Chapter 02:The lady and The Serpents Eye.
His fingers dug into the walls, clenching onto the cracks, determined to get out of this hellish nightmare. Paying no heed despite his nails chipping off, climbing up at any cost.
Finally, he reached the top. Shuffling towards the edge. The light outside shone brightly on the giant crater that exposed the inside of the labyrinth, blinding him. Putting up his arms to hover over his eyes. His eyes, squinched but soon adjusted. V's black jaded eyes widened with a slackened mouth, his skin tingling from the sight before his eyes.
A never-ending yet lifeless desert, such silence, nothing but the breeze making noise. The scorching sun, hitting on the sand. Weirdly shaped cactuses seen from afar, barely holding onto their own as their skin turned rotten. Draught and emptiness.
And yet, V's heart felt at ease, and the tension of his muscles subsided. Gazing at the sight in front gave him a somewhat warm fuzzy feeling inside his heart. A cold pack on him wounds despite the blazing sun. Before he uttered a single word his vision blurred, leaning forward and plummeting down the edge.
The wind curved around him as he fell with great speed, landing on the soft bedding of sand. Desperately fighting to keep his eyes from wavering before they shut completely.
***
Separated soul and body. Wandering off to the known unknown.
"What… is this?... Cold… yet warm and tight… What… is this feeling?"—he said with his shaken-up voice.
V jolts his eyes open, gasping for air. Noticing the tranquil blue sky above him he starts to calm down, He sluggishly sits up, Darting his eyes around. Nothing but him existed in the center of this empty world. Every inch he moved the water slushed around. Glancing down to see himself floating on top of a vast ocean. The sky and the ocean stretched far until undiscernible. So abyssal and dense that the water seemed black.
The water mesmerized the boy. A muffled voice under the water. Alert gaze, leaning towards the water. His face— inches apart from the surface of it. V closed his eyes, suddenly plunging his head under the water. His eyes crept open only to see That same casket, now a few meters apart from him, Chains wrapping around the casket, Anchoring it as the chains vanished down into the abyssal depth of the sea, The muffled voice shrilled out—
"YOU WILL OPEN US—WON'T YOU?!"
The scratched letters flashed in front of his face, silence now replaced with ear-rattling static noise.
***
V crept his eyelids open from this bizarre dream. The sun-kissed him with its rays, along with the voices surrounding him. His skin crawled in its goosebumps.
"Begs the question… why a kid would be stranded alone in a desert… " A girthy, deep voice of a man in possibly past his teens.
"He looks weak though… "—Her voice, not too high or low-pitched but a tomboy-ish tone of the voice of a teen.
The sand crunched as it trotted. Grunting. V tried to move his limbs yet feeling tighter and tighter, reminding him of the bottom of that abyss. A rush overflowed, his fight or flight instinct kicking in, putting enough pressure on his legs that he broke the ropes. He jolted upwards, Floating midair. Surprised, the horse kicked back on its legs, shoving off the rider on its back. MIdair, V faced towards the direction of the riders.
Her eyes shone like black jaded diamonds—delicate and yet void. Something about her eyes dazzled V, stopping him in his tracks, and he thought to himself while gazing at her.
"So…pretty"
Her jet-black hair matched perfectly with her short, tomboy-ish cut. The natural blush on her cheeks complimented her skin. She wore a cloak that flowed with the breeze, revealing the sign behind her back. An embroidery of a shining half-sun.
A cuffed-sleeved white shirt and a black necktie underneath her cloak. She wore baggy shorts with tights and chunky knee-high boots.
V lands on his feet on top of the soft bedding of sand. Noticing a detail he glances down.
"Eh?... I have..my legs…" quickly glancing over his torse, his eyes brow come together and his eyes widen, vigorously patting his body, arm, and face.
"What's going on…I could've sworn my legs… " V thoughts while unaware of the sneaky silhouette behind him.
"GOTCHA-"- A man shouted, clutching onto V, and swiftly pinning him down on the sand. V's chin hit the sand hard, The man laced his hand on top of his head, restraining him enough to make him squirm. V gnashed his teeth tight as he tried to overpower the man's strength.
"Calm down kid, we won't do anything to you if you just listen—"-The man's hands trembled as he grappled him tight.
"The fuck…What's up with this kid…I'm putting all of my weight and yet… and he's flimsy looking for fuck's sake-"-The man gritted his teeth, a drop of sweet falls from the intense heat of the sun.
"Eve! Get me that drug in my pack—Hurry!" The man said, feeling his grip weakening by the second.
"Huh? Which one? You've got a shit tone of stuff here dude." Eve said as she ruffled through his strapped pack on the horse.
"THE NEW ONE—HURRY!" The man lost his grip, and V jumped out. Bolting in front as his feet sank into the sand, catching his breath and then glaring at the man.
The same robe as the girls. He was wearing baggy carpenter pants, wearing a dark-colored shirt with various types of straps attached to it. The man's hood kept his face hidden.
V feared something would become of him. His hands trembled uncontrollably. Whatever the man said flew out from one ear to the other. As he gritted his teeth, flaring out his nostrils, his hair full of sand, making it look like he'd died his hair, his bangs covered the shakiness in his eyes as he gave out a death stare in silence. His inner voice speaking out—
"Never again…I refused to go through something like that ever again…" He roars.
"TO HELL WITH THIS SHIT—I WON'T BE USED LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN!"
V dashes forward, and the man stiffens up, quickly trying to grapple V.
V swiftly goes under, escaping his grasp. He thinks to himselfù—"...Slow". The man abruptly stops, going for a counter-attack but V dodges, shifting his weight to the right, Shortening the distance between them V spartan kicks the man on the stomach, sending him flying a few yards.
"ACK–" the man screams out his pain. V catches his breath, He prepares to recoil back to dash but just as then— a swift kick lands right exactly at V's nape, flying off a few inches.
"Take a chill pill and sleep tight," Eve said, dusting off her shoulders. Looking to her left where The man flew, Putting her hand over her forehead and narrowing her eyes.
"Yo Uncle Kevin–You still alive?" Eve said in a nonchalant tone. She remained calm despite the rowdy sequence of events.
The man lays on the sand while cupping the side of his stomach. He puts his hand up in the air with a thumbs-up. Eve glanced back at V, who collapsed on the sand.
"...So scrawny yet..he sent Kevin flying like it was nothing with a kick," —Eve thought.
The corner of her lips curled upwards, before turning around and headed to her horse. Kevin shouted from behind.
"Hey!...A little help here?!" Eve turns her head around for a brief moment before dismissively turning back.
"Hurry up Unc–or we won't reach the border in time" Eve got up on her horse, taking 3 big gulps of her water pouch.
Kevin sits up with a sigh. Stating—"Sometimes I wonder who you take after".
He stood up, taking steps towards V. Tying the ropes tighter than before. He picked him up and waddled towards his ride. Kevin securely tightened the remaining ropes around him to his horse before finally getting on himself.
"How long till we reach the border?" Eve asked as she glanced back at Kevin.
"We'll reach at sunset at this pace…"
The ground rumbled from a distant roar, and a sudden breeze hit them hard, Eve covered her eyes just in time with her hand while Kevin nearly blinded himself from all the sand shoved at them.
