Zayne's eyes widened and he sat up violently.
His entire body was drenched in sweat and his breathing was sharp and ragged.
He clutched his chest, his heart racing.
His body was trembling, his mind overwhelmed.
He looked everywhere in search of one person but there was no sign of the little kid anywhere.
"Aiden!"
His eyes searched frantically.
Zayne leapt from the bed, panic gripping his heart.
That dream he had now felt too real!
But no matter how much he searched, he could not find him.
He ran, bolting out of the door with worried eyes.
But as the door opened, all that granted him was hot air and endless yellow sand stretching as far as the eyes could see.
Zayne's breath froze as his eyes widened
"Ah..Ah...w-wh..."
He couldn't speak.
His mind was numb.
"W-what...is this?"
His voice was barely a whisper.
He was no longer in his home.
The city.
The slums.
Gunter Town.
He was not in any place familiar.
"Where am I?"
His voice trembled.
The sun was harsh, the wind dry.
The sand burned, and the heat was suffocating.
He looked back, a very tiny bit of relief settling in him as he still saw the house where he slept.
"Where is Aiden?"
A small voice escaped him as he stumbled back into the house, searching frantically once more.
But it all yielded the same result, the house was empty. Any sign of life that remained there was left in him.
Zayne crashed to the floor, eyes red and hands gripping his head as he tried to stabilise his condition.
"Think think think think think! What could have happened" He forced himself to think rationally in this strange situation.
How could he have ended up he—no...how could his house have ended up here, in a dessert far from anything called civilisation.
No matter how much he racked his brain, the dream that had seemed so real was the only clue he had.
And the strange voice that had echoed at the end.
"Find my people"
Was it a hallucination or a real person?
Could Aiden have woken up before him and wandered around, getting lost in the process?
"Yes! That could be it!"
Zayne stood up with hope.
If the kid had gone out to explore and gotten lost, Zayne could definitely find him.
With renewed vigor, he stood up, putting on smelling his combat suit.
As he put it on, he felt the cold touch of metal.
"The box!" Zayne's eyes widened.
He fished out the mysterious object, the gold symbol atop shining under the sunlight.
"This thing was what started all this, could it have a connection with this strange occurrence"
He stared at the box, his hand hovering over it.
This was the first time he was looking at it in really good lighting.
Apart from the very intricate patterns present on it, patterns that didnt look at all meaningful to Zayne in any way—Nothing about it seemed extraordinary.
It didn't seem hollow so Zayne eliminated the possibility of the box storing anything inside.
It was just one chunk of metal.
Zayne stared at the box, an indescribable feeling welling up in him.
This object was at the center of all the events of yesterday, could it also gave put him in this strange situation?
Transporting him to a desert on the other side of the world?
It was insane to think about but Zayne was at a loss for explanations currently.
He sighed and put the box back into his pocket.
"If the box really has a connection to this, I should probably hang onto it."
Zayne exited the house and took a deep breath, the hot air almost burning his nose.
Outside was a barren wasteland, a sea of endless sand and dust.
The sky was cloudless, and the sun beat down mercilessly.
It was a desolate place, a dead land.
But, Zayne refused to be dettered by the sight.
He would not lose the only person he had left.
So, with determination in his eyes, he began walking, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
He would find him, no matter what.
The sun blazed down on his back, the air scorching his skin.
But, Zayne did not waver.
He pressed on, his steps sure and steady.
His body was exhausted, and his mind was weary.
But he continued forward.
He would not stop.
Not until he found him.
The wind howled, the sand whirled, the sun burned.
And yet, Zayne persisted.
"Aiden!" He yelled as he walked, his voice disappearing in the wind.
After several hours, his legs grew heavy, and his pace slowed.
But, still, he did not stop.
He continued walking, his resolve never wavering.
As he walked, the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow over the sand.
The air was cooler now, and the wind had died down.
Zayne's exhaustion had begun to set in, but still, he kept going.
His feet ached, his throat was parched, and his eyes were tired.
But his determination was unyielding.
The moon slowly rose into the sky, and the stars twinkled above.
It was getting dark, and a perilous atmosphere had begun to brood.
