Chapter 11:A Glimpse Of Shadows

Chapter 11: A Glimpse of Shadows

Azrael awoke to the same biting cold, his body aching from the night spent curled on the rough floor. His clothes were stiff with dried blood, and the stench of sweat and iron clung to his skin. Blinking against the dim light filtering through the cracks in the wall, he pushed himself up with a groan.

The system's message still hovered in his mind.

[System Task Completed: Survival of the First Night]

[Reward: 50 Experience Points]

[New Task Assigned: Prove Your Strength]

Azrael exhaled, shaking his head. He had survived the first night, but at what cost? His body felt like it had been trampled by beasts, and his stomach gnawed at him with hunger. He glanced around the makeshift shelter. The corpse of the strange beast he had killed still lay there, its twisted form a reminder of how close he had come to death.

But there was no time to dwell on it. He needed to move.

His fingers dug into the torn flesh of the creature as he cut away strips of meat. The thought of eating raw monster flesh made his stomach churn, but hunger was a greater enemy than disgust.

[Warning: Uncooked Monster Flesh may cause mutations.]

Azrael paused. "...Mutations?" His fingers tightened around the meat.

What did that mean? Would it give him power? Or turn him into something else?

He shook his head. Risking it now was foolish. He needed to find something else—food, weapons, and most importantly, information.

With a deep breath, he stepped out of his shelter.

The world outside was just as twisted as before. The sky remained shrouded in an unnatural gloom, and the distant sounds of howls echoed through the ruined cityscape. Buildings, long abandoned, loomed over him like silent watchers, their broken windows like vacant eyes.

Azrael moved cautiously.

As he crept through the streets, he noticed something—other survivors.

Three figures, clad in ragged clothing, stood in the distance. They were huddled around a small fire, their voices low. Azrael observed them from the shadows, his instincts screaming at him to stay hidden.

Survivors could mean allies... or threats.

His fingers itched toward the broken pipe he had scavenged earlier.

Should he approach? Or keep moving alone?

Azrael's vision swam as he forced himself upright, his body screaming in protest. The world around him was still cloaked in darkness, but he could feel the presence of others now. Shadows flickered, moving just beyond his line of sight.

A voice broke the silence.

"You look like hell."

Azrael turned his head sharply. A young man stood a few feet away, arms crossed. He had sharp eyes and a lean, wiry build, his dark hair messy and unkempt. There was something familiar about him, though Azrael couldn't place it.

"Who… are you?" Azrael rasped.

The stranger smirked. "Name's Kai. You're lucky I found you before something else did."

Azrael's eyes narrowed. "You 'found' me?"

Kai shrugged. "More like I saw you drop out of the sky like a broken doll. Thought you were dead, but then you started twitching."

Azrael pushed himself up with great effort, his mind still clouded by pain. "Where… are we?"

Kai glanced around. "That depends on who you ask. Some call it the Wastes. Others call it the Graveyard. Me? I call it home."

A chill ran down Azrael's spine. "Home?"

Before Kai could answer, another voice interrupted.

"Did you seriously drag another one in?"

Azrael turned toward the new voice. A girl stood a short distance away, arms resting on a long metal staff. Her sharp features were accentuated by piercing green eyes, and she had an air of practiced caution.

Kai grinned. "Relax, Maya. He's not dead, and he's not a threat. Yet."

Maya scoffed. "That's what you said about the last one."

Kai winced. "Okay, yeah, that didn't end well. But this one's different."

Azrael wasn't sure whether to feel reassured or worried. His body still ached, and the presence of these two only deepened his unease.

"Why… did you help me?" he asked.

Kai's smirk softened slightly. "Because I know what it's like to wake up alone in this place, not knowing whether you'll survive the next hour."

Maya sighed. "We should move. The longer we stay here, the more likely something will notice us."

Azrael felt a fresh wave of exhaustion wash over him, but he knew she was right. If there were creatures out there, lingering wasn't an option.

He didn't trust them yet, but for now, he had little choice.

"Fine," he muttered. "Lead the way."