The rooftop was relatively quiet—as quiet as Avalon ever got. In the distance, screams and roars echoed through the broken city, but up here, five stories above the chaos, Nana and Jisu could almost pretend they were safe.
Almost.
Both of them sat with their backs against the crumbling wall, weapons within easy reach. Nana's iron pipe—decorated with wire spikes she'd painstakingly wrapped around it—rested across her knees. Jisu's makeshift club lay beside her, still dripping with black mist from the demon they'd just killed.
"Two seconds," Jisu said, laughing breathlessly despite the terror that still lingered in her eyes. "Two seconds and that thing would've bitten my hand off."
"But it didn't." Nana bumped her shoulder against Jisu's. "Because we're a good team."
"Because you're insanely fast." Jisu shook her head, still marveling. "I didn't even see you move. One second that demon was about to bite me, the next your pipe was through its skull."
"Aether core enhancement," Nana explained, touching her chest where the familiar warmth of her core pulsed. Even here in Avalon, it still worked—her one advantage in this nightmare. "Makes me faster, stronger. It's how hunters fight Wanderers back home."
"Right. Linkon City. The Hunter Association." Jisu smiled wistfully. "God, I miss home. I miss my apartment. My shower with actual hot water. My bed. My cat." Her voice cracked slightly. "Do you think anyone's taking care of Mr. Whiskers?"
"I'm sure someone is," Nana said gently,her heart ached. How many times had she thought similar things? Wondered about her parents, her team, her life back in Linkon that seemed like a distant dream now?
"How long have you been here?" Jisu asked quietly.
Nana had to think. Time was slippery in Avalon. "This trip? Maybe... two weeks? Three? It's hard to tell."
"This trip?" Jisu looked at her sharply. "You've been here before?"
"Long story." Nana pulled her knees to her chest. "But yes. I escaped once. Came back to find someone."
"The guy you keep looking for? Zayne?"
Nana's chest tightened at his name. "Yeah. He's... he was trapped here. I think he's been reborn. Without memories. But I know he's here somewhere. I just have to find him."
Jisu studied her for a long moment. "You really love him, huh?"
"More than anything." The admission came easily now. "He sacrificed himself so I could escape the first time. Let himself get bitten by a vampire. Dissolved into mist right in front of me."
Nana's voice was steady, but her hands trembled. "I'm not leaving Avalon without him. Not this time."
"That's..." Jisu wiped her eyes. "That's the most romantic and tragic thing I've ever heard."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the gray sky that never changed. Below them, the sounds of the city continued—the eternal violence, the desperate survival.
"You know what I miss most?" Jisu said eventually. "Stupid stuff. Like Netflix. And pizza delivery. And complaining about Monday mornings." She laughed, the sound brittle. "I'd give anything for a boring Monday morning right now."
"I miss strawberry candy," Nana admitted softly. "Zayne used to give them to me. He'd carry them in his pocket just in case he saw me. It was..." She smiled despite the tears threatening to fall. "It was the sweetest thing anyone ever did for me."
"You'll find him," Jisu said firmly. "And when you do, you're both getting out of here. Promise me that."
"I promise." Nana meant it. "We're going to reach the Wish Bridge. We're going to escape. And we're going home."
"The Wish Bridge," Jisu repeated
wonderingly. "I still can't believe you actually know where the exit is. That you've seen it."
"It's real. And it works." Nana's hand moved to where Mina's necklace used to rest. The phantom weight of it still haunted her. "I made it through once. I can do it again. We both will."
"We?" Jisu looked at her uncertainly.
"You, me, Zayne. Anyone else we find who wants to escape." Nana's voice was fierce. "I'm not letting anyone else die in this place if I can help it."
Jisu's eyes filled with tears. "You sound like a hero."
"I'm not a hero." Nana shook her head. "I'm just someone who's lost too many people. I can't—" Her voice broke. "I can't lose anyone else. Not like Mina. Not like—"
Jisu grabbed her hand, squeezing tight.
"You won't. We're going to be okay. We're going to survive this together."
But even as she said it, both of them knew the truth. In Avalon, "together" was a temporary state. Death came for everyone eventually.
The only question was when.
They're resting as much as they dared, Nana and Jisu began moving again. The broken asphalt crunched under their feet as they navigated through what used to be District 19.
They'd been traveling together for over a week now—ever since Nana had saved Jisu from a hybrid attack. The girl had been alone, terrified, newly arrived in Avalon with no idea how to survive.
Just like I was, Nana had thought, and couldn't leave her behind.
So they'd partnered up. Scavenged together. Fought together. Became sisters in the way that only shared trauma could forge.
And now Nana's greatest fear was coming true: she was getting attached.
She could feel it happening—that bond forming, that care deepening. Every time Jisu laughed at something absurd, everythey shared their meager rations, every time they watched each other's backs in a fight, Nana felt herself caring more.
And in Avalon, caring was dangerous.
