Leaping over an obstacle, Seven remained behind the rabbit.
Ever since it left the plain and entered among the buildings, he followed it closely, but he could never get near enough to leap onto it. Although he had tried countless times, whenever he did so, the animal would start to slip through the plants and obstacles it encountered.
This hindered him, causing him to lose speed and distance himself from it. Besides that, it also tired him out, for he had to jump over concrete blocks or push through bushes.
It was no different for his brother, who came right behind.
The distance between the two was slightly greater than that between Seven and the rabbit, as he was having more difficulty keeping up and dodging the obstacles.
Luckily, the animal seemed to avoid doing this constantly, only using this maneuver as a last resort. Perhaps out of fear of getting trapped in a narrower passage or ending up caught, even if just for a short time, further reducing the distance it was trying to increase.
If things keep going like this…
His brother didn't seem like he'd hold out much longer; little by little, he was falling behind him while succumbing to exhaustion.
This wasn't happening just because of the difference in physical conditioning between the two. The things they were wearing also didn't help maintain the pace.
Besides the clothes and heavy boots they wore, they also carried a large backpack on their backs. On its own, it wouldn't be a big deal, but fully loaded with still-wet herbs, it became a considerable weight.
And, to make matters worse for Leon, the weight was the same for both of them.
Even for Seven, who also had a full backpack on his shoulders, he felt that weight holding him back as he ran. That's why, when he looked at his brother, he realized how much he was struggling to keep up with him, yet still, he felt a bitter taste.
For, even in the face of that effort, he knew that if things continued this way, the rabbit would escape.
Again?
It wasn't the first time they had chased it; in fact, they had lost count of how many times they'd tried. Even their Father had failed to catch it.
The first time he encountered it, he tried to catch it with his older sister, but besides escaping them, it caused an accident with her.
Though they could be different rabbits, Seven was certain it was the same one.
One reason for this was its characteristic fur, which was completely white year-round. If it weren't for that, there'd be no other way to identify it by its appearance.
In their numerous attempts to capture it, they also began to notice how it always acted the same way.
They always found it in places where there were plants they harvested, edible ones or medicinal herbs, the only exception being the time they found it near their house. It almost seemed like it was stalking them to find out where they kept their food.
Even with so many attempts to catch it, it seemed like it didn't even care to keep a greater distance or hide better from them, acting naturally.
This irritated Seven a little.
Looking back, he saw Leon falling a bit further behind.
"Can you hold on a little longer?"
Struggling to reply, Leon gasped for air through his mouth between words.
"Just… a… little… more…"
Looking at the path ahead of them, he tried to find a spot to get closer.
Since the animal only darted through obstacles when he got too close, he needed to find a place without any bushes or debris, so it would have nowhere to slip into when he tried to approach.
They were running down a narrow street between the buildings, which, luckily, had remained the same since the chase began. Near the base of the buildings, piles of rubble blocked the first floor, leaving few places to go.
Vegetation was present among the rubble and on the building walls, like numerous vines that descended through the cracks from top to bottom, some connecting to nearby buildings.
On the ground, they weren't large, composed mostly of moss and some small plants. Periodically, they'd come across a few solitary bushes.
Along the way, there were some building debris and piles of twisted metal, which were more abundant and promptly used by the animal whenever necessary.
But, just ahead, Seven saw an opportunity.
In a straight stretch just ahead, there was nothing that could be used.
"Leon, now's the time!"
The two of them, giving their all one last time, began to close in.
Noticing this, the rabbit started running faster too, but, also worn out, it didn't have enough speed to pull away, only managing to slightly hinder their approach. Aware of this, it desperately tried to find something to use and delay its pursuers, but it found nothing.
Getting close to the animal, Seven finally managed to get near enough.
Seizing this opportunity, he leapt onto it—
Huh?
—When the rabbit turned to the side, entering a street that intersected with the one they were on.
Falling to the ground, Seven rolled for a while before finally stopping.
"Brother!"
Worried, Leon approached him to check if he was okay, but he flinched when Seven suddenly stood up from the ground, shouting.
"It's not over yet!"
Without wasting time, he headed to the street the rabbit had entered.
It wasn't very long, but it led to an open area between the buildings.
Looking at it, he clicked his tongue, as he couldn't see the rabbit anywhere.
"Let's go, Leon!"
Reaching the end of that street, they entered an area that seemed to be a large plaza between the buildings.
With large chunks of concrete fallen from the nearby buildings scattered throughout the area, it was full of rebar and rusted metal structures, leaving the place utterly chaotic.
Unlike the plaza, the streets surrounding it were cleaner of debris, though there were still some piles of rusted metal resembling cars scattered across the asphalt, along with a few bits of rubble.
Both on them and on the central blocks, plants grew between the cracks they found. In some spots, bushes and lichens hid parts of these remnants, disguising them as mounds of plant matter, favored by the pleasant environment created by the shadows of the buildings.
