Another Survivor

Eurus was just standing still, stunned, unable to react, unable to help him at least. It was his first time seeing the hideous-looking beast up close, just staring at them with his eyes widely open.

He hasn't moved his weapon a bit, still holding it, both with his hands and with every inch of his body, trembling, and devoured by fear.

But at the last second, Eurus was able to gather up his courage. Despite the outcry of exhaustion from his body, his feet started charging forward towards them. As if someone pushed him from behind.

He swung the baseball bat, hitting the ghoul on its head.

And upon impact, the ghoul suddenly flinched. It reacted irritably. It extended its left arm, and swung, hitting Eurus' left feet, he flew into the air for a moment-maybe four feet above the ground and slightly pushed him away from their distance.

Eurus fell onto the ground sideways. He landed on his head, hitting his head on the ground. For a moment, his vision got hazy. He patted his head, and as he glanced at his palm, he saw a small amount of blood, blood that's coming out from his head.

The ghoul suddenly changed its attention towards him. Seemingly, the scent of the blood attracted it.

It slowly moved away from Luke and was about to attack Eurus.

Eurus peered his eyes forward. His vision came into focus, seeing that the ghoul was changing its attention towards him. Fright rained down to his emotion. His heart skipped a beat, but he couldn't move from his position, as if his whole body was glued to the ground. He just stared at the ghoul walking in fours towards him.

Luke reacted quickly. He immediately stood up, went back to his feet, and positioned himself. He adjusted his grip on his ax, holding it both with his hands, tightly, and he swung the ax downwards onto its nape.

It screeched in pain, enough for it to change its attention towards him for a second.

But Luke didn't stop there. He followed up with another swing onto the nape again and onto the same spot to where he first struck it.

Before it reacted violently, Luke followed up with another swing with all his might once more and onto the same spot.

The head of the ghoul immediately detached from its body.

The head was still moving despite being detached, still making a hollow-gowling tone, with its elongated tongue still moving like usual. Its whole body was laying on the ground, not moving a single muscle.

Luke just stared at its detached head for a second. He just rested for a moment, trying to regain his strength back. He was breathing the air faster than usual, he was exhausted.

After regaining a bit of his strength, Luke followed up with another swing once more onto the head, chopping its head open.

Like a lumberjack, splitting a piece of log into two.

Ending its life instantly, and blood spread all over the ground.

Luke glanced at Eurus, "Thanks, But you could at least move faster." Luke said. Looking at Eurus, his face turned more white than before. His face grew with different emotions, fear, and disturbance.

Eurus stood up. He looked at the lifeless body of the ghoul with its head detached and split into two. He bent his knees, put his hands over it, stared at the ground for a moment, and was about to throw up.

Luke just rolled his eyes away from him, irritated. He then ran his hand across his face, wiping the saliva off from his face.

Then several seconds later, Luke glanced back at him. He then asked. "Are you done?" Luke said sarcastically, with a disgusted look on his features. "We have to move faster," He added.

"Y-yeah. I'm... I'm sorry about that, couldn't help it." Eurus responded, having a hard time trying to put his words together.

His eyes went back to focus again on the lifeless body of the ghoul laying flat on the ground, just seeing its head drowning from its own blood, with its brain exposed, split into two, and its rotting flesh. The urge of wanted to examine its body was for his curiosity, but everything was utterly revolting.

Eurus couldn't stop himself, making him feel retched. As if someone struck him in his abdomen.

Its fetid stench alone is so strong that he could almost taste it, which makes him want to throw up. Yet, he knew himself that he needed to get used to seeing disgusting things like that. But he knew he was weak. He knew he needed more experience. He knew the absence of courage he has.

He started to hate himself a bit. But there's one more thing that he learned to himself, that he was in shape, his stamina was in good condition, that he had enough strength to fend for himself.

An hour and a half passed since they left the apartment building, to where Kaya and the others are. The bright sun still illuminates the big city. The sky, every inch of it, was still blue and covered with wispy clouds. The streets are much safer during day time. Still, hours are left before the shifting occurs. But time is seemingly important to their world, and not a second should be wasted.

His sudden pause made Luke feel troubled once more. He couldn't stop himself but to feel irritated with his measures.

"Look, boy. I ain't your bodyguard, your guardian, nor your protector of some sort!" Luke said. "We have to go back and get the duffel bag!" Luke added, with anger seen across his face.

Eurus then stood up straight. He stared straight at him, with an empty look on his face. His vision came to ignore the presence of the lifeless ghoul that laid flat on the ground. He couldn't bear seeing its body gored to death.

Eurus' sickening feeling instantly washed away and was replaced with anger. "As if I wanted this to happen to me, I just woke up from this stupid game," He replied. His voice ran down smoothly, didn't pause with fear. Then he stared straight at him, not breaking any contact.

Luke ran his hand across his short hair as he looked away from him for a moment, then he glanced back at him. "Look, boy. I have been in the same shoes as you before, and I am sure as hell that I was far better than you. So stop saying it like you're some special type of shit!" Luke replied, with a high-pitched voice, filled with anger.

"Every morning, we gather food, water, and any other things necessary things that we needed, we go back to our shade, sleep, then the next morning, we do the same shit. That's how we survive. That's the only way we survive. None of it changed until you came. And if you want to keep up with the group, then control your shit!" Luke added. Still, anger rained down on his face.

Eurus didn't react, nor did he even move an inch. Hundreds of words appeared in his mind that he wanted to say, but he couldn't spit them, and not a single word came out of his mouth, he hesitated, frightened to respond. He just stood from his position in silence and listened to his rant.

Luke scanned his face, waiting for his reply, but it seems like he doesn't have any. So he turned his back away from him. He took a step forward or two. He stopped for a second. He then looked over his right shoulder. "I'll go back to get the bag, if you intend to stay here, I'll leave you be," He said. His voice was a bit calmer than before.

Eurus didn't hesitate. He promptly followed him.

He didn't move his lips, kept his mouth shut. And slightly felt awkward after the commotion.

But both still continued on their way to get the duffel bag. Seeing Luke's sudden change of sentiment, he knew, or maybe he just felt that something was odd. His sudden shift of emotion was different from his usual self as if the duffel bag was important than their current state.

Eurus ignored it, didn't waste another moment nor his breath asking another dumb question, and just focused on their path going back.

They turned left. Then they turned right. Running down along different streets in reverse on the way they had come. And not even once did they falter on their return.

It shocked him that they have been running for 30 mins. It did not felt like this before, to him, it only felt like a minute or two.

Moments later, upon their arrival, they spotted the duffel bag, meters away from them, in the middle of the road. Still in its current position as before.

But at the same time, they spotted a person from their distance, wearing white clothes with black pants. Eurus felt dread. He felt butterflies in his stomach when he saw movement up ahead.

He peered his eyes forward to have a better grasp on the person from their distance, his vision became much more clearer.

It was a man.