Hunter of the Evernight -
Chapter 535: Heavy hearts
Chapter 535: Heavy hearts
The city of Thebes had grown silent since the first Long Night.
The Beastmen that kept watch during warmer months were nowhere to be seen, having returned to Aragon to spend time with their loved ones while those from Zion that usually came to trade weren’t bold enough to embark on such journeys during the Month of Astra.
Hence, the city was mostly empty with very few inhabitants still present, those that had nowhere else to call home.
It was in such a sparsely populated city that a strange white fog with occasional black flashes suddenly appeared.
The fog swiftly spread before dispersing to reveal Alex, Victoria, Natasha, Leslie, and several other survivors from the now-fallen city of Parafall.
Leslie was naturally taken aback as he stared in utter disbelief at the sudden change in environment.
Blinking a few times, He muttered. "Where is this?"
The other survivors were naturally as lost as he was but were even more joyous to know that they had survived the undead horde that had threatened their existence.
Excited voices were heard as they celebrated in their own way while Natasha walked up to Alex and embraced him.
"You didn’t have to, but you did, and for that, I thank you immensely for what you’ve done." She remarked as she pulled away.
Alex replied. "You’re welcome."
Then, he added, "This is Thebes."
"The city shared by Zion and Aragon?" Natasha asked with Alex nodding.
"Considering current circumstances, it seems the best place for you all to lay low for the time being."
"As long as we get to see a new day or rather night, it’s more than enough," Natasha replied with a brilliant smile.
Alex was just about to say more when he paused, sensing something in the air.
His expression shifted before he snapped the next second, disappearing in a flash of black and white, leaving Victoria to deal with the situation.
He emerged in an unfamiliar room only to be bombarded with the presence of three familiar faces.
Nadia sat at a corner, sobbing like a child, Arwen at another with her face buried between her legs and lastly, Elena sat on the bed, her expression a veritable mess.
"What’s going on?" Alex asked with a worried look on his face.
Elena was the only one that reacted to his presence with the other two stuck in their own worlds.
Biting down on her lower lip, Elena struggled to put their experiences into words.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?... Why are you in Thebes?... Also..." Alex didn’t manage to ask the third question as an uneasy feeling washed over him.
Just then, Arwen raised her head and remarked with tears in her eyes. "I don’t want to dream anymore."
Alex met her gaze before glancing at Elena who finally found her voice.
"I’m sorry. I couldn’t take everyone."
Silence followed before it was broken by a snap from Alex, allowing him to disappear in a flash of black and white.
When he appeared, he stood before the now broken gates of the southern outpost.
The familiar stench of death filled the air causing his jaw to instinctively tighten and his guard to be raised.
He took steady steps forward to find himself in a snowfield of death with corpses of Enforcers littering the courtyard.
Arthur’s unmoving body lay at the center of it all, accompanied by Lucille’s corpse right beside him.
Neither were given a hero’s death, their bodies desecrated and left to rot in the snow.
Alex’s expression remained impassive even as he knelt and closed Arthur’s remaining eye.
The cold wind billowed without mercy at that brief moment, causing Alex to tremble ever so slightly.
Just then, there were footsteps causing him to raise his head.
From a dilapidated building ahead, three Enforcers stepped out of the wreckage, equipped with standard military equipment, their muskets currently aimed at Alex.
"What happened here?" Alex calmly asked.
One of the Enforcers was about to respond only for the one in the lead to beat him to it. "She called herself Sayda, a Daemon of the Devil Wheel. From her actions, she came for someone in the group of people you brought here."
"Douglas." Alex calmly muttered, quickly deducing that the tragedy before him was the work of the Paragons and they had gotten what they wanted.
"If you hadn’t come here, Lady Lucille would still be alive!" The other Enforcer finally said, barely able to hold back his tears.
"Collin!"
"Am I wrong?... That monster only came here because of him!" The Enforcer named Collin replied, unwilling to back down.
"You..."
"He is right. The Daemon was here for a member of my team."
"... What do you wish to do now?"
Alex got to his feet and snapped with Humphrey emerging a moment later.
The expression of the previous Lord of the Flies went rigid, unable to believe the sight before his eyes.
I sense divinity.
"Take these two." Alex intoned, pointing at Arthur and Lucille.
As you wish.
"What do you plan to do with Lady Lucille’s corpse?" Collin asked harshly.
Alex glanced at him and calmly replied. "A proper burial. It’s the least I can do for causing her death."
Collin found himself unable to respond to that and so could only take a step back, gritting his teeth as he stared at Lucille.
Glancing at the leader of the group, Alex asked. "Are you the only ones alive?"
"No, there are several others in the underground bunker. Not everyone was lucky enough to escape that monster’s claws."
Alex nodded. "What about Ana?... Is she down there with you?"
"... Yes. She is still in a coma."
"I see. Is she comfortable?"
"I believe so."
"Then watch over her. I will get you supplies to repair the outpost. Also... burn the bodies."
"Alright then."
Satisfied with the man’s response, Alex turned to leave with Humphrey transmuting the snow into shadows that swallowed up Lucille and Arthur’s corpse.
A snap echoed after which Alex vanished along with Humphrey, leaving the three Enforcers behind with heavy hearts.
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