Zayne's eyes began to steer clear of his emotions and he began considering the implications of his actions.
He had come out into an unknown place- a barren land- with no food or water and his strength was rapidly depleting.
The logical thing to do would be to rest, and continue his search in the morning.
If his brother had really wandered
around...he should have found signs of him long ago, he couldn't have wandered this far, could he?
But just as the well of intelligence and reasoning started to flow, a figure appeared in the distance.
Zayne's heart skipped a beat as he saw the small form of a young boy, and without a moment's hesitation, he broke into a run.
His legs were tired and his body was weak, but he pushed on.
He was so close, so close to finding his brother.
But as he drew closer, his steps began to falter.
He could make out the features of the figure now and indeed, it was none other than Aiden.
"Aiden!" Zayne called out once more as he got closer, his eyes widening in shock and his breath catching in his throat.
"Aiden?" His voice trembled.
His brother turned to him, and his eyes widened in shock.
"Z-Zayne?!" Recognising the voice and figure almost instantly, Aiden's eyes welled up and he flew into the arms of his brother.
Zayne was stunned for a moment, his eyes wide and his mind blank.
Aiden was hugging him, his small frame trembling.
Zayne could feel the boy's tears dampening his shirt, but he didn't care.
All that mattered was that Aiden was here, safe and sound.
"Aiden..." Zayne's voice cracked as he spoke, his own tears beginning to fall.
He wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him close.
"You're okay...you're okay..." Zayne murmured, his voice filled with relief.
"I thought I lost you..."
Zayne's voice trembled, his emotions finally getting the better of him.
"I-I was so scared..." Aiden cried, his grip on his brother tightening.
"Where'd you... Where'd you go! I woke up and you were gone!! Where's this? Where are we?!"
Aiden's words came out jumbled and rushed, his voice panicked.
Zayne's face paled as he listened, a sinking feeling filling his stomach.
"I don't- I don't know. All I know is we have to get out of he-" just before Zayne could finish his sentence, a loud shriek cut through the air.
The brothers stiffened, their hearts beating wildly.
A feeling of dread instantly filled Zayne's heart, a primal fear awakening in his heart as his eyes darted around- trying to find the source of the maddening sound.
"What was that?!" Aiden cried, his voice laced with fear.
"I don't know, but we have to move, now!"
Zayne said firmly, raising his brother up to the chest with one hand while his right hand fished out the gun strapped to his thigh.
With his gun in hand, Zayne's eyes were filled with an alertness and vigilance that had not been present before.
His expression was solemn, his eyes darting around.
"Whatever it is, it's close" Zayne thought to himself, his heart beating wildly as he ran.
Another shriek rang out, and this time, it was accompanied by a strong gust of wind- so strong it threatened to blow them away.
Zayne grit his teeth, his grip on Aiden tightening as he willed his feet to keep moving.
Just then, the sound of flapping wings sounded above them and as the brothers looked up, their eyes widened in horror.
Absolutely—here's a more fleshed-out and vivid description of the creature that intensifies the horror and stakes of the moment:
Above them, soaring through the night sky, was a monstrous entity that bloated out the moonlight. Its enormous wings spanned wider than a city street, the leathery membranes cracked and scarred.
Each beat of its wings sent tremors through the air as it hovered above the two.
Six limbs protruded from the scales of its grotesque torso—two powerful hind legs ending in curved, talon-like claws; two muscular forelimbs that looked disturbingly human in shape but too long, too jointed; and two appendages that resembled serrated mantis blades, twitching and clicking in anticipation.
The abomination it had for a face held a long beak-like maw, it's pointy edge seeming to be made of metal.
As it circled above, a foul stench followed in its wake, something like rotting flesh and death- thick.
Its eyes— all four of them burning with the fire of intelligence— pierced through the darkenss and stared directly at the two humans.
Zayne's face had grown pale, his eyes wide with disbelief and his body frozen in place.
The beast roared once more, sending a chill down his spine, and then dove towards them. It's wide mouth opened up revealing the multiple rows of jagged teeth it held inside to Zayne in all their glory.
It was then Zayne realised just how much danger they were in.