Ruined World

Nobody really spoke as we traveled through the sky. It wasn’t just Chiaki, everyone had something different on than their usual clothes. Kang wore a long black cloak with gray gloves and boots, and two curved blades on his back wrapped in white cloth. Azarin was mostly the same, with his white lab coat and tucked back hair, but he had golden bracelets lined with red gems.

Kti was bundled up in an orange coat and boots similar to mine. Isn’t it like a desert out there? Why is he wearing a coat? I had to assume this was normal for him since nobody else seemed to have an issue. Why isn’t Azarin wearing armor? Come to think of it, nobody really is except me. Isn’t that bad? I was roused from my thoughts as the helicopter would descend.

Once we touched the ground, the blades slowly stopped spinning. The door opened up, revealing a sandy pavement. I stepped outside first, having to shield my eyes from the harsh sunlight. I could see lots of houses lining a cracked road, with old telephone poles either cracked in half or lopsided. 

Some houses were partially caved in, while others were almost completely gone. I could see a flipped over semi that had been turned into a house, with a makeshift door built on the back, and some Christmas lights across.

“Welcome to the outskirts of Tokyo Three,” Kang said as he stepped out beside me. I looked behind me but gusts of sand and wind made it hard to see much. I could barely make out the outlines of buildings in the distance.

“Is this still in the barrier?” I asked, trying to keep the concern out of my voice.

“Yes, though I wouldn’t consider this area safe,” Kang replied.

“Is this different from where you came from?” Azarin questioned. I nodded.

“I came from a small town. We didn’t really have much technology like cars and stuff. I spent some time in a city though.” After my town was destroyed. I didn’t say that last part, though.

“I see. That sounds interesting,” Azarin began, but Kang cleared his throat loudly.

“We should get moving. It isn’t safe to stay in one place for too long,” he explained before taking the lead. I followed behind with the others, looking around at the houses we passed.

“Are you okay, Yuka?” Chiaki asked as we walked. I forced a small smile and nodded.

“Yeah. Just… a lot to take in. I’ve never been in the outskirts of a city before, only the crowded inner part,” I replied.

“I’ve been here before… it’s sad. So much damage was done during The Second Coming, and the world never recovered. Some countries are wastelands, and most of this one is a blistering desert now. If it wasn’t for underground farming and magic, our nation would surely be gone,” Chiaki explained. She’s right. The same magic that destroyed us is the same magic we rely on. I suddenly stopped, spotting something strange.

“What… is that?” I asked, pointing towards a house. This one had shattered windows, and strange markings all over. The symbol was an eye with a cross beneath, outlined in a red circle. It looked like it was written with blood. Kang tensed up.

“Of course they’re here too…” he mumbled. I noticed everyone else had fallen silent too.

“Who’s ‘they?’” I asked. Azarin looked at me in surprise.

“You really don’t know?” he replied in shock.

“They’re called The Puritans. Made up of people from various religious groups… these insane monsters think that The Second Coming was supposed to happen. They sabotage barriers and let abyssal monsters in. One of the reasons America fell to ruins,” Kang explained quietly. That’s so awful.

“Some theorize that these groups are responsible for The Second Coming… which has led to much discrimination based on religion. It’s quite unfortunate really. The actions of a minority affected the image of the whole,” Azarin noted, his voice devoid of sympathy despite his words.

“Can I blow them up?” Kti asked hopefully. Chiaki smiled, shaking her head. She gently pat Kti on the head.

“No, but you can blow up the Lich when we find him,” she replied, making Kti beam with delight. The others continued on, but I stared at the house a moment longer. The Puritans, huh.

~~~~

It took some walking to reach the barrier. By the time we’d arrived, it was already sunset. I wonder why we couldn’t park closer to the barrier. The barrier was easy to recognize. It looked like a bubble, with various colors swirling about as if it was made of water. Large black spires were evenly spaced, about a mile apart.

“Are we ready to exit the barrier?” Kang asked. I felt anxiety building in my chest, but I gave a small nod.

“I’m ready!” Chiaki said with a confident smile.

“Our success is guaranteed,” Azarin noted.

“I wanna shove a bomb in their mouth and make their head pop!” Kti said gleefully. I winced. That’s brutal. Then again… I guess if we’re against a monster, it doesn’t matter.

“Then let’s depart,” Kang replied. He placed his hand against the barrier. For a moment, everything was silent. Then his palm lit up with a vibrant green light, and a blue hole appeared in the barrier. It grew larger until it formed a shimmering archway. 

When he stepped through, none of us hesitated to follow. What awaited us on the other side was practically nothing. This time there weren’t even houses. Just rolling dunes and slanted buildings in the distance. Ruins of a forgotten world.

“Let’s get moving,” Kang ordered before beginning to walk. We all followed after him as the archway slowly closed. From the outside, the houses looked distorted and blurry. I took one last look at the safety of the city before continuing with the others. Even with this group of experienced Watchers, I felt very uneasy.