Hell reached up to the clouds. The sky was a blood-red hue, buildings were detonating in tides of fire, and the putrid stench of decomposing flesh filled my lungs completely.
I woke up on sheer instinct. I smashed through the rocks blocking my vision in that inferno. The veins in both my arms were glowing a vivid, intense light green, while the hole in my chest regenerated at a visible speed.
"What the hell is going on? Where am I? And where is Valentine?" I shouted. My shoes
were slowly melting with every step I took in my search.
The strangest part was that nothing affected me. Not the flames. Not the explosions. Not even the foul smell of victims burning in the wreckage. There was no time to bury or mourn anyone.
The air grew heavier with every step, yet I didn't struggle to breathe, and my body felt lighter and lighter. Near the spot where I had been buried, an intact building stood out, the sunlight shining harmoniously upon it amidst the chaos.
That looks like where I was at the beginning… but I'm so disoriented and exhausted that I don't know what's happening… or why I'm still alive.
When I reached the spot, all that remained were rubble and rocks pierced in the shape of gigantic animal claws—as if a battle between two beings beyond my imagination had taken place there.
"Valentine… Valentine, where are you?! Dammit!" If only I had been stronger. I wouldn't have lost you. Tears of desperation and frustration welled up and spilled down my face without permission.
Suddenly, to my right, a mountain of debris began to glow with an intense dark green light, so bright it forced me to shut my eyes. I rushed toward it and began pulling it apart block by block, praying that Valentine was buried there, alive.
"Valentine, is that you? Please… tell me you're alive!" I yelled, increasing the speed at
which I cleared the rubble.
"Jack? Is that you? Where am I? What's happening? Why is it so dark?" her voice called out, her breathing quickening into a panic.
"Yes, Valentine, it's me. Calm down, you're hyperventilating." "But Jack, I'm scared of small, dark places!"
"I know. Just breathe slowly. I'll have you out in a second."
"Okay… I'll try. I trust you!" she cried out, her voice breaking as she succumbed to tears.
Valentine was devastated, and I couldn't blame her. She had to be even more disoriented
than I was. She had been unconscious—or dead—this whole time, just as I had been. Who
knows how long we were buried? And worse, why were my veins bulging light green when they used to be light blue?
I didn't understand anything, but I didn't have time to think.
I finally pulled her out and held her close so she could release all the confusion and terror.
"You don't have to cry anymore, Valentine. I've got you. Even though it looks like they buried you in a nameless grave without even a 'goodbye.' Ah… hahaha."
Her veins were just like mine. Glowing light green. Her right leg was gone up to the knee, with no sign of regeneration.
Valentine began to calm down.
"Hey, don't make fun of me, Jack."
"I'm not, Valentine. On the contrary, I'm just happy you're alive. For now, I'll carry you on my shoulders. We'll figure out what to do about your leg later. Let's go find Claire!"
"Jack… why do our veins look so swollen? They're practically popping out of our skin."
"Back at the train… something happened. We both stopped being human. You've been out since then."
"I don't understand. I don't remember any of it."
"Looking at my own arms… I know you aren't lying. But it's probably better if you don't remember for now."
Yes, Valentine… it's better that you don't remember."Jack, why are our veins turning light blue now?"
"You're right, I hadn't noticed… but you feel heavier. Did you gain weight recently?" "JACK, you idiot!" she snapped, thumping my head with her hands.
"Look at that place, Valentine. Do you remember it?" "No. I told you I don't rem—ugh, my head hurts, Jack."
"Did you hear that voice, Jack?"
"I don't hear anything. What did it say?" "Get away or you will die…"
"Well… sounds terrifying. But we're going into that dark tunnel anyway." "Valentine, did you recognize the voice?"
"At first, it sounded like Claire… then it changed into someone else."
"Doesn't matter. If Claire is in there, we're going in without a second thought."
Jack smiled with absolute confidence, picking up the pace with Valentine on his back.
"Nooooo, Jack! I feel sick, I don't want to go into that big dark place!" Valentine's face twisted in disgust, her hands gripping Jack's chest tightly.
"Ah… hahaha! You're such a scaredy-cat, Valentine. Don't worry, we'll find Claire and then look for a safe spot for cowards." I shouted as we plunged into the tunnel.
Dammit! It was pitch black, and the smell of blood grew stronger with every step. Far off in the distance, a faint light showed the way.
As we moved forward, we saw a body engulfed in hellish flames, slowly fading into ash.
"Jack… no. This isn't possible. This is so sad… so inhumane."
"Valentine. This is what waits for all of us if we don't fight, or if we lose. This is worse than hell, and we have to survive it no matter what."
It looked like the person had come from the outside and crawled here with their last bit of strength to try and douse the flames, but the fire had consumed them anyway.
"Valentine, I'm going to set you near that bucket. Take it, fill it with the water flowing on the floor, and throw it on the body. We have to try to put out the fire. Got it?"
"Got it."
It didn't work. "Jack, it's not stopping! He's still burning!"
