That laugh echoed again.
Not a normal laugh.
It was cold.
Creepy.
Everyone froze.
No one moved.
Their eyes searched the air like they could catch something in it.
What was that?
Where were they?
How did things turn into this nightmare?
No one cared about answers anymore.
They just wanted to leave.
Anywhere. Just... not here.
They ran around, desperate.
Looking for a car. A bus. A boat. Anything.
Something to take them away from this hell.
But there was nothing.
The airport? Gone.
Crushed like paper. Burned black.
Planes ripped in half. Helicopters looked like garbage.
Roads? Cracked and smoking.
Cars? Melted into pieces.
Boats? All gone, like they never existed.
Even the phone towers were down.
Their phones showed no signal. No service. Nothing.
Just dead screens.
No way to call for help.
No one to call.
No one to answer.
They were stuck.
---
Still... they didn't stop.
Kenzo, Luca, Sofia, Ming, and the rest kept moving.
They shouted into the streets:
"Hello?"
"Is anyone there?"
"Please… somebody?"
But the only answer was the wind.
No footsteps.
No engines.
Not even birds.
Just silence.
And that silence…
It felt worse than the bombs.
It made them feel something new—
Completely, painfully alone.
Then a thought crept into their minds—
Someone did this.
Someone wanted this.
And someone was watching them.
---
The streets were covered in dried blood.
Bodies lay everywhere.
Some outside shops.
Some just lying in the road.
All still.
All quiet.
No cries. No screams. No signs of life.
Only death.
No one was coming.
No one left to come.
They were trapped in a city that wasn't alive anymore.
So they did the only thing they could—
Stay together.
And try to survive.
---
There was one small hope left.
Kenzo, Luca, and Sofia had a friend here.
Aki.
She had given them her address weeks ago.
"Let's check her place," Kenzo said.
"She might be there."
So they went.
But when they got there…
There was no house.
Not even pieces of it.
Just dirt.
Broken ground.
Like nothing had ever been there.
Sofia saw it first.
A hand.
Lying in the dirt.
With a bracelet on the wrist.
Her bracelet.
The one she gave Aki.
Sofia dropped to her knees.
"No… No, no, no…" she cried.
Tears poured down her face.
She picked up the bracelet, holding it tight, shaking.
Kenzo just stood there.
Luca stared, frozen.
Ming looked around, silent.
No one spoke.
Then the little boy—the one who lost his mom—walked over.
He gently hugged Sofia
She hugged him back, still crying.
And then Kenzo saw something in the rubble.
He grabbed Luca's arm.
"Don't look," he whispered.
But Luca did.
And what he saw… made his legs give out.
Their friend Koji's head.
Just his head.
Sophia quickly turned the boy's face away.
Kenzo backed up. "Why is this happening…?" His voice shook.
Luca clenched his fists. Tears welled up.
Ming scanned the area, then finally spoke.
"We have to go," he said quietly. "It's not safe here. Crying will not bring them back to life."
Everyone turned to him.
Luca didn't like how cold Ming sounded.
But he knew Ming was right.
"Let's move," he muttered.
Kenzo didn't say anything.
Sophia wiped her tears and took the boy's hand.
---
Then—
A sound.
Not footsteps.
Not a voice.
Something else.
Something wrong.
They turned around—
And saw it.
A creature.
It looked like a woman… but it wasn't.
Its face twisted.
Mouth full of sharp teeth.
Hands like claws.
Eyes empty.
It ran straight for Sofia and the boy.
Sofia didn't run.
She hugged the boy tightly, ready to take the hit.
Kenzo, Luca, and Ming ran forward.
But before they could reach—
Slash!
A sword tore through the air.
The monster hit the ground.
Split in half.
Everyone turned, stunned.
A girl stood behind the fallen creature.
A half-black mask covered her face.
Blood dripped from her sword.
She looked at Sofia and the boy.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
Sofia, still shaking, nodded. "Y-Yeah… Thank you…"
Ming narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The girl slowly took off her mask.
She looked exhausted. But calm.
"Akiko," she said. "That's my name."
Kenzo's eyes widened. "Wait… Are you that Akiko? The writer?"
She gave a small smile. "Yeah… that's me."
Then her smile faded.
She looked around at the street.
"I don't know what's going on," she said quietly.
"People started turning into monsters a few days ago.
Others just… dropped dead."
She took a deep breath.
"I don't even understand it."
No one said anything.
They didn't know what to say.
They didn't even know how to feel.
Then Luca stepped forward.
"We'll figure it out later," he said. "Right now, we keep moving."
Everyone nodded.
Sofia held the that little boy's hand
Akiko wiped her sword clean.
Ming stayed alert, scanning the road.
They walked away from that broken place.
But they all knew deep down—
This was far from over.
This nightmare was only just beginning.
---
End of Chapter 2