Morning quietly arrived, but tomorrow never came for some.
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The moon glows fiercer than the sun, a sudden flush of blood rouses the village from their peaceful slumber, tons of pair eyes stares enchanted by its vile beauty, bewildered as the sparks of pure terror slowly ignite.
She spun around at the first call of drowsiness slowly lulling her. A first step towards her bed— her heart furiously throb, her eyes widened, frozen at her stand.
The first beat. An unusual thing. For once, her heart became alive. However, it wasn't a flutter of warmth and good. It is a beat resonating to something so ominous.
Danger. A reminder screaming at her.
They're here. A throb. They're here. The second throb. They are here.
"Big sis, is it morning already?" Anton, sat up while rubbing off the drowsiness. "Why are you up so early?" Ruina stood rooted to the ground. Her fingers curled stiffly at her sides as she stared at Anton.
For a heartbeat, his figure twisted before her— blood soaking his clothes, flames licking at his motionless body, his eyes glowing hollow and lifeless.
A sharp gasp tore from her throat as a sudden chill raced down her spine.
No, it can't be! She dashes to the window, lifting her gaze to the reddened sky. The same bloody moon that destroyed her homeland. How?!
A tag from beside her called her attention. His finger pointing above. "Big sis, the moon… it's bleeding." Anton stammered, his voice coated with fear.
The word death spelled through her mind, bringing the phantom metallic scent of blood.
Ruina hauled Anton onto his feet. In a single leap she reached her door, threw it open, and stormed across the corridor. She burst into the old couple's room, shattering their sleep. "Mr. Degget. Mr. Degget. Mrs. Degget. Wake up. Wake up. Please, wake up. We have to run. Now! We need to run!"
Disturbed from their wonderful sleep, the old couple raggedly opened their eyes and sat yawning. "What's the matter, dear? Why do we have to run?" Mrs. Degget rubbing her eyes from falling asleep.
"They're here, Mrs. Degget. They're here." Tone in rush and pleading.
"Who's here?" Mrs. Degget, still half-asleep, asked.
A distant explosion ripped through the night, the ground trembling beneath it.
Somewhere in the darkness, a shrill screech followed, cutting through the air before everything fell into an eerie stillness.
They held their breath, listening.
A woman's scream suddenly ripped through silence, tearing through the peaceful night and snapping the old couple fully awake.
"Beasts." A warning she blew like a whisper. One word brought them to direness.
Another monstrous shriek tore through the air.
Mrs. Degget grabbed her husband's hand, her grip desperate. Beside them, Ruina seized Anton's wrist, her grip firm not intenting to let go. "Let's get the hell out of here." Mr. Degget's voice carried a grim seriousness.
They ran for the door, stepping straight into a hellish nightmare. The village is already burning. Screams, smoke, and fire destroying everything they have.
Ruina tightens her grip more. "Listen, Anton. No matter what happens, do not let go of my hand."
A firm nod was Anton's only answer.
Panic broke the village apart.
Villagers scattered in every direction, fleeing the chaos. Some stood their ground holding their weapons with trembling hands against beasts, some grabbing whatever they could to protect themselves as cries rang out as mutilated bodies hit the ground.
Mothers clutched their children, fathers pulled their family closed, dragging themselves towards the trees, disappearing into the forest in desperate hope of survival that is impossible to exist.
The Degget family hurried through the blood-soaked ground, their steps quick and uneven, avoiding stumbling on debris. Heat licked at their skin, each step growing harder to bear, yet none of them slowed down.
Is this a dream? Am I still asleep? This has to be a dream, right?! This can't be happening. This can't be real. We have the blessing. Father said we're fine. If I'm still sleeping and this is a nightmare, please somebody wake me up! I want to wake up!
A spark leapt from the fire and bushed his skin. He jerked. Why can't I wake up?! A sharp breath escaped from his lips as the heat bit deep. His fingers trembled where he touched the burn.
His gaze darted around— the fire, the screams, the running— it was too vivid. He wasn't dreaming.
