Chapter 2: Mud and Memories
Night had fallen.
Zyroth and the others sat around a small campfire made from scraps, surrounded by broken crates, stolen bread, and the cold silence of the slums. The stars above didn't shine for them—not anymore.
Nell sharpened a stick, keeping watch.
Kenny rested against a wall, half asleep.
Teana counted stolen coins under her breath.
Selma chewed dry bread, annoyed.
One mumbled plans for a "better future."
Hena picked at a bandage on her arm.
Buma sat with her arms crossed, hungry for more.
Zyroth stared at the fire, remembering the screams… the flames… the church crumbling around him. He was only seven then.
Zyroth (thinking):
The priest summoned it…
Why was we the ones who survived?
Suddenly, a small hand grabbed his arm. It was Hena, sitting closer than usual.
Hena (quietly): "You're still thinking about it, aren't you?"
He didn't answer.
Hena: "You always try to look strong, but we know. We all know. You're still carrying that day."
Zyroth: "So what? What do you want me to do? Cry? Break down? I'm the only one holding this group together."
Hena: "Then let us hold you sometimes too, dumbass."
Zyroth looked at her, surprised. He wasn't used to kindness.
But before the silence settled, a scream echoed through the slums.
Selma: "What the—?!"
One: "That wasn't human…"
The children rushed to the sound, climbing rooftops to get a better view.
In the distance, cloaked figures dragged a man into the shadows. Strange symbols glowed on the walls—symbols they had only seen once before.
Teana (eyes wide): "That's… Chaos magic.
The next morning, the village was quiet. Too quiet.
No birds. No carts. No markets.
Nell: "Something's wrong. It's like the town… is holding its breath."
The children walked into the square. A massive sigil was drawn in the middle, still glowing faint red. The villagers stood in a circle, unmoving… staring at nothing.
Zyroth: "This isn't normal."
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed in their heads—a whisper, layered with screams.
"Chaos never dies… It only sleeps…"
The villagers turned.
Their eyes were pitch black.
Then they attacked.
Battle Breaks Out
Zyroth and the kids scattered. Grown villagers—possessed—charged at them, foaming, swinging anything they could find.
Buma tanked two swings with her arms. "They're freaking crazy!"
Teana dodged through, grabbed a pouch off one attacker, and kicked another in the knee.
Nell spun around and used pressure points to knock one out.
Zyroth dodged a blade and punched a possessed man across the face, eyes glowing red with rage.
Zyroth (screaming): "GET BACK!!"
His body released a faint crimson aura, and with one yell, he slammed the ground. A shockwave sent the villagers flying.
Everyone stopped.
One: "…What the hell was that?"
Kenny (quietly): "That… wasn't normal."
Zyroth fell to his knees, panting.
Zyroth: "I don't know… it just… came out."
From behind the crowd, a cloaked figure appeared, smiling under a mask.
"The nightmare… is only just beginning."
To be continued…