"We should hurry… Stay here for too long and things will start to get dicey," Eve said as she snapped the reins. Upping their pace towards their destination.
***
V's vision blurred, but he felt as if a bucket of cold water dumped on him, regaining some control. The darkness dissipated as his vision cleared. Lying sideways on the scratched hardwood floor, his hands and feet—shackled to the ground by a thick metal chain—felt cold. He circled his eyes around the dimly lit small room. His eyes slid towards the upper left corner of the room's tiny depressing window, with the moonlight shining in from that vent-like window.
Struggling to sit up properly, he leans behind the wall behind him. The murky brown tinted walls confined only a table with 2 chairs. One of them toppled on the floor. On the left side of the room stood a barrel with a puddle beside it. Along with it, a closed door.
In between all this, V sat with his head held down in silence.
Clack-
V's narrowed eyes slightly shifted towards the door. Out comes, Eve with a plate and a lollipop in her mouth. V glared at the plate,
"Rise and shine dimwit… well it's nighttime but you get what I mean~" Eve places the plate on the round table—quickly glances in V's direction. Her eyes fall towards his thin wrists.
Eve sighs harshly before picking up the plate again and steps towards V. His gaze is like a hawk's, yet his body remains stone.
Upon getting closer, V's chains rattled as he retreated, not letting his face be seen in the light.
"Geez dude, No need to be pissy 'bout some grub" Eve crouched down slowly before sliding the plate towards him from a bit of distance. The edge of the plate hit V's smallest toe. He hovered his face over the plate of food—2 fluffy buns, mashed potatoes with some gravy on top, and a bowl of steaming soup.
V's brows furrowed, briefly glancing at Eve. Noticing this she smugged and started to crouch her way towards V. That irked V as he retreated like a stray cat.
"Easy bud… just let me do this for ya-" Eve came close to the plate, taking one of the buns and tearing a small piece of it, dipping it in the soup, and then ate the piece. She also gently took the spoon beside the mashed potatoes, scooped a semi-spoonful of the potatoes, and ate it again.
"—That enough for ya tough guy?" Eve stared intently into V's eyes. V grimaced at first but his brows lost up shortly. V glared at the food, tilting his head from side to side. But it didn't take much for Eve's patience to die out. She picked up the spoon again, scooping a big spoonful of mashed potato. She slowly took the spoon and put it in front of V's mouth.
"C'mon big boy… open up" V's flinched, the spoonful of mash now inches away from his mouth. Sweat profusely dripped down his face as he repeatedly glanced between the mash and her smug. V clenched his eyes closed as he awkwardly parted his mouth.
Eve then carefully placed the spoon into his mouth. His chin trembled. But he chewed in a circular pattern. The smooth savory taste and texture bedazzled V so much his eyes started to sparkle like the bright starry night.
"Good isn't it?... Definitely not poisoned or anything"—Eve chuckled but her eyes grew dark and Stoney,
"Hmh?!" V flinches, his face turned pale from her words.
"Haha! I'm just pulling your leg dude" Eve gave a hearty laugh. She puts down the spoon and with a softened gaze she rests her hand on her cheek, slightly tilted with a closed smile.
"Eat up Bud…Take your time" Eve said. V gulps, glancing at the plate again. He clasped the spoon and quickly started to pig out in a few seconds. "Urk"—His face turned pale, unable to breathe, instinctually started to pat his chest, As a last resort, picking up the bowl of soup, he took a sip. Only to jolt and burn his tongue.
"Chill dude, no one's taking it," Eve chuckled. She then slides over a glass of lukewarm milk towards him.
"Drink this," Eve said. V takes hold of the cup and slowly starts to drink. Such an odd texture, V thought. Silky and somewhat mild but not unpleasant rather V felt a warm embrace.
V now slowly resumed his meal, while Eve intently watched him.
"Phew~," V said, patting his tummy. Suddenly a zing goes through his head, and he jolts back, resorting to glaring again, only this time his eyes softened. Eve gazed at him for a brief moment before putting her arms out for a stretch.
"Move over will ya?"—Eve said as she scooched over to his side.
"Thanks," Eve grinned before sitting down beside him. She noticed his scratched-up hands and nails. Her eyes staggered for a split second before closing them. Tilting her head up, she rested against the wall behind them.
" You... You've been through a lot, huh?" Eve said nonchalantly. V slightly flinched from her sudden statement. His eyes widened and jittered with his lip parting a little. His eyes crept towards her direction, only to see her face merely inches apart from his.
"Heh–Finally took the liberty to look me in the eyes huh dipshit," Eve said in a sarcastic tone with a smile on her face. Every fibre of V's muscles halted like a brick wall with only a single drop of sweat running down his cheek. She leans back, resting her head on the wall again.
"So what? Ya lost a loved one or something?" Eve said. V's eyes turned cold at her question. She took notice but unlike V, Eve wasn't the type to sit still. She lets out a sigh.
"Guess I gotta play the guessing game then huh?" She pressed her thumb on the bottom of her lips as she hummed.
"Getting kidnapped?... fleed from a slave auction maybe?... or maybe… someone left you there to die?"—The Jittering in his eyes stopped, his eyes now dead set and cold. Whilst she rolls her eyes stating–
"Bingo~... Looks like I hit the mark huh~ Tell me… " Eve grips onto V's chin, turning it towards her direction. Her eyes remained calm as she stared deeply into his void-like eyes. At that moment, silence fell… Until Eve broke it.
"Why did a kid like you come out of that shithole?" Eve said. A cold chill and yet a drop of sweat dripped onto the floor.
"When we found you knocked out on the sand… we found another track… presumably a male… One made a run for it while another got left behind… and that giant opening.., wasn't there when I last saw it… So tell me… what was a kid like you… doing in a place like that?"—Eve asked without breaking eye contact. V remained silent… But couldn't stop himself from grinning ear to ear.
"So… he did get out then… " Eve's eyes widened the next second, moving her hand off his chin while jolting back. Her eyes narrowed as she took a dry gulp. She clapped her hands.
"Ok, big guy… let's keep our heads sane for a bit 'kay?... " Eve said with a friendly smile. V's cheeks flush, bringing up his hand and clearing his throat.
"I… I don't know why or how I got in there, but it's true that I got out of that place… Sorry, but I have nothing to say…" V said, the chains jingled as he wrapped his arms around his knees.
"Strange… " Eve thought to herself, scanning V from top to bottom.
"Why would a scrawny kid like him be in a place like that… and that giant opening… It wasn't like that before… something… something with the firepower to do something like that…is extremely dangerous"—Eve thought.
"Ah~ No use thinking about shit like this… ya got a name?" Eve asked. V lifted his face, looking in her direction yet averting his gaze.
"V…" V answered casually although her constant smiling slight creeped him out.
"V huh?... Cool, sound pretty mysterious" Eve said. Silence falls for a brief moment before Eve smiles as if to hide her murderous intent. The peer pressure of her smile felt as if a porcupine got stuck in his windpipes.
"Y-you are?... " V asked.
"Oh yeah!–I haven't given my name yet huh?! Hahaha! Sorry about that" Eve chuckled.
"Yeah, something's definitely wrong with this person–" V thought.
