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Chapter 22 - The Longest Night

The hope Kai felt was a fragile, flickering candle in the oppressive darkness of the new world. The quest had given them a direction, but that direction led straight through miles of monster-infested city. As night fell, the sounds from outside the steel gate grew louder and more varied—the familiar chittering of Scuttlers was now punctuated by deep, guttural howls and the occasional, terrifying shriek that seemed to fall from the sky.

Inside the shop, a tense, focused energy replaced the earlier despair. They had a mission.

Ben, in his element, had become their strategist. He'd cleared Marcus's large desk and spread the city atlas and subway schematics across it, using old coins and tarnished silver spoons as markers. "Surface travel is statistically indefensible," he declared, pointing a long, thin finger at the map. "We observed at least two distinct hostile species in our short transit. The ground-based 'Scuttlers' and the aerial 'Harriers.' Open streets offer maximum exposure to both. Therefore, the logical alternative is subterranean transit."

He tapped the subway map. "The Line 3 maintenance tunnel entrance is two blocks east of here, in an alley behind the old post office. According to this, it's a straight shot, emerging at a service grate just south of the university campus. It's our best chance."

"Assuming there's nothing worse already living down there," Elara countered quietly. She wasn't idle; she was methodically organizing their supplies. She'd divided the protein bars and water bottles into three backpacks scavenged from a pile of old military surplus. She held up a heavy, cast-iron tire iron she'd found. "I'll take this. It's better than nothing."

"It's a calculated risk," Kai said, his voice steady. He was sitting on a crate, sharpening the edge of his cavalry saber with a whetstone he'd found in a toolbox. The rhythmic scrape of stone on steel was a calming, meditative sound. "Down there, we can't be seen from the air, and the tunnels will force them to come at us from the front. We control the battlefield. On the street, we're just targets."

His decision seemed to settle the matter. Elara nodded, her expression grim but resolved, and finished packing.

The hours that followed were a quiet montage of preparation. Kai strapped the round shield to his left forearm, getting used to its weight and bulk. He practiced drawing the saber, the motion feeling more natural each time. The swordsman's echo was a quiet hum in the back of his mind, a constant, reassuring presence.

He checked his System status for the tenth time.

[Name: Kaelen Vance]

[Level: 5]

[XP: 200/600]

[Strength: 22]

[Agility: 16]

[Endurance: 15]

[Skills: Basic Swordsmanship (F-Rank), Observe (F-Rank)]

It still felt like so little. He needed more levels, better skills. He needed to be strong enough to guarantee their safety.

They decided to take shifts sleeping. Ben took the first watch, sitting by the gate with his textbook and the tire iron, while Kai and Elara tried to rest in the back office. Sleep, however, was a luxury none of them could truly afford. Kai lay on a dusty cot, his hand never far from his saber, the Wayfinder on his chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. Every scrape and howl from outside had him tensing, ready for a fight.

When it was his turn to watch, the shop was eerily silent, the single bulb casting long shadows that played tricks on his eyes. The Wayfinder, which he'd placed on the desk, gave off a soft, silvery glow, its needle unmoving, pointing them toward their destiny. It was a compass in a world that had lost all direction. He thought about his parents, wondering if they were safe, if they were even alive. The weight of his new responsibility—for Elara, for Ben, for this insane quest—settled on his shoulders, heavier than any shield.

Finally, the first hint of dawn painted the grimy upper windows of the shop in shades of gray. The sounds from outside began to quiet down, as if the creatures of the night were retreating from the coming sun.

It was time.

They gathered by the gate, their faces pale and drawn in the dim light. Elara had the tire iron tucked into her belt. Ben clutched the heavy flashlight, his maps stuffed securely in his pack. Kai stood before them, saber at his hip, shield on his arm, the Wayfinder tucked into an inner pocket of his hoodie.

He met their eyes, seeing his own fear and determination reflected back at him. He took a deep breath, the air thick with the smell of dust and old paper.

"Ready?" he asked.

Elara and Ben gave him firm, silent nods.

Kai placed his hand on the heavy iron lever that controlled the gate. He pulled down. With a groaning series of metallic clanks, the steel barrier began to rise, slowly revealing the ruined, blood-stained street outside. A new day had begun.

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