He can't have gone far!
Looking around, he searched for a higher spot to climb and thus get a better view of the surroundings, since, due to that chaos, he couldn't see much from ground level.
Finding a large piece of a building's toppled roof nearby, he ran to it and climbed up.
At the top, Seven lay down and grabbed a pair of binoculars, starting his search.
Even though he was using binoculars, he knew the rabbit could be at a short distance, like right below the debris they were on, but for some reason, he believed it had tried to get as far away from them as it could.
Perhaps because it was something he'd try to do if he were in its place.
Leon, exhausted, arrived a short while later, throwing himself down beside him, still breathing heavily.
Too weak to speak and with Seven focused, both remained silent for a while.
"Did… you find it…?"
"No, not yet…"
Since he didn't know where it had gone, Seven had no idea where to start looking. All he was doing was searching for any movement.
"It can't… have escaped, right?"
Though he said this, Leon was still speaking in murmurs.
"No, it must still be nearby."
It wasn't just them who were tired; the animal had run as much as they had and was also injured. After losing them, it had probably run to some hole to hide and rest.
"Let's wait a bit, hoping it feels safe and starts moving."
Leon, now with his breathing more under control, grabbed a pair of binoculars too.
"Are you sure? Do we still have time for this?"
The chase, though somewhat lengthy, hadn't used up all the time they had—in this case, the time given for their siblings to have fun. Though he didn't have an exact measure, he believed they still had something like five to eight minutes before they had to head back.
"Not much…"
In silence, the two kept watching the area just ahead, looking for any movement.
Blowing hard, forced through the buildings, a strong gust of wind swept across the plaza, something that refreshed Leon and calmed Seven, since, luckily, the wind was against them.
Now I just need to find you…
Their wait dragged on for some time, and even after long minutes of waiting, they saw no sign of it.
His hope, which had still held firm, faded when he realized they no longer had time to stay there.
Time to head back…
Dissatisfied, he began to stand up.
It wasn't the first time it had escaped them, yet he felt this defeat was greater.
Perhaps because he'd never gotten so close, even managing to graze it with an arrow, but in the end, it had slipped away.
"Let's go, Leon."
Standing, he called to his brother, who was still using the binoculars.
"We don't have any more—"
"—There!"
Without wasting time, Seven pointed his binoculars to where his brother indicated and found it.
The rabbit was slowly poking its head out of a hole, cautiously checking its surroundings.
Seeing this, the two covered their heads with camouflaged clothing and hid.
"I'm going to get it."
This time you won't escape me.
Removing the useless things he was carrying, emptying the plants from his backpack, taking the quiver off his waist and some other items, he left only the backpack, an arrow, and the bow.
Made of metal, it had an old appearance covered with signs of use—scratches, dents, and worn spots—but it was clear it received some maintenance, like the thin layer of grease on the metal.
It was old, older than Seven, but still fully functional.
"I'll go with you!"
Leon began removing unnecessary weight too, when he was stopped by his brother.
"No, stay here and rest; you've pushed yourself hard so far, and we still have a long walk home."
"But what if you start chasing it again? And end up getting too far?"
"If that happens, I won't start a long chase, so you can stay here. Also, I need you to tell me the rabbit's position or where it's going if it starts moving before I find it."
"Yes."
Descending the mound, Seven entered the plaza.
Searching for the vegetation and debris along the way, he approached using them as cover.
It wasn't difficult; in a chaotic place like that, there was a variety of things to use as cover while he approached, though it also got in the way.
Checking the target's position with his brother, he pressed on.
Choosing where he stepped, he sought spots where the concrete was visible, so the sound of twigs and leaves wouldn't give him away. But even walking carefully, his deft steps allowed him to move across the terrain quickly.
In some spots, it felt like he was in a maze, with authentic corridors formed by walls of stone and vegetation.
I found you.
Stopping near a bush, he began to draw the bowstring.
On the other side, behind the foliage, a few meters away, the rabbit had already emerged from the hole. Not only that, but it had found a bush with small bluish fruits.
Standing on two legs, using its mouth, it plucked the fruit hanging among the leaves of the laden plant and dropped it to the ground.
As soon as it finished eating, it looked for another.
With a few hops, it shifted its position to beneath the next one and began stretching to reach it, but, taller than the others, it was having some trouble.
Seeing that scene left Seven impressed; even after such a long chase, it had calmed down enough to eat.
It was clear it was still alert to its surroundings, but even so, it didn't seem normal. At least, Seven knew that, with the stress and adrenaline he felt from trying to catch it, he wouldn't feel like eating anything anytime soon.
He slowly kept pulling the bowstring, but even being careful, due to the increasing tension it endured, the bow let out a faint metallic creak.
Damn it!
Stopping its meal, the animal looked in his direction, twitching its ears.