"The name's Evelyn–but call me Eve for short 'kay?" Eve said. V's tensed-up shoulders found relief. The moonlight outside the window felt cold at first but now it felt a bit more warm and comforting.
"Man~ I'm bored…" Eve yawns, glancing in his direction once more.
"Hey–How 'bout we chat for a little? Been a while since I last vented out my feelings to anyone haha!" Eve's chuckle turned into a cheerful grin, The radiant glow of her grin almost blinded V. Slightly reluctant to her proposal yet watching her expression—
"She… doesn't seem like the chatty type…" —V thought.
She began blabbering about topics that seemed redundant at first, V reciprocated as he attentively listened to her words.
Hours flew in a wink of an eye. Eve's tom-boyish nature deeply resonated with V as he found a weird sense of warmth when talking to her.
"Say… You got any dreams?" Eve asked.
"Ah… What is that… dream? I-Is it a type of food?" V replied awkwardly.
"Not everything's related to food dumbass, Hmm dream as in like…what you want to be or like wanted to be when you grow up," Eve said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"What do I… want to be when I grow up?…" V asked, but ultimately his mind resembled an empty shell. With the constant head scratching and dilly-dallying with his fingers, Eve noticed it all.
"Haha…" For a brief moment, somber fell on her face, she gazed down at her gloved palms. Her eyes wavered, but quickly closed her eyes shut, tilting her head back and leaning against the wall.
"For me… I guess I can call it a dream… Something my mom wanted me to be… " Eve said.
Hearing this, V tilted his head to the side, raising one of his eyebrows.
"...And what is that?" V asked curiously.
Eve gently opened her eyes, shifting her head in his direction, gazing at V with a warm smile yet stoney eyes, Her eyes felt like a sharp needle poking through the skin.
"A doctor-"
Time moved at a snail's pace. V and Eve's eyes locked into each other, Something about this dormant somberness in her heart intrigued V while his mysterious nature and background intrigued her… Until—
"What is a doc—"
BAM!
The door slammed open. V—Comically flinching back with a few strands of hair loose and hands up in the air. Kevin entered the room with a big stomp.
"Eve–Ya here?" Kevin asked while holding a bear bottle, leaning against the door frame, and turning his head towards their direction. V catches his breath. Eve stands up, patting down her shorts and turning her head towards V for one last time.
"I'll see ya around V… Don't ya forget me now haha" She smirked, then chuckled as she headed out the door. V's heart felt murky and his mind occupied with something else. The image of Eve's somber smile. He thought to himself.
"What… is a doctor?"
***
Half an hour passed. V and Kevin sat on wooden chairs across from each other with a round table between them. The harsh light directly pointed above V's head. Kevin sipped from his bear bottle, now inside a paper bag. His eyes relaxed as he sighed with his sip. Suddenly his eyes turn stern. Glaring at V like a hawk. The silence felt as if an Elephant stepped on their bodies with full might. The silence breaks.
"Now then… Why don't we start with some light introductions?... V, was it?"—Kevin asked firmly.
V nodded. The light made the shadows harsh around his eyes, making them invisible to Kevin. But under those shadows, V's eyes glared wide open.
"I'm Kevin, I work for The Organization… Well—I'll cut to the chase then… " As Kevin said, He put aside the bagged beverage, putting his hands together in a more business-like manner.
"Tell me everything you know about the Race"—Kevin asked sternly.
"Race?... What's that… again… something that I haven't a clue of…" V thought. The silence only grew. Hearing no concrete answers from V only made Kevin more and more impatient. At last, he responds to the silence with a frowned sigh.
"You're probably the first person to be able to get out of a labyrinth like that… Most of the convicts inside are ex-Runners so I assumed you were one of them too… some sort of new information must have gotten to the likes of you to struggle so much to get out… now spill it… Everything you know" Kevin said.
All these new terms and information turned the gears in V's head. "Runners? What's that?" V thought.
The interrogation continued. Questions like "What was the primary reason for him to be put in that labyrinth" and "How was he able to get out in the first place". But none of these questions bore any fruit.
Kevin snorted as he stood up from his seat, turning his back as he took 3 steps away from the table. Putting his arms behind his back he thought to himself.
"From what it looks like… probably a standard case of amnesia… guiding him to the nearest town or city orphanage would be ideal but… we're kind of in a bind…" Kevin thought, squinting his brows together. He glances back for a brief moment only to slightly flinch back.
For the first time in this interrogation, Kevin looked into his eyes. His eyes gaped open. The edges of his eyes resembled scratchy lines. His eyes simply stared like a hawk, noticing every micromovement of Kevin. Oddly, as Kevin stared prolongedly, his eyes jittered slightly. Kevin felt the sweat dripping down his forehead. As if his body was loaded up with heavy cinder blocks on top, making his chest extremely tight.
He started to stagger forward. Kevin glanced again, only to find V still chained up, sitting patiently and staring at him.
Clack.
"Hey so about tomorrow—" Eve suddenly walks into the room. She takes a gander at the room's interrogative nature and is comically dumbfounded.
"...It's too dark Unc–" Kevin falls to his knees at that moment.
"Whoa! Unc–you good?" Eve rushed towards Kevin, patting his back gently. The heaviness on Kevin's body dissipated, glancing in V's direction, only to see his bangs covering his eyes again.
"Yeah… I'm fine…" Kevin stands up, stretching out his arms in tiptop shape, again glancing back at V's. He wipes off his sweaty forehead.
"We'll be heading out at dawn… we'll be taking a different route this time" Kevin said.
"Hm? Yeah, that's fine by me," Eve replied. Kevin headed towards the door and abruptly halted.
"We'll be taking you with us… So I'd appreciate your cooperation."—Kevin storms out with Eve following along. V stood up from his seat, wobbling towards the bed at the corner of the room. The chains on his feet grind against the floor. He climbs onto the soft mattress only to sit on the corner of the bed, nearest to the wall. Meanwhile, Eve casually strolls off to her room. Kevin stands in front of his bedroom door, his eyes staring at the ground only one thought comes across his mind.
"That kid…creeps me the fuck out"
***
Cold. V floated aimlessly in a void. Starting from his fingertips to his torso to his toes. Rubbing his fingers together felt like floppy meat. A voice echoed, the voice of a sniffling woman.
"Please… Save her… my daughter–Please" V's eyes twitched open from the sound. A vague silhouette, emitting a soft white glow. He stretched his hand towards the light, speaking out—
"Who… are you?" V's voice echoed as it traveled in an empty dome. The voice replies…
"Please… The one who listens to our cries—"
***
Rustle
V's jolts awake. A muffled voice buzzed near his ear but his vision was still hazy.
"C'mon… let's get moving," Kevin said.
V sits up with bed hair as a single drop of water falls onto his handcuffs. Flinched, he touches his sweat-drenched face only to ponder. Sunlight enters through the window, slightly illuminating. V gazes at the room one last time. Kevin tugs on his chains. Singing him for their leave.
After checking out with the broken-down inn they were in, V steps outside. A small town with its beginning and end seen in a single glance, with Shambled houses and cracked roads. The concrete walls of some buildings barely held themselves together. A soft glow emitted from a few of those houses, even then broken glass could be seen under the windows. Complimenting with only a hint of greenery of the dead patches of grass. Dawn's cold atmosphere felt as if a handful of ice rubbed along his back. A wagon with 2 horses stood on standby next to the inn, along with Eve leaning against it.
