Leon
I woke up to a familiar, gentle voice.
"Leon, it's time to wake up," Mark said as he ran his fingers across my face. Opening my eyes, I caught sight of his beautiful face. His blond hair slightly hung in his eyes as he smiled down at me radiantly.I took his hand, brought it to my lips, and kissed it.
"Good morning!"
"My morning is perfect."As I sat up, the boy moved closer to me. He placed his hand on the back of my neck. I drew closer too, our bodies fully touching, yet even this didn't feel perfectly close enough. He kissed my forehead, my cheeks, and then my lips.
"Hurry up!" Oliver's urgent voice came from the door. "It would be good to leave on time!"
"Don't shout, you idiot! The rest of my family is still asleep."
"Sorry!"
I rolled my eyes, and Mark just laughed. He gave me another quick kiss, then went to my wardrobe and pulled out the clothes prepared by the Camp.
"Dress up! We'll wait for you outside the building. I'd love to stay and watch you change, but unfortunately, we don't have time for that now, if you know what I mean," he winked at me, then left the room.
I stood there smiling for a moment, then remembered everything that happened last night. Everything I saw last night.I tried to push the terrible images out of my head.
"I must not think about this," I whispered to myself. I won't let it happen.
I won't let Mark die.
I washed up, changed clothes, grabbed an apple, and headed out to join the others.
Alex
The next morning, I got out of bed early. The last time I slept this poorly was three years ago, on that particular day when all this began.
Actually, I hardly slept at all then. This one can be compared to that. All night long, I tossed and turned, either thinking about Ana or Ethan.
I wonder if Ana is okay? Did she hurt herself or someone else? Ethan hasn't returned? Did he hurt someone else too?
These thoughts kept me awake, and even if I managed to fall asleep, I was haunted by terrible dreams. By now, I don't even remember them, but I always woke up terrified from them.
A silence settled over the house; Piper and my sister were surely still asleep.
I headed towards the bathroom, intending to splash my face with cold water. Hopefully, it would wake me up a bit.
And I'll need coffee too.
After taking care of these, I quickly changed back in my room, then stepped out of the house. The fresh morning air filled me with a pleasant sensation.
A few elderly people were strolling around the neighborhood. A woman was approaching me, accompanied by a young Labrador puppy. Sometimes, it ran off farther, sniffing things, then returned to its owner. When the dog noticed me, it ran towards me. I crouched down to pet it.
"Hi, beautiful! What's this cute dog's name?" I asked, looking at the inscription on its collar.
"Oh, so Joey."
At the sound of his name, he barked once. His owner called him, and Joey wagged his tail as he ran back to her. The woman waved at me with a smile, to which I responded with a smile too.
My day is already starting better than I hoped.
As I reached William's house, the events of last night came to mind. Ana's speech in front of the Camp, the dance, and the pleasant conversation with Sarah and Piper, then Daniel's "death."
And everything I talked about with Ana.
As I stepped into one of the elevators, I tried to push all of this out of my mind.
The elevator stopped at Ana's floor.
I didn't immediately notice Daniel, with a surprised look on his face, who had been standing with his back to me until he turned around at the sound of my footsteps. We both arrived to visit the girl at the same time.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprisingly without any anger in his voice, just curiosity.
"And you?" I asked back.
"I live here."
"Yes, but not on this floor. You know what I mean."
He shook his head and muttered something as he headed towards the door at the end of the hallway.
"Ana got a fever last night. I came to check on her. "I answered his earlier question as I followed him.
"What?" he stopped suddenly and turned around.
"You didn't know?" I looked at him surprised.
"How could I know? It was agreed that after Kiara falls asleep, I would come down to see her, but things happened differently. I fell asleep with her."
When we reached the door, he knocked on it.
There was no answer.
I tried as well.
After a short wait, the door opened, and I saw Lisa.
"Hi, sweetheart."
Daniel also greeted the girl, who just looked at us questioningly. Before I could ask her a question, she spoke:
"Ana's not here."
"What do you mean she's not here? Where is she?" Daniel asked her.
