Chapter 44: The Forsaken Veil

Nathan and King moved through the ruins, their footsteps echoing ominously in the hollow streets. The decaying city felt like a living organism, pulsing with dark energy. Each building they passed seemed to loom over them, as if waiting to devour them whole. The air was suffocating, thick with a sense of impending doom that neither of them could shake.

"There's something wrong with this place," King muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nathan nodded, glancing warily at the darkened windows of the nearby structures. "It feels like we're being watched."

King wiped the sweat from his brow, his face pale and strained. "We should've never come here, man. This city—it's a tomb."

As they ventured deeper into the city, the silence became more oppressive, broken only by the occasional distant scream or the sound of something scurrying in the shadows. The streets were lined with corpses, their bodies twisted and contorted as if they had died in agony. Some were missing limbs, others had been reduced to little more than skeletal remains.

Nathan's stomach churned as he averted his eyes from the grisly sights. "This must be Ching Fang's doing. It's like the whole city was sacrificed."

King grunted in agreement, his eyes scanning the ruins for any signs of life—or danger. "We need to find somewhere to rest. I'm barely holding on."

They stumbled upon a crumbling building that looked somewhat intact, its doors hanging crookedly on rusted hinges. The inside was dim, the only light coming from small cracks in the walls where the crimson sky peeked through. They cautiously stepped inside, their eyes adjusting to the gloom.

The room was littered with debris—broken furniture, shattered glass, and the skeletal remains of what looked like a family. Nathan's heart ached at the sight, but there was no time to mourn. They needed shelter, even if only for a short while.

King collapsed onto the floor with a groan, leaning against a cracked wall. "We need to figure out what the hell we're gonna do."

Nathan sat down beside him, his mind racing. He couldn't stop thinking about Angel. She was out there, somewhere, wandering through this cursed city alone. He felt helpless, powerless to save her from whatever darkness had consumed her.

"We can't just leave Angel behind," Nathan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

King looked at him, his expression hard. "Angel's not the same anymore, Nate. She's lost to this place."

Nathan clenched his fists. "No, she's not. I refuse to believe that."

King sighed, rubbing his temples. "Look, I get it. But we can't keep risking our lives for someone who might already be dead inside. We need to focus on finding a way out of here before we end up like the rest of them."

Nathan fell silent, his heart heavy. He wanted to argue, to insist that Angel could be saved, but deep down, he feared King might be right. This place was like a black hole, sucking away at their sanity, their hope. The longer they stayed, the less human they became.

Suddenly, there was a noise—a soft, shuffling sound coming from somewhere deeper within the building. Nathan and King froze, their eyes darting toward the darkness.

"Did you hear that?" Nathan whispered, his voice tight with fear.

King nodded, slowly pushing himself to his feet. "We're not alone."

They moved cautiously toward the sound, their hearts pounding in their chests. The air grew colder as they ventured deeper into the building, and the shadows seemed to stretch and twist unnaturally, as if they were alive.

The shuffling grew louder, more frantic, until they reached a small room at the end of a narrow hallway. The door was slightly ajar, and from inside, they could hear the unmistakable sound of someone—or something—moving.

Nathan exchanged a glance with King, who nodded grimly. With a deep breath, Nathan pushed the door open.

Inside the room was a figure crouched in the corner, its back turned to them. It was muttering something under its breath, the words incomprehensible but filled with an unmistakable desperation. The figure's clothes were tattered, and its skin was pale, almost translucent.

Nathan took a step closer, his heart racing. "Hello? Are you... okay?"

The figure froze at the sound of his voice, then slowly turned to face them. Nathan's blood ran cold.

It was Angel.

But she was barely recognizable. Her once vibrant eyes were now hollow, sunken into her skull. Her skin was stretched thin over her bones, and her face was gaunt, as if she had been drained of life. Her lips trembled as she stared at Nathan and King, her mouth opening and closing like she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.

"Angel..." Nathan's voice broke, his heart shattering at the sight of her.

She let out a soft, broken sob, her body trembling as she tried to stand. But her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor, her frail body shaking with silent cries.

King stepped forward, his face grim. "She's too far gone, Nathan. This place… it's taken her."

Nathan knelt beside Angel, his hand gently touching her shoulder. Her skin was cold, like ice. "Angel, please... you have to fight this. We can still get out of here."

But Angel didn't respond. Her eyes remained vacant, staring off into the distance as if she were trapped in a nightmare she couldn't escape.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled, and the building began to shake violently. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling, and the walls groaned as though they were about to collapse.

"We need to move!" King shouted, grabbing Nathan by the arm.

Nathan hesitated, his eyes locked on Angel. He couldn't leave her like this. He wouldn't.

"Go," he whispered to King. "I'll get her out."

King hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Be quick."

As King ran toward the exit, Nathan carefully lifted Angel into his arms. She was light, almost weightless, as if she were already fading away. Her head lolled against his shoulder, her breath shallow and weak.

Nathan hurried through the crumbling building, dodging falling debris and cracks forming in the floor. The entire structure seemed to be collapsing in on itself, as if the city itself was trying to swallow them whole.

They burst through the door and into the street just as the building behind them caved in, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. King was waiting for them, his face tense with concern.

"Is she…?"

"She's alive," Nathan said, though the words felt hollow. He wasn't sure if Angel was truly alive, or if she was simply a shell of the person she used to be.

King glanced at her, then looked away, his expression hardening. "We need to find a way out of this city before it takes the rest of us too."

Nathan nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about Angel, about what had happened to her. This city had taken everything from them—their hope, their humanity—and it wouldn't stop until it had consumed them completely.

As they ventured deeper into the ruins, the shadows seemed to grow darker, more oppressive. The city was alive, and it was hungry.

And Nathan knew that if they didn't find a way out soon, they would be its next victims.