One of Ev's eyebrows twitched from the sound of steps. Kevin and V made their way towards the wagon. Upon seeing V, her eyebrow rose even higher. Her glare quickly turned towards Kevin,
"Why's he still in chains?" Eve asked, confused.
"He'll be in chains until we've reached the city," Kevin replied sternly. Glancing back at V, his head lowered, his hands shackled.
"Ahuh… Dude just let him be, he won't do–" Kevin abruptly cuts off Eve mid-sentence.
"He stays chained up… I don't want to hear anything else" Kevin strongly reaffirms his statement. Eve snorts. Her eyebrows came together as she briefly glared at her uncle. She glanced over to V who remained silent the whole time. Eve lets out a distasteful sigh,
"Fine, have it your way Unc–" Eve scorned.
She sat in front of the wagon with her arms crossed over her chest and her face puffed. Kevin sighs despite the day just starting.
"C'mon, get in," Kevin said while side-eyeing V. Without much of a response, Kevin escorts V behind the wagon. He climbs in and sits down. Kevin hooked the chain in his hand inside the wagon. With that he heads in front, taking his seat and grabbing the reins, he snaps the reins and with that, the wagon has started their journey.
Soon after, it was noon and the sun showed no kindness. They covered themselves with their robes but sweating buckets underneath, except for V who stayed silent throughout. Soon the sun set, and they camped near the border where the desert ends and the rocky terrain starts. The environment around them resembled that of the Grand Canyon, bone dry and dusty. The air warped as they passed through.
Soon enough, they entered giant mountain-like terrain. Following the path, they began to elevate towards the mountain-like terrain. Right until the main checkpoint.
The checkpoint is the crossroad between 2 terrains that lead to the city. One is the shortest route possible and one is a week-long treacherous route. At the checkpoint lies a great monumental statue of a deity of a certain tribe. The statue depicted the image of a female child who held an infant with thick robes around them. Due to the statue's age, the face of the child and one of its arms were broken and the rest were overwhelmed with cracks. Now that broken statue had become the checkpoint for travelers… and survivors.
The wagon halted. Eve climbed down, hitting her feet against the ground, she stretched her arms. She glanced towards the back of the wagon, heading towards it. She peaked inside, but V remained stoney despite the rocky trip. Eve's brow twitched as she saw his feet and toenails scratched up. She glanced down at her shoes before turning her head to V again. She gently pushed aside the curtain to go inside the wagon. She reached for her back pocket, pulling out a tri-shaped key.
Clang-
V slightly flinched, slowly lifting his head. His eyes were pressed against his arms for so long that Eve's silhouette resembled fogged-up glass. His vision cleared off, The skin on his wrists felt like coarse sandpaper as the shackles were removed. He glanced to his right, watching her getting off with a wave.
V's eyes locked on the curtains briefly before glancing back at his ankles. Trying to stand up, as if a giant boulder weighed down his shoulders, he wobbled slowly towards the curtains. Just as he was about to touch them, his hand stopped and his fingers stagger.
"What's this… It feels as if… somethings pulling me from behind."
He put his hand down, turned his back against the curtains, and sat down once more, crossing his legs over each other as he leaned against the wall. Meanwhile, Eve leaned outside. Glancing back at the curtains with a smirk on her face. Hearing Kevin's call again, she headed towards the front of the wagon.
Eve strolls towards her uncle, she sees her uncle crouched down, eyeing at something on the ground.
"Sup' Why'd ya call… me" Before she finished her sentence, her eyes fell onto the massive tracks.
"We can't take this route anymore… " Kevin said as he glared at the main route.
"Bandits huh… think we can handle them?" Eve replied.
"Not with this kind of number… there's probably 25 to 30 men here… we'll struggle more with the dead weight with us."
Hearing this irked Eve. Clicking her tongue in response,
"Oi–Don't call him that… you don't know what he's been through…" Eve said.
Kevin's eyes widened as he glanced back. He chuckled which irked her more.
"What? What's so funny?"—Eve said.
"Nah–just surprised that you're sticking up for someone…. I thought ya had enough of that" Kevin replied.
"Pfft–...Yeah… what 'bout it?" Eve scoffs with an underlying somberness in her tone.
"Nah–nothing… ya got a crush on him or something? Want me to be your wingman?~" Kevin teased. Nudging on her elbow.
Eve puts her hands together as she pleads to Kevin.
"Oh~ I'd be forever indebted to my uncle for this act of kindness~ Pfft–" Eve said sarcastically.
"Yeah yeah…anyways–we can't take this route anymore… which leaves us with one choice…" Kevin said, glancing at the other path to his left. His hand trembled, Eve took a few steps forward but abruptly stopped to look back at Kevin again. Her eyes remained cold as she looked in his direction.
"Maybe… if we wait out for a few more days that route will be clear—" Kevin gets abruptly cut off.
"We don't have much time… if we wait out here or head back to the town they'll find us" Eve replied in a cold tone. The wind blew a shivering cold as their robes flowed through. Eve took a few short steps towards him, without making any sort of eye contact, Eve stood beside him, gently driving her fist onto his upper arm.
"I know what you're trying to do… I appreciate it but you can't keep your promise to Mom if we're dead…We have to keep moving and reach the city" Eve said.
Kevin staggered, gritting his teeth as his face crunched up. The situation was far from desirable. Until he finally made his choice.
***
Day 01.
Sharp rocky mountains in the shade of burgundy. Resembled that of a Grand Canyon. With steep hills and a one-way rocky terrain. The cracked terrain forced them to move at a snail's pace. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. The horses wavered with each step. The mountain peaks grazed the sky. A vicious aura surrounded this path, enough to make Eve and Kevin be on their utmost guard. V—acknowledging this ominous aura… chooses to ignore it, staring at the floor with those lifeless eyes once more.
"Y'know I thought it wouldn't be that bad but this place is creepy as fuck"—Eve said.
"Be vigilant… The serpent's eye ain't a happy go-round… The stories about this place are enough to give you nightmares… also don't curse " Kevin said.
"Psh–Still with the no cursing policy huh–" Eve scoffs.
The rocky terrain became rougher and deadlier as the day passed, and soon, it was nighttime.
The fire crackled. They camped out on a small flat area on a hill. Not too far from the main road, It's the perfect place for them to camp out for the night but there was no room for errors. The firepit's flickering light plastered onto the wagon. Eve sat near the pit while Kevin returned with scattered bark and tumbleweed. Placing them near the collapsable chairs near the fire. Kevin stood in front, glancing to his left.
"He won't flee… rest assured Unc–" Eve said casually as she stuffed more bark.
"You trust him too much… Even for your goo—" Kevin gets cut off mid-sentence.
"It's not a matter of trust… he won't do it cuz he's got enough brains to keep his head attached to his body" The warm light flickered on her face, yet her eyes remained cold as snow.
"How can… what if… tch–" Kevins' lips pressed together in a slight grimace. Wrinkling his nose, he glanced at the wagon again.
"Hand him a bowl after this…" Kevin said. Heading toward his luggage inside his tent on the right side of the firepit.
