Chapter 5: Seeking Shelter and Echoes of the Past
Kaelen didn't hesitate for a moment after the armored crawler fell. He pulled his bleeding hand from the falling debris and extended it to the girl. "Come on, no time to lose!" he said in a firm voice, as the sharpness of the shock in his eyes faded, replaced by cold determination.
The girl, who seemed to have awakened from a nightmare, clung weakly to his uninjured hand. She could barely stand on her feet due to her injured arm and the shock that had overwhelmed her. "Where... where do we go?" she whispered, her eyes searching for a glimmer of hope amidst the overwhelming chaos.
"The underground labs," Kaelen answered curtly. "They might be safer. And I know the way."
The two began to move slowly and cautiously. Kaelen led the way, using his heightened senses and spatial vision to scan the area for any new threats. The sounds around them were changing; no longer just human screams, but mixed with the roars of beasts emerging from cracks, distant explosions, and the sound of metal twisting under the weight of larger entities.
As they crossed a small, almost deserted courtyard, filled with broken trees and parts of a crumbling fence, a faint blue glow emanated from the girl's body. The girl saw nothing, but Kaelen saw an info box appear above her head for a moment, then disappear.
[System Activation Initiating...] [Host Compatibility Analysis...] [Host: Emily. Affinity: Life (Moderate)] [Awakening Detected: Minor Regeneration (Dormant)] [World Conversion Protocol Initiated: Level 1]
This meant that Emily, whose name he barely knew now, had also awakened some abilities. "Minor Regeneration"? That could be very useful. More importantly, she was now "connected" to the system, just like him.
Kaelen said nothing about it. It wasn't the time to explain the complexities of the system. They first needed to reach a safe place.
They finally reached the back entrance of the old laboratory building. It was a heavy steel door, half-buried under rubble. "Wait here," Kaelen told Emily, then began to carefully push the debris away. It was a laborious task, but the strength he gained from his allocated attribute points was starting to make a difference. He felt a new solidity in his muscles that hadn't been there before.
After several minutes of strenuous effort, he managed to open the door enough for them to slip inside. Inside the building, the darkness was absolute, broken only by the faint light coming from outside through the opening. The air was heavier, carrying the scent of dust and old metal. The stairs leading downwards seemed like a path to the unknown, but at least they were away from the chaos above ground.
"We might be safe here for a while," Kaelen said, helping Emily slowly descend into the darkness. But as soon as her feet touched the first step, he heard another sound, not from outside this time. A faint rustling sound coming from the depths of the darkness below. It wasn't the sound of a monster, but the sound of... human footsteps.
Emily's exhausted body trembled when she heard the sound. "Who... who's there?" she whispered, barely audible, clinging tightly to Kaelen's uninjured arm.
Kaelen hesitated. Was this a good move? Human voices meant survivors, but they could also mean new danger in a world without rules. His senses sharpened, but his spatial vision revealed nothing in the dense darkness.
From the depths of the stairs, a faint glow appeared. It was a swaying light source, slowly advancing upwards. The light was followed by one shadow, then another. They were two men.
"Who are you?" a firm voice echoed in the darkness, followed by a stronger flash of light directed at them. They were two men in civilian clothes, but one carried a rusty metal rod, and the other held what looked like an old flashlight. Their faces looked tired and covered in dirt, but there was a watchful, fearful look in their eyes.
Kaelen instinctively took a step back, pulling Emily with him slightly. "We're students, looking for shelter," he replied calmly, trying to appear unthreatening.
The two men stopped a few steps below them. The man with the metal rod was shorter but seemed stronger, his eyes fixed. "Students?" the other man, the one with the flashlight, said in an uncertain tone. "I thought no one survived that mess."
Kaelen looked at the two men, then at Emily trembling behind him, fear evident in her eyes. "What about you?" he asked. "Are you... from here?"
"Yes, we used to work here," the man with the rod replied, before adding in a cautionary tone, "The place isn't entirely safe, but it's better than outside. There are more of us downstairs."
"More?" Kaelen murmured, feeling a mix of relief and caution. A group might offer safety, but it could also bring new problems. He had to think fast.
Kaelen didn't wait long to decide. The situation outside was worsening, and staying alone with an injured Emily wasn't a smart option. At least, a group meant more potential strength and resources. "Can we come down with you?" Kaelen asked, his voice carrying a mix of urgency and concern. "Her arm is injured and she needs help."
The two men exchanged glances. The man with the rod slowly nodded. "Come then, but move quietly. There are some things you need to understand."
The three began to descend the old, crumbling stone stairs. The humidity and cold increased the deeper they went. The only light came from the flashlight, which trembled in its owner's hand, casting strange shadows on the bare walls. Kaelen now heard other faint sounds, murmurs, and occasionally a muffled laugh, but it wasn't a joyful laugh.
After a few minutes of descent, they reached a long, dark corridor, from which closed doors branched off. At the end of the corridor, a faint light came from a large opening, and from there, the human voices became clearer.
"Stop here for a moment," said the man with the flashlight, and moved towards the opening. He bent down and spoke in a low voice with someone inside. Kaelen heard some fragmented words: "Survivors... students... injured girl."
Moments later, another man emerged from the opening. He was taller than the first two, with a strong build, but his face held a harsh expression, and his eyes were sharp and cold. He carried no weapon, but his presence exuded power. He looked at Kaelen and Emily with a scrutinizing gaze, as if assessing their worth as a threat or a resource.
"Welcome to the shelter," the man said in a gruff voice, devoid of any warmth. "I am Commander Harun." This place, the underground complex previously used as a storage area and old laboratories, had quickly transformed into a temporary, disorganized refuge for the first survivors of the catastrophe.