Xin sat on the cold, rocky floor of the cave, the oppressive silence around him almost suffocating. His thoughts swirled, his mind still reeling from the earlier test, the long walk through the wilderness, and the weight of his responsibility. He tried to focus, but there was something gnawing at him—an unsettling feeling he couldn't quite place.
Then it came.
A shrill, high-pitched scream, a sound so full of pain and terror that it cut through the stillness like a knife. It echoed down the side of the mountain, a wail of distress that sent a shiver down his spine. He immediately stood up, his senses on high alert, eyes scanning the shadows. "Did anyone else hear that?" he asked, turning toward the other members of the group who had remained behind. They all shook their heads, their expressions unreadable, dismissive even.
"Its probably just the wind," one of them muttered, barely glancing up.
Xin didn't need to be told twice. His instincts screamed at him to act. Without another word, he shot forward, his boots pounding against the stone as he sprinted toward the source of the scream. The terrain was rugged, jagged crystalline and uneven ground, but Xin's speed was unmatched. Within seconds, he reached the site of the disturbance, his breath steady but shallow from the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
He came to a skidding halt, his gaze locking onto the sight before him—a girl lying motionless on the ground. She was pale, her eyes closed, her body unmoving. Xin knelt beside her, his heart skipping a beat as he gently placed a hand on her chest. "Hey, are you okay?" he called, his voice rough. He waited for a response, but there was nothing. No twitch of the body, no sign of life.
He reached for her wrist, his fingers brushing against her skin. Cold. Her pulse—nonexistent. She was gone.
His throat tightened.
"No..." The word escaped him in a whisper.
His gaze fell upon her face—a girl, not much older than the children he'd seen back in Kingpin's laboratory....They would be her age now if they had survived, but they weren't here, and neither was she. She was just another casualty in a world that took far too much from too many.
The claw marks on her skin told a story of something monstrous, something vicious. The jagged wounds were deep, as though something with a hunger for destruction had torn into her with no mercy.
The girl's death was senseless. His heart clenched in frustration. She didn't deserve this. No one did.
He gently cradled her in his arms, his fingers lightly brushing her hair, a futile gesture of care for someone he'd never known. His thoughts drifted briefly to the children he'd met, the ones who'd been experimented on, who had never had a chance at a normal life. His hands trembled as he held her closer, sorrow settling over him like a heavy fog.
But there was no time for grief.
A sharp sound—flapping wings—cut through the air, and before Xin could react, the source appeared. A bat-like creature, Humanoid in shape, with tattered wings that seemed too large for its body, swooped down from the darkness of the mountain peak. Its eyes glowed red, the malice in them unmistakable. Xin felt his pulse quicken as the creature's wings beat furiously, sending a gust of wind through the cave.
Rage flared within him. He rose to his feet, still clutching the girl in his arms, though now his focus was on the creature before him. His jaw clenched, and his hand shot out toward the sky. The Dharma Wheel—his weapon, a ethereal force harnessed through his own will—spun to life in the air. It pulsed with energy, a shining circle of pure power that radiated with an intensity that threatened to consume everything around it.
"You monster!" Xin shouted, his voice filled with fury.
The Dharma Wheel shot forward, slicing through the air. It grazed the creature's leg, the edge of the wheel just clipping the monster's hide, but it wasn't enough. The beast veered away with a swift, unnatural movement, its wings carrying it higher into the air.
The creature was fast. Too fast. And Xin's attack had only left a shallow cut.
It was out of range now, perched high above him on the side of the mountain, its red eyes gleaming with hunger and malice.
Xin gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on the girl as he lowered her gently to the ground. His fingers never left her form, but his gaze never wavered from the creature.
"Next time," he muttered under his breath, his voice a low growl of promise, "I'll finish it."
Xin's heart hammered in his chest as he trudged back toward the camp, the lifeless girl still cradled gently in his arms. The image of her pale, cold face haunted him, the claw marks marring her skin, her body so young, so full of promise—snatched away by some merciless beast. He couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness gnawing at his insides.