"Pfft-... Can't be honest enough huh bub"—Eve thought, Sounds of metal clanged with each other as he brought out utensils, bowls, and a big cooking pot. The sizzling of the onions in hot oil and the various types of spices from his backpack like Cinnamon and Garam masala and whatnot.
After a hard day of surviving, Kevin made the "perfect stew"—According to him. However, it took him 3 hours to make.
Meat, carrots, potatoes, and a broth so thick and creamy you'd want seconds.
He brings forth two bowls: one red and another engraved with Chinese writing. Kevin stirs the pot one last time before serving Eve her red bowl.
Step step step…
V's ears twitch from the sounds of steps, snapping back, he guards himself. The curtains get shoved gently, revealing Eve with a bowl of steamy hot stew. V's sharp eyes soften and his shoulders relax instantly but back down quickly.
"Geez dude would it kill you to be less fussy?"—Eve comes closer, placing the tray beside him. He glances at the bowl. The aroma of different spices and meat turned his mouth into a fountain. Absent-mindedly reaching his hand out towards the bowl like a zombie while Eve grins in delight, resting her head on her hand. V snaps out of it, retracting his hand back, but Eve quickly clutches his hand first.
"Eat…"—Eve said with somber eyes but also with a gentle smile.
Watching Eve's gesture, As V tried to take his hand he felt a slight squeeze. Eve guides his hand onto the bowl, and V cups the bowl. Seeing this Eve stands up with her lips arching upwards turning into a gleaming smile. He watched as she got out of the wagon. V then looked down at the stew in his hands. A white bowl, he notices the signs on the side of the bowl. Curious yet unable to understand. Nonetheless, taking a bite of the meat turned V into a stone statue, and then proceeded to pig out on his meal. Eve visited again, she shoved the curtain, noticing the bowl neatly placed in front of the entrance. She glanced at V, sleeping with his back turned the other way. Eve chuckles before taking the bowl. While V quietly broke a smile.
***
Day 02.
The terrain was unforgiving. Yet stopping wasn't an option for them. The peaks of the mountains grew closer and closer as they progressed. The wagon violently rocked back and forth every passing moment. But V paid no head to it, keeping himself in silence, The wheel of the wagon rolled in front of a pebble and V's face met straight to the floor. And yet he remained silent with a bruised nose—But that wasn't so much the case for someone else…
"Dude, I think…I'm gonna hurl," Eve said, her face turning blue and her desperate attempt to cup her mouth with her hands.
"Yeah yeah make sure ya don't slack off on that… It's a miracle enough that nothing happened… so do your best to suck it up… literally–" Kevin said in a sarcastic and sadistic tone.
"Yeah… no shit, you're just—enjoying my suffering" Eve exclaimed.
"Pfft—Who me? I could never" Kevin chuckled, trying his best to hide his grin from her.
Coming to an abrupt stop, seeming like a dead end from afar. The walls of the Grand Canyon wrapped around them–except for the narrow passageway in front of them, leading outside, Kevins' weary face vanished from the sight of the passage while Eve burfed up a tsunami. The wagon barely fit as the walls of the passage scrapped along the wagon.
The more they progressed the wagon rocked less. They popped out of the narrow passageway at last, and The sky glistened with its vibrant color. Along with it a vast open area resembling a dried-up field. A vast open space where some mountains can be seen from miles and miles away. No signs of life felt anywhere near…
"I got a bad feeling about this… so keep quie–"
"FINALLY!! NO MORE FUCKING MOTION SICKNESS!!" Kevin gets cut off mid-sentence when Eve yells at the top of her lungs.—
Kevin's facial expression widens from Eve's sudden outburst. Her voice echoed even in an open space, and the silence fell flat once again. The ground starts to rumble violently. The horses in front started to burst out of control, shrieking and stomping on the ground, kicking away rocks and pebbles alike. The wagon's violent rumbling awakened V. Noticing this, he unhurriedly sat up, glancing at the wagon entrance, and he gravitated towards it. Shoving aside the curtains, An enormous Eyeball inches away from his face glared down at him. From behind, Eve calls out—
"RAGHTAIL!"
"Ah~... This is gonna be a drag…" V thought. His brows furrowed along with his droopy eyes with bags underneath.
The monster lets out a deafening shriek that shakes the mountains behind. In lightning speed, the serpent's tail goes under the wagon and wraps around it. Kevin and Eve's brows twitch in response. Without a second's hesitation, they leap out of their seats as it crushes the wagon into twigs.
V comically floats in the air for a few seconds before landing face flat on the ground. But Eve and Kevin stick their landing, making eye contact for a split second before dashing off opposites to each other. Kevin sprints beside the serpent, bringing out a small tablet-shaped device,
The tablet spins midair before gripping it tightly, and his teeth nipped his thumb, pouring blood into the tablet-shaped device. It morphs into a great battle axe with a golden hilt. Kevin loses no momentum, ready to strike. Meanwhile, Eve sprints to the other side, coming to an abrupt stop her plants into the ground deep—
"Say your prayers bitch—" Eve said with a stone-cold face.
She brings out another tablet-shaped device from her breast pocket.
"Heed my words, let my arrows hit what is known to its soul."—Eve chants. The tablet-shaped device turns into a dark wood bow and a quiver full of arrows behind her robe.
"EVE!! I LEAVE MY BACK TO YOU!" Kevin shouts as his leg muscles contract. He launches himself into the air. Landing the first strike—
The Raghtail—A giant vicious earth serpent. 160 ft–200 ft long and as wide as the Burj Kalifa. Glowing red eyes emit their gut-ripping bloodlust. Its skin and teeth are protected with iron scales. Sharper than any sword known to man. Its slob-covered teeth protruded out of its mouth cavity.
With its ashy brown appearance, it camouflaged itself this whole time until it woke up from its slumber—
The first strike hit the main body of the serpent, The axe screamed out a panging sound as the axe reflected off the serpent's iron scales. The brittle skin shook Kevin down to his core.
"Damn it's hard–" Kevin thought, gritting his teeth.
He leaped back, securing distance between him and the serpent. An arrow delves deep into the serpent's cheek, shrieking out its pain. The serpent's bloodthirsty eye locked onto its right. Amidst the dust, Eve's outline comes into view with another loaded shot.
"Jackpot–" Eve said, the string snapped back to its place. The arrow flew through the rubble in the air, hitting directly at the center of its frontal lobe. The serpent's iris sharpens. And in a split second, it deflects the arrow with its tail.
"Tch–" Eve scoffs, The serpent launches itself towards Eve, slithering through the rubble, not even caring about the absolute destruction.
"Aww coming for me ay?" Eve said.
Eve made a swift dash to her right, sprinting while the serpent tailed her without failure, closing in as Eve, inches from its mouth, Just before the serpent almost engulfed her, She took a glance behind—
"Took ya long enough–"
"EAT THIS DIPSHIT!"—Kevin cries out his victory, Hitting the serpent directly at the frontal lobe, stopping it in its tracks. The ground shuddered from the attack—But that still only left a graze. The serpent springs back like nothing ever happened, easing Kevin away.
Kevin safely rolls on the ground, he stops in a crouched position. Eve stands beside him.
"This one's gonna be a tough one.." Kevin said, putting all his weight into his axe to keep himself stable. Kevin glared at the serpent, racking his brain to figure out a way to kill the serpent.
