The flood came without warning.
Again.
Nana was in the middle of a broken street, scavenging through an abandoned store for supplies, when she heard it—that terrible roar that meant death was coming.
No. Not again. Not so soon—
She ran for the door, but she was too slow.
The wave hit like a tsunami—impossibly high, impossibly fast, impossibly violent. It crashed through the storefront windows with enough force to shatter concrete, and suddenly Nana was underwater, tumbling, helpless.
Up. Need to get up.
She kicked hard, breaking the surface just long enough to gasp a breath before another wave pulled her under.
All around her was chaos.
All screaming,Giants trying desperately to climb buildings, only to have the structures collapse under their massive weight. Demons and hybrids fighting each other even as they drowned, their violence continuing to the bitter end.
And humans. So many humans. All scrambling for higher ground, pushing each other under, drowning together.
Nana's hand found something solid—a partially submerged bus. She grabbed onto it, hauling herself up, trying to get above the water—
Pain exploded in her ankle.
Someone had grabbed her. A survivor—wild-eyed and desperate—was trying to use Nana as a ladder, pulling her down to save himself.
"Let go!" Nana kicked at him, but his grip was iron-strong. The grip of someone who knew he was dying.He yanked hard, and Nana lost her hold on the bus.
They both went under.
The man's hands found her shoulders, pushing her down, using her body to propel himself upward. Nana's mouth opened in a scream—
Water rushed in.
Her lungs filled with it. Cold, choking, wrong. She coughed reflexively, which only made it worse. More water. Her chest burned.
No. NO. I won't die like this.
Nana's hand found her blade. She drove it upward blindly, felt it connect with flesh.
The grip on her shoulders loosened.
Black mist dissolved around her.
She kicked for the surface, lungs screaming, vision darkening at the edges—head broke water. She gasped, coughed, vomited water, gasped again. Sweet, precious air.
But the current was too strong. It dragged her along like a toy, slamming her into debris, pulling her under again and again.
Can't breathe. Can't think. Just survive.
Buildings rushed past. She tried to grab onto things—a lamppost, a fire escape, anything—but the water ripped her away each time.
Around her, death was everywhere.
She saw a woman drown, her face going slack as water filled her lungs. White mist.
A demon, caught by the current, slammed into a building hard enough to break its spine.
Black mist.
A child, no more than ten, swept past Nana too fast to save.
White mist.
I need to get higher. Have to—
There. A tall building, still mostly intact. If she could just reach it, climb it—
Nana swam with everything she had, fighting the current, her waterlogged backpack threatening to drag her down. Her cameras. Her proof. She couldn't abandon them.
Almost. Just a little further—
Another wave hit, massive and devastating. It picked Nana up and threw her like a ragdoll.
She slammed into something hard. Pain exploded through her already-injured ribs.
The world spun.
When she surfaced again, coughing and gasping, she'd lost all sense of direction. The water was higher now—impossibly high. Fourth-floor windows were submerged. Fifth floor windows were flooding.
Going to drown. Going to die here without ever finding him.
"Zayne," she whispered, and immediately choked on water. "I'm sorry. I tried. I really—"
Her head went under again.
This time, she didn't have the strength to fight back to the surface. Her limbs were leaden. Her lungs were full of water. Her vision was going dark.
This is it, she thought distantly. This is how I die.
She saw them in the murky water around her—bodies sinking, dissolving into mist. Human and creature alike, all equal in death.
I'll join them soon. Just let go. Stop fighting. It'll be easier.
Her eyes began to close.
Mom. Dad. Mina. Jisu. I'm sorry.I never even got to see you one more time.
Darkness crept in at the edges of her consciousness. The pain faded. Everything faded.
So tired. Just want to rest.
And then—
Something grabbed her.
Arms, impossibly strong, wrapped around her torso. Pulled her upward with sudden, fierce determination.
Nana's eyes fluttered open, but everything was blurry. Dark shapes. Movement. The sensation of being lifted, carried.
Hallucinating, she thought dimly. Dying. This isn't real.
But then her head broke the surface and she was coughing, vomiting water, gasping for air that burned her lungs.
"Stay with me." A voice. Male. Urgent.
Nana tried to focus, but her vision swam. She could only see shapes—someone carrying her, moving with purpose. Up. They were going up.
Stairs. One flight. Two. Three.
Higher and higher, away from the water that wanted to claim her.
The world tilted as she was lifted bridal style, like she weighed nothing. Strong arms held her securely against a chest that rose and fell with exertion.
Who...?
She tried to speak, but only managed a weak cough. More water came up.
"It's okay. I've got you. You're safe now."
That voice. Something about it—
But she couldn't hold onto the thought.
Couldn't hold onto consciousness.
They reached a rooftop. Nana felt herself being laid down gently on concrete. Cold. Hard. But dry.
She blinked up at the gray sky, trying to focus on the figure crouching beside her.
Can't see clearly. Everything's blurry.
But she could see eyes. Hazel eyes, bright with concern, staring down at her with an intensity that made her chest ache.
Those eyes. I know those eyes.
The figure's hand cupped her face, turning her head to the side. "You need to get the water out of your lungs. This is going to hurt, but—"
Pressure on her chest. Hard, rhythmic. Forcing the water up.
Nana coughed violently, water streaming from her mouth and nose. It burned. Everything burned.
But she could breathe again
"That's it,Come on. Stay with me."
The voice was saying something else, but Nana couldn't make out the words anymore. Everything was getting foggy. Dark. The adrenaline that had kept her fighting was wearing off, and exhaustion crashed over her like another wave.
So tired. Just need to sleep.
"No, don't close your eyes. Look at me. Stay awake—"
But Nana couldn't fight anymore. Couldn't stay conscious.
The last thing she saw was those hazel eyes, wide with worry, staring down at her.
I know you, she thought, even as darkness claimed her. I know those eyes.
And then—
Nothing.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued.