Conversation

Cain? That's quite... a unique name. Edward thought.

"How long has that creature been here?" Cain asked.

"I think about half an hour, but it never attacked me. It was pretty strange."

"Did you hear or see if it grabbed anything? Like, for example... a bag of chips?"

"Ehhh... Yeah, I think I heard it grabbing stuff off the shelves, but why do you ask?"

"It was just a question."

A question? What kind of response is that? Edward thought.

"Well, putting that aside... Ring up these noodles and this soda."

Cain grabbed a pack from the shelves and a bottle from the fridge, then put them on the counter.

Edward scanned them, still puzzled by the sudden change in conversation. However, he refrained from mentioning it, fearing he might annoy the guy with his questions.

Cain put the instant noodle soup in the microwave. While waiting, he took a sip of his soda and told Edward, still unsure about what was going on:

"You should check if all the products are where they should be. I see several things lying on the floor."

Edward didn't quite understand what the guy meant, but he went to check anyway, noticing that there were empty shelves, which shouldn't be the case.

"Ehhh... I think more than half of the products are gone..." Edward said, his voice growing quieter.

"I suspected as much. Oh well, you'll have to tell your boss you got robbed, though I don't know how you'll explain the cameras."

Cain casually mentioned as he took his noodles out of the microwave and grabbed a plastic spoon from the counter.

"Huh?"

"Do you know where we are?"

Cain asked as he sat down in a chair next to other chairs arranged in front of a long table. He opened the noodle soup and started eating.

"Ehhh?... We're in the Republic itself, but why are you asking?" Edward couldn't resist asking anymore.

"Interesting... It was just a question."

Just as Edward was about to ask another question, there was a purple flash in the sky that lit up the whole forest. At the same time, they heard what seemed like soldiers galloping.

"Shit, can't they just let me eat in peace?! Come on, Edward. Follow me if you don't want to die here."

"Die!?" Edward's face showed horror.

"That's right, you'll die if you don't follow me, so you better hurry." Cain said as he opened the store door and put one foot outside.

Edward quickly grabbed some money from the register and followed the man.

...

In the middle of the desolate forest where Cain appeared, hundreds of soldiers with a deathly appearance marched to the rhythm of drums, with trumpets sounding. It sounded like a war song.

At the front of the troops was a figure dressed like an army general: green uniform, black beret, a red stripe on his right arm with a symbol of two crossed knives, along with various medals of different colors adorning his right chest. At first glance, he seemed human, but his eyes held a twisted look, accompanied by a smile that stretched from one cheek to the other. It was pretty creepy.

The figure suddenly exclaimed in a solemn tone:

"Attention!"

The drums and trumpets fell silent, and all the soldiers suddenly stopped, taking a firm step.

"The general has arrived, take up arms and advance! Today is the day justice will rise over these lands, and our brothers will be freed from the yoke of the wicked! Don't stop, eliminate those who have submitted to cowardice and fear! Bring peace to those who sacrificed for freedom and a just world!"

After the speech, the drums and trumpets sounded even louder than before, and the soldiers moved forward with a firmer and quicker step, as if motivated.

...

Cain was heading towards the forest, with Edward still following him, completely unaware of what was going on.

"Where are we going?" Edward asked, totally confused.

"To the forest." Cain replied with no expression.

"To the forest? Isn't that where the flash was seen and where those strange noises are coming from?"

"Yeah, and that's exactly why we're going there."

Edward didn't know what expression to make. Instead, he gathered his courage and decided to ask what he had been thinking for a while: "What the hell is going on?"

"It's a long story. But to sum it up, the general is here."

The general? Edward thought.

Just as the young man was about to ask another question, the sound of instruments and marching started to intensify.

Cain told him in a low, hurried tone:

"Get down, quick."

Edward didn't hesitate to comply and dropped to the ground. From the bushes, they glimpsed a silhouette: it was the general with his soldiers marching behind him.