"Keep an eye on my back and I'll figure something out", Kevin said.
The serpent started to slither towards them quickly, welcoming destruction wherever it slithered. The ground rumbled louder and louder, quaking at the sheer mass of the serpent.
"Huh–Easier said than done… my arrows can hurt it but its shitty tail keeps blocking its noggin," Eve said with a crooked brow and a smile on her face.
The serpent caught up, and they immediately dashed opposite of each other. The serpent hits far from the marker. Kevin immediately noticed something unique about this particular serpent.
"EVE! KEEP IT DISTRACTED–AIM FOR THE HEAD" Kevin shouted.
"Arrows for breakfast coming right up!" Eve said,
Taking out 3 arrows simultaneously from her quiver, she again plants her feet on the ground, taking her mark. The arrows shot with great acceleration, yet the serpent's tail swiftly blows away 2 of the arrows, leaving only one, hitting directly at its left eye. The serpent shrieks as blood gushes out. Losing control it clashes against the small narrow pathway, blocking it completely with rubble. And out of a certain peak, someone stood tall and proud, leaping with all his might—
"Now you only have one eye huh?... would be a shame—" Kevin said, Descending from above,
"IF SOMEONE SQUASHED IT!"—with full force, he drives his axe directly down at its scarred eye. The eye pops out of its eye socket with ease, following along, the axe guides down, slitting its jaw wide open and leaving it danging on its bloody skin.
Kevin grins midair from his victory. But just then, as the serpent convulses, its tail flings towards Kevin's direction. Before Kevin takes notice, the tail hits hard against his ribcage.
Guh! Kevin coughs from getting hit.
Following through the tail rams him into the nearby wall. Dust runs in the air and cracks fall from the wall from the sudden attack.
"KEVIN!" Eve shouts.
Her bow disappears into thin air, reverting to a tablet shape. Her breath wavers as she hustles towards Kevin. The serpent finally thumps onto the ground, right beside them, as it takes its last breath. Eve hops over the serpent's tail, finally reaching Kevin and sliding into a crouched state. She propped him up to a nearby boulder, putting pressure with her hand on the side of his torso, but the bleeding didn't subside much.
"This… Can you move?" Eve asked worriedly. Kevin tries to speak out but blood coughed out instead.
"I'll be fine… I just need to rest a little…The Gift should… do its job in a bit… " Kevin coughs again. Eve sighs in relief but—
The ground violently rumbled once more. Kevin barely held on to his consciousness with his vision blurred. Eve kept turning her head left and right with a furrowed brow. Clicking her tongue, she puts her hand into her breast pocket again but Kevin grabs her arm, pulling her closer to him.
"Run… Run as fast as you can… Don't look back" Kevin shoves Eve back, averting his eyes from her direction. Eve stood still, making no sound. She silently stands up on her feet, turning her back against Kevin, she takes a few steps but abruptly stops.
"Run… Lame jokes like that don't suit ya Unc–" Kevin staggers. He quickly turns his head back to see Eve ready with her bow. Eve glances behind,
"We're in this together dipshit…"—Eve focused in front, The rumbling worsened. Suddenly her eyes widened as another serpent dug out from the ground but the rumbling didn't stop. Sweat drips down her face.
"H-heh… Well, I'll be damned" Eve said as 3 new serpents glared down on her.
One particular serpent struck fear with its sleek black scales and golden eyes. Eve's legs went limp, her fingers clawed tightly over her knees, gritting her teeth her trembling fingers hooked onto her bowstring, abruptly nocking it—
"It's just as I thought–" A voice rang near her ears—a familiar voice that remained silent amidst the chaos up until now—a gust of wind following through the step from behind. A silhouette comes across her, sprinting at full speed. The serpents abruptly stopped in their tracks, arching their heads back—cracks from around each step of his—and the sound of sprinting halts. He takes a deep inhale and clocks back his right hand, curling his fingers into a tight fist he strikes.
The serpent's eyes burst like a balloon, its face crushing against the sheer force of his punch, like crashing its face against a bus. Its skeletal structure breaks, bursting its frontal lobe open with its jagged sharp teeth flung in midair. Sending the serpent back, colliding against the other two serpents. Exhaling out steam through the cracks between his teeth
"You're going to be a drag"—V said, snapping his hand back into a fist.
The serpents staggered as they weaved back and forth. V glanced behind only to see Eve's mouth and eyes wide open. V's thoughts poured out of his mind for a second—"Man… I was right huh…"
"You do have pretty eyes," V said to Eve.
V's statement went over her blank head for a split second but boomeranged back.
"Eh–?"—Eve's cheeks slightly puffed red with a raised brow. The serpents regained their senses, glaring at V with murderous intent. The atmosphere strangled Eve but V faced towards the serpents, glaring back at them as his pupils dilated immediately. The serpents stagger for a split second.
V scampered and soon turned into a full-on dash. One subordinate serpent in the back opens its mouth, spitting a black tar-like substance, V's pupils sharpened, swiftly dodging the acid spit. His eyes turned left-right, taking in his environment,
He hops over each obstacle like a hare. The serpent watches as V slowly makes his way, In a blink V disappears from its sight, The serpent feels a sharp intent beside it, instantly snapping its neck to see V recoiling his fist.
But V's eyebrow twitched, noticing its tail coming right at him. He swiftly lunges back but the tail direction snaps back like a boomerang, V dashes toward it, Jumping on top before coming into contact, Catapulting himself, he soars into the sky. Descending with a heel strike on the serpent's frontal lobe.
The head of the serpent squashes against the ground with cracks floating in the air.
"That's one—" V said. Suddenly his eyes grew wider, as he felt his torso contract almost as if something twisted. He glanced down to see one of the serpent's tails wrapped around his body.
"Shit!–" V thought.
In a split second V's body warps as the tail yanks him to the right at high velocity. Slamming against the wall leaving a large crater kicking up dust and rocks falling from it. The serpent squeezed tighter at each passing second.
V's body warps again as the tail yanks him into oblivion. Again and again, grinding his body against the hard textile rock. Out comes a bloodied tail. V's head hung low with the side of his cranium exposed to the polluted air, His hair dreamt the color red.
His ears bled loudly. Everything in front looked muddy like a nightmare, His eyes absorbed the light around him, shimmering and bright, yet his brain struggled to make sense of it. His ears bled for himself only.
***
Pitch black void... But soon light crept in along with the sound of thumping like someone's beating a drum. His eyes twitch open, creeping at a blurred picture in front of him. His eyes grew wider, Sitting up, and glancing around to see his sleeping wagon completely obliterated.
A burning sensation from the corner of his head, patting his head out came blood. V stares at his blood-covered palm with disarrayed eyes. Jittering pupils with each passing second.
Metal clanged against each other from his left, and he glances in that direction. Watching Kevin and Eve, desperately fighting for their lives.
"What is that… They're fighting?… guess they'll survive" V thought.
He glanced at the vast open world behind him. V heaved himself up.
"I swear,,, I'll find you… And I'll kill you… Betrayer–" V whispers.
Toddling towards freedom. Never glance back a second time. Just then his eyes wandered to the right—A silhouette resembling a human. Wearing a loose-fitted white robe that shone like pearls in the sun. A veil of silk comforted her pale white skin. The sounds of clashing gently simmered out as V gazed at her.
