Feast of Flesh

"I joined because my family was murdered. I had nowhere else to go. A rebel found me and asked if I wanted to join the organization."

Anwyll said flatly, like he didn't just drop a big bomb.

Naya gasped while Kiah's gaze deepened. It seemed everyone had a dark past — his was darker than most. She couldn't imagine the trauma he must have gone through.

Anwyll still had a blank expression on his face.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Naya's voice was soft with sympathy.

"Thanks," he murmured, brushing it off with a small shrug.

Another silence crept in.

Kiah could feel it — the weight of two gazes lingering on her like shadows. She raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Naya tilted her head.

"You don't talk much, do you? We all shared. Now it's your turn."

"I never agreed to that." She replied, arms crossed.

Anwyll added, "It wouldn't hurt."

Kiah frowned.

She hated talking about herself, especially since she didn't even know much about the person whose body she now inhabited.

The little she knew was suspicious; a strange woman had tried to take her, she'd been abducted by traffickers who seemed to have been after her, and her last name could probably have her killed. It was safer to stay quiet. The less they knew, the better.

But when she glanced at their expectant faces again, she gave in with a sigh.

"I joined because I was lost."

Their brows furrowed, clearly surprised by her answer.

"Lost? Like… couldn't find your way home?" Naya asked, confused.

"Yes," Kiah said softly, thinking of her mother. She was a lost soul drifting in a world she didn't belong in. Quite unfortunate. "The traffickers who took me must have hit me too hard. I… can't remember how to get home."

Naya's expression crumbled with sadness. "That's awful. No wonder you're so reclusive. Don't worry. Duskworn isn't that big. I'm sure we can find your home eventually."

'I doubt that.'

"Thanks," Kiah replied, forcing a smile.

Naya beamed. "See? That wasn't so ba—"

"Ahhhhhh!"

A piercing scream cut through the air.

They all froze.

It was coming from down the street.

They scrambled to the window, peeking through the broken blinds just in time to catch sight of a figure limping across the road. A boy, covered in blood, cradling his mangled arm close to his chest.

Blue hair.

"Bluey…" Kiah whispered.

"Ahhh!" He screamed again, staggering in panic.

"Stop yelling, idiot," Anwyll muttered under his breath. "He's drawing attention. He's going to get swarmed if he keeps that up."

Kiah could see it too. Screeches approaching from a distance, shadows moving in the corners.

"Should we help him?" Naya asked, clearly concerned.

"He's too exposed," Anwyll said through gritted teeth. "If we go now, we risk getting caught too."

His jaw clenched. Kiah could tell he was running through options, but none of them looked good.

"But we have to do something," Naya pressed.

Kiah interjected.

"He's soaked in blood and barely standing. Even if by some miracle we do save him, he's probably going to bleed out. And if he doesn't, he reeks of blood. The degenerates will track him down eventually."

It was a cruel truth, but there was no saving him without putting themselves in danger. Bluey was a dead man walking.

As if to hammer that truth home, two degenerates skittered into view, their twisted bodies twitching in hunger.

A few more shrieks were heard from the distance.

Kiah cursed. "How many of those things are there?"

"In this district?" Anwyll's eyes didn't leave the scene. "Maybe close to fifty."

Bluey raised a sword, swinging it clumsily at the degenerates. It barely slowed them down.

"Shit. Why did they send us here then?" Kiah hissed.

"Everyone knew what they were signing up for," Anwyll muttered. "That's why most of us had months to train."

"Fuck me and my three days then."

"Three days?" Anwyll shot her a look. "Who did you piss off?"

'General Denvil, it seems.' Kiah thought bitterly.

Another scream tore through the air.

One of the degenerates tackled Bluey, sinking its fangs into his stomach. Blood gushed out in a sickening wave, followed by his intestines. Another bite into his neck, pinning him down like a rag doll.

Bluey kept screaming, his voice hoarse.

They didn't even give him a chance to turn.

"Oh my God," Naya whispered, frozen in horror. "They are just eating him."

Bluey's scream weakened. His body slowly stopped fighting underneath them.

Snap. A bite tore off one of his arms.

Kiah turned away, her stomach churning for the umpteenth time this night.

Crunch. Another bite. The sound of his bones cracking under their powerful jaws could be heard.

When the second arm was ripped clean off, Naya gasped, covering her mouth.

Suddenly, one of the degenerates froze mid-feast. Its bloodied head jerked up — and its eyes locked on them.

All three of them dropped from the window instantly, hearts pounding.

"We are so high up. Do you think it saw us?" Naya whispered, her voice trembling.

Kiah sucked in a breath.

Her sides and arms still ached from earlier. Another fight would not be favorable for her.

She forced herself to breathe steadily.

"I don't want to stay here and find out."