The window trembled under the boy's gaze, its fragile surface threatening to crack. He stood there, one hand brushing the glass, his breaths fogging it slightly. She placed her hand firmly on his shoulder, grounding him again.
He glanced back, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
"How long have you been followed?" she asked the man, her voice calm but pointed.
The man paused, looking upward as if the ceiling held answers. "Not long after you left," he admitted, his tone laced with frustration. "I shifted between a dozen places, and none of them seemed safe."
The boy's eyes narrowed as he stared out into the snowfall. His voice cut through the quiet. "Then how do you know this house is safe?"
The man hesitated, glancing over at him before following his line of sight. Something outside caught his attention. His face paled as realization set in.
"It isn't," he muttered grimly.
With a quick motion, the man extended his hand, summoning another doorway to escape. But before they could act, the roof above them groaned. A bladed weapon pierced through with explosive force, shattering debris across the room.
The man stumbled back, a deep gash running across his arm. He bit back a cry of pain as the doorway flickered and disappeared.
The boy reacted instantly, summoning his crackling axe from thin air. Beside him, the girl conjured a wolf familiar, its spectral form bristling with energy.
From the ruined ceiling descended a hooded figure, their presence suffocating. The weapon—a Balisword—gleamed wickedly as they tore it free from the floor.
The man clutched his bleeding arm, his teeth gritted in agony, but still managed to summon a greatsword, wielding it single-handedly. His trembling voice carried an edge of defiance. "You're not taking us without a fight."
The boy vaulted over the countertop, his axe descending in a charged arc. Sparks erupted as the hooded figure deflected the strike with ease, but the electricity surged through their weapon, causing them to falter.
The man lunged, his greatsword carving through the air. Tears blurred his vision as the blade slammed into the ground, narrowly missing the intruder.
The girl's wolf pounced, sinking its spectral teeth into the figure's arm and pinning them in place.
Seizing the moment, the boy hurled his axe with all his strength. The weapon spun through the air, striking the figure squarely in the chest. They staggered, choking on a pained gasp, before crumbling to the ground. Their body began to disintegrate into ash.
But the reprieve was short-lived.
The door burst open, and another assailant rushed in, seizing the girl in a chokehold. Her familiar flickered and vanished as she struggled against his grip.
"Hey!" the boy shouted, his voice desperate as he turned to help her—
But another figure dropped through the broken roof, their blade slicing into the injured man before he could react. He collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
The new arrival—a woman with a cruel smile—spoke with venom. "Mr. Yakudatsu, you should've stayed in hiding. It would've been less messy that way."
The boy froze, the weight of the scene crashing down on him. The man, struggling to speak, locked eyes with him. His lips moved silently, but the boy understood:
"Run."
The woman's gaze flicked to the boy, her eyes alight with twisted amusement. "And you... you're one of the anomalies, aren't you?" She grinned, her voice dripping with fascination. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
She lunged at him, her blade flashing, but he was quicker. Rolling past her, he snatched a small, glowing trinket from the counter.
"What's this?" she mocked, closing in on him again.
The boy clutched the trinket tightly, breaking it between his palms. A surge of energy crackled through the air.
The girl summoned another wolf, which tore into her captor's leg, forcing him to release her. She wasted no time, creating a sword from her power and driving it through his skull. Blood splattered across her face as his lifeless body crumpled.
The boy used the distraction to shove the woman off balance, bolting toward the girl.
"Let's go!" he yelled, grabbing her hand.
Together, they sprinted outside. The boy thrust his arm forward, creating a doorway similar to the one the man had summoned.
They dashed through and stopped abruptly in another room, the air cold and silent. He turned back to seal the doorway, his fist clenching as the portal disappeared.
For a moment, neither spoke. The girl clung to him, her breath still shaky as she glanced behind them, half-expecting their pursuers to burst through.
The boy's breathing turned erratic, panic overtaking him. "Why us?! Why do they keep coming for us?!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
She grabbed his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. "Listen to me. It's not our fault. He was already being hunted before we even got here!"
His hands trembled as her words sank in. Slowly, his breathing steadied.
She pulled him into an embrace, her voice soft but firm. "We need to clear our heads before we do anything else."
He nodded, leaning into her for support. After a long moment of quiet, she finally broke it.
"You know, I never did tell you my name, did I?"
He looked at her, blinking. "No... you didn't."
She smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "It's Tori. Good to actually meet you, Argos."
After some time had passed, he inhaled deeply, shutting his eyes as if trying to press pause on reality. "Let's go get food. I'll deal with this later..." he muttered, starting to push himself off the bed.
Before he could, she grabbed his arm. "Wait," she said, her voice steady but firm. "There were people in the area earlier. Just sit this out for a moment."
He hesitated, his brows furrowing. After a moment, he slumped back onto the bed. "Are we staying here?" he asked, the question heavier than it sounded.
