They had finally found the kitchen after cautiously searching the area. It was barely lit, a few rusted pots scattered across cracked counters, but it was good enough.
Tori plopped down first, stretching out her arms before reaching for her bag. Argos sat beside her, silent, running a hand through his hair.
Tori gave him a thumbs up, her expression soft but questioning.
"You good?"
Argos hesitated before returning the gesture, albeit stiffly. "Yeah."
They ate in silence, quick and efficient. The weight of the last fight still clung to them like the stale air of the ruined castle.
A few minutes passed before—
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
A voice—high-pitched, a little desperate.
Argos groaned, rubbing his temples. "Man, can't have shit in this place."
Tori snorted, shaking her head.
Then they heard it again, closer this time.
They both stood at once. A look was exchanged. No words needed—stay quiet. Move carefully.
They slipped out of the kitchen, their footsteps light as they trailed the voice.
"Hello?" The voice rang through the hall. "I swear I saw someone go this way!"
Tori leaned in, whispering, "Should we answer?"
"Why would we?" Argos shot back, gripping his axe tighter. "Could be a monstra. Could be one of those bastards hunting us."
"What if it's someone that actually needs help?"
"Personally, I don't wanna fight anyone else today."
Then—
"I saw someone walking toward the castle! Please, I'm looking for someone!"
They froze.
Tori reached out, gripping Argos's shoulder. Her eyes locked onto his, searching.
"No." His voice was firm, final.
They pressed on, rounding a corner—
And stopped.
At the far end of the corridor stood a girl.
Tall. Thin. Tattered purple jacket over a stained shirt.
Tori stiffened, one foot sliding back instinctively. Argos summoned his axe.
The girl raised her hands. "I'm not looking to fight! I just want to know if you've seen someone!"
Argos eyed her, jaw tight. Weighing his options.
Tori was the first to speak. "Who are you looking for?"
"My stepbrother. We got separated during Snowfall."
Argos and Tori exchanged a glance. His grip on the axe loosened, just a little.
"And you're alone?" Argos asked, voice edged with skepticism. "How the hell have you survived?"
The girl swallowed. "Can we talk somewhere else? I don't want to keep yelling."
Another glance exchanged.
A nod.
"Fine. Come with us." Argos's voice stayed cautious, his axe still firm in his hands.
The girl approached slowly, eyes darting around as if expecting an ambush.
Argos watched her closely. "Just be ready for anything."
Tori cast a quick glance behind her, scanning for traps. But the castle was silent, empty.
When the girl was finally close, Argos asked, "Where are you from?"
"Oryol." She exhaled. "I wandered all the way here just trying to survive. And... I wasn't alone. Until recently."
They led her back to the kitchen, though neither of them let their guard down.
"Why 'until recently'?" Argos pressed.
The girl hesitated before answering. "I left my group to find my stepbrother. I'd given up on him... but I found something. Something that made me think he was still alive."
They reached the kitchen, each settling onto a stool. The tension in the room was thick, pressing down like a heavy fog.
Argos studied her. "So, you're one of the few who survived this mess."
"Yeah. You two don't look like you're from around here." Her gaze flicked between them. "Did you get caught up in this by accident?"
Argos exhaled sharply. "Not exactly. We got dragged into this thanks to some... other people."
Tori reached over, squeezing his hand lightly. Then, to the girl, "Can you describe your stepbrother? We've run into people along the way. Maybe we've seen him."
The girl perked up slightly. "Uhh, I hadn't seen him much before all this. But last I remember, brown hair, yellow eyes. His hair always pointed to the left, with a few spikes sticking up."
Argos's stomach dropped.
No. That's not possible.
"Oh!" The girl's eyes brightened. "He might've been with a girl. Last he wrote me, he kept talking about her. Said she was like an angel. Blonde hair, really pretty."
His breath hitched.
No. It can't be him.
Tori kept her face neutral, but her grip on Argos's hand tightened. "Hmm. Doesn't ring a bell. What's your name?"
"Caia. Caia Zvezda."
A beat.
Their eyes widened. Their hands clenched around each other.
Argos's pulse thundered in his ears.
"You said you found something," he managed, voice tight. "What was it?"
Caia quickly dug through her bag, pulling out a tattered purple jacket.
The world around him shrank.
His hands trembled. His breath came shallow and uneven.
Tori moved fast, wrapping her arms around him. "Breathe."
"Oh—are you okay?!" Caia's voice wavered.
Tori looked at her. "Give us a second."
Argos clenched his eyes shut, forcing himself to steady his breathing.
The room felt colder.
Finally, he whispered, "He's... he's not here."
"Huh?" Caia's voice barely registered.
Tori met Caia's gaze. "The person you're looking for... he's not with us anymore."
Caia's face crumpled. "What?"
