Despite the small size of her house, Briana had managed to find a way to accommodate the three of us.
There was only one bedroom, but a large sofa in the living room could fit two people. She had suggested that I take the bedroom, so Aria could be more comfortable… but she had immediately refused.
— It's fine, she said confidently.
Briana hadn't insisted.
And there I was, lying on that sofa next to Aria, almost pressed against her. I could hear her breathing, calm and steady. Her shoulder brushed against mine.
I had never slept this close to anyone, let alone a girl as beautiful as her. This closeness unsettled me. I had always been an only child, with little experience around others… so sharing such an intimate space shook me more than I cared to admit.
The fire in the hearth crackled faintly. The village's silence felt too heavy, almost suffocating.
I thought I was about to drift off when I heard her voice, soft, almost a whisper.
— Casimir?
I turned my head toward her.
— Yes?
She shifted slightly, her eyes open in the dim light.
— Do you think any of this is real?
— Huh?
— We're about to face someone we know almost nothing about… Maybe he doesn't even exist. And yet, I'm scared as if it's real.
I sighed softly.
— Me too. It terrifies me to think we'll have to go through places like this… and that we could die at any moment. But I don't want to die before understanding why the Founder told us we were criminals.
Without warning, she moved closer and grabbed my back. The gesture was simple, but it melted away all that remained of my caution.
— I'm glad I ended up with you. You're in the same situation as me, and it shows I can count on you. You're a good guy.
I gave a weak smile.
— We're all in the same mess. If we want to get out, we have to trust each other. Whether we liked our lives before or not… no one deserves this.
She nodded slowly.
— And now we're facing an infected creature… I'm really afraid of the worst, Casimir.
— With me, it won't even get near you. You'll see how I handle it.
She chuckled softly.
— You better not let it near me, or I'm running!
— Your wish is my command, ma'am.
I gave her a mock military salute, and it worked. Her laughter drove away, if only for a moment, the weight on our shoulders.
The conversation died down gently. We shared a bit about our past lives—trivial anecdotes, unfinished dreams—until sleep finally took us.
Day 2. 8:00 AM.
When I opened my eyes, the morning light filtered through the curtains, and Briana's shouts jolted me awake.
10:30 AM.
— No, you risk getting a backlash like that!
— Remember to take a step back, Casimir!
— Aim for the blind spots, Aria!
The morning erupted with the noise of training. Brad was teaching me hand-to-hand combat, Born was overseeing Aria and her archery, and the loudest voice was Briana's, shouting instructions from the edge of the field without pause.
I blocked a strike, dodged, but Brad was relentless. He chained the attacks, tested me, pushed me to my limits.
Aria, meanwhile, was focused. Each arrow hit a moving dummy. She progressed quickly. Too quickly, even.
— Not bad for a first attempt, said Briana. If you keep this up, we could start the raid earlier than expected.
Born approached Aria during a break.
— From what we know, the infection corrupted all the leader's senses… but it's the parasite controlling his body. You must aim for the vital points.
They discussed at length, even during the meal. I watched. Her role was crucial—thanks to her shots, we could neutralize him. I was only the distraction.
And deep down, I was fine with that. I had always been the one sent to the front lines.
After the meal, Briana gave us a tour of the territory. A light mist hung above the trees, and golden spores drifted lazily through the still air.
She stopped and pointed to the two ends of the territory.
— This area is enclosed by four walls. Six hours' walk from end to end. The two large gates—to the east and west—have been blocked long before the infection. Thirty years for the east, twenty for the west.
— Blocked how? I asked.
— Each time an enemy settles in a territory, the gates connecting it to neighbors close. Like a quarantine. Adjacent territories are cut off, isolated… until the enemy is defeated.
She paused, eyes lost on the horizon.
— Some believe the gates will reopen once the leader disappears. I… I no longer know what to believe. It's been too long.
I stared at the two massive wooden-and-stone structures in the distance. Too long cut off from the rest. I understood better now why these men had been waiting for outsiders for so long.
The rest of the territory was pure desolation—mushrooms, twisted trees, glowing spores. Yet all of it exuded a strange, almost melancholic beauty.
— Alright, kids. One last training session for today.
As we walked toward the training area, I turned to Aria.
— Once all this is over… what will happen to all these people?
She thought for a moment, eyes on the village houses in the distance.
— I get the feeling they're real people… but they have no idea where they really are. I suppose they'll stay here forever.
— I see. Thanks.
I said nothing more. But her words lingered in my throat for a long time.