I can't lose her like I lost Mina, Nana thought desperately. I can't watch another person I care about die.
Which meant only one thing: Jisu needed to find a group. A settlement. Somewhere safer than traveling with Nana through the most dangerous parts of the city.
"There," Nana said, pointing to a fortified building in the distance. Smoke rose from its chimneys—a sign of active occupation. "That's the settlement Darius runs. I checked it out two days ago. They're well-organized, well-armed. They have about thirty survivors."
Jisu stopped walking. "You're... you want me to join them?"
"Yes.you should." Nana couldn't look at her. "They can protect you better than I can. They have resources, numbers, a real defense system."
"But we're a team." Jisu's voice was small.
"I thought we were staying together?"
"I have to keep searching for Zayne." Nana finally met her eyes. "And that means going to the most dangerous places. Fighting the worst creatures. Taking risks that—" She swallowed hard. "That might get you killed. I can't ask you to do that."
"You're not asking. I'm choosing."
"Jisu—"
"Don't." Jisu grabbed her arm. "Don't push me away because you're scared. I know what happened with Mina. You told me. But I'm not Mina, and this isn't the same situation."
"Exactly.You're not her." Nana's voice cracked. "Which means I can still save you. I can keep you safe by making sure you're with people who can actually protect you."
"And what about you?" Jisu demanded. "Who's going to protect you?"
"I don't need protection. I need to find Zayne."
They stared at each other, both crying now.
"I hate this," Jisu whispered. "I hate that you're right. I hate that I'm not strong enough to keep up with you. I hate—" She broke down completely, and Nana pulled her into a fierce hug.
"You're strong enough," Nana said into her hair. "You've survived this long. You just need a different kind of support system. And Darius's group can give you that."
"Promise you'll visit?" Jisu pulled back, holding Nana's face in both hands. "Promise you won't just disappear?"
"I'm promise " Nana wiped away Jisu's tears. "And when I find Zayne, I'll bring him to meet you. Show you both that we can be a family here. That we can survive together."
"And then we all escape," Jisu said firmly. "Together. At the Wish Bridge."
"Together," Nana agreed, though her heart was breaking.
The settlement gates were impressive—reinforced metal, guard towers, actual armed sentries. Darius ran a tight operation.
Nana had spoken with him briefly two days ago, assessing whether this would be a safe place for Jisu. He was gruff, practical, but fair. He didn't turn away survivors who could contribute. And Jisu was smart, resourceful. She'd be an asset to them.
"You sure about this?" Darius asked now, looking between the two girls. He was a massive man, easily six and a half feet tall, with scars covering his arms and a no-nonsense expression.
"Once you leave, getting back in might be difficult. We don't open the gates for just anyone."
"She's not just anyone," Nana said firmly. "Jisu is smart, brave, and a good fighter. She'll be valuable to your group."
He studied Jisu for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Welcome to the settlement, kid. We've got rules, and you'll need to pull your weight. But you'll be safer here than out there."
"Thank you," Jisu whispered.
The gates began to open. Inside, Nana could see other survivors—cooking, repairing weapons, organizing supplies. It looked almost normal. Almost like civilization.
This is good, she told herself. This is the right choice.
But god, it hurt.
Jisu turned to her one last time, gripping Nana's hands desperately. "Promise me you'll visit? Promise me you won't forget about us?"Nana's voice was thick with tears. "I'll come back. When I find Zayne, we'll both come back. I'll introduce you to him. We'll all—" She couldn't finish.
"We'll all escape together," Jisu finished for her. "The three of us. At the Wish Bridge."
"The three of us," Nana repeated. "I promise."
They hugged one last time—tight enough to hurt, long enough that the guards started shifting awkwardly.
"Go," Nana finally said, pushing Jisu gently toward the gates. "Before I change my mind and drag you back out here."
Jisu laughed through her tears. "Find him, Nana. Find Zayne. And then come back to us."
"I will."
The gates closed with a heavy metallic clang.
Nana stood there for a long moment, staring at the fortified walls that now separated her from Jisu. From the closest thing to a friend she'd had since Mina died.
I'm doing this for her, she reminded herself. She's safer this way.
But it didn't make it hurt any less.
Finally, Nana wiped her tears away and turned back to the broken city. Her iron pipe felt heavier now. Her backpack with all her supplies weighed on her shoulders.
She was alone again.
Just her, her weapons, and the impossible task of finding one man in a city of thousands.
But I'll do it, Nana thought fiercely, starting to walk. I'll search every district.
Kill every human who tries to stop me. Survive every cycle. I'll find Zayne even if it takes months.
Even if it kills me.
The gray sky stretched endlessly above her. The sounds of Avalon's violence echoed around her.
And somewhere in this nightmare city, a man with hazel eyes and no memories was searching for something he couldn't remember.
Searching for her.
They just had to find each other.
And Nana wouldn't stop until they did.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued.