Fading Light

Chapter 1 - Life or Death

There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights. - Bram Stoker, Dracula

Kurama McKinney studied the scene in front of her as her partner and boyfriend, Kyle Crane swiftly repaired his electrified machete he was wielding before he too glanced down the corridor that led away from the door they had entered through after beating the remnants of Rais's men, who were led by the now deceased Kaan.

The corridor was not only littered with opened military grade ammunition crates but with the corpses of both the Faceless and the thugs and some of the bodies had been torn to shreds. The concrete walls were coated in red as the tangy smell of iron wafted through the orange head's sensitive nose. The floor was also covered in large puddles of blood that surrounded the lifeless forms.

The young woman moved her fire and electrified katana to her right hand which was free before wiping the sweat that had gathered on her forehead from all the climbing with the back of her left.

Crane placed his free hand onto her shoulder before he gently squeezed it with a small smile which she returned. He then moved it to the small swell of her stomach where he massaged the area in a loving manner.

"Let's find the Mother, Kyle." the former University student said as they both turned to face the corpse-filled and blood-soaked corridor before walking forward in their quest to find the leader of the Faceless in this place of death and damp.

'More fighting... More death. I can't let this happen again... I won't.'

The couple jumped at the sound of the Mother's voice in their minds as Kyle spoke his surprise.

"It's... It's you! Where are the Faceless? What's happening to us? Why are we hearing your voice in our heads!"

Kurama stepped over the body of a bandit whose head had been torn off whilst Crane avoided another that were missing both arms and a leg.

'Children of the Sun, Kyle.. They were nothing before the outbreak. Just a half-forgotten tradition... An old-world faith long dead..'

The pair continued down the corridor as they listened to the Mother.

'I'm tired. I've held this title for so long now. The Mother. It was meaningless.. Until it became all too real. I thought their respect came simply because I was a colonel's wife. We had a good, cosy life..' The Mother said sorrowfully, 'After the outbreak, my husband came to get me out. We didn't stand a chance against the horde. We were bitten. He bled to death in my arms. He gave me his cigarette case and asked me to run. He didn't want to hurt me. I was dragged away by the believers.. They came for their Mother.'

She spotted a door not far away from them that led to who-knows-where before the man opened it just as the Faceless' leader spoke again.

'It took me awhile to remember that my husband didn't smoke. I looked inside... There was a map, a key and a note with numbers. It led us here.'

Kurama and Kyle entered what appeared to be the heart of the dam, the hydroponics room, before approaching the railings only to see six human avatars enter through the double doors below before glancing around.

'The healthy ones tried to get the power back on. The rest of us went to look for medicine... Pointlessly.'

The brunette sneaked his hand into her's and squeezed, assuring her that everything is going to be alright, before walking along the catwalk whilst listening to the Mother.

'We came across a locked container. The numbers turned out to be a code. There were... strange vials inside. The others looked at me. They could've held medicine. They could've held poison.' the Mother answered, 'I felt a seizure coming. I was about to turn. And I realized: why else would my husband lead me here? I loved him. I trusted him. I remember a taste. Acrid. Bitter as blood. It might have been blood.'