Lisa pointed upward with her fingers.
"They're in her father's office."
"Thank you," said Daniel, then immediately headed back to the elevator.
I said goodbye to the girl and followed the boy.
Upstairs, Daniel immediately opened the door to the room after knocking.
William was sitting at his desk, Ana was sitting in a chair opposite him. Chris was also in the room, standing near Ana. They all turned towards us. Chris nodded towards us, Ana got up from her seat to run to Daniel. The girl threw herself into the boy's arms, who hugged her tightly.
I turned my gaze away and looked at William.
"Hello."
"What brings you here?" he asked.
"I was concerned about Ana's safety," I replied, moving closer to him.
"We were just talking about that. Ana claims she's feeling fine and wants to start training immediately. But she doesn't understand--"
"I've told you, there's nothing wrong with me!" Ana interrupted the man, while standing between Daniel's arms. The girl tried hard to express how well she was, but there was a hint of stubbornness and anger on her face.
"You can't strain yourself after the fever, understand! I just want what's best for you--"
He suddenly fell silent. I looked back at Ana.
The girl's hand was clenched into a fist.
"There's no time for this, Dad! Dorian knows everything, and I know nothing, and I have to defeat him! You say you only want the best for me, but you've burdened me with this, you've given me this power, and you didn't even say anything about it that day! You didn't talk to me, you didn't warn me about anything when you already knew what was happening, you were aware! If you had told me then, I would know much more now! Why didn't you say anything, Dad?"
"Ana, please--" the man tried to speak, but Ana wouldn't let him.
At first, her hand glowed faintly, then the glow intensified, spreading throughout her whole body.
"I didn't want this, Dad. And if I'm not prepared, if I don't win, it will be your fault."
William's face darkened.
"Get down!" William shouted, who in that moment immediately ducked under his desk, Daniel and Chris also threw themselves to the ground, and I wanted to do the same, but my reflexes were much slower. In moments, blinding light filled the entire room, sharp pain sliced through my arm, side, and leg, and then my legs lost their ground. I heard the sound of glass breaking, I landed again, but not on my legs, I fell on my arm, then rolled on.
Finally, I could see again, but I wish I hadn't! Everything hurt, the glass wall shattered, and I reached the edge.
I couldn't stop myself in time, but luckily, I managed to grab onto the wall with my right hand. My other hand is completely numb; I can't move it, I can't feel it.
There's barely any strength left in me. I'm high enough that if I let go, I could fall to my death. I don't dare to look down; I mustn't look down.
I try to concentrate, to pull myself up, but my whole body is tired. The grip of my hand begins to weaken. Fear takes over me. I'm terrified. I'm going to fall. Am I really going to die like this? Am I going to fall within the safest place?
My hand gives up; I release the little recess I was holding onto. I close my eyes, resigning myself to death when something tightens around my wrist. I didn't fall further; I'm hanging in the air. When I open my eyes again, I see Daniel. He leans out of the room, holding onto my right arm with both hands.
"Come on, Norman, grab onto me! I could use a little help," he says, pulling me while I try to climb up with my legs. A few moments later, I find myself on solid ground. I gasp for air, my heart pounding, but I laugh because I was stupid to think I would die right here.
But I almost did!
I try to sit up, managing it with great difficulty, but every movement sends pain shooting through me. Daniel kneels beside me, watching me, and for the first time, I see concern in his eyes. Concern for me. I've seen him worried before, just not for me.
"You saved me," I said, somewhat incredulously. At the other end of the room, Ana lied on the ground, and Chris crouched beside her. William's gaze was jumping between us, surveying the damage done to the room.
"Thank you," I said, looking back into Daniel's eyes.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Do I look okay?" I forced a smile. "Could've been worse."
"Can you stand?"
"Probably, just not right now. Everything hurts. If I get up, I'll fall back down. But my left arm..."
"It's not broken," William interjected. "You just won't be able to move it for a while. You could, but I don't recommend it. I assume it hurts enough without moving it."
I nodded.
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
"As I said, she's not entirely well. It's because of the fever. She can't control it."
