Night of beginnings 5

Chapter 33

A cold wind swept through the broken ruins of the old city, carrying with it the scent of dust and decay. The skeletal remains of towering buildings stretched toward the sky, their shattered windows like hollow eyes staring down at the intruders who dared step into their domain. The city had been abandoned for years, yet something about it felt alive—as if the ruins themselves breathed, whispering secrets through the crumbling stone and rusted metal.

Luna shivered despite herself. She adjusted the grip on her sword, her fingers tense around the worn leather hilt. The battle earlier still clung to her, the weight of exhaustion pressing against her muscles, but she ignored it. There was no time to rest. Not yet.

Kaelith led the group through the ruined streets, her staff casting a dim, pulsating glow that flickered against the nearby walls. The others followed in silence, their footsteps barely making a sound on the cracked pavement. Eris moved like a shadow, her sharp eyes darting between the rooftops, scanning for threats. Asuna, usually quick to offer a quip, remained silent, her daggers resting loosely in her hands.

No one needed to say it aloud—they weren't alone.

"This place is wrong," Eris muttered under her breath.

"Too quiet," Asuna agreed.

Luna glanced at the buildings around them. Some were half-collapsed, their upper floors reduced to rubble. Others still stood, eerily intact, but their dark interiors felt watchful, like they were hiding something. The weight of unseen eyes pressed against her back. She swallowed hard.

"Are we sure this place is abandoned?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

Kaelith didn't answer at first. She merely stepped forward, her glowing staff illuminating a faded sign covered in grime. The letters were worn, barely legible, but Luna could still make out the words:

District 7 – Evacuation Zone

Eris clicked her tongue. "Evacuation, huh? Looks like they never made it out."

Luna studied the ground beneath her feet. Scattered across the pavement were remnants of the past—discarded belongings, torn backpacks, rusted vehicles left abandoned mid-exit. It was as if people had fled in a hurry, leaving everything behind.

And yet, there were no bodies.

That was the part that unsettled her the most. No remains. No skeletons. Just emptiness, as though the city had swallowed them whole.

A low, distant howl cut through the silence.

Luna froze.

It wasn't human. It wasn't animal. It was something... wrong.

Kaelith stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned her head toward the direction of the sound. "We need to move. Now."

No one argued.

They picked up their pace, weaving through the ruins as the air around them grew thicker, heavier. The city itself seemed to hum, an unseen force pressing in on all sides. The further they walked, the more Luna's skin prickled with unease. The streets ahead narrowed into a darkened alleyway, lined with broken lamp posts and shattered glass.

Eris moved ahead first, her hand resting on the hilt of her weapon as she peered around the corner. "Clear," she whispered.

Kaelith stepped forward, but as soon as her boot touched the ground, the temperature plummeted.

The air turned icy, visible breath curling from their lips. The silence became deafening, pressing into Luna's ears until she could hear nothing but the frantic beat of her own heart.

Then—

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A slow, deliberate sound echoed from the far end of the alley.

Footsteps.

Luna's grip on her sword tightened as she turned toward the noise. In the darkness, something shifted. A figure moved within the shadows, just beyond the reach of Kaelith's light.

No one breathed.

The figure stepped forward.

It was tall, draped in tattered robes that fluttered in an unseen wind. Its face was hidden beneath a dark hood, but its eyes glowed with an eerie, unnatural light—not red, not blue, but something in between, a shade that seemed to shift and flicker like dying embers.

Kaelith raised her staff, her voice calm but firm. "Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer.

Instead, it took another step forward, and that was when Luna noticed—

It wasn't touching the ground.

It hovered just inches above the pavement, its movements fluid yet unnatural, as if gravity had no hold on it.

A chill ran down Luna's spine.

Kaelith took a slow breath. "Luna. Eris. Asuna. Stay behind me."

Eris unsheathed her weapon, her jaw tight. "I don't like this."

Neither did Luna. Every instinct in her body screamed that they should run, that whatever this thing was, it wasn't meant to be here.

The figure tilted its head slightly, as if studying them. Then, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, it spoke.

"You should not be here."

The words slithered through the air, crawling beneath Luna's skin like unseen hands. It wasn't just a voice—it was a presence, something ancient and filled with knowing.

Luna swallowed hard. "We don't want trouble."

The figure was silent for a long moment. Then, it slowly raised one hand.

The air shifted.

The alley around them darkened, as though the shadows themselves had come alive. A crushing weight pressed down on Luna's shoulders, forcing her knees to buckle.

Kaelith reacted instantly. Slamming her staff against the ground, she unleashed a pulse of magic that sent a ripple through the air, breaking the figure's hold for just a moment.

"Run!" she ordered.

Luna didn't hesitate. Neither did the others.

They bolted, their footsteps pounding against the pavement as they sprinted through the ruins. The city blurred around them, the buildings turning into twisted silhouettes as the cold presence loomed behind them.

Luna dared a glance over her shoulder.

The figure hadn't moved. It simply watched.

But somehow, that was worse.

They didn't stop running until they reached a decayed building at the edge of the district. Kaelith pushed open the rusted door, ushering them inside before slamming it shut.

Silence.

Luna pressed a hand to her chest, her breath coming in short gasps. The air inside the building was stale, filled with the scent of old wood and mildew, but at least it was warm. At least they were safe—for now.

Asuna leaned against the wall, her head tilted back. "What... the hell was that?"

Kaelith shook her head, her brows furrowed in deep thought. "I don't know. But it wasn't human."

Eris exhaled sharply. "No kidding."

Luna sat down against the wall, running a hand through her hair. The weight of the encounter still clung to her like a second skin.

The old city wasn't abandoned.

Something still lived here.

And whatever it was...

It didn't want them to leave.

Luna sat down against the wall, running a hand through her hair. The weight of the encounter still clung to her like a second skin.

The old city wasn't abandoned.

Something still lived here.

And whatever it was…

It didn't want them to leave.

Kaelith turned toward the others, her voice lower than before. "We're not the first ones to come here."

Eris narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Kaelith hesitated, then motioned to a faded symbol carved into the wooden floor. It was barely visible beneath the dust, but Luna recognized it—a cross entwined with a circle, ancient and weathered.

"The Knights of Templar," Kaelith said. "They were here long before us. And if the stories are true…" She trailed off, her grip tightening on her staff. "Then they never left."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Outside, the wind howled through the ruins, whispering secrets of a forgotten order—one that still watched from the shadows.