"Why… is this person… here?" V thought.
. The woman tilted her head up without lifting her veil, looking with discretion. Her soft pink hue lips parted.
"Ple….se…my…ght..er" She whispered—V squinted his eyes, noticing her mouth moving yet unable to hear. Despite the odd situation and his curiosity about it, he shrugged it off. Once again looking at the direction of his freedom. With one step taken the woman's voice pierced like a spear right through him.
"Please… save my daughter–"
V staggers. His eyes widened with his pupils jittered as scratched lines.
"Daughter?... What's going on here… "
V grits his teeth, his face quivering as he galloped for air. He dismissively took a few steps ahead, paying no heed to the woman. But his feet grew tons heavier with each step taken. With his last staggering step, his face hunched over with a scrunched-up face.
"Please save my daughter…"
A big bang from behind. V hurriedly glanced back with a slackened jaw. Time moved at a snail's pace, watching Eve standing alone, defending Kevin. Drops of tears swelled around his trembling pupils, his breath hastening with each passing second. Digging his nails into his chest, his throat coarse, and unable to utter a single word.
His eyes pan to the corner of his eyelids, His pupils go left and right to search for the woman but she is already gone. He faces in front, his body staggers as the woman now on her knees—Pleading.
V's hands started to tremble, covered in cold sweat.
Something inside him wanted to burst, wanted to speak out.
His heartbeat rang loud, and his surroundings turned into a blur. V gulps, taking his first step beside the woman, and walking toward Kevin and Eve. The woman's cotton-filled comber voice—Only heard by him.
"Please save us…The one who listens"
"... Yep… You're going to be a drag… "
***
The serpent's grip tightens each second. Eve shouts from behind, taking up her aim, She shoots but another serpent blocks it with its tail. The other serpent menacingly slithers towards her, cornering her. The scenes unfold from the corner of V's bloodied eyes. Even in a situation like this…
"Man… why didn't I just… run?... Was it to repay them?... or was it because I felt guilt?... I don't understand… man…I'm the worst scum there is!" V thought.
V suddenly thrusts his fingers deep into the thick scales of the serpent, chipping off his nails as he gnashed his teeth until they bled.
"I'd stooped so low…"
"BACK THEN!... What I was doing… turning my back to the people who fed me…" V bellows of rage.
His blood-dipped fingertips turned black. The blood veins grasped the tail tightly.
"Ah~... I… I JUST HATE THIS FEELING–" V thought, yet shrieking outside.
"If I run away now—WOULDN'T I BE THE SAME AS HIM?!". Amidst, someone guffawed out loud.
"HAHAHA! This is hilarious! The brat's got guts for going on a suicide mission to save insects!" Vergo huffed out of laughter, Slamming his feet repeatedly.
"Does this idiot have no sense of logic?" Karma coldly glared at V's reckless actions.
"HAHAHA! At least ya gotta admit the kid's fun to watch" Vergo chuckled while Karma's gaze sharpened.
"It might be amusing… But he's the last…" Vergo's laugh abruptly cuts off. His wide grin quickly turned to Stoney. Karma glanced at Vergo from the corner of his eye.
"We're both bored from seeing the same outcome over and over again," Karma said in a cool tone.
"Heh–Then he'd better wrap this up fast… C'mon kid let's see you use what I gave you," A wicket grin emerges from the corner of Vergo's lips reaching ear to ear in his sleek silhouette.
***
The black blood wrapped around the serpent-like veins.
"I remember… I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!" V murmurs.
His grip tightens, forcing some of the chipped nails off. The ends of Vergo's lips stretched ear to ear.
"That's it… use the Gift I gave you… call out its name and it'll respond to your desires… CALL OUT ITS NAME—"
The serpent grew ansty. In the next passing seconds, the serpent's mouth gaped open—
"Avarice!" V roars.
Black blood boils, streaming through as it melts through the serpent's thick scales. The blood kept on boiling until no more. For a split second, V pulls out his fingers bursting out ashy black flames. The ground rumbled. Ragged teeth form behind V's silhouette before getting wrapped in flesh and gray-torn skin, morphing into thousands of enclosed mouths creeping out of the dark flame. "Clack"—Suddenly the mouths gaped open their jaws.
FHOOWSHH!
The mouths burst out of the flames, chomping deep into the scales on the serpent's thick skin. Yellow liquid bursts, smearing the ragged teeth as they continue to chomp. Making their way up from the tip of the tail to the body.
Mindlessly and ruthlessly crunching down the hard scales before feasting upon the soft yellow interior. The mouths zigzagged their way, mindlessly hitting themselves against everything even nipping themselves or consuming each other entirely.
The ground rumbles from the serpent's shrieks. As the serpent desperately moves its head left and right, its pupil dilates, burning the image of ragged teeth and a mouth that's 2x its size, devouring it whole.
Hungry.
The mouths started to chomp on pebbles before bumping into the tail of the serpent that glared at Eve—ruthlessly attaching to its body, pigging out on the serpent's flesh. The last serpent's scales trampled. Feeling the bite, the serpent yanks its tail, letting the mouth have its tail,
As it tried to escape it shrieked once more. Another mouth attached itself to its body like a fungal disease. The mouths only grew larger with each passing second. In a blink of an eye, Eve saw nothing but the ground ablaze in black, with only V standing alone, looking in her direction yet staring at something else.
"What… are you?" Eve asked as she sat on the ground with her knees buckled. She stood up, creeping toward V.
V wobbled towards her, muttering under his breath. Every muscle of Eve's tensed, squeezing her hand behind her back as sweat dripped down her face. Her pupils trembled with each step, anticipating something. V leaned forward, causing Eve to flinch.
"I'm… hungry" V falls face flat on the ground, losing consciousness. Eve remained still with her mouth partly open and her eyes widened in confusion. leaving her to say nothing but—"Huh?"
***
Black sand crunched beneath his feat in this infinite world. In between all of this, V slouched in that chair again. His eyes weighed heavily with dark circles. Heaving his body even a little felt like needles sewing into his skin. In front of him stood that same casket. But suddenly for the first time, a gust of wind swept across his skin. The gentle breeze, cold to the touch as if someone's cold hand touched his nape. V's eyes dreaded. Glancing beside the casket stood the veiled woman.
The lady tilted her head up, gazing at each other with no response. His eyes suddenly widen at the sight of the veiled woman's gentle autumn smile. Her smile felt as gentle as a bed of cotton.
"Thank you," The woman said in her gentle tone.
V remained cold still, unable to make any tangible words with his mouth. The woman lowered her gaze, letting the veil cover her face.
Turning towards the coffin. The sand shifted, The coffin slowly faced away from V and faced the veiled woman. The chains corroded themselves, allowing the door of the casket to crack open.
V's eyebrows came together into a frown. He wanted to see, to know more but his body said otherwise. As if he's chained to that chair...
"WAIT!" —V grunts.
Despite the pain, he stretched out his arm. His nail grazed the frame of the casket—So close… yet so far.
SMACK!
The woman slapped his hand, staggering him. His eyes widened in darkness.
"Not yet… It's not time yet my lord" She whispers.
A buzzing noise behind his back, The world crumbled into broken shards of glass. Thin and delicate.
