Chapter 6 – Discovery
She knew she needed to adapt—fast. There was no use clinging to hesitation now. If she wanted to survive, she had to move forward.
Dannie pushed herself up, her body still heavy from exhaustion. She slung her small bag over her shoulder and reached for the two daggers she once wielded in the military camp. The familiar weight of the blades in her hands gave her a sense of grounding. At least with weapons, she wasn't entirely defenseless in this strange world.
She stopped in front of a cracked mirror leaning against the wall. Her reflection stared back—disheveled hair, tired eyes, and clothes that looked more suited for sleeping than fighting. Yet with the daggers strapped to her sides, her bag secured, and her posture straightened, she looked… ready. Ready enough to face whatever lay beyond. She gave herself a firm nod, a silent promise that she would not falter. There was no one else to rely on anyway.
Her hand brushed against the strange mark on her skin. The translucent screen flickered once more before her eyes, lines of text glowing faintly in the air. She could read them, understand them—but their meaning only deepened the mystery. With a deep breath, she dismissed the screen. Answers would come later. For now, she had to keep moving.
The moment she stepped outside, a chill ran down her spine. The air was unnaturally cold, not the refreshing kind, but heavy—like invisible chains weighing down her every breath. The sky was dim, almost as if night was falling, yet it wasn't night at all. There was no moon above, only faint glittering specks scattered across the darkness. Stars… at least, I hope they're stars, she thought uneasily. She shivered, but her grip on the daggers only tightened.
The world outside was unnervingly silent. No birdsong. The wind whispered in an unnatural rhythm, hollow and distorted. Even the echo of her own footsteps against the cracked pavement made her tense. The silence felt wrong, too deliberate, as though something—or someone—was watching her every move.
Dannie slowed her pace, her senses sharpening. Every shadow became suspicious, every corner a potential ambush. With both blades drawn, she scanned her surroundings carefully, her eyes narrowing as she stepped deeper into the unknown.
As she walked, she caught sight of things that felt familiar—abandoned houses, rusted signs, objects she once knew from her world. But everything was aged, decayed, as though centuries had passed since anyone had touched them.
Then—
"Iiiieeeekkkk!"
A sudden screech tore through the silence, sharp and shrill like a hunting bird. Dannie froze, her head snapping toward the sound.
Her eyes widened. It wasn't just one. Shadows darted in the distance—many of them—moving swiftly, and heading straight toward her.
She didn't know what they were. She didn't need to. Instinct screamed at her: if she didn't run, she would die.
"Oh my God… There's no way I can fight those creepy birds!"
She bolted back toward the building. Bursting through the doorway, she tried to slam the door shut, but several of the creatures forced their way inside. Their twisted bodies rammed against the frame, jagged wings beating violently as beaks stabbed through the gap.
Two broke free, screeching as they landed in front of her.
They looked like enormous black crows, feathers slick and oily, but far more grotesque. Each one had only a single eye, glowing crimson in the dark. Their gaze burned into her, hungry and feral.
Before she could think, one of them lunged.
"Shit—!"
She dove to the side just as its beak stabbed where her head had been a second ago, splinters exploding from the wooden wall. The second bird swooped low, claws slashing across her arm. Pain flared as blood spattered across the floor.
Dannie gritted her teeth, her dagger flashing upward. She slashed at the first bird's wing as it turned, slicing through ragged feathers and into flesh. The creature let out a distorted screech, thrashing violently as black blood sprayed across the room.
The second bird lunged again, its single red eye burning with rage. Dannie spun on instinct, slamming her boot into its chest. The impact staggered it for only a second—but that was enough. She drove her second dagger straight into its eye.
The bird convulsed, shrieking as black ichor burst from the wound. It crashed to the ground, thrashing before going still.
The first one, half-blind and bleeding, flapped wildly in fury. It launched itself at her with maddened strength, its wings battering her back against the wall. Beak snapping, claws tearing, it nearly ripped her apart.
"No… not like this!" she snarled.
She shoved her shoulder against it, teeth gritted, and rammed her blade into its throat. Once. Twice. Again and again until the screeches gurgled into silence.
The bird collapsed, lifeless, its blood pooling across the floor.
Breath ragged, Dannie staggered back. Her arms trembled, her wounds burned, and her chest heaved with exhaustion.
But she was still alive.
She glanced at the two corpses, black blood staining her clothes and dripping from her daggers. Outside, the others still screeched, ramming against the blocked entrance. She didn't have much time before more found a way in.
Clutching her bleeding arm, Dannie stumbled deeper into the building's darkened halls. Her vision blurred, every corner swimming as her legs threatened to give way. She barely noticed where she was heading until her hand brushed against a counter—she had wandered into what once was a kitchen.
Her knees buckled. Without thinking, she dropped down and crawled beneath the table, pressing herself into the farthest corner. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, her body trembling uncontrollably.
She hadn't realized she was crying until warm tears slid down her cheeks, mixing with the sweat and blood streaking her face. The metallic scent of her own blood filled her nose, the sticky warmth soaking her sleeves. She tried to steady her breathing, to silence the sobs that threatened to give her away.
I… I'm alive… she thought, hugging her knees close to her chest. But the corpses of the birds were still fresh in her mind—their crimson eyes, their blood-curdling screeches, the sensation of her blade piercing through flesh again and again.
Her grip tightened around her daggers, though her hands were slick with blood. She could still hear the muffled cries of the other creatures outside, hammering against the entrance, desperate to break in.
Alone, injured, and trembling under the table, Dannie whispered to herself, "I want to go home…"
But there was nothing she could do about her situation. No one was coming. No one even knew she was here.
Minutes passed as she forced herself to calm down. Her heart still pounded, but she repeated to herself what she already knew—no one could help her. She was alone. If she couldn't accept that this was her new reality, then only death awaited her.
Steeling her thoughts, she pushed herself out from under the table and carefully made her way back toward her room, ignoring the scraping sounds of the creatures outside. She told herself that if they gained nothing here, they would eventually leave. That was her only hope.
Once she reached her room, she quickly wiped the blood from her wounds, wincing at the sting, then tore a strip of cloth from her clothes to wrap around her arm and shoulder. It wasn't much, but it slowed the bleeding.
Her throat ached with dryness. She was painfully thirsty, but no matter where she looked, she saw nothing—no water, no supplies.
She let out a long, weary sigh.
Moving to the window, Dannie peeked out carefully, making sure to remain unseen. A handful of the grotesque birds still lingered outside, their single crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dark. Others had already left, while some remained stuck in the wooden door, their beaks wedged deep from when they had tried to force their way in.
For now, at least, she was safe.
But for how long? Given that there's no food to eat and water to drink.
She might die not from the danger but actually from hunger.
She closed her eyes, suddenly remembered the sound 'ding' she heard once she killed the two birds.