Chapter 45: The Flame

Jin's POV

I'm on my way to my house. Eva and I agreed to meet there after we searched for Ashley and mom. I still haven't decided on how I will tell Ashley about mom.

I'm driving a red car, which I stole from the streets. It was left open, the windows were broken and the front was smashed.

I turned on the radio to know about the situation. I hope this thing still works. At first, it was all static, but after a few twists here and there, words became audible.

"This is-- Nurse Marie from- Silver Pine Medical, I-- please--" It said. I can't clearly hear all the words, maybe because it was slightly damaged, but some of the words were still understandable. "Two patients-- attacked-- walking corpses--- Street 107--"

Wait a second. Silver Pine Medical? Street 1078. Isn't that the hospital earlier? A nurse and two patients. What bad luck. I want to turn around and help them, but even if I want to... I must prioritize Ashley and Eva. I switched to a different channel and to another one.

Although some of them were hard to understand, one thing is clear... they all said the same thing; the corpses started moving. I have only seen this in movies, but zombies... I mean if magic is a thing, then zombies may as well be.

I stepped up the gas and drove quickly. As I arrived at our street, I saw that the zombies are also here.

[Eva used Magic Blast]

Eva? I saw two corpses splatter out of the house. Then a girl and a humanoid rabbit ran outside.

"They're dead" Ashley said. I quickly got out of the car, dashed at her and hugged her tightly.

"Oh my god, thank goodness you're alright" I said as I cried while hugging her.

"Brother." Ashley replied and hugged me back. Both of us cried at each other "Have you seen mom?"

I didn't reply. I hugged her even tighter. Ashley seems to have guessed what happened and cried even harder. Then, I saw Eva and a goblin went out of the house.

"Oh my god" As soon as she saw us, she immediately joined in and hugged both of us. The goblin just stood there, not knowing about anything that happened.

We cried our hearts out, but it seems we don't have the privilege to rest. Growls and footsteps echoed through the neighborhood.

I quickly let go and readied Leo. Eva and Ashley did the same and prepared. The goblin picked up a wooden branch and readied himself for the upcoming tragedy.

We didn't expect it, but the first wave of zombies came from our house. It was the dead goblins. I remembered that I saved them back at Frankenstein's dungeon and made them my contracts, but I didn't expect that this will be their fate. Looks like, the goblin that follows Eva is the only one left.

[Eva used Incinerate]

Eva burnt all of them with a sea of flames. The goblin that is with us, cried for his now deceased family.

"Besides them, I remembered that I left Kristana and the others with you" I said.

"We got separated at the school. They're powerful so I know that they can protect themselves, but I don't know where they are now" Ashley replied "And where's Kif and Senna?"

"Kif's name is now Citrus, and he stayed at the island where his brother and kin are. Senna's with me" I replied and then Senna appeared.

"Hello there" Senna said.

"Good timing, we need your help" I replied and then another wave of zombies appeared. It was a combination of people and monsters.

"Try not to get bit" Eva said.

"What?" I asked.

"That's what they say in the movies right?" Eva said and then she knelt. She touched the floor, and then electric sparks appeared.

[Eva used Electric Field]

She then extended her arms and fired a bolt of lightning.

[Eva used Lightning Spear]

Most of the zombies were electrocuted, but there were some left. Ashley, Senna, the goblin and I took care of the remaining zombies.

[Ashley used Summon]

Ashley summoned all of her bunnies and fought against 20-30 undead. Her bunnies had become stronger since I last saw her use them.

[Jin used Lion's Breath]

I engulfed my sword in flames and burnt most of the remaining zombies.

[You have slain a zombie]

[You have slain a zombie]

[You have slain a zombie]

[You have slain a zombie]

[You have slain a zombie]

[You have slain a zombie]

[You have slain a zombie]

[You have slain a zombie]

The notification just kept flooding in. While Senna, ripped the remaining ones into shreds. We finally managed to defeat the waves, but it doesn't end there. If what my intuition says is correct, then maybe the whole country is flooded with zombies and troops of Ifrit.

Senna goes back to the bead together with the goblin. Eva said that the goblin's name is Fang, and that she named him herself.

"What's the plan?" Eva asked.

"Let's go back to the HQ. Ashley, you're already 18 right?" I asked and she nodded "Good, it's time for you to join in too"

After this incident. I have decided that I can't treat my sister as a little girl any longer. The world is changing and it's becoming more into a battlefield. I can't always be there to protect my sister, she needs to stand up for herself.

"I'll join Spectre?" Ashley said and gave out a small faint smile "Brother, I'll promise that I'll be stronger... to not be a burden to you and also, to have the ability to protect the both of you"

"Who needs protecting?" Eva asked with a grin. Ashley laughed and hugged her "Promise me that you'll never make any rash decisions okay?" and she nodded.

We got into the car that I stole earlier and drove back to the HQ.

Gods, demons or nature itself. Whoever is responsible of this, and to whatever their reason may be, I just hope that it will not get worse than this.

We have already lost so much. Spectre...we will do our best to end all of this. Let's see where this flame will lead us.