The group cautiously navigated through the abandoned Victorian city, their boots crunching over thick layers of grey ash. The beast plague had long claimed this place, leaving it a ghost town frozen in decay. They expected danger lurking in every corner—shadows moving, eerie growls, something. But the silence was oppressive, the absence of life unsettling in its own way.
Weapons in hand, they stayed on guard, never letting their focus waver.
Julius suddenly stopped in the middle of the street, clapping his hands together. "Alright, here we are!"
The rest of the group exchanged looks.
Yulli squinted at the dilapidated buildings around them. "Where exactly is 'here'?"
Julius gestured broadly. "This part of town used to be a residential district—people lived here, worked here, probably argued over taxes, you know, normal civilization stuff. But, as you can see…" He spun in place dramatically, arms outstretched. "Not so much anymore."
Bruce crossed his arms. "Okay… So why are we here?"
"We're going to explore this section of the city and gather data on any beasts that still linger here." Julius pulled out a map, waving it around like a game show host. "The cathedral [1]wants to establish a new safe zone, so it's our job to see how bad of an idea that is."
Lawlet frowned. "Wouldn't it be safer if we all stuck together?"
Julius grinned. "Oh, absolutely."
Bruce raised an eyebrow. "…Then why are we splitting up?"
"Because rules," Julius said simply, as if that explained everything. "This is a practical exercise, and practical exercises require experience. And what better way to experience danger than to throw you straight into it?"
Bruce groaned. "That's one hell of a way to say, 'We're about to get killed for educational purposes.'"
Julius pointed at him. "That's the spirit!"
Bruce buried his face in his hands.
"Alright, teams are as follows," Julius continued, ignoring the impending existential crisis behind him. "Lawlet, you're with Yulli. Bruce, you're with Remi. Your mission: explore the town, gather data, and try not to die. Simple, right?"
Yulli hesitated. "What kind of beasts are we expecting, exactly?"
Julius tapped his chin. "Well, considering the notable absence of murder attempts so far, either all the strong ones have already migrated elsewhere… or they're really good at hiding."
Bruce sighed. "That's not comforting."
"Wasn't meant to be." Julius clapped his hands again. "Alright, move out! And remember—if you hear something whispering your name from the shadows, definitely run."
"…What?!"
But Julius was already walking away.
As the two teams prepared to split up, Bruce stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Fine, fine, I'll take this side. Hopefully, you two are still alive when we meet again—ha!" He threw a cocky smirk over his shoulder.
Yulli scoffed, adjusting his gloves. "Sure, big guy. If anything, you're a much bigger target than me."
Bruce huffed. "I'll take that as a compliment."
And with that, the teams went their separate ways.
Yulli and Lawlet found themselves in what was once the city's entertainment district. Grand theaters, neon-lit bars, and extravagant hotels now stood as crumbling husks of their former selves. Torn banners fluttered weakly against the buildings, advertisements for shows that no one would ever watch again. The silence was eerie, only broken by the occasional creak of rusted signs swinging in the stale wind.
Yulli frowned, glancing at an old casino entrance, its doors barely hanging onto their hinges. "You ever been to a place like this before?"
Lawlet scratched his head. "Not really. I mean, I've read about them. They used to be loud, flashy, full of drunk rich people throwing their money away. Now it just looks… sad."
"Yeah… kind of ironic. A place meant for life and excitement is now just a graveyard."
They continued walking, stepping over broken glass and debris. As they turned a corner, Lawlet suddenly stopped and held out an arm to block Yulli's path. "Wait."
Yulli tensed. "What? You see something?"
Lawlet narrowed his eyes at a dark alley ahead. The shadows within it seemed too thick, almost unnatural. Something about it felt… off.
Yulli followed his gaze and immediately felt a chill run down his spine. "That… doesn't look normal."
Lawlet slowly reached for his weapon. "I don't like this. We should—"
A metal can suddenly rattled, rolling out from the alleyway. Both of them snapped into a defensive stance.
The can spun to a stop.
Silence.
Then—
A small, scruffy-looking creature darted out from the shadows, grabbing the can in its tiny claws.
A rat.
A very normal rat.
Yulli exhaled sharply. "Oh, for fuck's sake—"
Lawlet relaxed slightly. "Okay, false alarm—"
The rat stood up on two legs.
Both of them froze.
The rat stared at them.
Then, in an act that should not have been possible, it threw the can back toward them and hissed aggressively.
Yulli yelped and jumped back. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
Lawlet took a sharp step back as well. "Did that thing just throw something at us?!"
The rat, as if satisfied with asserting its dominance, scampered off into the darkness.
Silence fell between them again.
Yulli slowly turned to Lawlet. "…So, uh. Do we write that down as hostile wildlife or…?"
Lawlet rubbed his face. "I don't even know anymore."
They both let out a deep breath and continued forward, keeping a wary eye on any more suspicious rodents.
They passed by an old bookstore, its doors wide open, pages from rotting books fluttering in the breeze. Yulli paused.
"...You think there's anything worth taking in there?"
Lawlet considered it. "Maybe. Could be old records. Maps, even."
They stepped inside, the smell of mold and dust thick in the air. The wooden shelves, once filled with knowledge, were now warped and broken, their contents scattered.
Yulli picked up a book and frowned. "'The Complete Guide to Fine Dining.' Yeah, super useful."
Lawlet flipped through another. "This one's just a fashion catalogue from a hundred years ago."
Yulli held up a third. "'How to Impress Your Date in Ten Easy Steps.' ...Well, that's definitely useless to you."
Lawlet threw a book at him.
"Ow!" Yulli rubbed his arm. "Okay, okay, let's keep looking."
After rummaging around, they eventually found a dusty, leather-bound journal. The writing inside was smudged but somewhat readable.
Lawlet squinted. "Looks like it belonged to a shopkeeper here."
Yulli skimmed the entries. "Mentions an increase in disappearances before the city fell… says people changed after breathing in too much of the air down here."
They both fell silent.
Lawlet glanced around. "...Let's get out of here."
Yulli nodded. "Yeah. Agreed."
They exited the bookstore, there was a figure- it was hard to describe due to the thick plague looming over the area
Lawlet's breath hitched as his visionary ability locked onto the approaching figure. His pulse quickened. The shape, the posture, even the way it walked—it was wrong.
The man in front of them wore a coat similar to Julius' , the familiar dark blue with silver lining, but the details didn't add up. The limbs were slightly off, the proportions subtly warped. The gait was jerky, twitching unnaturally, like a marionette forced into human motion. And then there were the eyes—
Empty. Lifeless.
It wasn't him. It wasn't even human.
Lawlet's voice came out barely above a whisper. "That's not Julius."
Yulli blinked. "Huh?"
"That's not Julius," Lawlet repeated, this time louder, his body stiff. His hand hovered over his weapon.
Yulli noticed it. "What's wrong, Lawlet?"
Lawlet's expression was rigid, eyes locked on the figure moving towards them.
The figure cocked its head at them as if reacting to their tension. Then—its neck snapped to the side at an impossible angle. A sickening crack echoed through the empty street.
Then it moved.
No longer imitating human motion, the creature jerked forward, its limbs convulsing unnaturally. With each step, it twitched and spasmed, its body shifting in grotesque ways as if struggling to hold its shape.
Then it sprinted.
"That's a beast!"
[1] The cathedral is basically the organisation their working under, it a bit similar to Hunter x hunter hunter organisation etc