he had hit the ground running.
in pain, tears running down his face - he had hit the ground running, and he had ran as fast as he could.
freckled skin littered with wounds, gaping wounds that still bled, trailing down exposed arms, leading to mangled hands that grasped those of a girl much smaller.
loud. it was so loud. the howls of those, those things. they rang in his ears, he couldn't hear, he couldn't even hear himself - he couldn't hear -
his son.
where was his son.
he dug his heels into the ground, yelping as shattered cement dug deep into the soles of his feet; he swung the young girl around to face him, picking up the child and ducking into a nearby alley.
the brunette slammed his back against the wall, behind a toppled dumpster, hyperventilating, hands trembling - he was shaking, he was shaking so bad. if his heart beat any faster, it'd explode - at least that's what it felt like.
"Vani - Vani," he breathed shakily, lightly grabbing his daughter's face with his right hand, brushing rose-brown hair from teal eyes like his own, "are you okay? you - they- they didn't get you-?"
his daughter was shaking just as badly, clutching the rough fabric of his now-stained sweater in her fists, tearing up - she shook her head. "No-" she whispered, her voice strained, "no, no, I'm okay."
he breathed a relieved "alright", once again brushing loose strands of her hair from her eyes, before kissing her forehead. he set her down, crouching to eye level, hands never leaving her upper arms, "I'm going to go find your brother. Stay hidden for me, okay? I'll come back for you - I promise."
and she nodded, scrunching into a ball, hands covered in cuts balling up under her chin, and he planted one last kiss on her head with an "I love you, Vani" before scrambling away, sprinting back into the chaos of the outside world.
and it was loud. his thoughts, once organized, were overridden by the howls of a crumbling city, swallowed in darkness, fallen prey to- what were they? what else could he call them, other than monsters? abominations- they were abominations, abominations that devoured everything around him; they had to be sent by something. was this the death of society? finally, after so many corrupted years, was this-
a brief scream tore through his strained throat, an instinctive reaction to the sudden thud that was just behind- oh god there was something behind him. and it was giving chase.
he stumbled, almost falling, reaching out a bloody hand to shove himself back up, picking up speed with no regard to how tired - and how mangled his legs were.
the ground was shaking. the road was splitting, the earth was crumbling beneath him - and everything around him was too.
he couldn't remember - he can't remember - what happened. the abomination, the monster, whatever it was, it was crushed under a fallen building. at least it stopped chasing him...
he paused, stumbling forward as he collapsed on one knee, ignoring the glass stabbing into his hands and leg, shaking - he had to breathe. he had to catch his breath. his mind was spinning out of control.
was this real? could this be real? it couldn't - it couldn't be possible, there was no way. this wasn't logical, this had to be a nightmare, no-
wait.
shit.
his son.
where was his son.
black, bloodstained nails dug into shattered cement, and he started running again. the last time he saw him - his son, he was supposed to be at the store. it wasn't too far - at least he thought.
"please, please - please - wait for me," he muttered through labored breaths, "Arius, wait for me."
oh god.
the store wasn't far - he was right about that.
but it was ravaged.
bricks and glass - blood, more importantly, blood everywhere.
he slowed down, his sprint becoming a staggered walk, pain shooting through every nerve as he anxiously approached the entrance.
"Arius-?"
he tried to yell - yet his voice broke.
there was no way Arius was alive. there was no way; he could never have outrun those monsters. but he tried - he tried to believe there was a possibility. he limped around the remains of the crumbled store, feigning ignorance against the mass amounts of blood and corpses littering the vicinity.
and he saw him.
just not in the state he wanted to see.
dead, at his feet, laying among the rubble, Arius lay, icy green eyes blankly staring into the darkened clouds above. blood stained his pale skin, which had since gone cold, rigid body torn at the legs. his blood, it was...everywhere. stale tears had run clean trails through the dust on his mauled face.
and he froze.
his heart stopped, breath hitched, and for a moment, he couldn't think.
then he screamed.
"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT-!"
and he broke down.
for the first time in his entire life, he broke down sobbing. hysterical, collapsing to the ground, everything becoming too loud.
too loud.
too loud, too loud, too l-
"sir?"
