Arc 1 - Chapter 15: The First Stage

(Prominis 1, 58 / 7:08PM)

—She’s too fast!

Inside the gym room, laid a ring in the center. Surrounded by many dumbbells and weights, a boy and girl sparred with utmost intensity—

“Too easy.”

Luna disarmed Luke with her sword, using the bent metal to send his blade flying. As his sword clanked on the floor, he was weaponless, his hands raised once she pointed her sword at him.

Both their palms brimmed with blisters and calluses, her sword showcased its old retirement. But both their knuckles were tender and soft, leaving just their palms to be ragged.

“Why are you this good at using swords?”

“What? Going to cry?”

“No … it’s just …”

“It’s just what?”

Putting her sword down, she walked right where Luke stood, closing the gap between them. Placing her hands onto her hips, she glared at him with cold yet tender eyes. Luke being Luke, he looked away as he spoke.

“Your palms were smooth like mine … even more when we had our first ring fight …”

Her face flustered, just at the thought of him remembering her first fight with him. Averting her eyes to the ground, her cheeks grew a pinkish red.

‘Damn it. Like a puppy, he has good eyes…’ thought Luna.

“You two going to kiss?”

““WHAT!!??””

Gwen being Gwen, she barged in, her face cheerful and childish as she saw Luke with Luna. Both of them, flushing their faces tomato red, took a step back from each other.

“W-We’re just friends!”

“He’s my pet dumbass!”

Her fists on the verge of breaking, she ferociously eyed Gwen, wanting to make another makeover on Gwen’s face. Raising both of her hands up, she continued walking toward the two of them.

“Just kidding with you guys! Man, both of you can’t take a joke to save your lives.”

Reaching the edge of the ring, Gwen took out a little envelope from her pocket. Handing it to Luke, Luna raised her right eyebrow with suspicion.

“On the last day of training, I want you to put it in your pocket. It’s a little secret…”

“What is it?”

“It’s just a tip.”

Having the envelope within his hand, he opened it up, seeing only just a sentence. From the way it was structured, it looked to be a poem, or rather a one liner…

—In a forest of dead bricks, take the tunnel to see a cool trick…

Furrowing his brow, he placed the little slip of paper into his jacket. Extending out both of his hands, he spread them out, leaving his body to express confusion to Gwen.

“Is this a joke?”

“Nope, it’s my way of helping you guys out…”

________________________________________________________________________

(Prominis 21, 58 / 12:00AM)

The sounds of an alarm can be heard…

—Ow … my head …

Slowly opening his eyes, he turned his head left and right. He soon took in the fact he wasn’t in the bathroom any more…

—Am I in a city?

All around him, were houses and neighborhoods corroded and brought back to nature. Getting up sluggishly, he took in the moss and trees that called the abandoned houses home. Despite there being no clouds above, no light from above guided him.

—And tonight is a double new moon…

And all around him, darkness creeped up to the outer edges of the homes. Feeling like he was placed in a dystopian future, he clutched his stomach, his breathing going irregular from remembering some of his dark memories.

—No … I don’t like it … where’s … where’s …

He heard the shattering of glass.

Luke let his eyes wander the whole area, his eyes widened and his fingers trembling. Remaining still, his face was clammed in a deathly pale, followed by his back shivering a hunk of cold sweat.

Then another shatter of glass…

And another…

Until…

“AAAAAAHHH—huh…”

A small creature walked out from the front porch of a home. Ceasing his high pitched shriek, which resembled a middle school girl, he was…

—Is that a chicken…

Embarrassed.

He walked toward the chicken, its head twisting to gaze up at the steaming teenage boy. Inhaling in and out, steam pressed from his nostrils.

—You’re coming with me!

In a single swipe, Luke grabbed the chicken by its legs, as it tried to peck his fingers or hands. Unable to, it was forced to be manhandled by him, as it tried to flutter its feathers around. Walking inside the building it tried to walk out of, Luke took in the darkened living room.

Luck getting the better of him, he found a purse.

—It looks like it was placed…

Using his left hand, he grabbed the purse, as he stuffed the chicken inside of it. Zipping the chicken, but leaving a small hole for air, he placed the expensive looking purse onto his shoulder. Leaving him looking a little flamboyant, he was about to exit out of the door, before…

He felt like something was watching him. Turning around normally, he saw—

Dozens of red eyes poking through the darkness, its mouths dripping saliva down to the wooden floor. The creatures having blue painted beaks, Luke began walking back, once its saliva began to steam and dent the wood.

—Wait … these aren’t normal chickens…

The red-eyed creatures slowly walked their way toward Luke. In return, Luke quickly ran out of the building and into the street.

—These are poisonous blue-beaked chickens!

As he looked back, he saw dozens upon dozens of male chickens fluttering toward him, their beaks drooling out venomous saliva.

In this moment, at this hour, the sounds of a teenage boy screaming bloody murder could be heard. While wielding nothing but a pinkish purse with a chicken inside.

________________________________________________________________________

(Prominis 21, 58 / 12:33AM)

—I think they’re gone…

Hiding in a random home he stumbled upon, he lurked in its shadow, his back pressing firm on the molded walls. Being inside of a living room, he noticed an analog clock still running, and upon reading it, he widened his eyes.

—And I’m only thirty minutes in!

Turning his body around, he slammed his right fist against the wall. With his left, he scrunched his hair with his paled fingers.