Day 3.
— Aria, you've improved a lot, said Born. Perfect score.
— Thanks, Born. It's thanks to you.
Briana stood straight, gaze fixed. When she spoke, everyone fell silent.
— The time has come. We will finally defeat this infection that took our leader… and our brother.
My heart raced.
— Why do you have weapons? I asked. I thought it would just be the two of us facing him.
— Who do you take us for? Briana replied. We're not letting you do the dirty work alone. It's our territory at stake.
Her answer reassured me more than I wanted to admit.
We moved forward together: Born, Brad, Briana, Aria, and me. Brad wore light armor. The others had daggers at their belts.
— The rest stayed in the village, said Briana as we walked. If anything happens to us…
— Don't say that, Aria cut in. We'll beat him.
— We'll see. We've arrived.
The whitened mushrooms were there… but something was off.
— These are the tracks? I murmured.
Briana squinted.
— Yes… but there are too many.
I looked around. At first, there were only a few. Now they were everywhere—on trunks, the ground, even on rocks.
— Seems like he's covering his tracks, said Aria, tense.
— Or leading us, corrected Brad.
A shiver ran through me.
The wind picked up slightly. The spores shifted direction.
Then… nothing.
Complete silence. Even the insects had vanished.
— Wait, whispered Born.
I looked down. The white mushrooms… were gone. All of them. As if they had never existed.
— He saw us, Briana said.
Too late.
A sound split the air. Something lunged behind Briana.
— Briana!!
— Back!!
A tentacle pierced her forearm. She screamed—then, without hesitation, drew her dagger and sliced her arm before the infection could spread. Blood splattered the ground.
— Aria, aim for his head! shouted Born.
— Got it!
The arrow flew and struck its target. A monstrous roar shook the clearing.
Abb.
He was no longer a man. His body was covered in mushrooms, his skin rotted, eyes empty and white. Tentacles shot out everywhere, writhing like snakes.
I ran, struck. My fist hit his jaw in a sharp, brutal clash.
— Good, kid! yelled Briana from the ground.
Another tentacle lunged at me, but Brad cut it cleanly.
— Don't worry, Casimir! We've got you!
I gasped. The air reeked of rotting flesh. Spores swirled wildly, as if the forest itself panicked.
— Now that he's targeting you, our plan can begin!
I ran in the opposite direction from Aria, as planned.
— Aria, aim for his neck! shouted Born.
An arrow. A scream. The monster staggered.
But suddenly, he lunged at Aria. Too fast. Too close.
I remembered her words: I'm glad I ended up with you… I can count on you.
No way she would die here.
— Aria, duck! shouted Briana.
— I…
A scream tore the air.
A shadow fell between Aria and the monster. A spear pierced the beast with near-inhuman force. And in the mist, a voice echoed—a voice Briana immediately recognized:
— I knew I recognized your voice, sis…
Briana's eyes widened.
— It's… impossible.
— Bikao… you're alive?!
The missing brother. The one they thought was lost forever.
He was there. Alive.
— I'll explain later, he said. It's not over!
The fight resumed, violent, animalistic. Bikao dodged a strike, countered, then shouted to Aria:
— Shoot him in the heart when I tell you!
— Got it!
But Abb went berserk. His tentacles multiplied. Bikao stumbled backward. The monster lunged at Aria again—faster. No one could stop him.
— He's the last person you touch.
I ran without thinking. My fist struck his jaw with a sharp crack. I felt my bones vibrate, my breath burn. My body reacted instinctively, as if it had always known what to do at this exact moment.
For the first time, I didn't strike to survive.
I struck to protect someone.
— Aria, now! shouted Bikao.
The arrow flew.
It pierced his chest.
The monster collapsed, lifeless.
Silence.
Briana approached cautiously, dagger in hand.
— We're safe… he's dead.
Two distant thuds echoed.
BOOM.
BOOM.
I looked up. In the distance, to the east and west, the two massive gates slowly opened—for the first time in decades. The sound rolled under my feet like an earthquake.
Briana stared at them, motionless. For once, she said nothing.
Then:
— Thank you, Casimir.
Aria threw herself at me, tears in her eyes. Her body trembled against mine.
— Thank you. Thank you so much. I saw death coming.
I held her back.
— Last night, you told me I could count on you. When I saw you in danger… I realized I didn't want to lose you.
As I spoke, my eyes blurred.
Perhaps from fatigue.
Or relief.
Or something else I wasn't ready to name.