"So that's what you meant when you said yesterday that it could be dangerous for herself and others."
"Yes, but I didn't think she'd explode like that. That's my fault too. She's right."
By now, Chris was holding Ana in his arms.
"She's asleep. I'll take her to her room, but I suggest you keep an eye on her. She can't leave the apartment; she can't exert herself because then this will happen again."
"She needs guards."
Chris nodded.
"This is ridiculous," Daniel remarked.
"It's necessary if she won't listen to us. She only has to endure it for a day. If she had stayed in bed like I told her, and rested, as I told her, the fever would've been over by this afternoon. But she didn't listen to me. Alex almost died because of it."
"How long will this last?" I asked, pointing to my arm, to steer the conversation away from my near-death experience.
"A few hours."
"A few hours?!"
I can't move for hours? Will it hurt this much for hours?
"Yes, and it's lucky it only affected your arm this much."
"And one of my legs. But it's not as bad as my arm."
Daniel helped me stand up. He provided a steady support because I couldn't properly stand on both legs. He put his arm around me and helped me stagger to the door.
"Alexander, I suggest you rest too! Time will pass faster that way. By the time you wake up, the pain will be gone."
Fortunately, this whole situation has completely exhausted me, so I'll be able to sleep. I hope so.
This was my day. As well as it started, it turned into a disaster within minutes.
This is my luck.
Ana
I fell asleep again. I should be preparing for battle, but since I've been in the Camp, I haven't learned anything yet, and even my strength is disobeying me.
I found myself on a scrapyard, but I have no idea why. Who did I come to?
I walked around among the many wrecks, then I spotted a figure by one of the cars.
Ethan.
He was sitting on the hood of the car, next to him lay a compound bow, similar to Daniel's. The boy was scanning his surroundings, as if waiting for something or someone.
As soon as I stopped directly in front of him, he smiled.
"Someone is watching me again, I can feel it. Only two people are capable of this, but I doubt it's my father. Are you the Light?"
"My name is Ana," I said as I appeared before him.
"You're constantly asleep? This will make our job really easy. Especially since you're even revealing yourself to me," he chuckled.
"If I could, I wouldn't be sleeping," I complained.
"I don't like that you're spying on me for the second time."
"What I don't like is that you're a killer."
"Why are you here, Ana?" he asked seriously. It was very strange to hear my name from his mouth. "Are they planning something against me because of yesterday, and they want to know where I am through you?"
"I can honestly tell you that they're not using me for this, because I'm feverish now because of the Light, and I can't do anything else but rest, if I don't want to harm others. Something happened now, but I have no idea what I did. I hope no one got hurt."
"You're sharing quite valuable information about yourself now, Ana. Something your enemy shouldn't know. Don't you consider me an enemy?"
"You're an evil, cruel killer, but at the same time, I see only a child in you who was hurt and just wanted to be loved, and not hated just because of his existence, which is not his fault. Ethan, there are so many people in the world, and there are many who would accept you as you are. Let me heal your wounds. Not all of them, but I'd like to show you that people can be kind. And it's your decision what you do with it."
"You're really getting on my nerves, Ana. I hope you know that if you weren't the Light and you were standing in front of me, I would have already killed you. But unfortunately, I can't," he laughed, but his gaze was empty.
"You wouldn't have killed me. You don't kill everyone. You could have killed many people in the Camp, you could have hurt Alex too, he said he saw you, and you saw him too. You don't want to kill everyone."
Ethan just grinned.
"Well, okay. Let's say you're right. If you're so eager to heal me, then I'm in, but you can only remove the scars from my face. I'm curious about your power. Where can I find you?"
"Tomorrow evening, near the Camp, where one of your men shot at us. Come there."
"I suggest it's not a trap, Light."
"I know, I know, I'll regret it if I lied. I don't lie."
"One day you'll really regret helping me, Ana. I won't change."
"Maybe not, but maybe yes."
"Maybe," he shrugged.
"I will win, Ethan. No matter what."