Are we gonna die tonight? No. No. NO! I don't want that! I don't want to die! I'm still a child. There's so many things I want to see, many things I wanted to do, I never even learned how to wield a sword. I don't wanna die! NO! The thought struck him and stayed. He sank his teeth into his lower lip, hard enough to sting, his eyes widened as something unspoken flickered within them
Ruina caught his fear, spraying the air, becoming thicker by second. "It won't happen." She tried to overruke the fear he was feeling."I won't let it happen." She sternly told him without looking at Anton.
"Then, why are the beasts here? Father said the blessing is strong, that we are fine." He repeated the words of his father. "How can this happen?" His eyes distorted in terror of chaos evoking before his eyes as they crossed their burning village. Tears began forming at the corner of his eyes.
How can this happen? Indeed. The same question playing in Mr. Degget's mind. The blessing despite being weakened should still be able to block evil from destroying homes. The blessing was applied to the houses. It wasn't encircling the village like a dome. The blessing should have blocked the beasts from entering the village.
Ruina froze. The air shfted— heavy and wrong. Something is coming brushing at her senses. When she realized, she turned sharply at Mr. Degget. "Mr. Degget, stop!" She grabbed them. "Something's coming." She knew that aura. That familiar presence that alerts her. "Follow me." She pushed them three as they hid behind a pile of boxes between two ruined houses. Ruina shielded Anton with her body, as they held their breath.
They remain still like a statue listening to the heavy step of a four-legged beast the size of their house roaming for its next food.
They wait for the beast to go. Their hearts loudly beating like drums almost ripping from their chest. It's too loud! Ruina held her ears tight, trying to shut the noise.
The screams, the cries, the sound of hearts fading, the scent of death, blood, fear accumulating in the air, all at once, each second passes overwhelming her senses. It's the same as that night!
Mrs. Degget trembled violently, tears streaming down her face, her gaze unsteady. "Bimer, where do we go now?" her eyes darted towards the burning village before them, searching— hoping— for somewhere they could run and hide. Her grip tightened on her family. People are dying brutally and horribly. She couldn't lose them. Not like that.
"The Church. We'll be safe there." Mr. Degget responded, eyes watchful of beasts in the area.
"How? Is it not destroyed already?" Anton asked. "Those beasts are circling the entire village."
Before Mr. Degget could answer him, Ruina spoke. "The Saintess Miracle is stronger there. Her blessing of protection is centered there." She answered between heavy pants, sweat soaking her clothes.
Mr. Degget turned her way. How did she know that?
A crack.
Ruina heard it. Another crack. Followed by a movement. Her head snapped upward— the house is crumbling!
In a single moment, she separated both herself and Anton from his parents, with great force, she shoved the Degget further while hauling Anton with her.
The next second, a big rock crashed where they stood, cutting them apart. "Mr. Degget, get away from here! The house is crumbling!" Mr. Degget reacted instantly, grabbing his wife's wrist.
"Wha– No! Anton!" Mrs. Degget screamed, her voice breaking as her husband pulled her away from their son.
"Mother!" Anton cried in terror, twisted in Ruina's firm hold, arms outstretched as the distance between them grew.
Stone rained down around them, fragments crashing trying to bury them. A window exploded with fire. Ruina dropped instantly, carrying Anton with her as she slid through the mud. She pulled him close, throwing an arm over Anton, shielding him as they passed beneath the roaring flames.
Her breath hitch as her jaw tightened as the heat seared her skin.
The passage is getting narrower– we will not make it! Lost in the turmoil of chaos, Ruina's heart unconsciously beats a sudden life of red glowing in her peridot eyes.
Anton squeezed his eyes shut, clutching at Ruina's shirt hard.
Ruina tightened her hold. She drew in a sharp breath, braced her foot— then pushed! They surged forward in a single leap, breaking free from the crumbling row of houses. They hit the ground hard, dust rose around them as the wreckage collapsed behind.
Flames surged outward, chasing them. Ruina pushed herself up, reaching for Anton— She screamed. The heat struck her back. She flinched violently, teeth clenching, forcing herself forward as she dragged themselves farther away from the sparks.