She shot him a look that said the answer should be obvious. "Well, yeah. We can't exactly head out with people who seem very keen on killing us nearby."
He stared down at his hands, turning the question over in his mind. Finally, he spoke again, his voice softer. "No... I mean, after this is all over. Are we going to go somewhere else? Stay here? Just... wait for nature to take us?"
He glanced down and noticed her hand still resting on his. She followed his gaze, her expression faltering for a moment before they both awkwardly pulled their hands away.
She cleared her throat. "I... I don't know. Let's just focus on today. Solve one problem at a time, yeah? We'll figure out what comes next later."
He laughed quietly, muffling it with his hand. "Who'd have thought any of this would happen, huh?" He didn't wait for her to answer, his gaze wandering to the roof.
A rumble of thunder growled in the distance. His face darkened as the memories clawed their way back to him. "So... if you're just an alter... what was your deal with him?"
Her head turned slightly, her fingers absently scrolling her phone. The screen illuminated a photo of the person he meant—a man smiling alongside her other self. Her grip tightened as she stared at it, the light casting a strange glow over her face.
She sighed deeply, letting the air seep out slowly before answering. "He meant something to her. To me?" She shook her head. "I didn't mind him. Sort of. Maybe." She avoided his gaze, instead looking out the window. "What about you? What was your deal with her?"
His lips pressed into a thin line as he leaned back against the headboard. "I think... I was starting to care about her. And then..." His voice trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. His eyes drifted shut as if to block out the weight of the truth.
She snorted softly. "You? Falling for someone that delicate?"
He opened one eye, his expression unimpressed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She smirked faintly, leaning back on her palms. "You've fought gods, stared death in the face, killed a goddess from another realm... and you expect me to believe you had feelings for someone soft?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I wasn't really in control most of the time. You know that. Half the time, it felt like I was running on pure anger." He gestured vaguely, frustration bleeding into his tone. "I don't know who I was back then."
She tilted her head, her expression softening for just a second. "Whoever you were, it doesn't really matter now. What matters is that we survive this together."
He gave her a half-smile. "Yeah... let's hope things stay calm for a while."
She leaned her head back, staring at the cracked ceiling. "You think this is the eye?"
He frowned, confused. "The what?"
"You know, like in a hurricane. The calm part in the middle."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Knock on wood, would you? I'd really like to rest for a decade after all this."
She chuckled, rapping her knuckles on the floor. "Think that actually works?"
He shrugged, gesturing around. "Well, we've been transported across realms... fought gods, valkyries, and countless monstra... lost control of myself more times than I can count..." He paused, looking down at his hands. "...and somehow brought you back to life."
Finally, he glanced over at her, his lips curving into a wry grin. "Maybe knocking on wood is the most reasonable thing we've got going."
Her laugh was soft but genuine. Before either could say more, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway.
They froze, the levity evaporating instantly. The boy's arm moved instinctively, summoning his weapon, but she grabbed his wrist and stopped him. He raised a brow at her but relented, instead reaching for his phone.
Quickly, he opened the notes app and typed:
Something's off.
She read it and frowned, typing back:
What do you mean?
I can't hear properly.
I can hear just fine.
Listen to the footsteps.
She closed her eyes, focusing. A moment later, her eyes snapped open.
Wow. You're right.
See?
Yeah. It's like they're... muffled.
The footsteps grew louder, closer. He peeked over the bed just as a tall man stepped into view. The boy ducked back instantly, his heart pounding. "We've got company," he whispered.
The man in the hallway smirked, as if sensing their presence. He drew a cutlass, resting one boot on the bed nearest the door.
The boy didn't hesitate, throwing his axe with deadly precision. The man dodged, deflecting it with a quick swing before launching himself forward.
The battle erupted in a blur of steel and fury. The man landed a horizontal swing at the boy, who dodged it, his movements almost feral. The girl lunged forward, her translucent sword slicing down with precision. The man sidestepped her attack, countering with a brutal punch to her arm, making her drop her weapon.
A shadow flickered behind the boy. He spun, weapon already forming in his hand, but found nothing there. He turned back just in time to clash with the man's cutlass, electricity crackling along his arm.
The girl, recovering quickly, summoned a hunting knife. She moved with lethal precision, driving the blade into the nape of the man's neck. Blood spattered as the man faltered, a grin spreading across his face even as he began to fade.
The boy stared down at the disappearing figure, his chest heaving. "Sound manipulation," he muttered, piecing it together. "That's why the footsteps were off."
The man's fading form left an orb behind, its faint glow pulsing. The boy picked it up, staring into its depths.
"What do you want to do?" he asked, his voice quiet.
She hesitated, glancing at the floor. "I'll stay with you. Not much of a choice, is there?"
He nodded, placing the orb in the nightstand. "Then we figure out who sent these people after Aster. They're bad news."
Her lips quirked into a soft, tired smile. She nodded, and together, they left the room, moving cautiously to scavenge for food.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAdDMHkVUN
