VAGABOND

XIV: King of the Dead Pt. 2

» [XXXTentacion - RUN] «
0:00 ─〇───── 0:00
⇄   ◃◃   ⅠⅠ   ▹▹   ↻

Kamiwaii felt a surge of nausea but forced himself to remain composed. He needed to think fast. His eyes darted around, searching for something, anything that could help.

Sutō stumbled backward, panic seizing him. "What do we do?" he choked out, his voice trembling.

Kure clenched his fists, his mind racing. "We need to get out of here, now!" he barked, snapping everyone out of their stupor.

The other creatures began to slowly advance once more. Kamiwaii spotted a narrow path through the desolate buildings. "This way!" he shouted, grabbing Sutō's arm and pulling him along.

Kure followed close behind, glancing over his shoulder to see the creatures turning in. They dashed through the alley, flying glass and debris scratching at their skin, adrenaline propelling them forward.

As they ran, the air grew colder, and the buildings seemed to close in around them. Kamiwaii's heart pounded in his chest, each breath feeling like fire. He could hear the creatures' guttural croaks growing louder, closer.

"There!" Sutō pointed ahead to a small clearing with what looked like an old, abandoned convenience store. "We can hide in there!"

They burst into the clearing, desperation fueling their last sprint. Kamiwaii reached the store first, flinging the door open. They piled inside, slamming the door shut behind them.

Kure quickly barricaded the door with a heavy steel beam, then turned to the others, his eyes blazing with determination. "We can't stay here long. We need a plan."

Outside, the creatures' moans grew into a frenzied chorus. Kamiwaii took a deep breath, steadying himself. "We'll find a way out," he vowed, his voice firm. "We have to."

Kamiwaii felt the weight of their predicament pressing down on him. He glanced around the dimly lit convenience store, searching for anything that could help them fend off the creatures.

Sutō, his face pale with fear, whispered, "Do you think they can get in?"

Kure shook his head. "Not easily, but we can't stay here forever."

Outside, the croaks and scratching at the door intensified, then abruptly stopped. The sudden silence was almost more terrifying than the noise.

Kamiwaii crept to the window and peeked out. The creatures were still there, but they had stopped their assault on the store. Instead, they seemed to be retreating, disappearing one by one into the darkness.

"They're leaving," Kamiwaii whispered, hardly daring to believe it. "They're actually leaving."

Sutō and Kure joined him at the window, watching in stunned silence as the last of the creatures vanished into the shadows. The oppressive tension in the store began to lift, replaced by a tentative sense of relief.

Kure let out a long breath. "Why did they leave?"

"I don't know," Kamiwaii admitted. "But we can't waste this chance. Let's get out of here while we can."

They quickly gathered themselves and cautiously made their way out of the store. As they emerged from the vicinity of the store, the atmosphere now eerily quiet, seemed to hold its breath as they retraced their steps back to safety.

Kure's face filled with urgency. "What now? How do we find Kodomo and get out of here?"

"Follow the screams—Dr. Wonk said if we follow the screams we can find him then get back to the exit!" Sutō assured.