"I don't… understand…"
V screams awake. His face broke cold sweat, gasping and reaching his hand out in the air.
He noticed the warm softness around him. He slowly sits up sluggishly, pushing away the blanket. A pang of pain, grabbing his side tightly in response. As the pain settled he moved his hand revealing a bunch of bandages wrapped around his abdomen. The shakiness in his eyes ran clear.
"You look like you've seen better days" Eve's voice heard suddenly.
V jolts back like a scaredy cat and comically starts to sweat. He immediately shouted "OUCH" as if somebody punched his gut. Eve comes into the spotlight of this small disheveled room, alongside her hands holding a medic box.
"You're a lot more snappy than you think you are haha", Eve said. Her eyes glance at his abdomen.
"C'mon… Let's see that" She crouched beside him, putting the medic box to her side and rummaging through it.
She brought out a roll of cotton bandage, and she got closer to V, only a few inches apart from each other. V's face slightly puffed out. His cheeks slightly turning cherry.
He gleaned down, noticing the blood coming out of the bandages. Eve started to wrap more bandages.
"How're you feeling? You got an appetite?" Eve asked. Her past alluring tone was no more.
"Eh?–Ah… y-yeah i… eat," V said with an uncertain tone. Stuttering in his own words.
Eve nods with a smile on her face briefly leaving the room.
A dimly lit room with a golden spotlight coming from the ceiling, directed to his bed. Dirt-smeared wooden floors with tainted off-white walls resembling an apartment room.
Cartons of boxes, all pushed to one side of the corner. V glided his index finger through one of the boxes only to see the dust dancing into the light.
V puts out his right hand, taking in the details on his palm… almost as if he's staring at a prosthetic arm.
The door hinge snaps. Eve comes in with a tray. V yet again unable to see what's on the tray, as she crouched down, A bowl of steamy porridge revealed as she took off the lid on the bowl. The smell of steamy cooked rice and pickled flum, was something V had never seen before in his life but could not stop salivating. Eve takes ahold of the spoon beside the bowl, scooping a spoonful of porridge and blowing on it as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.
"Here- open wide" Eve shoved a big mouthful into V's mouth before he could react to anything. Surprised and flustered and yet accepting.
"Anything feels off? Like there's a hole in your stomach and something leaking?" Eve asked, feeding another spoonful.
"SCARY!... But I'll be fine… I think I heal quick enough… where are we?" V asks.
"Our luck got us covered I guess… found an abandoned apartment not far from the trail, thankfully there was a generator in the hall so we got some electricity, other than this room the whole building's fucked"
"... Where's the old guy?... what happened in that canyon?" V asks.
"Ah… yeah I guess you'd want an explanation huh… " Eve replied.
***
V laid face flat on the ground like a dead fish. Eve glanced around, watching the murky flames slowly dissipate, leaving only a pool of black magma.
Eve hastily picked up a nearby twig on her right, slowly inching towards V and poking his head with the twig. Only to find no response. Kevin hobbled up to her.
"Looks like… we caught ourselves a big fish," Kevin said.
Eve glances back at Kevin gripping onto his bloodied left arm.
"Unc!... You alright?" Eve hastily stands up, Kevin gently nudges Eve before pointing his finger behind her.
"Let's take the boy and leave here… as fast as we can"
Looking back at the destruction of their carriage, The wind blows from Kevin's right, he gazes at the sunset, and the silhouette of their horses in the distance. Eve lifts V onto her shoulder, stepping towards the horses.
"How're you holding up unc?" Eve asks.
"The Gift… is taking its effect… I'll be fine in a few hours… Check the map… There should be some abandoned settlements a few miles ahead…"
"Got it…" Eve replied.
***
"I… see," V said. Silence falls again—Inconspicously staring down at his palm, twiddling with the skin of his palms and fingers.
"Yeah… you were knocked out for 2 days," Eve said.
"Eh!?... I was…" V's eyes widen before his nose wrinkled, his throat chugging back with a grimace.
His posture remained slouched with his head down, Something occupied. The room's ambient sound dampened with each passing second… replaced with static noise that crept behind him, deafening him from everything else as he silently stared at the palms of his hands.
"OI!" Eve smacks V on the head without any warning.
"Man… you gotta listen to people when they're talking… or you'll come off as rude…" Eve said, her forehead nerve visibly popping off.
"Ah… I'm sorry" V bowed his head.
"Hmm… he's a good kid I think…" Eve thought.
"What a weird kid… passing out saying something so cliche, Pfft-" Eve chuckled.
Watching Eve chuckling away, the static noise started to dissolve, vanishing away. Kevin knocked on the door, Shrugging it open.
"Oh~ The kid's up," Kevin said.
V stared at Kevin with a sweat dripping down his face, squinting his eyes together with an awkward grin on his face. Kevin grabs one of the dusty chairs in the room, drags it close to them, and manspreads on it.
He pulls out a pack of cigarettes from one of his pockets and a dragonhead-shaped lighter.
Flicking open the cap, Click Click The lighter sparks fly out, lighting up the cigarette, and taking a deep swig.
Phooo~
"Now then… " Kevin with a stern look, points his cigarette towards V.
"What in the world are you?... more like, what was that power… A Gift? Or maybe… you are connected with the Runners-" Kevin asks without leaving much room to spare.
"Unc-..." Eve said with coldness in her tone. Kevin stutters, glancing his eyes over to Eve, a demon glaring at him.
"S-sorry 'bout that… if it weren't for you… We'd already be at the gates of hell… Thank you" Kevin said with gratitude.
Hearing Kevin's gratitude towards him… made V's face sweat profusely. His grin widened and feeling more awkward.
Speechless from seeing Kevin showing gratitude towards him. The rough and tough man who'd kill you if you looked funny now had a much gentler tone. V glances down at his palms before looking up at him.
"This… Gift thingy… I don't understand what it means… I don't know where I am… I don't know why I'm here… I don't know anything… I'm sorry" V said, slowly slouching his head.
The atmosphere turned heavy as if they were deep in the sea, This was something beyond their expectation.
"Heh… So we caught ourselves a monster…"
Kevin takes another puff of his cigarette, but out of nowhere-
"Why don't you join us then?" Eve nonchalantly offered.
Kevin stared dumbfounded at Eve's suggestion while V tilted his head at her suggestion.
"Whoa whoa whoa! We can't just take him in like that, weren't we supposed to put him in the orphanage at base?!" Kevin exclaims.
"Eh~ I mean he's that strong. Feels like it'll be a waste if we just put 'em with those kids" Eve said, with her forehead crunched and with her hands behind her head. Kevin sighs deeply.
"Look I get what you mean but he's… unstable. I mean just look at him, he looks like he does gardening as a hobby"
Both of them comically glance at V, having imaginary flowers dancing around him while poking at a ball of dust. Both had a warm fuzziness on their faces before regaining their composure.
"It'll be fine Unc… the kid's got guts… I know since I saw him first hand" Eve said with much confidence, her words, unwavering. Kevin's brow flinched.
"Well…If ya say so… Hey kid… Why don't you-"
"Uh- can I decline?" V said with a raised hand.
Silence briefly falls. The both of them gazed at V with a dumb grin on their faces before stating-
"...Huh?"