Raia didn't argue any further and ran in a different direction.
'If I were you, I'd start finding shelter in this city. There will be armed forces there who can help and keep you safe for the meantime,' Inner Self said, more calmly now, suggesting the next destination for Raia.
"Nope. I need to find my family first. I need to know if they're okay," Raia replied firmly. He had just remembered his family at home. He picked up speed, worry gleaming in his eyes.
To his surprise, he noticed how fast he was moving. His speed now comparable to that of a world-class sprinter. He was running at 46 kilometers per hour, possibly even faster. As he sprinted through the streets, he passed by abandoned vehicles and lifeless bodies scattered along the road.
When he reached the main road, something strange caught his attention. The cars and bodies had been moved to the sides of the street. Although not perfectly arranged, it was still unusual, as if someone had deliberately cleared a path. One noticeable anomaly was the set of wet tracks that seemed to have come from large trucks.
Without hesitation, he followed the tracks. Coincidentally, they led in the direction of his home.
After running almost 6 kilometers, going through turns and forked roads, Raia finally stopped to catch his breath. He was just a few kilometers away from his home when he picked up a very faint sound. It started softly but grew louder overtime until it could no longer be ignored that... there's something coming from the sky.
Looking up, he saw three massive military helicopters flying overhead. As they passed, they began to descend.
Raia immediately followed them and saw that they had landed in a nearby crop field. From a distance, he could see a mix of military officers and civilians. They appeared to be rescuing people from Raia's village.
Pushing through the crowd, Raia slipped into a narrow alleyway. He used it to get to his family's house. After passing several ruined homes, he finally reached his own and was greeted with something unexpected.
His house was completely intact.
It was still the same small house he had always known. Inside and out, there wasn't a single sign of damage. Everything remained untouched. As he seek any remnants of his family in the house, he found no one. Nothing was missing or broken... or so he thought. It was as if his family had disappeared just like that.
Then he noticed a piece of paper attached to the wall. He grabbed it and read the message:
"If you're reading this, head to the City Airport. It's Mom and Dad, they have been taken. Hurry!"
Even though there's no name written on the note, but Raia instantly recognized the handwriting. It was his brother's. No doubt about it.
"Mom? And Dad… they're in trouble!"
The urgency of the note urged him into action. Without wasting another second, he raced toward the direction of the City Airport.
Along the way, running, he noticed something 'familiar'. A motorcycle casually parked by the side of the road. Then it hit him. He hadn't seen his father's motorcycle at their house earlier... and this one looked exactly like it.
He approached it and examined the design. The unique compartment box design confirmed it, this was definitely his father's motorcycle.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Raia's shoulder harshly.
"What are you doing with my motorcycle, kid?" a man said abruptly.
The man gripped Raia's shoulder tightly and tried to turn him around, but to his surprise, Raia didn't budge.
"Your motorcycle?" Raia said flatly. He grabbed the man's whole hand and squeezed hard.
"Arghhh!" the man screamed in pain, shocked by Raia's immense strength.
"Tell me... honestly… you stole this, didn't you?" Raia said, his eyes cold and dangerous.
Though the man looked like a bulky gangster, in this moment, he seemed small like the one being bullied.
"Say it! Say you stole this or I'll break your arm!" Raia's voice trembled with fury as he applied more pressure.
"Alright! ALRIGHT! I did it! Just... please, don't break my arm!"
Raia released his grip. The man cradled his bruised arm, looking at Raia in fear and disbelief.
'How the hell is this kid so strong?!' he wondered.
Just as he thought Raia was finished, the boy's hand shot out again, this time around the man's throat.
Raia began strangling him.
"P-please… d-don't… k-kill me... glargh-" the man choked out, struggling to breathe.
Raia's eyes scorched with murderous gaze. He lifted the man with one arm, choking the life out of him. The man flailed violently, eyes rolling back.
'That's it. Kill him!' Inner Self finally spoke up again, after his long silence.
Raia froze.
"What… did I just do?" he whispered to himself, confused and stupefied. He let go of the man, dropping him to the ground hard.
The man gasped for air, eyes red and teary. He had just escaped death.
Raia stared at his hands with fear, unable to fathom what had just happened. A sudden chill ran through his spine as he feared what he was becoming.
"Will I kill someone one day?"
But before he could sink deeper into that dark thought, he remembered his goal, the City Airport.
He turned to the motorcycle and checked its specs. It could run over 200 kilometers per hour. The only problem? He didn't know how to ride it.
Raia glanced at the man on the ground and approached him again. He smatched the man by the collar and leaned few inches closer to his face.
"Please! Don't hurt me!" the man begged, trembling.
But Raia didn't harm him. Instead, he offered a deal.
"If you want to live, drive me to the City Airport. Try anything funny, and I'll snap your neck."
The man nodded quickly, too scared to argue.
—---------------------------------------------------
They arrived at the City Airport.
Raia hopped off the motorcycle and turned to the man.
"Run with or without the bike, I'll find you and I'll cut you into pieces. Understand?"
The man nodded again, pale with fear.
Raia scanned the area. A large crowd had gathered. Out on the runway sat a massive aircraft, not a commercial plane, but a military-grade transport, the kind used to move troops during wartime.
He pushed through the crowd and noticed a strange scene. Military personnel were loading clear glass cylindrical containers into the plane. Inside the containers were giant, terrifying creatures. Some familiar, others were like monsters from fantasy stories.
Then he saw 'them'.
Two containers. Each one holding a body... his mother and father, submerged in a strange yellow liquid.
Raia's eyes widened in horror.