the commercial areas; they raised one on top of the other, this time over the ocean tides.

In this area there was no trace of sand. The tall settlements lined the coast on concrete structures that served as support, while the vegetation consisted more of plantations of ferns or orchids in pots decorating windows, as well as green moss growing on the perpetually wet walls.

It was a real shame not to be able to appreciate the ocean; to appreciate the reeds that emerged from the shallow water or the numerous detached white lotuses that swam in the faint currents. Instead, they were crushed by the boots of the new visitors.

Shaun: Gah, ah... I can't... Ah... L-let's stop for a moment —he breathed out those words rather than just saying them.

Doger: Keep going, man! Keep going!

Despite being in better physical condition, even the hyperactive Doger looked noticeably exhausted.

For his part, Garwin had to carry his partner on his back for the entire journey, which was a more than an impressive achievement.

Garwin: Tsk... Ah... Don't you want to speak louder? Ah...

Doger: Oh, right.

Under the saffron cloth of the new stage they dragged their feet in the puddles until they entered one of the first small palm huts they found.

It stood on the water, supported by stilts corroded by salt and time; a former fishermen's shelter that now made no sound. It seemed safe.

Izzy: You can put me down, Garwin —she spoke in his ear—. I appreciate it.

Garwin: Sure... Ah... Gah... —he held onto both knees, catching his breath with strong gasps— Do you... feel better?

Izzy: Better —she answered before turning to Audrey—. Where are we?

The girl was in front of the group, scratching and ruffling her voluminous black hair while she observed the surroundings through the windows and babbled to herself.

Audrey: If we got this far maybe I could…

Izzy: Audrey.

Audrey: Sure, sure —she looked at them and sat down on one of the wooden benches—, and you can call me Kiss. ​​It comes from my last name Kissandra. I'm not used to answering to my first name unless it comes from my mother's voice scolding me.

Izzy: …We shall keep that in mind.

Audrey (Kiss): Heh. Don't be formal, friend. My friends call me that after all. I was just… thinking about which way to go now.

Doger: No one's going to mention the elephant in the room? —He intervened.

Too many assumptions and rumors had been confirmed, after all. There was no shadow of a doubt about the existence represented by the beings they nicknamed "Dreamers". The city, the town, were empty for a reason, and being fed to those things could be related. Also, they could measure the level of threat; facing one head on was unthinkable.

Their hair stood on end just remembering their amorphous appearances.

Gitta: I-It was a disaster... —he sat down to rest on a bench behind him, massaging his head— I don't know what all that was about.

Doger: He and I waited for you in the house for hours and you didn't come back. Do you remember that old man's baby? That thing was evil. It looked like a moving worm. Disgusting —he showed an expression of disgust, while he scanned the furniture and shelves he could find inside the hut.

Distracting himself helped him.

Gitta: It was crying, or so it seemed. I'd never heard anything like that... My ears still hurt.

Izzy: That was the noise we heard from the cellar —crossing her legs, the girl placed her hands and meditated—. It must have attracted them.

Gitta: So...

Doger: That's why they passed us by! We narrowly escaped from that... Man... And you were able to bring the food? I left my bag behind in that house. In fact, —he raised an eyebrow— Iz, why did Gar carry you here?

Garwin: …

For the first time, Garwin was seen without the initiative and motivation to answer a question. He had not forgotten what he had witnessed in the depths of that cellar.

The images of dismembered bodies were still impregnated in his eyes, the smell of flesh and putrefaction in his nose. Remembering it was enough to make him feel anxious and his breathing agitated.

The young Izzy noticed his trembling hand, and approached behind his large back.

Izzy: Drink some water —she offered him her bottle.

He looked at her and accepted her offer immediately.

Garwin: Damn...

Audrey (Kiss): ...

Izzy: We also dropped most of our supplies while escaping from them, except for my bag and... Kiss's —she focused on answering—. It's been a waste of time.

Doger: How great. This happens to us and now we must add to the list of misfortunes the fact that we will return empty-handed at the end. Another shitty day.

Gitta: Despite that, we must return —he stressed—. We cannot stay here.

Audrey (Kiss): I highly doubt that will be possible now, Gitta —the young woman approached, referring to the view outside the windows—. Those things blocked the way back, and even for me it is difficult to locate myself when the fog is this thick. There would be a chance if there wasn't one but that's how things ended.

Gitta: Is there an alternative route to the shelter?

Audrey (Kiss): Sure, if you want to go around the coast and the city. Let's just say that the path we took saved us about five times the work of walking.

Garwin: ...We need a car. That would help. Even if it's just parked, I could start it up —he declared.

Izzy: Kiss, you know the surroundings well. You should know about a nearby store, warehouse, or parking lot.

Audrey (Kiss): Mm... (The sand isn't too far from here, and maybe...) —She thought as she wandered in her own mind again, then she addressed the group—. Ok. Look. I know a place we can try. But this time we'll go exactly where I tell you, okay?

Izzy: ...Agreed.

As the sand was scarce in the place, the clock was about to be poured out in its entirety. Time. They couldn't waste a single grain.

Their guide was the same fog that made them lose their way. The saffron light that enveloped the ocean horizon permeated the cloudiness before them. If it changed tone they would know that their time would be up.

They walked along the coast towards their destination.

To their left, the sound of the waves was lost in the salty wind until it reached them faintly, diluting between the supports of the huts to culminate against the wall that separated them from the ocean, and thus repeating the process.

To their right, hotel and tourist settlements of more than fifty meters high, with minimalist designs, as well as dark and reddish tints that gave them a simple and elegant impression.

Each door and each window closed. A memory of isolation perhaps for the better, considering the last time they saw a situation like that.

In fact, they felt safer than before. The fog did not allow them to see, but it did not allow them to be seen either. They only needed to be cautious and they could successfully navigate the path without being found. This offered them a brief respite from the constant danger.

The group of young men looked around. Gitta, the buildings.

He watched as the fog slowly skirted, embraced and left each one. Unable to see beyond a few floors, he fretted at the thought of the possibility of one of these closed doors being opened, or smashed, as he had witnessed before; there was no blockade that could stop them.

After a few minutes they finally saw it. A colossal wall rose in front reaching several dozen meters high.

On its gaunt walls were placed promotional posters with figures of all subjects; Famous actors, duels between fighters, competitions, schools, graffiti, but the attention was drawn to the large marble statues that guarded the entrance, the figure of a medieval knight, standing in full armor, resting his sword at his feet, and at his side, a man with a trained body tensing his arms that were covered in scars, the image of a martial artist of the highest expertise.

This was the Great Arena of La Quilla, the home of countless confrontations. No matter the discipline, experience, gender or age, everyone was welcome to have a chance to prove their worth. It was the main attraction of the province, the pride and spirit of its citizens.

To be continued...