Chapter 18

The platform outside, bathed in the afternoon sunlight, stretched out before him—a desolate expanse of cracked pavement and abandoned storefronts. Kez's steps were light. As he stepped onto the platform, Kez was greeted by a sight that matched the town's eerie atmosphere. Directly outside the station, a market sprawled out, its stalls lined with faded, weather-beaten canopies. The market, though ostensibly operational, felt like a ghostly remnant of a once-bustling hub. The goods displayed—rotting vegetables, dusty cans, and worn-out trinkets—seemed almost as abandoned as the town itself.

Among the few people milling about the market, Kez noticed a stark contrast to the scene of chaos he'd left behind. The locals moved with an unsettling lethargy, their thin, malnourished bodies giving off an aura of despair and resignation. Their faces were drawn and haggard, eyes hollow and distant, as if the vitality of their lives had long since been drained. Each movement seemed heavy, burdened by an invisible weight.

The air was thick with a sense of stagnation, the faint, acrid smell of decay mingling with the cooler breeze. Kez observed how the marketgoers interacted with a certain resigned acceptance, their interactions minimal and mechanical. It was as if the market was a stage where the actors had long forgotten their lines, performing out of habit rather than purpose.

Kez took in the scene with a mix of curiosity and distaste. "Aight. This is kinda boring. Should I just head back to the train?" he mused, his eyes scanning the bleak surroundings. "I stick out here more than Jeremy Colbin in Brazil. I never liked that fatass."

He muttered to himself, "I doubt I'll find anything interesting in this place other than cockroaches and dead rats. What was I even thinking? No wonder they warned us against going into the town. This place looks full of pickpockets and thieves. I guess that's not a problem since I'm not carrying any cash or even a wallet. Wait, should I be at least carrying my ID with me? Damn it, I forgot to bring my ID with me. I should've listened to Kei and talked with Nora Jolkev before leaving."

Just as he was about to turn around and head back to the station, he noticed a figure entering the town with a purposeful stride. It was Allexis, the same girl he had seen on the train. But now, she was trying to keep her face and hair hidden, her movements furtive and cautious. She pulled her jacket's hood up and ducked her head, making an effort to blend into the dreary surroundings. Despite her efforts, it was apparent she wasn't very adept at this sort of thing—her attempts at concealment only made her stand out even more.

Kez's curiosity was immediately piqued. The sight of her so determinedly trying to avoid attention in this grim setting was too intriguing to ignore. Her attempt to conceal her identity only made her actions seem more suspicious, and Kez felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of uncovering what she was up to.

"Alright then," he thought, deciding to follow her. "This should keep me from getting bored."

He moved cautiously, keeping a safe distance as he trailed Allexis through the narrow streets. Her demeanor suggested she was up to something important, and Kez was determined to uncover what it was. As he followed, he noticed Allexis glancing around nervously, occasionally stopping to check her surroundings. Many locals stared at her with curiosity, not only because of her awkward attempts at concealment but also because Kez's blatant presence made it clear to everyone that he was following her. Despite all that, she still seemed to be unaware of Kez's presence, her focus remaining solely on her cautious navigation through the eerie town.

With every step he took, the feeling of isolation in Ashridge grew more pronounced. The buildings loomed over him like silent witnesses, and the pervasive sense of neglect was palpable. He had already put on a stolen robe that was hanging on a small balcony for drying. His movements were now much more inconspicuous, almost mimicking the locals. 

'Where is she even going? I think she's lost. Hey AI, have you been mapping all these so far?'

[ Beep. Mapping in progress. Would you like to view the map? ]

Sensing his affirmative answer, A map popped open in front of his eyes. It was extremely detailed. As he focused on a section of the map, a flood of images rushed through his mind—street corners, random signs, the hurried steps of a woman disappearing around a bend. Each detail, no matter how small, played back in his head as if he were reliving the moment in real time.

"Where is she heading? This part of the city is even more desolate...," he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

There were a lot more old and rusted buildings here. Almost like an abandoned, worn-down commercial area. Something wasn't right. Kez slowly looked around, a gnawing unease creeping up his spine. The deeper he ventured into this part of the city, the more the atmosphere seemed to shift—like the air itself had grown thicker, heavier, almost suffocating. Though it was still noon, the sun's reach barely seemed to touch this place, as if the light was being drained before it could fully illuminate the streets. The rusted buildings loomed like decayed husks, their shattered windows nothing but vacant, black voids.

The few streetlights that remained flickered weakly, their feeble glow doing little to push back the creeping darkness that pooled in every alley and doorway. Shadows stretched unnaturally, twisting and shifting as though they had a life of their own, moving even when nothing else did. A gust of wind slithered through the alley, carrying with it a whispering sound—at least, that's what it felt like. It wasn't just the wind. There was something beneath it. Something... unnatural.

Kez gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus. His AI continued mapping, updating in real time, but the edges of the digital display flickered. Glitched. For a second, the map distorted, the neat grid warping into jagged, shifting lines before snapping back into clarity.

[ Warning: Unknown interference detected. Environmental anomaly present. ]

Kez felt his pulse quicken. "Anomaly?" he whispered.

[ Beep! Unable to investigate. Insufficient data. Please connect to the origin. ]

'What origin?'

The AI didn't respond. He was about to repeat his question when he noticed it.

At first, he thought it was just his imagination playing tricks on him. A shadow, just at the edge of his vision, slipping behind a crumbling doorway. But when he turned, there was nothing. The street was empty.And yet...The feeling of being watched dug its claws into the back of his mind, an unshakable certainty. Someone—something—was out there.

'Fuck me. What did I get myself into. Sure, I wanted to find something exciting, but I didn't want to fucking die looking for it.'

He slowly pulled out a knife from his back pocket. It was the same knife that had once poisoned him. He went back to retrieve it couple days prior to coming here.

Allexis had disappeared from view now, but Kez hesitated to move forward. He strained his ears, listening for anything—footsteps, breathing, even the distant hum of city life. But all he heard was silence. A silence so absolute it felt wrong.

Then, from somewhere deep in the alley ahead, he heard a noise.

A wet, dragging sound.

Slow. Deliberate.

Kez swallowed hard, his breath shallow. The air smelled different here—thicker, tainted. A faint metallic tang clung to it, mixing with the underlying scent of rot.

He stepped forward. Just a little. Just enough to peek around the corner. The alley was empty. Or... it should have been.

But the shadows weren't right. They stretched in unnatural directions, bending in ways that didn't match the dim light from above. A flickering neon sign buzzed weakly, casting pulses of sickly red light over the pavement. And then—Movement.

A shape detached itself from the darkness. Tall. Thin. Wrong.

Its head—if it was a head—tilted slightly, as if noticing him. Its body was too long, its limbs spindly and uneven, like a marionette with its strings cut.

Kez's breath hitched. His instincts screamed at him to run. But his body didn't move. The thing took a step forward. A deep, guttural clicking sound rattled through the air, reverberating in his bones. The lights overhead flickered violently, plunging everything into bursts of darkness and crimson glow.

Kez clenched his fists around the base of the knife, his mind racing. He muttered under his breath. "What the fuck is that?"

Another step.

The clicking grew louder, more erratic, like teeth chattering at unnatural speeds. Then, from the distance—a voice.

"Kez!"

Allexis.

His paralysis shattered. Without another thought, he turned and ran.