Chapter One - 2
1047 Words
CHAPTER ONE
THE BEGINNING AFTER THE CRUEL END (PART 2)
Amidst the never-ending explosion of bombs and crumbling buildings, students were dying every second on the school grounds of Esquiver High. The ground was covered in blood, as if red paint had been applied to a drab, colorless canvas. And there also stood Kia, who was being dragged by Gail to run.
"If only I could stop them from going into the cafeteria... I don't deserve to live, and I want to die. Sorry, it's all my fault. " Her quivering hands covered her ears as she muttered.
Gail shrieked, "Kia!" and slapped her. Kia cupped her swollen, throbbing cheeks. Gail's face was a shambles, and her swollen eyes glistened with tears. "Look, I understand you're afraid and horrified, but we need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"N-No," Kia murmured. She seemed deaf to what her friend was saying, and she was completely unaware that the monsters were coming for them. Gail shushed her and took her hand in hers to escape. Kia took notice of her cold, trembling hand. Gail was puzzled by the situation, but she knew they had to stay alive.
Both of them were sprinting, but Kia's tears had clouded her vision, and she couldn't see where she was going.
"Gail."
"What's the matter? Run faster. "
"Let me die," Kia replied, smiling. Gail's expression became gloomy. She fell silent, and their pace quickened as she took the lead. "Just shut up and listen."
Kia's body suddenly felt light and her eyesight blurred, as if she were floating in space. There was no sound that could be heard, yet the silence was so painful to her ears. The agony in her chest went away, her heart rate returned to normal, and the tears in her eyes ceased. But, before she could process what was going on, she was brought back into reality. She found herself sitting in a chair in their classroom next to her friend. All of the windows and doors were shut, and some of their classmates were lying on the floor, uncertain if they were dead or merely unconscious, and others were trembling and silently crying.
"We were shocked when we heard a loud explosion coming from the other buildings. Thankfully, the STE class building was too far away, but a rabbit with a horn entered the room and suddenly let out a smoke. As soon as they inhaled the smoke, they died. We immediately closed the doors so the rabbits and other monsters couldn't enter, " Makaella, the class secretary, explained. She was also Gail's close friend. Since they entered the room, they have been talking to each other. Makaella was pecking at the outside of the window.
"Uhm..." As Kia regained consciousness and realized where they were, she murmured. They both turned their attention to her.
Gail's brows were knotted and her eyes were filled with worry. Kia looked down, fist clenched, to try to hide the tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks.
"What is going on?" Gail groaned furiously. She pinched her skin and ruffled her hair. Makella, who had been staring at her, scowled.
"Obviously, monsters are attacking us. I'm not sure what they're called, but I've been keeping an eye on them for a long time, " Makella replied. Hearing that, Kia scratched her chin and thought deeply. She was familiar with those monsters as a fantasy nerd. Orcs have a huge, powerful physique, but they aren't particularly fast. Goblins are cunning thieves who move as quickly as the wind. Despite their small size, horned rabbits can emit poisonous smoke. "But hold on! How... "
"Mak, by the way, how did you manage to stay alive in the poisonous smoke? " Gail questioned Makaella before Kia could say anything.
"We've got a runny nose."
"What?" Gail raised her voice, "it's not the right time to joke, Makaella."
Makaella shrugged as she chuckled, "You think so?"
"Stop it both of you." Kia said. They turned their eyes on her. She could see the concerned eyes of Gail while Makaella was expressionless as usual.
Kia gasped, "Just as I thought, it's the scent of the smoke they let out!" They can still inhale the smoke even if their nose is runny. They will, however, lose their sense of smell, and the scent of the horned rabbit's smoke is toxic. Gail and Makaella stared at her puzzled, so she told them what she knew, which made them nod their heads. Everyone in their glass is aware of Kia's fantasy novel addiction, especially Gail, who has been influenced a little.
"Now the question is, what are we going to do?" She continued as she looked around the room and observed that just five of them were still alive. Angelina, Kia, Makaella, Gail, and Kenneth. Their other two students seemed to be lifeless. They were quietly grieving as they stared at the void. Kia's wrath grew stronger, and she tightened her fists while looking down and closing her eyes. "How did the world come to be this way? Why did so many of us suffer and die? Why did a weakling like me survive? Or will I be able to make it? "
"Calm down, Kia. You're having a mental breakdown again. Don't be afraid, I'm still here. " As she held Kia's hand, Gail's mouth curved up into a smile. But gazing at her eyes shimmered with tears. Without a doubt, she was in pain as well. "Damn, being a powerless person in times like this was unfair. My friend shouldn't die if only we had the power to fight these monsters. "
She smiled half-heartedly. "Thank yo-"
Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted. Her eyelids grew heavy all of a sudden. She feels as if her life is being sucked out of her. Her eyes were closing on their own as the weight became heavier. "Will I die? No, I don't want to. I'd want to avenge my friends as well as humanity. I want to survive. That is solely my wish. My desire and aim. If only I had the strength... “
(❕) ALARM
WELCOME, PLAYER!
"W-What is th-that?" She murmured before she lost consciousness.
- Writer
