I reached out, helping him to his feet. His legs buckled at first, but I caught him before he hit the floor. He leaned on me, light and limp, like someone who hadn't eaten or stood in days, which is odd since it's only been three days since the start of the apocalypse.
He didn't make any noise or ask any questions. He just leaned on me with all of his dead weight. His body filled with exhaustion, fear, and something I didn't have the words for yet.
As I turned to guide him out, something caught my eye behind the desk—scratched into the drywall in jagged, uneven lines, like it had been carved with fingernails or a broken blade:
"They took the others."
I didn't say anything.
I just tightened my grip on him and led him out of that room, one slow step at a time.
He limped beside me, silent except for the uneven rasp of his breath. Blood still stained the side of his shirt, but it wasn't pouring, more dried than fresh. Shock had a grip on him stronger than pain.
Halfway down the corridor, he whispered, voice hoarse like it hadn't been used in days.
"They screamed. They… they screamed for a long time."
I didn't answer. I wanted to ask, but didn't. He wasn't talking to me, just trying to outrun whatever was still echoing in his head.
I pushed us forward, quiet and alert, retracing the route I'd already cleared. Most of the bodies were already cooling, and my handy work was bare for all to see.
Then I heard it.
Footsteps, bare, wet, and close.
I pushed him gently behind a toppled shelf and drew my katana.
Two goblins turned the corner at a trot. One dragging a length of bent pipe, the other licking green blood off its fingers. They hadn't seen us yet.
I waited.
When they stepped too close, I struck. One clean swipe across the throat. A fast stab to the neck of the second. Both hit the floor twitching.
I wiped the blade clean and checked the man's face. Still pale. Still shaking. But he hadn't screamed. That was something.
We reached the stairwell without another interruption.
As we started down, he whispered again.
"Why? They were supposed to help us. Anne, I am sorry I ran. I am a coward for not going back, but they were strong, too strong for me."
I didn't respond.
Some part of me wanted to ask what he meant. Did humans take them or goblins?
Whatever was happening deeper in this mall, this was only the edge of it.
I tightened my grip on the railing, leading him down toward the second floor's glow. Toward safety, and hopefully, someone from the team will be able to help him.
We finally arrived back at the camp, and I sighed in relief.
The people on watch looked up when I stepped through the broken entrance, the young man still leaning heavily against me. No one said anything at first. Just stared.
Nicole appeared from the shadows, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "You okay?"
I nodded and guided the man toward an empty spot near the far wall. "Found him under a desk on the fourth floor. Still breathing and barely talking. I think he's in shock."
She crouched beside the kid, eyeing the dried blood on his shirt and the blank, hollow stare. "Did he say anything?"
"Bits. Nothing useful yet. Just... fragments. I think someone he knows was taken." I lowered my voice. "There was a message on the wall carved by hand saying, 'They took the others'. Skulls and scattered bones formed a crude circle, a strange symbol marked at its heart. It had all the signs of a satanic ritual: crude, deliberate, and unsettling. I can only assume the message was from a human, but I don't know who set up the skulls."
Nicole's jaw tightened. "Shit, we have goblins and now satanic rituals. What has the world come to?"
"Yeah. We don't know what is going on, but our main focus should be protecting our people and getting out of here."
"Then why did you bring him?" Nicole said, smirking.
I rolled my eyes and was about to respond before Liam appeared, blood on his sleeve and a fresh scrape across his cheek. He dropped his pack and gave me a tired nod.
"Third floor's halfway cleared," he said. "Ran into a pair of goblins in some toy store. One had a broken broom handle, and it went into places that I don't want to talk about." He jerked a thumb at his side. "Got a new bruise to prove it."
I looked him up and down, then at Nicole. Where did they put it in him?
"Are you okay? If you'd like to discuss what happened, you're welcome to come to us at any time. We won't judge." Nicole said, patting his arm in comfort.
"What? NO! They didn't do it to me, but to each other. What is wrong with you?" Liam said, shaking her off, and I started to laugh, making Nicole blush in embarrassment.
I smirked. "So what level are you now?"
"Six." He smiled faintly, then noticed the kid. "He's yours?"
"Found him." I nudged my head toward the far wall. "Doesn't talk much."
Liam didn't hesitate before moving to him. "I'll clean him up. Why didn't anyone get him a blanket or water? Forget it. I'll handle it myself and figure out somewhere for him to crash. I'll tell you more in the morning."
Nicole and I both nodded. "Appreciate it," she said.
Liam waved us off, already kneeling beside the kid, speaking softly as he helped ease him down. I am surprised that Laim volunteered to help him, but I am glad he did. I should give him more credit and try to get to know him more.
Once it was just us, Nicole turned to me.
"What are we going to do about the kid?" she asked. "He's probably not going to fight. Not soon, anyway. We don't know how deep the damage is to his mental state."
"I know." I crossed my arms. "We can leave him here and let him rest. If he's willing to talk in the morning, we'll figure it out then."
Nicole nodded slowly. "Fair."
A beat passed before she asked, "How far did you get on the fourth floor?"
"Only about half." I stretched my shoulder and winced. "Still more to check. If you're not tired, I'd rather you finish the sweep. You need to catch up in levels."
"I slept a couple of hours. It's what—two in the morning? Maybe the goblins are asleep." Nicole said sarcastically.
"Maybe." I gave her a look. "Just be careful. Stick to open areas. Don't box yourself in and try to identify by sound before sight. A flashlight will give your location away."
She raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for explaining the obvious, but I appreciate the concern."
I shoved her lightly. "Shut up and go, a-hole."
She laughed under her breath, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little.
"If anything goes wrong, radio me," I said.
"You should be sleeping."
"I'm a light sleeper."
Nicole rolled her eyes, but she nodded. "Got it."