Chapter 48 – The Abyss of Human Nature

Barry Clayton paused for a moment in his storytelling, drawing deeply on his cigarette as though trying to bring the memory into clearer focus.

"At the time," he continued, "I sneered to myself. Everyone was fleeing downstairs, no one even dared wait for the lift—had to be something serious. And I thought—why should I risk my life for them? You're about to fire me, and now you want me to run into danger for your sake? Sod that."

"But I'm a coward by nature. After Celeste Thorne kept yelling at me, I figured—maybe this was a chance. Maybe I could win her over, earn a little favour. So I grabbed a rubber baton and crept upstairs, dragging my feet. The second floor? Empty. Third floor—same."

"I kept climbing. Four, five floors. I was winded, barely able to breathe. And that's when I saw it—on the stairs above, four or five people had pinned someone down."

"I swear—I'll never forget what I saw. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. It wasn't a murder. No… it was a feast. They were eating him."

"I turned and bolted downstairs. Didn't stop. I just burst through the front doors—only to freeze. The whole street was a war zone. Crowds running in chaos. People screaming, sobbing, bodies falling—then these creatures. Horrid things, twisted and clawing. One by one, they dragged people down and tore them apart…"

"The blood… the screaming… I let out a shriek and ran back into the tower. Slammed the door shut, dove into the guard station, and scrambled under the staff bed."

"But just as I squeezed in, someone else screamed—I nearly died of fright. My heart felt like it was going to burst. I looked, and would you believe it? Celeste Thorne was already under the bed. And she was trying to shove me out."

Barry gave a derisive chuckle, his eyes gleaming with something sharp and bitter.

"That woman—always so high and mighty. Her husband was a police chief or something, ran the whole local force. She strutted around like she was bloody royalty. Of course she wouldn't give a damn if I died."

"I had no choice. I crawled out and hid under the desk instead. Eventually, the screaming outside died down. It was replaced by this… weird sound. A low, strangled moan—like someone being choked."

"A little while later, she poked her head out from under the bed and ordered me to go check it out. Said it in that tone like she still ran the damn place. I wasn't stupid. I wasn't going out there. She threatened me—said if I wanted to keep my job, I'd better do what she said."

"I didn't have a choice. I stepped out, had a quick peek—saw those monsters everywhere—and dashed right back in. After that, we hid in the guard room for a week or more. Seven, maybe eight days. All the food and water? I snuck it in from a hotel on the fourth floor."

Kael Voss couldn't hold his tongue anymore.

"You've been hiding in that building since July 4th. It's nearly six months now—and you still don't understand what's happening? And you still act like her damn lapdog?"

Barry just chuckled. "Come on, I'm not that stupid. I might not have much schooling, but I'm not brain-dead."

He leaned back, stroking the massive mole on his cheek with its three wispy hairs, his voice dropping to a sinister murmur.

"It's just… women like her? So proud. So arrogant. I've been thinking—what if I lifted her up high, made her think she was still queen of the castle… and then smashed her down? Wouldn't that be poetic? Wouldn't that be fun? That's the only way to quench the fire in my chest from all these years."

Kael had already guessed where Barry's thoughts were heading. But hearing it spoken aloud—hearing that raspy, almost gleeful cackle—it made his skin crawl.

The abyss of human nature had no bottom.

Not in a world like this.

Barry Clayton was deranged. But then again, in a world ravaged by the undead, how many were still sane?

…

Kael cast him a sideways glance and said coolly, "Whatever you plan to do, I don't care. Just don't interfere with my business. I need that woman's help when we return—I'm heading to the twenty-first floor."

Barry hesitated. "Er… Kael, mate. I've got to warn you. Don't go above the eighteenth floor. It's dangerous."

Seeing Kael's gaze shift toward him, Barry nervously licked his lips and went on:

"There used to be more than just the three of us here. Survivors—maybe twenty or so. Some were already inside, others came running from the street. At first, it was okay… we looked out for each other."

"But then someone spotted something strange on the twentieth floor—a five-pointed star, floating in the air at about shoulder height. People tried to touch it, but no one could."

"After that, monsters started pouring in. More than just zombies—other things. There was a massive fight up there. It wrecked the whole floor. A lot of us died."

"The rest of us—seven or eight—fled. I took Celeste and Vivienne to the building across the way. But after a few days, things quieted down. I knew this place best, so I came back."

Barry's eyes darkened. "And I've been waiting. Waiting for Celeste Thorne—that arrogant witch—and her useless daughter to realise they're not queens anymore. Heh…"

Kael waved a hand, cutting off his rambling. "Spare me your twisted fantasies. I'm not interested. I just want to know—is that pentagram still there?"

Barry hesitated, then shook his head. "I went up once after. The floor was a wreck. Whatever that thing was—it's gone."

Kael sighed inwardly. That was what he'd expected. After so much time, it would've been more surprising if it hadn't disappeared.

"Let's move. We're heading back."

Now that he'd gotten the information he wanted, Kael didn't intend to waste any more time. He had to check the twenty-first floor—as Lyra Solis had instructed.

That thread… it mattered. More than most would ever know.

To Kael, Lyra Solis represented more than just survival. She represented a future in this apocalyptic world. Everything about her mission carried weight. And he wasn't about to let it slip.

Barry didn't need convincing. He was eager to return. Together, they retraced their path, re-entered Helmsworth Tower from the second floor, and fought their way back to the sixteenth-floor billing hall.

Inside, Celeste Thorne had regained consciousness. She was sitting with her daughter, Vivienne Sharpe. The two of them huddled close, red-eyed, clearly having cried recently.

The moment Celeste saw Kael and Barry return, she instinctively tried to shield her daughter—only to quickly realise: there was nowhere left to hide.