Ethan looked up at the sky, where a bird was circling above our heads, then he took his bow and got off the car.
"I have to go now, I have a meeting. I'll wait for you tomorrow."
He didn't wait any longer, he started to run, and I stood there, even when I heard familiar voices from the distance. As soon as I saw my brother, the scrapyard disappeared from my sight.
Leon
The place where Ella and Ethan were supposed to meet was half a hour ride from the Camp. Ella described it as a junkyard, and that's exactly what it was.
It was surrounded by a fence, which we quickly discovered was locked. According to Ella's report, they camped here with their group for a while and made a hole in the fence somewhere. That's the only entrance and exit.
She was right about that. We easily found the hole because they made it a bit bigger than necessary.
I sent a few of my comrades to inspect the rest of the fence, but they didn't find any more holes.
My small team, which I brought with me, one by one sneaked into the junkyard.
"Some people could stay to guard the gate in case anyone tries to escape after spotting us," Lucas suggested.
"Thomas, Justin, Crystal! Stay here! If anyone approaches, signal to Oliver. And someone signal to me too. If they attack, kill them. The rest, follow me."
Everyone nodded and did as I said. Ten of us made our way towards the center of the junkyard, including myself and Mark.
I divided my team into smaller groups, sending Blake with Richard and a larger group towards the base Ella mentioned.
Another team went back to the lake to search for Jasper's body.
Ella warned us not to underestimate Ethan, but still, we outnumber him.
We cautiously moved among the wreckage, making sure someone was watching in every direction to avoid surprises.
Then suddenly, I noticed a faint sound. I turned around, searching for the source of the noise, with Lucas beside me.
Lucas already had the gun in his hand, aiming towards the direction of the sound. Nothing moved. No more sounds came. Lucas should have seen if there was someone there in the first place.
"Everyone, step back—" I stopped as an arrow swiftly passed by me. It lodged into David's chest. His body fell to the ground, motionless. The arrow came from behind me. But no matter where I looked, I couldn't see who shot it.
Another arrow approached, a bit farther from the previous one.
I saw something moving behind one of the cars. For a moment, I glanced at my team to make sure the arrow didn't hit anyone else, but it did; it hit Lucas in the leg. It could have been worse.
I drew my sword from my belt and ran towards the car. The man jumped out in front of me, now holding a knife. He thrust it towards me, and I jumped back to evade. Seizing the opportunity, he threw the knife at me, cutting my arm. He started running, and at the same moment, two shots rang out from where we came. The signal.
"I'll follow him!" Mark ran past me almost. I quickly grabbed his arm and signaled the others to follow him.
"No! In my vision, Ethan killed you!"
"But not here!"
"I'll handle him; you go back to the hole!" He wanted to protest, but I didn't give him time. I ran after Ethan.
Mark
Approaching the hole, I spotted Oliver not far from Justin and the others. His disguise as a Dark One is becoming more convincing by the time.
But as I got closer, I saw that something was off. All three of them were aiming at him. And then I noticed Oliver too. He stood on the other side of the fence, most of his disguise already removed, making it easier for him to handle a weapon. Our eyes met, his face showing how unexpected this turn of events was for him.
Thomas also noticed, and at that moment, the Dark One turned towards me. Justin took advantage of this and shot at the Dark One. Another Dark One appeared in my line of sight, heading straight for Justin, very fast.
"Watch out!" I shouted, but it was too late. The Dark One's hand moved towards the boy's neck, its long, sharp claws slicing through it. Blood poured out profusely. Thomas and Crystal were also preparing to attack.
"No!" Oliver shouted at them.
I watched in surprise as they obeyed.
In a situation like this, no matter how much one might try to defend themselves or escape, the only solution was not to do either.
The other Dark One also became motionless, not attacking anyone else.
Another Dark One appeared near Oliver. It reached out its hand, and for a moment, I waited in fear for what would happen, but it just lightly jabbed Oliver in the back with one of its claws. Oliver took a step forward. The Dark One poked him again.
He's leading him.
He wants Oliver to come in too.
"What the hell is happening?" Thomas asked.