As he approached the group of soldiers, the quiet murmur of their conversation died down. Their eyes locked onto him, their expressions unreadable as they saw what he was carrying. The girl's body was limp, a stark contrast to Xin's stiffened, tense posture. He could feel the weight of their gaze, the silent judgment. They had no idea what had happened—none of them had heard the scream, none of them had seen the monster.
"Shun!" Xin called, his voice tight.
The soldiers parted to make way for Shun, who had been standing near the campfire. Shun's face went pale when he saw the girl in Xin's arms.
His mouth opened, but no words came out at first. He took a step forward, his hand trembling slightly before he regained his composure.
"...What happened?" Shun asked, his voice low, filled with concern and curiosity. He stepped closer, his eyes flicking to the dead girl before returning to Xin.
Xin's breath was still shallow, his gaze focused on the ground as he spoke, barely above a whisper. "There's a monster near the mountain… a creature with bat-like wings. It... it killed her. I heard her scream, and I found her there... dead." His grip on the girl's body tightened, his fingers still cold from the shock of the encounter.
Shun's face hardened, but before he could respond, his eyes flicked toward the corner of the camp, where a lone figure stood watching, silent and unmoving. Belial. Xin's gut tightened.
"Hey..." Xin's voice was strained, a hint of frustration creeping in. He moved toward him, the weight of the girl in his arms feeling heavier with every step.
Belial's gaze was cold, almost distant, as if he were staring through Xin rather than at him. His arms were crossed, his face unreadable behind the dark mask of his emotions. As Xin approached, Belial finally spoke, his voice casual, as though they were discussing something trivial.
"If she was weak, this was bound to happen," Belial said, his tone flat, devoid of any hint of sympathy. His eyes flicked briefly to the dead girl before looking away, his posture never changing. "Monsters like that don't spare anyone, especially those who can't defend themselves."
Xin's blood boiled. The words hit him like a slap in the face, but it wasn't the first time Belial had shown this side of him—indifferent, and ruthlessly pragmatic.
"...Are you serious?" Xin's voice trembled, not with fear, but with a mixture of anger and disbelief.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"This isn't just some lesson in survival, Nero! This was a life. A life that was taken—by a monster!"
Belial's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening imperceptibly. "And we've already lost a lot She was just a casualty of the world were in," he said coldly, shrugging slightly. "This world doesn't care about the weak. If she didn't have the strength to survive, then it's her loss."
Xin's chest tightened with fury, the raw intensity of his emotions. The girl might have been a stranger, but her death still weighed heavily on him. He refused to let it go without a fight.
"No!" Xin shouted, taking a step forward, his voice rising with the intensity of his frustration. "You don't get it! She was just a kid! How can you stand there, say something like that, and act like it doesn't matter?"
Belial didn't flinch. His expression didn't waver. "You're wasting your energy, Xin. There's no place for weakness in this world. Either you survive, or you die." His words were hard, as if he were replaced by someone else.
Xin's fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms. He could feel the heat of anger coursing through him, and for a moment, he wanted to lash out, to make Belial understand the weight of what he was saying. But deep down, he knew that Belial never would.
Actually...
He never knew much about the guy at all...
"You're wrong," Xin whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I won't let this go. Not like you. " His eyes locked onto Belial, and for a moment, it felt like the air around them had frozen.
Belial didn't respond at first, and for a brief moment, the two men stood in silence, the camp eerily quiet around them. The soldiers watched from the edges of the firelight, unsure of how to intervene. Finally, Belial spoke again, his voice low but firm.
"Do what you want, Xin. But know this: You'll get nowhere trying to save everyone. The weak don't survive."
Xin took a step back, his chest heaving. He felt the weight of the girl in his arms once more. "I'll make sure she's remembered. Even if you see her as some worthless girl."