As we moved our separate ways in groups of three and two, I found myself paired with Carlos. Just the two of us. We were headed north, while the group of three — Julian, Liam, and Iris — went west, chasing the loud noise we had just overheard.
The city was quiet where we walked, but it wasn't peaceful. It was that heavy kind of silence—the kind that makes your skin crawl, that whispers something awful just happened. The streets were wrecked. Buildings leaned like they were tired. Cars lay crushed like toys. Shards of glass covered the sidewalks like glitter from a funeral. It felt like death was still lurking around the corner, just watching us.
Carlos stayed a few steps ahead, scanning the area. I kept glancing behind us, half-expecting something to leap out. But it wasn't a demon I saw—it was something worse.
In the middle of an old plaza stood a giant stone statue. A warrior from a time long gone. Full armor. Tall. Sword raised. But that sword... it wasn't clean.
It was soaked in blood. Thick, fresh, and dripping.
Hanging from it were bodies—real ones. Not just bodies. Pieces of people. Heads. Arms. Legs. Like they were decorations. Trophies. The statue stood in a dried-up fountain, but the pool beneath wasn't empty.
It was filled with blood.
I couldn't hold it in. I turned away, dropped to my knees, and puked. My stomach twisted like it was trying to escape.
Carlos let out a small laugh behind me. "Can't handle a little blood?" he teased, but his voice didn't match his eyes.
He was terrified.
He looked at the bodies again, and all that cocky humor disappeared.
"These people deserve a proper burial," he said softly.
We both paused. Neither of us said anything else. We didn't need to. We moved together, gently pulling the bodies down from the statue one by one. Some of them were barely whole. We laid them on the ground with whatever dignity we could offer. It was quiet, like the world had stopped to grieve with us.
When we were done, we stood back and promised silently—we'd come back and bury them properly.
Then we kept walking.
A few minutes later, just when I thought nothing could top that horror... we found something that froze us cold.
A family. A father. A mother. Two kids. The father was shielding his wife. The older sister was protecting her little brother. Around them, demons circled. Big ones. Covered in spikes and blood. The street was painted with the remains of civilians.
My chest tightened. My legs moved on their own. I clenched my fists and stepped forward, ready to charge. I didn't care if I died. I just wanted to save them.
But then a hand grabbed my arm.
I spun around.
Carlos.
"Don't get yourself killed," he said in a low voice. "If you die, who's gonna save them? Don't let your emotions control you. We need a plan."
I stared at him, shocked. Carlos—the guy who usually ran headfirst into danger—was the one telling me to stop?
Maybe battle really does change people.
I took a breath and nodded. "Alright. We need a plan."
Carlos would distract them. I'd sneak in from the side, get to the family. Once I was close enough, we'd both attack.
He stepped out first, yelling. Waving his arms. The demons turned at once, drawn to the sound.
Carlos raised his hand, and the earth obeyed. A sword rose from the stone beneath his feet. He gripped it and charged. No hesitation. No fear. Just fury.
He met the first demon head-on. Their axes came down hard. Carlos blocked them both, sparks flying, the sound ringing through the streets like thunder. In one sharp move, he twisted and sliced—cutting off a demon's hand.
The creature screamed.
Carlos didn't stop. He drove the blade into its chest, deep and fast. It dropped instantly.
The second demon roared and came at him. Huge. Wild.
Carlos stood his ground.
At the last second, he ducked low, swung wide, and slashed its leg. The demon fell, roaring in pain. Carlos didn't give it another chance. One clean strike—and it was over.
While he fought, I slipped through the side of the crumbling buildings. I moved fast, quiet. The demons near the family were still focused on Carlos. Perfect.
I formed two blades from the earth, one in each hand. They felt like an extension of my body. I stepped forward.
The first demon didn't even see me coming.
One slice—gone.
The next turned, but I was already there. I moved faster than I thought I could, blocking its axe, then driving both swords into its chest. I was stronger now. Not just in my body—but in my mind.
They all came at me, swinging hard. I blocked, twisted, dodged. Each clash of metal sent vibrations through my bones, but I didn't back down.
Then, I moved. Quick, precise, deadly.
By the time I stopped, they were all in pieces. Like something out of a nightmare samurai movie. Blood coated the street.
I ran to the family.
"Are you all okay?" I asked, breathing hard.
They nodded, eyes wide in disbelief.
Then I turned. "Carlos?"
He wasn't standing.
He was on the ground. Bleeding.
I ran.
He had a deep gash across his stomach. Too deep. Too much blood.
"Carlos!" I screamed.
I tore off a piece of cloth from a corpse nearby and pressed it against his wound. My hands shook. I couldn't lose him. Not now.
The father stepped closer. "Let us help," he said.
Together, we lifted Carlos and carried him into the nearest building. I cleared a table. They laid him down gently.
The man—Jack—removed Carlos' shirt. His wife stepped forward and knelt beside him. She placed her hand over the wound.
And then… it happened.
A warm, glowing light rose from her hand. Soft, golden. Carlos' wound began to close. Slowly. Carefully. The bleeding stopped. His breathing steadied.
I stared in disbelief.
"You… healed him?" I asked.
She smiled gently. "We're Shizen. All of us. We each have different gifts."
Carlos was unconscious, but alive.
I stepped outside, needing air. I leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky. It was grey now. Still and quiet.
Everything we saw today—all the blood, all the pain—it hit me like a crashing wave.
But underneath it all… we had done something good.
We had saved lives. We had survived. And maybe, just maybe… we were becoming real hunters.
Still, I waited.
Waited for Carlos to wake up.
Because I needed to look him in the eye… and say thank you.
And maybe when he opened his eyes… maybe we'd finally understand each other.