"I have no idea, but they haven't killed us yet. I think we should be grateful for that," I tried to reassure the team.
"Justin is lying dead in front of us!" Crystal exclaimed, rightfully upset.
"Because he attacked first," I tried to sound sympathetic.
We came here hoping none of us would die, and now we've already lost two people.
The Dark Ones started herding us in the direction where Ethan was moments ago. I could see the others worrying and tensely watching the events unfolding around us.
What have we gotten ourselves into?
Leon
While the others distracted Ethan by shooting at him, I managed to sneak up behind him unnoticed.
Or so I thought.
My sword was closing in on him, but he sensed the danger just in time. He dodged, but at least I managed to inflict a small wound on him. I was about to attack again when I noticed figures approaching from behind him.
Dark Ones? Mark, Oliver, Thomas, and Crystal were coming towards us among the Dark Ones.
Justin wasn't among them. I focused my eyes back on the man standing just a few steps away from me. His golden eyes were sparking, and a wide grin spread across his face.
"That bitch really betrayed us," he said, laughing.
"We tortured her. We had to," I replied.
"Don't you dare lie to my face! I'm sure it wasn't like that." He moved quickly, another knife appeared in his hand, which he immediately threw, but very inaccurately.
I didn't need to dodge; it didn't even come close to me. Ethan groaned, then grabbed his right shoulder where I managed to wound him earlier.
"Whether you tortured her or not, she still betrayed us. We have a rule. We don't say much to the enemy. We'd rather die. But in her case, it didn't matter. I know you didn't torture her."
"That doesn't matter now. Surrender! You can stay alive, you have a choice."
"I wouldn't threaten if I were you," he said, then pointed towards the Dark Ones. "They're just waiting for my command."
"Then why don't you give them the command? You've already killed two of my men."
"Let's not rush; it won't be exciting and enjoyable that way! Call the others here! Stand behind me and drop your weapons!"
"And if they don't? There are more of us."
Ethan snapped his fingers, and one of the Dark Ones pushed Mark closer to us, then its sharp claws touched Mark's neck. It cut his neck, and red blood started to slowly flow.
"What do you say to that?" Ethan asked mockingly as he laughed.
The Dark Ones stood nearby, waiting only for Ethan's command.
The situation became increasingly hopeless. Lucas isn't here; he might have a chance, but he's injured, and the others are grouped around us, but they can't do anything against the Dark Ones.
"Enough!" I shouted, trembling.
"Do you understand what's at stake?" Ethan asked, looking me in the eyes. He snapped again, and the Dark One stepped back.
"Mark Black." That dreadful grin was back on his face. I didn't like the fact that he recognized him, or the way he looked at him. "You annoy me almost as much as Daniel. Perhaps even more. At least Daniel was willing to live with his father, unlike you. And both of you chose the side of Light! I can't wait to finish you both. Let's fight! Just you and me, pretty boy."
"I don't accept," Mark replied firmly.
"It wasn't an offer you can refuse. Leon, where are your men? If I remember correctly, and I have an excellent memory, I told you to call them here and have them drop their weapons."
"Lucas! If you hear him, do as he says! This is an order!"
They all emerged, lining up behind me. One by one, they slowly placed their weapons in front of them. Only Lucas remained. He stood on one leg, but at least he wasn't seriously injured. Before he stepped forward to drop his weapons, he looked into my eyes.
He's going to do something stupid.
"No," I stammered, but it was in vain. My hand slowly slid towards my hidden knife. Lucas picked out the gun, but instead of dropping it, he aimed and shot.
His aim wasn't accurate because he had to act quickly, but he still hit the man's thigh. Surprise showed on Ethan's face, then it turned into endless rage. He didn't need to say anything; one of the Dark Ones was already moving towards Lucas.
Lucas shot again, but one shot wasn't enough to kill the Dark One, and it was his last bullet. I threw the knife, hoping I aimed accurately. It embedded itself in the creature's head. I was much more accurate than I thought I would be.
The Dark One fell to the ground.
Mark and Oliver simultaneously stabbed one of them, Mark aiming for the chest, Oliver for the head. Thomas shot the last Dark One in the leg, causing it to stumble, allowing Crystal to get close enough to stab it.
Ethan fixed his gaze on Lucas, his eyes burning with anger. "Oh, I wouldn't have done that if I were you," Ethan drew a long, black sword. "Now you've really pissed me off."
The Sword of Darkness.
Why does he have it??
"You think I'm afraid of you? Because if you do, then you're fucking wrong!" Lucas yelled confidently.
"But you'd better be if I were you. By the way, the game is just beginning!" he said, then plunged the Sword of Darkness into the ground with all his might. Dark smoke rose from the hole, and the ground beneath us trembled. For a few moments, nothing happened, but then we heard a loud rumble.
Dark Ones rushed towards us from all directions.
Blake
The road was dusty as Richard, and their team made their way toward one of the Shadow's bases. Slowly emerging from the haze, a warning sign stood: "Caution, the place is full of traps. Dangerous area - could explode!"
After a prolonged silence, Richard spoke, his gaze fixed firmly into the distance. "So far, so good. Everything seems to be as it was described."
"Yes, thankfully. I don't want to dwell on this much longer," I replied tensely. "Richie, what do you think will happen to us? The battle with Dorian is getting closer. It's all I've been thinking about all day, and I'm starting to get tired of it."
"So that's why you've been unusually quiet," He smirked.
"Is it really that rare?" I asked.
The others nodded in agreement.
"Pay attention to our surroundings. It could indeed be a trap. Be cautious, and stay alert!" Richie commanded sternly.
"War always comes with losses, Blake," he turned to me. "The question is only how significant these losses will be and how prepared we are for them. Dorian won't give up, but neither will the Camp. We all try to defend what we fight for, but we can never know what will happen. However, I'm filled with hope. The girl, Ana, will succeed, I can feel it. William wouldn't let us down; he'll do everything to ensure the girl is prepared."
Most of the buildings in the village appeared deserted. "Check the houses too. Let's make sure."
The abandonment of the village and the silence only heightened the tension within me. We have no idea who we're up against, what weapons they have, how skilled they are in combat.
"And what if this is still a trap?" I posed the question. Some looked at me with uncertainty for a moment, but then immediately returned to their tasks. They don't know fear.
Richard looked at me seriously, then shrugged. "That's also possible, but it doesn't matter anymore. We're here, we know why we're here. We're prepared. Now it's about people, not massive monsters."
I paused for a moment and turned toward the dark sky. "I can't wait for this to be over. I want to ride again without problems, safely."
Richard touched my shoulder. "I'd like to ride with you, Blake. What do you say if I beat you in a race?" he smiled at me.
"Not even in your dreams would you be able to defeat me. That's one of the many things I excel at, almost the best," I replied.
"We'll see about that."
"I already see it."
"I'm sure everything will be fine, Blake. We'll be able to return to our normal lives, not too long from now. Keep that thought in mind, the image that awaits thereafter. That's why we'll fight, and that's why we won't let Dorian win. We won't be defeated," Richard said assuredly.
I nodded, gratefully accepting Richard's words. I could already see the outline of the building; the tavern was right in front of us. There wasn't a soul in the houses, which could be either good news or bad. Hopefully, they'll be in the tavern, and they won't really be expecting us.
Before entering the tavern, Richard and I exchanged glances, then I barged in, the others following suit, raising their weapons.
The noisy, jovial crowd that greeted us suddenly fell silent. The people sitting at the tables froze, and the cheerful expression vanished from their faces. The atmosphere froze unexpectedly as every pair of eyes turned towards us.
"Nobody move!" I shouted, aiming my weapon at them.
Undoubtedly, we were in the right place; the description we received fit them. The symbol tattooed on their necks was also painted on the wall.
No one moved, but they glared at us with angry eyes.
"We don't intend to harm anyone unless you give us a reason! Hands up, let's see them."
No one listened to me. The others stood closely behind me, waiting to see what the enemy would do.
Then one of them suddenly moved.