The Shadows of Underground World: The Uninvited Guest

CHAPTER-3

                                                                                          *DHRUV POV*

Whenever I heard about people achieving great wealth or fame, I never understood one thing. What was the need for it? It didn't make them more happy or comfortable than a person earning a decent income.

What was the thing that was driving them? I heard people call it ambition.

I never understood it or it's better to say that I had never experienced the fire that people talk about. I just worked enough to move forward in life. It doesn't mean that I was living a boring life, I had fun like everybody else.

It's just that I never understood the feeling so strong that it would force you to go beyond your limits.

***

'Go! RUN,' I heard mom shouting from the front door. It happened again after we escaped the city. The world is filled with devils who look like humans, the difference is they don't have any humanity left in them.

They crave for human's heart and would kill anyone. Some people believe that they were humans before and some spirits possessed them. They have no sanity in them and can't even talk or think. They are just mindless creatures roaming the planet.

But there was no problem in it, we have developed large cities enough for all of us to live in. The soldiers upfront killed them before they could enter the gates. They are faster and much stronger than humans but it's easy to kill them if we attack in groups. After all they have no sanity to think, they just live to kill.

Last month we escaped the city for no reason or dad didn't bother to tell me. I was happy with life inside but something bothered them. A problem so big that they risked everyone's life. No one has come back after leaving the gates alone.

We were relentlessly traveling somewhere about which I had no idea but I knew that this was something serious.

Outside the city nothing was safe, we were constantly attacked. My parents were great warriors, high rankers in the army who fought against these devils. But it was getting difficult for them as my little brother and I were dragging them down.

After walking the whole day again we finally found a broken house but it was heaven compared to the woods. Yet mom and dad were tense.

'We have reached too close,' I heard dad whispering.

'Are you sure that it was the right time?'

'They started suspecting us,' 'We had no other option.'

'What is going on?' I interrupted their talk.

'Nothing,' they cut me off like always and went to sleep.

The bed was broken but it was fine. There were broken homes everywhere, probably part of the main city that was lost in one of the devils' attacks. Before I could close my eyes, I heard footsteps. Someone was running and it was not far.

Before I could get up, mom and dad were already ready with their swords. After all, they were the most skilled people I knew. But this time something was odd, I saw fear in their eyes. They never flinched during a fight and have killed numerous devils on our way.

What was happening? They should be able to kill it this time too. It was the first time I felt danger. The possibility of dying.

'Go! RUN,' mom shouted as a devil leaped inside the house.

The devil had black eyes like all the others and claws strong enough to withstand a direct attack of the sword. He bared his fangs sharp enough to tear someone's neck within seconds.

Run? Where? I was so stunned to move. I looked for Ansh, my 6 yr old brother who was standing right behind me crying.

I moved to reach for him but dad shouted, 'Leave him,' 'We will protect him. Just run and search for it.' I never heard him so scared. I had to act fast, I knew how to use a sword and was better than most of my classmates.

But I was nothing compared to mom and dad, they both attacked it at the same and yet he managed to block it with his claws. There was no way I could help them fight.

'We need that,' I heard dad's voice as I ran out.

My heart was racing and I was just going in random directions. Search for it? Search for what? Suddenly a scream filled my ears and it was mom's voice.