They both collapse on the ground. "Big sis!" Anton cried. He saw the mark, the fire burnt through her ragged shirt.
Ruina collapses to her hands and knees, her breath coming in sharp and uneven. Sweat beaded along her skin as shefough to steady herself.
Tears began to flood Anton's face, not knowing how to help his sister. He hugged her wounded body, and cried hysterically. Oh gods in sky, please help my sister and I. Please make the pain go away, and let us survive tonight. I promise, I will listen to my mother from now on and stop being mischievous, just help my sister. I beg you.
"Ruina! Anton! Can you hear me? Please, answer me!" They both heard the calling of Mr. Daggett from the other side. Comfort rose inside Anton knowing his parents were still alive.
"We're here, father! Please come here quickly! Big sis is– Big sis is in–!"
"We're fine, Mr. Degget…" Ruina interrupted Anton. "We're fine." She said between pants. "I'm fine, Anton." She reassures him with a ragged yet soft smile.
"Don't worry. We're coming!" Mr. Degget yelled back.
"No!... No, don't go… Just stay there." She said loud enough for them to hear.
"But big sis…"
"You must not go here. The fire is catching and spreading fast. You'll put yourself in danger." She stated, making them look at their environment that is similar to hell.
Wreckage lay between them— twisted beams and broken stones, while a wall of fire roared in the gap, heat pulsing outward.
If I go alone, I'll make it. Despite the burns she'll gain, it's not a big deal. Since the wounds will just heal slowly later.
Her gaze dropped to Anton. His grip on her sleeve was small. Fragile.
However, he won't. She stayed where they were.
'A debt must be paid.' Those words are engraved deep in her existence, all she has ever done are favors of help - in her locked-mind, she owes them her life. This might be the only chance she'll be able to repay them.
She swallowed hard, gathering her strength. "Mr. Degget, you must go first to the Church."
"And leave you two here? Hell, no!" He firmly denied.
"We'll follow behind. There's no path to go where you are right now. I'm afraid we have to take a detour." She stated the fact.
"Bimer, no, we can't leave them alone. They are just children, they cannot… They cannot protect themselves!" Mrs. Degget desperately pleaded to her husband.
"Mrs. Degget, it's fine... It is fine." She repeated. "I am strong, you know. I can protect Anton and I will bring him back to you, I swear that in my life. Will you trust me?" She asked them with all her being.
Silence settled between the Degget couple. Mr. Degget glanced at his wife, his brow tightening.
Mrs. Degget didn't speak— only held his gaze, her expression unsteady biting her lower lips showing great distress of the internal dilemma of knowing Ruina is right and wanting to deny her suggestion as a mother. But they both understood that it was the rational way, if they all want to survive.
Their silence said enough.
Mr. Degget's face turned calm but stern. "Listen carefully, both of you, get to safety. Do not do anything reckless. Do not help anybody else. Prioritize yourself. Do you understand?" He sternly ordered them.
"Yes, sir." Ruina answered.
"Well then, be careful." Mr. Degget gave them one last look before gripping his wife's hand and pulling her away. Neither of them looked back.
When their footsteps faded, Ruina exhaled deep and long.
She reached for her sleeve, tearing the fabric with a quick pull. Another tear followed. She bound the strips together and wrapped them tightly around her torso.
The cloth pressed against her wound, she winced, jaw clenched, but didn't stop until it was secure.
She approached Anton and lowered herself, offering her back to him. "Let's go, Anton. We need to meet them at the Church."
"But your back…" Anton mumbled, his words lingered with worries.
"It's fine. It won't hurt me, I already covered it, see? Besides, aren't I the strongest? A wound like this won't weaken me." She smiled faintly, her eyes warm and gentle, to quiet his fears.
It's true, she is the strongest. The strongest person he knows. A wound that size will not weaken her. He trusts her. After all, she is his big sister. Anton latched on her back, wrapped her arms to her neck.
Ruina plastered a soft smile. "Here we go."