Leaping over an obstacle, Seven stayed close behind the rabbit.
Ever since he left the plain and entered the area between the buildings, he had been following it closely but could never get near enough to pounce on it. Though he had tried countless times, whenever he did, the animal would dart through plants and obstacles in its path.
This slowed him down, causing him to lose speed and fall farther behind. It also exhausted him, as he had to jump over concrete blocks or push through bushes.
It was no different for his brother, who was following just behind him.
The distance between the two of them was a bit greater than the distance between Seven and the rabbit, as Leon was struggling more to keep up and dodge the obstacles.
Fortunately, the animal seemed to avoid doing this constantly, only resorting to this maneuver as a last resort. Perhaps it feared getting trapped in a tighter passage or getting caught, even briefly, which would further reduce the distance it was trying to gain.
If things keep going like this…
His brother didn't seem like he could hold on much longer; little by little, he was falling behind as exhaustion overtook him.
This wasn't just due to the difference in their physical conditioning. The gear they were carrying didn't help them keep up the pace either.
Besides the heavy clothes and boots they were wearing, they also carried large backpacks on their backs. On its own, the backpack wouldn't be a big deal, but fully loaded with wet herbs, it became a considerable weight.
And to make matters worse for Leon, the weight was the same for both of them.
Even for Seven, who also had a full backpack on his shoulders, he felt that weight holding him back as he ran. So, when he glanced at his brother, he could see how hard Leon was trying to keep up, yet Seven still felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Because, despite all that effort, he knew that if things continued like this, the rabbit would escape.
Again?
It wasn't the first time they had chased it; in fact, they had lost count of how many times they'd tried. Even their father had failed to catch it.
The first time Seven encountered it, he tried to catch it with his older sister, but not only did it escape them, it also caused an accident with her.
Though they could have been different rabbits, Seven was certain it was the same one.
One reason for this was its distinctive fur, which was completely white all year round. If it weren't for that, there'd be no other way to identify it by its appearance.
Through their many attempts to catch it, they had also started to notice how it always behaved in the same way.
They always found it in places where they gathered plants—either edible ones or medicinal herbs. The only exception was the time they found it near their home. It almost seemed like it was following them to find where they kept their food.
Despite their numerous attempts to catch it, it didn't even seem to care about keeping a greater distance or hiding better from them, acting with a strange casualness.
This irritated Seven a little.
Looking back, he saw Leon falling a bit farther behind.
"Can you hold on a little longer?"
Struggling to respond, Leon gasped for air between words.
"Just… a bit… more…"
Looking at the path ahead, Seven tried to find a spot to close the gap.
Since the animal only darted through obstacles when he got too close, he needed to find a place without bushes or debris, somewhere it wouldn't have anywhere to slip into when he tried to approach.
They were running down a narrow street between the buildings, which, fortunately, had remained unchanged since the chase began. Near the base of the buildings, piles of rubble blocked the first floors, leaving few places to go.
Vegetation was present among the rubble and on the building walls, with numerous vines hanging down from the cracks at the top to the ground, some even connecting to nearby buildings.
On the ground, the plants weren't large, mostly consisting of moss and a few small plants. Occasionally, they came across a few lone bushes.
The path was littered with debris from the buildings and piles of twisted metal, which were more abundant and readily used by the animal whenever necessary.
But just ahead, Seven spotted an opportunity.
In a straight stretch up ahead, there was nothing the rabbit could use.
"Leon, now's the time!"
The two of them, giving it their all one last time, began to close in.
Noticing this, the rabbit started running faster too, but, also worn out, it didn't have enough speed to pull away—it could only slightly hinder their approach. Aware of this, it desperately searched for something to use to slow its pursuers, but it found nothing.
Getting close to the animal, Seven finally managed to get near enough.
Seizing the opportunity, he leaped toward it—
Huh?
—when the rabbit suddenly turned to the side, darting into a street that intersected with the one they were on.
Falling to the ground, Seven rolled for a while before finally coming to a stop.
"Brother!"
Worried, Leon approached to check if he was okay, but he jumped when Seven suddenly sprang up from the ground, shouting.
"It's not over yet!"
Wasting no time, he dashed into the street the rabbit had taken.
It wasn't very long, but it led to an open area between the buildings.
Looking at it, Seven clicked his tongue, as he couldn't see the rabbit anywhere.
"Let's go, Leon!"
Reaching the end of that street, they entered what seemed to be a large plaza between the buildings.
With large chunks of concrete that had fallen from the nearby buildings scattered across the area, it was filled with rebar and rusty metal structures, making the place utterly chaotic.
Unlike the plaza, the surrounding streets were clearer of debris, though there were still some piles of rusted metal that looked like cars scattered across the asphalt, along with a few pieces of rubble.
Both on these and on the concrete chunks in the central area, plants grew through the cracks they could find. In some spots, bushes and lichen hid parts of these remnants, disguising them as mounds of vegetation, favored by the pleasant environment created by the shadows of the buildings.
It can't have gone far!
Looking around, he searched for a higher vantage point to climb and get a better view of the surroundings, since the chaos made it hard to see much from ground level.
Finding a large piece of a building's top that had fallen nearby, he ran to it and climbed up.
At the top, Seven lay down and pulled out a pair of binoculars, starting his search.
Even with binoculars, he knew the rabbit could be close by, perhaps right below the debris they were on, but for some reason, he believed it had tried to get as far away from them as possible.
Maybe because that's what he would do if he were in its place.
Leon, exhausted, arrived shortly after and collapsed beside him, still breathing heavily.
Too tired to speak and with Seven focused, they both stayed silent for a while.
"Did… you find… it?"
"No, not yet…"
Since he didn't know where it had gone, Seven had no idea where to start looking. All he could do was search for any movement.
"It couldn't… have escaped, right?"
Though he said this, Leon was still speaking in murmurs.
"No, it must still be nearby."
They weren't the only ones who were tired—the animal had run just as much as they had and was also injured. After losing them, it had probably darted into some hole to hide and rest.
"Let's wait a bit, hoping it feels safe and starts moving."
Leon, now with his breathing more under control, grabbed a pair of binoculars as well.
"Are you sure? Do we still have time for this?"
The chase, though it had taken a while, hadn't used up all the time they had—in this case, the time given for their siblings to have fun. Though he didn't have an exact number, Seven figured they still had about five to eight minutes before they needed to head back.
"Not much…"
In silence, the two of them observed the area ahead, looking for any movement.
A strong gust of wind blew through the plaza, forced between the buildings, cooling Leon and calming Seven. Luckily, the wind was against them.
Now I just need to find you…
Their wait stretched on for a while, and even after several long minutes, they saw no sign of it.
The hope Seven had been holding onto, which had remained strong, faded when he realized they no longer had time to stay there.
It's time to head back…
Unsatisfied, he started to get up.
It wasn't the first time it had escaped them, but even so, this defeat felt heavier.
Maybe because he had never gotten so close before, even managing to graze it with an arrow, yet it still got away in the end.
"Let's go, Leon."
Standing up, he called to his brother, who was still using the binoculars.
"We don't have any more—"
"—There!"
Without wasting a moment, Seven pointed his binoculars to where his brother indicated, and he spotted it.
The rabbit was slowly poking its head out of a hole, cautiously checking its surroundings.
Seeing this, the two of them covered their heads with camouflaged clothing and hid.
"I'm going to get it."
This time, you won't escape me.
Removing the unnecessary items he was carrying—emptying the plants from his backpack, taking the quiver off his waist, and shedding a few other things—he kept only the backpack, an arrow, and the bow.
Made of metal, the bow had an old appearance, covered in signs of use with scratches, dents, and worn spots, but it was clear it had been maintained, as shown by the thin layer of grease on the metal.
It was old, older than Seven, but still fully functional.
"I'll go with you!"
Leon started to shed his extra weight too, but he was stopped by his brother.
"No, stay here and rest; you've pushed yourself hard enough, and we still have a long walk back home."
"But what if you start chasing it again? And end up getting too far away?"
"If that happens, I won't start a long chase, so you can stay here. Besides, I need you to keep an eye on the rabbit's position or let me know where it's going if it starts moving before I reach it."
"Got it."
Climbing down the mound, Seven entered the plaza.
Using the vegetation and debris along the way, he approached while staying under cover.
It wasn't difficult in a chaotic place like that; there were plenty of things to use as cover while he closed in, though it also slowed him down.
Checking the target's position with his brother, he pressed forward.
Carefully choosing where to step, he looked for spots where he could see the concrete, so the sound of twigs and leaves wouldn't give him away. Even while moving cautiously, his deft steps allowed him to cover the terrain quickly.
In some areas, it felt like a maze, with genuine corridors formed by walls of stone and vegetation.
I've got you.
Stopping near a bush, he began to draw the bowstring.
On the other side, behind the foliage a few meters away, the rabbit had already come out of the hole. Not only that, but it had found a bush with small blue fruits.
Standing on its hind legs, it used its mouth to pluck the fruit hanging among the leaves of the laden plant, dropping it to the ground.
Once it finished eating, it looked for another.
With a few hops, it moved to the next bush and started stretching to reach it, but this one, being higher than the others, was proving a bit difficult.
Seeing that scene left Seven impressed. Even after such a long chase, it had already calmed down enough to eat.
It was clear the rabbit was still alert to its surroundings, but even so, it didn't seem normal. At the very least, Seven knew that, with the stress and adrenaline he felt from trying to catch it, he wouldn't feel like eating anything anytime soon.
He slowly continued drawing the bowstring, but even though he was careful, the increasing tension caused the bow to let out a faint metallic creak.
Damn it!
Stopping its meal, the animal turned toward him, twitching its ears.