Tori inhaled deeply. "We were a group of eight, a few days ago. Monstra and people alike hunted us down. Only the two of us made it out."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Caia stared at the jacket in her hands, her fingers gripping the fabric tightly.
"Sorry." Argos's voice was barely above a whisper.
More silence.
Tori cleared her throat gently. "If you want, you can stay here. At least until you're ready to move on."
Caia shook her head. "No... thank you, but I'll find my way."
They didn't try to stop her.
They only watched as she turned and walked away, the weight of another loss pressing against them.
They watched Caia walk away, her figure fading into the dimly lit corridor. Argos's breathing turned uneven, his chest rising and falling like he was struggling to hold something back. Tori stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him without hesitation.
His hands trembled, his breaths sharp and visible in the icy air. Tori rested her forehead against his shoulder, trying to steady him, but a sudden shock shot through her body.
"Agh—!"
She jerked back instinctively as a surge of electricity crackled from his skin, nearly locking her in place. The static clung to her like invisible threads, making it harder to pull away.
"Look," she said, still gripping his arm despite the lingering charge, "it'll be okay... I know what happened was rough, and I honestly have no place to speak since I wasn't there, but don't let this consume you..."
A translucent orange energy coated her hand, acting as a barrier against his power. Argos sucked in a deep breath, his fingers twitching as he forced himself to calm down. The sparks flickered out.
"...We can't just let her go." His voice was steady now, but his eyes burned with something unreadable as he stared down the hall. "She'll be killed."
Tori exhaled, shaking her head. "She's strong, just like he was. I can tell that much." She clenched her fists, gaze fixed on the floor.
Argos turned slightly toward her, not satisfied with that answer.
"But we can protect her," he insisted, voice firm. "I... can protect her." His hands curled into fists. "With all this power I have now, I can take care of those who can't always." Sparks flickered at his fingertips again as he looked at them, his expression unreadable.
Tori narrowed her eyes, noticing something—his hoodie. The orange sections looked more vibrant, almost glowing.
"Argos." Her tone wasn't scolding, wasn't yelling. Just a name. But it was enough to snap him out of his trance.
He turned to her, confused. "What?"
She caught a glimpse of his eyes—and something in her gut twisted. A protective energy flickered over her skin without her willing it. Her body responded before she fully realized what was wrong.
She took a step back.
"W-what?! What's wrong?" Argos asked, stepping toward her.
Tori didn't answer. She couldn't. She didn't want to.
Behind him, in the mirror, was a pitch-black figure.
Two white, glowing eyes stared back at her.
Her breath hitched. A shiver crawled up her spine. Then—
All the lights went out.
The castle drowned in darkness. The torches, the candles—every flicker of light vanished in an instant.
Two white dots floated in the black void in front of her.
Everything was silent.
She tried to speak. Nothing came out.
Her breath hitched as she threw her hands up, trying to summon fire—nothing.
The two white dots didn't blink. Didn't waver.
Then, a smile formed beneath them.
A grim, unnatural grin stretching from cheek to cheek.
The voice came softly, familiar, yet... wrong.
"W-What's wrong, Tori?"
The voice was Argos's.
Her entire body stiffened.
She stumbled back, knocking over a chair in the process. Her body refused to react the way she wanted—no fire, no energy, nothing. The grin in the darkness widened.
"Aww, that's no way to act when a friend approaches you, Tori."
This time, the voice was distorted. Warped.
Her back hit the cold stone wall. She had nowhere to go. It was getting closer.
Her breath came in short, panicked gasps.
Move. Move. MOVE.
She bolted.
Her shoulder slammed against the doorframe as she tore out of the room, sprinting blindly into the dark.
"Why don't you get it, Tori? I'm just trying to help you."
The voice was right behind her.
She whipped around—nothing.
A flash of lightning struck outside.
For a split second, the castle hallway was illuminated.
Two paths.
Left. Go left.
The moment the darkness returned, the air grew colder. The sky outside was pitch-black, snow falling in thick, suffocating waves.
She ran.
She saw an open doorway and dashed inside without thinking, slamming the door behind her with a shaky breath.
Find cover.
She moved her hands along the walls, trying to make out the shape of the room. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. It was freezing—yet sweat dripped down her back.
She found a closet. Without hesitation, she pressed herself into the corner, wrapping her arms around herself. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Silence.
...
...
Something was wrong.
It was too quiet.
It was still too dark.
Then—
A sound.
A small, stifled chuckle.
Coming from inside the closet.
Slowly, she looked up.
And there it was.
Two pale, hollow eyes peered from the pitch-black void between the hanging clothes, their eerie glow reflecting just enough light to make her breath hitch. Beneath them, a mouth—too wide and too full of teeth—curled into a grin so unnaturally sharp it sent ice lacing through her veins. The darkness clung to its form, swallowing every detail except that horrific, gleaming smile.
It didn't blink.
It only grinned.
And then—
It moved.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV2OYTwbkJ
