Chapter 8: The Shadow of Guilt

The heat of the shelter contrasted with the relentless cold outside, but Zhen Yu barely felt it. Sitting on the floor with the cup of hot chocolate in his hands, his mind was elsewhere.

I'm sorry...

The words echoed in his head like an endless echo. He had played with the lives of humans for mere entertainment, and now, living in his flesh what it meant to be in this world, he understood how cruel he had been.

He looked around. Embraced families, hunters with empty looks and bodies marked by recent wounds, children trying to sleep in their mothers' arms, unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

This is all my fault.

He clenched his jaw. A bitter feeling oppressed his chest, as if the air of the shelter was not enough to breathe. His fingers twitched around the cup.

"How can they even go ahead?" he thought.

He looked sideways at Lyon, who was drinking his hot chocolate with the same calm as always. That man had lived in this hell from the beginning... and even so he was still standing.

Zhen Yu felt a growing weight in his chest. His father and older brother must have been watching him from above, waiting for him to understand the lesson.

But... what if it was already too late?

His dark thoughts enveloped him until Lyon spoke.

"Hey."

Zhen Yu raised his head with a slight start.

Lyon watched him with her eyes narrowed. When he was going to continue talking... his sister came in.

"Lyon!"

A young woman with dark hair and sharp eyes entered with hurried steps, her combat clothes covered in snow.

Lyon frowned.

"Selena, what's up?"

Selena took a deep breath before releasing the news.

"Another door opened."

The atmosphere in the shelter changed in an instant. Tension. Fear.

The nearby hunters stood up instantly, as if they had been trained to react to those words.

Zhen Yu felt a chill.

Another door.

Another unhung hell.

He got up slowly, without taking his eyes off Selena.

"Where?" Lyon asked calmly, although his look became more severe.

Selena took a breath before answering.

—Residential area of the western district.

Lyon clicked his tongue.

"Damn it..."

The western district was one of the few areas that had not yet been devastated by the gates. If it fell, more civilians would die.

Lyon turned his head and looked at the hunters in the room.

"Get ready." We're leaving in five minutes.

The hunters who were in the shelter began to move immediately. They equipped, sharpened their weapons and checked their supplies. There was no time to waste.

Zhen Yu watched the chaos around him, feeling a growing pressure in his chest.

Another door?

More monsters?

More suffering... because of him.

He clenched his fists, feeling his nails sink into the skin. He wanted to do something, but guilt paralyzed him

Zhen Yu felt his heart beat hard. Could he really stand idly by?

Lyon looked at him sideways and noticed his doubtfus expression.

"Are you going to stay here or are you going to move?"

Zhen Yu clenched his fists.

I didn't know if I could redeem myself... but maybe, helping was a start.

"I'm going."

Lyon nodded.

"Then, get ready." There is no room for error.

Zhen Yu nodded with determination.

Selena looked at her brother and then at Zhen Yu, with curiosity. I didn't know who that guy was, but he seemed determined.

Outside the shelter, the storm continued to hit the city. And with her, the monsters waited in the darkness.

The group advanced quickly through the frozen streets. The snow creaked under their boots and the wind whipped their faces, but everyone kept their concentration.

Zhen Yu felt his heart beating hard.

It was the first time I was on a hunt as a human.

Before, from his throne, he watched with amusement how the hunters risked their lives in brutal battles. But now, he was part of them.

"There it is.

One of the hunters pointed to the front.

In the middle of the street, a black crack floated in the air. The door.

Zhen Yu felt a chill. I had seen her many times before, but this time... it was different.

This time it was not a god watching from a distance.

This time he was inside his own game, a game he created out of boredom.

"Get ready," Lyon ordered, unsheathing his weapons.

Selena adjusted her gloves and the other hunters positioned themselves.

The door shook and, seconds later, it opened.

The air became dense. A dark presence emanated from his interior.

And then, the beasts appeared.

Huge creatures with dark bluish skin, weapons and bright eyes emerged from the crack. Their bodies were grotesque, their movements wild.

Zhen Yu felt the blood freeze in his veins.

He had created them.

I knew exactly what they were capable of. He knew how they hunted, how they destroyed their prey.

But now... he was the prey.

One of the beasts stared at him. His eyes shone with malice. I recognized it.

A thunderous roar filled the air.

"They're coming towards us!" shouted a hunter.

The battle began.

The hunters attacked fiercely. Swords, spears and bullets crossed the air, striking against the beasts. But Zhen Yu didn't move.

His legs were paralyzed.

The image of the beast advancing towards him made him retreat.

"No..."

The creature roared and threw itself.

Zhen Yu instinctively raised his hand.

He tried to invoke his power.

But nothing happened.

He had no powers.

And at that moment, fear devoured him.

The beast was about to reach him, but before his big hammer came to tear him apart, a shadow stood between them.

"Be careful, idiot!"

Lyon appeared out of nowhere, hitting the beast with brutal force. Her attack pushed her back several meters.

Without wasting time, Lyon grabbed Zhen Yu by the arm and dragged him away from danger.

"What the hell were you thinking about?!" he shouted.

Zhen Yu could barely process what had just happened. His breathing was erratic. He had tried to use his power. I had forgotten that I was human now.

Lyon looked at him furiously.

"If you stand still like a damn easy target, you won't even last five minutes out here."

Zhen Yu felt a tremor in his hands.

"I...

I had no words. Just fear.

Lyon clicked his tongue a little annoyed.

"Back off." Leave this to those who know how to fight.

He didn't wait for an answer. He turned and ran back to the fight.

Zhen Yu stood up, feeling his heart run wild.

The roar of the beasts continued.

The battle was not over.

But now, more than ever, Zhen Yu understood how fragile he was without his power.