The rooftop stretched before them, a jagged landscape of crumbling buildings and debris, bathed in the eerie glow of the distant fires burning through the town. The wind howled, carrying the stench of decay and something else—something unnatural.
Takeshi stumbled forward, catching himself on a rusted air conditioning unit, panting hard. "Holy shit, man… I can't keep doing this."
Riko ignored him, moving to the edge of the building. He scanned the streets below. The creatures were still swarming, their glowing eyes darting in all directions. The leader—the one that had locked eyes with them before—was nowhere to be seen.
That was a problem.
"They're searching for us," Riko muttered.
Takeshi groaned. "Yeah, no shit. What gave it away? The screaming, the climbing, or the part where they busted through a goddamn wall?"
"Shut up before i beat the fuck out of you" Riko continued. "We need to move. If we stay here, they'll find a way up we don't have time for sarcasm."
Takeshi wiped sweat from his forehead, still catching his breath. "Alright, sure. And where exactly do we go, In case you haven't noticed, there's a whole lot of 'nowhere' out here."
Riko didn't answer immediately. His mind was already working through possibilities. The rooftops were connected in places, but some gaps were too wide to jump. They needed a way down without getting ripped apart.
Then he saw it.
A fire escape clung to the side of the adjacent building—rickety, rusted, but still intact. It was their best bet.
"There." Riko pointed. "We get down that way."
Takeshi followed his gaze and immediately paled. "Dude, you're seriously trying to get us killed."
"You got a better idea?"
Takeshi groaned but didn't argue. He followed Riko as they made their way across the rooftop, careful to avoid any sudden noises.
As they reached the fire escape, Riko tested the first rung. It groaned under his weight but held. Good enough. He motioned for Takeshi to follow, then started descending.
Step by step, they moved down.
The alley below was dark, littered with debris. It was quieter here—too quiet.
Riko reached the bottom first, scanning the area before motioning Takeshi down. As soon as Takeshi's feet hit the ground, the silence shattered.
A shriek.
Louder than before.
Riko turned sharply, gripping his weapon. From the darkness at the far end of the alley, something moved.
Not one.
Several.
Their glowing eyes flickered like dying embers, their bodies twitching with erratic movements. They had been waiting.
Takeshi backed up against the fire escape. "Oh, come the fuck on."
Riko didn't hesitate. "Run."
They bolted.
The alley was tight, cluttered with broken-down cars and shattered dumpsters. Riko weaved through the wreckage, Takeshi just behind him.
The creatures were faster but not exactly the same level as a peak human like them. Takeshi was still lean and looked pretty trained himself.
As they ran, one lunged from the shadows near a wrecked car. It's clawed hand swiping toward Riko's back. But before it could make contact Riko twisted at the last second, swinging his pipe with brutal precision. The impact cracked against its skull, but it barely slowed.
Riko ducked under it's another claw, then slammed his boot into its chest, sending it falling into the alley wall.
Takeshi wasn't faring much better. One of the creatures had grabbed his jacket, yanking him back. He screamed, flailing wildly and stabbed it's eyes as if trying to reach it's brain
Riko moved fast. He drove his pipe into the thing's ribs, twisting hard. It coulnt really feel pain but the twist made it recoile and lose it's grip releasing Takeshi.
"No time to fight, move!" Riko barked.
Takeshi didn't need to be told twice.
They sprinted out of the alley and onto the next street. It was marginally better—wider, with more places to maneuver. But the creatures were relentless.
And they weren't alone.
A new sound echoed through the streets. A low, guttural growl.
Riko's stomach tightened.
The leader.
The one that had found them earlier.
Riko chanced a glance behind them.
It was there.
Standing at the far end of the street, motionless, its head tilted slightly—watching. The other creatures slowed as if awaiting orders.
Then—
It moved.
Fast.
Faster than anything Riko had seen before.
One moment it was standing at the end of the street.
The next, it was running.
Riko didn't hesitate. He grabbed Takeshi's arm and yanked him toward the nearest building.
"In here!"
They burst through a shattered doorway, stumbling into what looked like an abandoned convenience store. The shelves were overturned, the walls smeared with old blood. The stench of rot was overwhelming.
Takeshi's heart raced as he slammed the door shut behind them. "Tell me you have a plan."
Riko looked around. They needed an exit—fast. His eyes landed on a metal security door in the back, half open.
"There."
They ran.
Behind them, the front door exploded inward.
The leader stepped through, its glowing eyes locking onto them. It was taller up close, its skin stretched tight over its unnatural frame. Its mouth twisted into something resembling a grin.
It knew it had them cornered.
Takeshi swore violently. "GO GO GO!"
They barreled through the metal door, stumbling into the back alley.
A dead end.
A high chain-link fence blocked their path, topped with barbed wire.
Takeshi turned to Riko, eyes wide. "Oh, hell no!"
Riko wasn't listening. He was already moving.
With a running start, he leaped at the fence, gripping the links with bleeding hands and his skin being ripped by the barbed wire huridly hauling himself up.
Takeshi didnt waste a secound. "Fuck"
A screech cut through the air.
Takeshi spun just in time to see the leader charging forward.
Riko reached the top of the fence, turned back, and looked down at Takeshi. "CLIMB, NOW!"
Takeshi grabbed the links and scrambled up just as the leader lunged.
Its claws slammed into the fence, ripping through metal like it was paper.
Takeshi screamed. "HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT—" Takeshi's breath hitched as his vision blurring and panic over took him
Riko grabbed his arm and yanked him over the top.
They tumbled to the other side, hitting the ground hard.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then—
A deep, guttural growl.
Slowly, they turned.
The leader stood on the other side of the fence, its glowing eyes locked onto them. It didn't attack. It didn't scream.
It just stared.
Then—it smiled.
A slow, unnatural grin.
Takeshi's breathing hitched as his body trembled and his mind spiraling into fear.
Riko also didn't talk. His mind was racing.
It could've killed them. NO—It should've killed them.
But it didn't.
Because it didn't need to.
It was playing with them.
Riko exhaled, forcing himself to stand. "We keep moving."
Takeshi didn't move. "Riko… it smiled."
Riko grabbed him by the shoulder. "I know. Move."
They didn't wait.
They ran.
And behind them, the leader watched.
Waiting.