"These flames can't be put out with water. It's not normal fire. It's the product of something… the same thing that destroyed the city while you were out."
The corpse's right arm fell off.
"We'll bury him later… for now, we're desecrating this body. We'll use the severed arm as a torch to light our way."
"Hold on tight, Valentine. I'm speeding up. We need to clear this place fast."
I surged electricity into my feet and bolted.
"Jack, wait! You're going too fast!" Valentine clung to my chest, squeezing her eyes shut. "Hahaha! I told you to hold on tight!"
We tore through the space until we reached a fork in the path.
"Open your eyes, coward. Pick a path. Right or left?" Valentine peeked out. "Left first, Jack."
"Ready? Hold on, Valeeeeentine!" "Jack… nooo… I think I'm gonna puke."
"Hey, if you're gonna puke, aim to the side! I don't want to be covered in vomit all day."
My smile vanished a second later as the scent of fresh blood hit my nose. "Valentine, close your eyes. Please. Don't open them until I tell you." "Why, Jack? What's happening?"
"Just trust me. Please." My voice grew cold.
"Fine. You don't have to be so serious."
We reached the end of the hall. Two recently dismembered bodies lay on the floor. A boy, decapitated. A girl, her chest torn open and her heart removed.
This wasn't a monster attack. This was hunting for sport.
"Valentine, we're leaving. Claire isn't here. Keep your eyes shut." "Okay. It reeks of blood here, it's disgusting."
It seems Valentine's senses have developed just as much as mine.
We accelerated to the next block. This place was even worse—piles of monster corpses stacked around a hollow circular space.
"Jack… this is gross."
"You opened your eyes without waiting for my word, didn't you?" "No, look, they're closed!"
"What a liar, you just shut them again." "Yeah, I did," she grinned from ear to ear.
"You're hopeless. Open them. Claire isn't here either. Let's find a safe place for us." "O-Okay…"
"You don't have to hold it in. If you want to cry, do it."
"I don't want to cry, Jack! I want to be strong! As strong as you!" she yelled, even as tears flooded her face.
"Tell me that again when you aren't covered in snot and tears, and maybe I'll believe you." "I will! I promise!"
"Jack, no! The arm is turning to dust. The wind is taking it."
"Let it go. We can't do anything about it."
"Fine… Goodbye! And thank you for lighting the way to Claire!" She whispered. I looked
up with melancholy as the ashes of the arm blew away, leaving us in total darkness.
We left the tunnel. The burning body had been completely consumed, its ashes scattered by the hellish winds of the city.
…..
"Valentine, are you awake?"
"Sorry, Jack. I'm so tired… I'll sleep a bit until you find us a place."
"Alright, sleep. Though I don't think my body counts as a bed."
As we left the burning city, every building behind us crumbled into dust. An immense
desert awaited us. Claire wasn't there, but the voice Valentine heard made us certain she was alive somewhere else in this broken country. But for now, Los Angeles was nothing but ruins.
We walked for hours in a sea of sand, aimless and lost. The wind howled and night fell fast. I took a dry branch and heated it until the tip ignited to light our way. Hyenas and wolves circled us in the dark, snarling, but one look into their eyes sent them running with their tails between their legs.
I realized then: the top of the food chain had shifted. The concept of "prey" and "hunter" was obsolete. I was exhausted—physically, emotionally, mentally. The sun began to peek over the horizon. Valentine was still deep in sleep on my back.
I'd been walking for half a day. No hunger. No thirst. No sleepiness. Just a trace of fatigue.
I was starting to realize that the limits of the human body had been surpassed in this hell.
Finally, I spotted a city that looked intact. I charged my legs with electricity and sprinted toward it. Upon arrival, I saw it was inhabited by giant creatures, walking peacefully without destroying anything or even interacting. We had no choice but to coexist.
I found a ruined building with stairs leading underground. The ground around it was beautiful, lush and full of flowers. It felt like paradise.
"Time to check inside!" I took two steps. Valentine slowly lifted her head.
"Valentine, did you sleep well?" I smiled, looking at her. "What's wrong? Why aren't your eyes open? Valentine?"
Her eyes snapped open—they were completely white. She grinned, her grip on me tightening with inhuman strength.
"Hey, what's into you? Where did this strength come from? Answer me!"
Valentine's mouth slowly unhinged. She paused, then sank her teeth deep into the junction
of my neck and shoulder.
I tried to scream, but choked it back. Dammit! It hurts… Ah… let go… now!
I couldn't pry her off. I didn't want to hurt her, but I was starting to lose consciousness. I fell to my knees. She tore a chunk of flesh from my neck, chewed, swallowed, and backed away slowly.
I clutched my neck to stop the bleeding, looking up into her eyes. She tilted her head and smiled, a piece of me still hanging from her teeth.
"Jack, you're delicious… let me taste a little more, please."
I stood up slowly, staring into those white eyes. "Who are you? What do you want from us?"
"Valentine" paced back and forth, stroking her chin. "Who am I? Why… I am the King who lives in the deepest part of your soul."