Under its gaze, to avoid making any more noise that might alert it further, he stopped drawing the bow and held his breath. Completely still, he stayed in place, trusting he was well hidden there and that his clothes would keep him camouflaged behind the bush.
As a gust of wind passed between them, both remained motionless.
That situation, which had already lasted a few minutes, began to tire his arms holding the taut bow; little by little, they started to tremble.
But the rabbit, still fixated on the bush hiding him, didn't let him do anything.
Even if he could ease the tension, it wouldn't help much, as nothing would stop him from making more noise.
Firing the arrow in that position would still be possible, even if he hadn't drawn it enough yet; at that distance, it would be enough to kill it, but there was a problem—his aim wasn't fully set.
If he released the arrow, he might end up missing, or even if he hit, it could strike a spot that wouldn't kill it.
It would be something decided purely by luck.
Just a little longer.
Seven didn't want that, so he chose to wait, as he didn't want to rely on luck. All he had to do was hold out as long as possible until the right moment.
Under the animal's gaze, he stayed still, controlling his breathing, until finally the rabbit gave up, turning its attention back to the fruits.
Now!
Using what strength he had left, unconcerned with making noise, he pulled to the fullest, aimed quickly, and released.
After a loud creak, the arrow shot toward the animal, which noticed the sound but didn't have time to react, caught off guard by the arrow flying its way.
Struck by something at high speed, its small body was shoved to the side, but…
"Damn it!"
It hadn't been killed.
Frustrated, he watched the rabbit start running after surviving a second time, the arrow still lodged in its body.
How did it survive!
With no time to waste, tossing the bow aside, he began chasing it.
Even wounded, it was still fast and agile, running between plants and concrete blocks, trying at all costs to lose him, but leaping over some and dodging others, he stayed close behind.
I wasn't the only one who rested!
Though he was always near, the rabbit, even injured, managed to keep a steady distance between them.
Unbeknownst to either of them, they were gradually leaving the open area, heading toward the buildings surrounding them.
They entered something that seemed to have once been a street, crossed it, and stepped into an abandoned building with its entire front open.
Reaching the entrance hall, the place was filthy, but it was possible to discern traces of its former beauty, with a marble floor and a long reception desk, though it was broken in half.
Even stained by time, signs of the place's past wealth and luxury were still noticeable, like the high ceiling and the large skeleton of a chandelier hanging from it.
Passing through there, they headed deeper into the building.
Perhaps because Seven was tired, or because it was desperate to survive, the rabbit, using the straight corridor, began to widen the distance between them, pulling further away.
But, unwilling to let that advantage grow, giving his all, Seven made one last push to reach it.
It's still not enough!
No longer feeling his legs, he knew he was nearing his limit.
This didn't apply only to him; also exhausted, the animal gave everything it had, driven solely by its instincts and adrenaline that made it ignore the pain and fatigue it felt.
Venturing deeper into the place, they passed several doors along the corridor's sides when, suddenly, the rabbit darted into one of them.
For a moment, believing it had found an escape, he tasted defeat, until he saw it come back out, reigniting his hopes.
Though it had been a brief moment, it was enough for him to get close enough.
Not missing the chance, he leapt onto it.
"I got you!"
Struggling, the rabbit began to writhe and bite at anything in front of it in an attempt to break free, but, drawing a knife from his waist, he finished the animal without delay, and it finally ceased moving.
"Yes!"
Removing the clothes covering his head, he wore a wide grin as he sheathed the knife before taking off his backpack to tie the rabbit to it.
He was exhausted, with all that accumulated fatigue hitting his body, but he was absurdly happy.
After so long, he had finally caught the rabbit, after so many failures.
With some difficulty, trying to steady his trembling hands, he tied the animal.
Once finished, he slung the backpack over his shoulders again and began to stand up slowly when he heard the sound of something nearby.
Coming from behind him, it was slow and steady, growing louder little by little, as if it were approaching.
Feeling a chill run down his spine, he turned toward its source.
Seeing what it was, his heart raced as he froze in fear.
A wanderer!
A gaunt being, over two meters tall, with skin white as snow, where the outline of its bones could be seen perfectly beneath, stood just a few meters away from him, moving in his direction.
With each step it took, marked by the sound of bare feet meeting the cold marble floor, it drew closer.
Seven, facing it, was unable to keep his face calm.
In a whirlwind of emotions, from immense joy to absolute terror, with a shiver enveloping his entire body, he remained frozen before it.
But steadily, it kept approaching, and with each step it took, the terror Seven felt grew.
In a moment of clarity, perhaps jolted awake by his own screaming instincts, with the strength he had left, he drew his knife again and pointed it at the creature.
It wouldn't make the slightest difference.
Even knowing this, that it posed no more threat to the creature than a twig, he did it.
It wasn't something he could, or had any chance of, facing.
Father…