—This is insane! How am I supposed to survive six hours of this?! Even then, I’m supposed to reach the center of the city! How! How! How—

His scrunching soon turned into scratching, sprinkling an abundance of dandrum from his scalp. Getting even more frustrated, he slammed his right fist again, the wooden wall shaking hard enough…

For a small portrait to hit Luke’s head.

“Ow! What the…”

As the portrait settled down to the ground, it was only right beside his foot. Picking it up, he squinted his eyes, noticing a normal sized family of five all smiling and happy.

—Huh…

Letting it softly warm his heart, he looked around the molded living room, seeing what’s left of the used to be jolly home.

Turning his eyes back on the photo, he noticed the father wore a uniform. It looked like any other uniform, but with the only difference being that he had a badge on the right side of his chest.

—He was a commander, like Gwen…

Taking out the photo from the portrait, he placed the photo into his pocket. Once he did this, a thought came to him.

—If he was a soldier … then … then he must have at least a weapon in storage.

He walked deeper into the house, letting the darkness swallow him up as his eyes dilated further. Feeling his lungs sink deep into his body, his boots scraped the bottom of the wooden floor.

Heading inside the kitchen first, he noticed one of the drawers wide open, barely taking in the surroundings around him. Finding a small flashlight, practically a kiddie version of it, he exhaled softly.

—It may not be that bright, but it would work.

Wielding it with his right hand, he made his way through the molded hallway. The more he creaked the floor, the more he inhaled the black mold from the walls. Letting his eyes trail the never ending portraits and photos, he saw the family…

Having fun. The fatherly soldier being in every single of them, just…

—What happened to him?

His eyes simmered down, he caught a whiff of a broken door, conjoined to the floor. Seeing it was wide open, he gulped down whatever saliva stuck in his throat.

—Could he put a weapon stash in there? In the basement?

Steadily, he placed the purse down near the broken door, as he set eyes on the pitch black staircase. Making his way down, he let his left palm scour the wall, until…

He tripped; tumbling his way down.

“Aaah!”

He tucked his right arm so the flashlight wouldn’t break. With every step he tumbled down from, the cold cemented steps bruised all over his body and face. Feeling this endless and torturous eternity, he finally crashed to the ground floor, his chin hitting the smooth surface harshly.

Slowly getting up, he felt discombobulated, his head feeling like he was stabbed to the side. Ignoring the small ringing in his ears, he took note of his flashlight still on, causing his breathing to slow.

—Now time to find that… there it is!

His luck saving him yet again, he walked toward the wide open weapon’s locker, his bruised face forming a natural smile. His heart melting from his divine gift, he peeked down.

—I just hope they haven’t—

Unfortunately for Luke…

—Raided it…

It was empty. Next thing after, the purse from upstairs began to flutter and cluck. Even being inside the basement, the clucks were frantic and fast, almost as if the chicken wanted to get out of the purse…

—It’s a poisonous blue-beaked chicken … What animal can scare off one of the deadliest animals on…

The floorboards, from up above, began to creak hard.

—Oh no…

Once sweat began to protrude from his temples, he turned to see a large blue cabinet on the other side of the basement. Running toward it, he opened it wide and closed himself shut, and turned off the flashlight. Leaving him alone in the wallowed dark, he crossed his fingers, hoping it was just one of the candidates. But the more the floorboards creaked hard, the clucks of the chicken could be heard harder…

—I don’t want to die…

His body odor reeked, as he breathed in and out rapidly. Placing his hands on his ears, he wanted the sounds of hell to stop.

—Please go away! Please go away! Please go away!

Shutting his eyes from the world, he remained like that for several minutes.

Then the sounds of the chicken clucking stopped, and the floorboards stopped creaking.

He unclasped his hands which binded his ears, as he still had his eyes shut. His breath dimmed, he pressed his hands on the cabinet.

—I don’t hear anything.

Slowly opening his eyes, he saw nothing but darkness encompassing the entirety of the basement. Pulling out the kid’s flashlight, he turned it on, allowing a small streak of light to burst.

Seeing it completely devoid of anything abnormal, sweat still prevailed along his face as he carefully opened the cabinet door. Letting himself out, moving inch by inch, he traced his steps along the cold basement floor.

—I just hope that it was just my imagination…

Looking around with the kiddie flashlight—

It flickered violently, before letting the last of its battery die.

—Come on! Why out of all times!

Not even a few seconds after, his neck felt hot. Then came a low humming growl…

Luke knew that putrid hot breath from anywhere. His face turning ghostly pale, his whole body shivered under his chilling sweat. With no other choice, he pushed both ends of his feet, using all the force of his—

“Save us!”

It dropped on top of him.

Tackling him to the ground, his back was slammed alongst the stone floor. His hands holding the zompire’s shoulders, every fiber of muscle gleamed with strength, to hold it back.

“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die! Please save—

Just as its fangs were inches from his face, it stopped moving. Black tar, dripping from the corners of its mouth, flowed down to its chin.

Behind the zompire, was a young teenage girl who wore blue trousers. Having within her hand a swiss army knife, it looked as if she had already stabbed the creature, its blade coated in pitch black. In an instant, the zompire started to glitch, with its eye sockets, nose, and mouth twitching until it began its second death. Turning to ash, leaving only the clothing it had, its ashes sprinkled down onto Luke’s chest and face.

Slowly getting up, his breathing returned to normal, once he laid eyes on the girl four years younger than him.

“L-L-L-Loraine?”

Being the second strongest female fighter, she was short and scrawny. To this day, Luke and the others never knew why she joined the program, and what reason she had.

Looking at Luke, she pointed up the staircase, as she sniffled with her largened nostrils.

“Can I have your chicken?”