Under its gaze, to avoid making any more noise that might alert it further, Seven stopped drawing the bow and held his breath. Completely still, he stayed in place, trusting that he was well hidden there and that his clothes would keep him camouflaged behind the bush.
A gust of wind passed between them, and both remained motionless.
The situation, which had already lasted a few minutes, began to tire his arms, which were holding the bow taut; little by little, they started to tremble.
But the rabbit, still fixated on the bush hiding him, wouldn't let him do anything.
Even if he could ease the tension, it wouldn't help much, as nothing would stop him from making more noise.
Shooting the arrow in that position was still possible, even if he hadn't drawn it fully, since at that distance it would be enough to kill it. But there was a problem: his aim wasn't fully set yet.
If he released the arrow, he might miss, or even if he hit, it might not strike a fatal spot.
It would come down to pure luck.
Just a little longer.
Seven didn't want that, so he chose to wait, unwilling to rely on luck. All he had to do was hold out as long as possible until the right moment.
Under the animal's watchful gaze, he stayed still, controlling his breathing, until the rabbit finally gave up, turning its attention back to the fruits.
Now!
Using the last of his strength, no longer caring about making noise, he pulled the bowstring to its fullest, aimed quickly, and released.
After a loud creak, the arrow shot toward the animal, which noticed the sound but didn't have time to react, caught off guard by the arrow flying its way.
Hit by something at high speed, its small body was knocked to the side, but…
"Damn it!"
It hadn't been killed.
Frustrated, he watched the rabbit start running after surviving for the second time, with the arrow still lodged in its body.
How did it survive?!
With no time to waste, tossing the bow aside, he began chasing it.
Even though it was injured, it was still fast and agile, darting between plants and concrete blocks, doing everything it could to lose him. But, jumping over some and dodging others, Seven stayed right behind it.
I'm not the only one who rested!
Though he was always close, the rabbit, despite its injury, managed to keep a steady distance between them.
Without either of them noticing, they were gradually leaving the open area and heading toward the buildings surrounding it.
They entered what seemed to have once been a street, crossed it, and entered an abandoned building with its entire front open.
Reaching the entrance hall, the place was quite dirty, but traces of its former beauty were still visible, with a marble floor and a long reception desk that was broken in half.
Though stained by time, signs of the place's past wealth and luxury were still evident, like the high ceiling and the large skeleton of a chandelier hanging from above.
Passing through, they headed deeper into the building.
Perhaps because Seven was tired, or because the rabbit was desperate to survive, it used the straight corridor to start increasing the distance between them, getting farther and farther away.
But, unwilling to let that advantage grow, giving it his all, Seven made one last push to catch up.
It's still not enough!
No longer feeling his legs, he knew he was nearing his limit.
This didn't apply only to him. The animal, also exhausted, was giving its all, driven solely by instinct and adrenaline that made it ignore the pain and fatigue it felt.
Venturing deeper into the place, they passed several doors along the sides of the corridor when, suddenly, the rabbit darted into one of them.
For a moment, believing it had found an escape, Seven tasted defeat, but then he saw it come back out, reigniting his hopes.
Though it had only been a brief moment, it was enough for him to close the gap.
Not missing the chance, he leaped toward it.
"I've got you!"
Struggling, the rabbit began to squeal, writhe, and bite at anything in front of it in an attempt to break free, but, drawing a knife from his waist, Seven quickly finished the animal, which finally stopped moving.
"Yes!"
Removing the clothes covering his head, he wore a wide grin as he sheathed the knife before taking off his backpack to tie the rabbit to it.
He was exhausted, with all that accumulated fatigue hitting his body, but he was ridiculously happy.
After so long, he had finally caught the rabbit, after so many failures.
With some difficulty, trying to control his trembling hands, he tied the animal.
Once he finished, he put the backpack on again and started to stand up slowly when he heard a sound nearby.
Coming from behind him, it was slow and steady, gradually growing louder, as if something was approaching.
Feeling a chill run down his spine, he turned toward the source.
Seeing what it was, his heart raced as he froze in fear.
A Wanderer!
A gaunt creature, over two meters tall, with skin as white as snow, where the outlines of its bones were perfectly visible underneath, stood just a few meters away, heading toward him.
With each step it took, marked by the sound of bare feet meeting the cold marble floor, it drew closer and closer.
Seven, facing it, couldn't maintain a calm expression.
Caught in a whirlwind of emotions—from immense joy to absolute terror, with a chill enveloping his entire body—he stood frozen before it.
But steadily, it kept approaching, and with each step, the terror Seven felt grew.
In a moment of clarity, perhaps awakened by his own instincts screaming at him, he used what strength he had left to draw his knife again and point it at the creature.
It wouldn't make the slightest difference.
Even though he knew that—that it posed no more threat to the creature than a twig would—he did it anyway.
It wasn't something he could fight or stand a chance against.
Father…