They burst through the town as fast as possible turning right and left across buildings only untill they where absolutely sure that things where relaxed did they calm down to catch their breath.
The town was like a graveyard, and they were the last living things running through it.
Riko's breath came with excauchten but still tried to be steady, his mind calculating every turn, every obstacle. Behind him, Takeshi stumbled, panting, but he kept pace. He had no other choice.
They couldn't stop. Not now.
The leader—whatever that thing was—had let them go. But it wasn't mercy. It was patience. A sick, predatory patience that sent a chill down Riko's spine.
It knew.
It knew they weren't going to escape.
And it was enjoying this.
They cut through an abandoned street, past burnt-out cars and buildings whose skeletal remains loomed over them. The distant glow of fires painted the ruins in shades of orange and red. The town was dying.
"It seems these creatures are knocking over power lines or rupturing gas pipes of the cars," Riko muttered, half to himself, half to Takeshi. "That's why everything's burning."
Takeshi Finnaly spoke, his voice still hoarse "where… the hell… are we going?"
Riko didn't answer immedietly. His eyes scanned their surroundings. They needed higher ground—somewhere defensible.
Then he spotted it.
A five-story parking garage, its structure mostly intact. The top levels would give them a clear view of the area. More importantly, there were only a few entry points. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than running blind.
But Riko's eyes flicked to something else—something just as important.
The collapsed walkway.
An old pedestrian bridge connected the parking structure to an apartment complex on the other side, but half of it had crumbled away, leaving a jagged drop. What remained of the bridge hung a floor lower than the garage rooftop, its rusted frame barely holding together.
If things went to hell, that was their escape.
"There," Riko said, pointing to the garage. "We hold out there."
Takeshi followed his gaze, then shot him a look. "A parking garage? That's your brilliant plan?"
"You got a better one?"
Takeshi groaned but didn't argue. "Fine. Whatever. Let's move."
They pushed forward, weaving through debris. The garage's entrance was choked with abandoned vehicles, some flipped over, others blackened by fire. The air reeked of old gasoline and rotting flesh.
Riko gripped his pipe tighter, scanning every shadow there wasn't any movement or sound.
It was, Too quiet.
They stepped inside.
The darkness swallowed them whole.
The only light came from the cracks in the concrete where the moon peeked through. Their footsteps echoed as they climbed the ramps, passing rusted-out cars and long-dried bloodstains.
Takeshi exhaled sharply. "At first, I treated this like some kind of horror game. Now I get it. This is life now. If we don't adapt, we die."
"For once, you're right," Riko muttered. "Now shut up and focus."
They moved carefully, listening to every sound. Riko's gut told him they weren't alone.
By the time they reached the third level, Takeshi was gasping for air. He leaned against a pillar, trying to recover more stamina while wiping sweat from his brow. "I swear to god, If we die here because of your dumbass plan, I swear I'm haunting your ass."
Riko glanced at him. "You don't have the balls to haunt me."
Takeshi chuckled breathlessly. "Asshole."
Then—
A sound.
A low scrape. Metal against concrete.
They both froze.
The noise came from the far end of the garage.
Then—movement.
What looked like Shadows shifted between the cars.
Not one.
Not two.
But Many.
Flickering, glowing eyes blinked in the dark.
Takeshi sucked in a breath. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."
Riko clenched his jaw. They had walked straight into a nest.
The creatures moved at once.
A blur of limbs and snarling mouths.
Riko reacted instantly, swinging his pipe as the first one lunged. CRACK. The impact sent it back a few steps while ouzing out green liquid, but another was already coming.
Takeshi let out a string of curses, slamming his own weapon into a creature's skull. It shrieked but didn't die.
These ones were tougher.
"Back up!" Riko ordered, takeshi followed him without a secound thought toward the ramp leading up. They needed space.
They ran.
The creatures followed.
Takeshi panted, barely keeping up. "I thought—this was—your—good idea!"
"Shut up and move!"
They reached the fourth level. Only one more to the top. But the creatures were faster than the ones before. If they reached the rooftop without a plan, they'd be cornered.
Riko scanned the area.
Then—he saw it.
An old, rusted pickup truck sat near the edge. Its flatbed was loaded with metal pipes and tools. More importantly, it was a little higher off the ground—a perfect temporary defense.
"Perfect."
"Takeshi!" Riko shouted. "Get in the truck!"
Takeshi blinked. "WHAT?"
"NOW!"
Riko ran first, leaping onto the flatbed and grabbing a long metal pipe. Takeshi followed, scrambling onto the truck just as the first creature lunged.
Riko swung.
CRACK.
The creature staggered and fell off the side of the parking garage, its shriek fading into the night.
Takeshi grabbed a wrench from the pile and swung wildly at another.
Riko didn't stop moving. Another creature climbed onto the truck bed—he drove his knee into its gut, then shoved it backward, sending it crashing into the others.
They kept coming.
Riko's mind raced. They needed an out.
He looked at Takeshi. "Jump to the walkway."
Takeshi's eyes widened. "Are you fucking insane?!"
"DO IT NOW."
Takeshi hesitated. One glance at the snarling creatures below made up his mind.
"Fuck."
They ran.
The creatures chased them.
The bridge was falling apart. One wrong step, and they'd plummet.
Riko reached the edge first. He didn't stop.
He jumped.
For a second—nothing.
Open space. Wind rushing past his face.
Then—impact.
He hit the walkway hard, rolling across the rusted metal. Pain jolted through his shoulder.
Takeshi wasn't far behind. He landed with a grunt, nearly slipping on the loose debris.
Behind them, the bridge groaned under their weight. A piece of it crumbled away, tumbling into the darkness below.
They had made it.
Takeshi safe Riko already moving to the next building, while he took a quick glance back up, seeing the creatures just standing there.
"I thought they would jump down on us, and collapse this fragile bridge" Takeshi said turning and moving slowly behind Riko.
"Haha, man i've almost died 3 times by now i can't anymore" Takeshi said with clear exhaustion of everything.
"Hurr-" but before Riko could finnish his sentence
A deep, guttural growl echoed in their ears.
Riko's breath stilled.
Slowly, he turned.
A shadow moved at the edge of the rooftop while the other ones made way for him.
A tall figure stepped forward illuminated by the moonlight.
The leader.
And It wasn't just standing there this time.
In its clawed hand, it gripped something long, jagged, and unmistakably deadly.
Something like a spear.
Its glowing eyes locked onto them.
Then—
It hurled the spear.