Lilith walked across the shattered floor of the ruin, her steps slow and deliberate. Broken glass crunched beneath her boots, the sound echoing through the hollowed watchtower.
Wind slipped through fractured walls and exposed beams.
Lilith was followed by several two men who saw these children.
there was a distinct stench of foul air around the building. It was the smell of ash, rust, and old blood. These people have been in this place for months now. They were able to survive because of the high ground and the visions of Lilith. For that reason, everyone obeys her like their savior.
"Is that them, Bern?"
she asked the guard who spotted them first.
"Yes mam."
Below, the children finally slowed their run as they came closer. Their breaths were ragged, legs trembling, weapons clenched too tightly in hands hardened far too early by this world.
One looked up first. It was Kite, the archer from crimson's team who retreated when they spotted the plaguebeast.
"It's her."
Kite whispered, breathing heavily, disbelief breaking through exhaustion. His voice trembled with relief.
"We finally reached this place just like crimson said. Hurry, we have to tell her about what's happening."
The word spread like a prayer. The others chipped in.
"We need help!" another shouted, voice cracking as he raised his face. "Please!"
Lilith stood at the edge, pale robes stirring in the wind. She studied them in silence. Dirt streaked their faces. Dried blood clung to torn sleeves.
she recognised some of them.
'wait... it couldn't be. but, why are they here?' she frowned. 'Is that redhead stirring more trouble?'
Lilith can vouch for the look in their eyes. At one point in the past, she too, looked like that. Their eyes—too sharp, too alert—belonged to those who had seen death and kept moving.
'I'm going to regret this.' she told herself.
"Let them in. I know them."
She instantly understood their situation thanks to her ability. as a subclass that belongs to [Seer], she knew trouble when she saw one.
"But, mam...!"
The man tried to say something, but interrupted. Lilith could foresee the future to some extent, enabling her with answers before someone asks the question.
"I know," she said, walking away behind the man. "This is something I have to do. so just trust me like you guys always do."
the man fell silent for a moment.
Her gaze lingered on a child behind Kite. "You," she said, eyes narrowing slightly. "I assume you're the one he sent, right? Tell me everything."
The boy stiffened, fear flickering across his face. Then he nodded. "Yes."
"Come with me." She turned, walking along the fractured edge toward the far side. He hesitated only a second before following, heart pounding, the others watching in awe and unease.
***
Lilith took the kids to one of the restricted areas of the camp. There were several staircases and rubbles on the way but she hurriedly climbed them. The men in her camp helped her get to the higher floors as they followed. Above the ruined skyscraper.
"Where are we going?" Kite asked. Walking without direction was never his strong suit. He was under the pressure that Crimson might die if delayed too late. That monster he saw comes from the worst of nightmares.
"To the top." she replied nonchalantly.
Hidden above collapsed concrete and rusted metal lay something vast. Sunlight was thicker in here so the Kite's vision was blurred for a moment. Floodlights flickered on. A dark shape emerged from the bright sun.
The boy stopped breathing.
"Here we are," Lilith said, looking back at Kite. "We're gonna use this to go back there. It's less dangerous... and faster."
he couldn't believe his eyes then. He only saw things like this on television. Now he gets to ride in one of them? He was awestruck for a moment.
A large helicopter rested within the bones of the city like a sleeping god—hull scarred but intact, engines embedded deep along its underside. Weapon ports lined its sides, silent but menacing, waiting to wake.
"Is this..."
'How much green is this kid?'
"You're getting side-tracked, that's not important." Lilith
Nearby, slumped against a wall, a man lay half-conscious—a pilot, or something close, by the tools scattered around him. An empty bottle rolled from his hand. He squinted against the light, then grinned as recognition came to him.
Lilith stopped beside him. "You ready?"
He pushed upright with a groan, wiping his beard. His grin widened—lazy, reckless, alive. "More ready than I've ever been, my lady."
'Tch.' and as always, she hated his annoying attitude.
He flipped a switch.The helicarrier rumbled. Engines groaned, then roared, shaking the ruin. Dust cascaded from the ceiling. Debris rattled across the floor.One child stared, mouth open. "Does it… work?"
The man laughed, voice nearly drowned by the thunder. "Better than me, if you ask."
He gave her a thumbs up for assurance but all that did is make Kite more unsure about it.
"It's okay." She told Kite. "I'd know if this thing were to crash."
"Okay..."
it doesn't exactly make him feel better but He can't tell her that.
"Fine. The usual then. the lady leads and i follow," the pilot said getting inside the machine after removing the holders. "Get in."
The ground trembled harder, the ancient beast stirring. Lilith watched it rise inch by inch, light reflecting in her eyes. "Let's hope this works," she whispered—not to the children, but to the future itself.
'It's okay,' she told herself. 'I've done this so many times. I can do this.'
"Um..."
The boy who did not understand anything until now raised his voice.
"...I hope we make it in time"
Lilith looked back at the kid. He still held that bow of his in tight arms. She understood his confusion. She kept her answer simple so he could understand.
"Don't worry, kid. We will."
"..."
the cheerful pilot interrupted.
"Alright, everyone, sit tight. We're taking off."
***
Refugees poured in behind, voices hushed, panic barely contained. "We're outside," someone whispered in disbelief.
Kai exhaled slowly. "Any more monsters nearby?" Bucky asked.
Kai closed his eyes, senses stretching. "None right now. But they'll come."
"Then we move." They advanced, boots splashing through blood. The stench overwhelmed; some gagged, others turned away, eyes glassy.
The Subway was clear. The lighting was a flickering mess with blood stains but they saw nothing that's immediately alarming.
Stairs rose ahead—wide, cracked, leading up.
Movement. Dark shapes surged.
"Contact!"
Bucky screamed and Everyone alerted on his side went into combat mode. The clash was violent, fast. Bullets tore flesh. Blades flashed. Wanderers and soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder, screaming, bleeding, surviving.
"Tch—It's just wormbites. Ugh."
When the last fell, silence returned.
'Wormbites are like roaches, they don't live where strong monsters exist,' Kai thought. 'Which means we won't encounter any strong monsters here. This place is probably safe—for now.'
Crimson straightened, wiping blood from his blade. "This is where our truce ends," he said calmly, as if standing on a carpet of cooling corpses meant nothing.
Bucky raised his rifle—but held fire. "You go first," Crimson continued. "Get out of the blast radius."
They did not know it yet, however, this was the last time they faced each other.