The world was completely destroyed. The Nightfall had taken everything. But Kaen just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
In his hand, he held a special, warm stone. It was smooth and heavy, and it gave off a steady heat. This heat was like a slow, solid heartbeat that wasn't his own.
The feeling helped him stay calm and kept his mind from breaking apart. He didn't know why the stone did this, but he knew he couldn't let it go.
The city of Orvale was ruined. It was nothing but garbage, ash, and dead people. It was a terrible sight. The smell was the worst part—like old metal and ash, making it hard to breathe.
Kaen didn't look at the bodies.
He just looked at the ground.
He had only one simple goal: he had to find Riku. She was the one good, happy thing left in his life. She was the one light in the total darkness.
He kept thinking about Riku to give himself strength. He remembered her laugh, clear and bright. He remembered how she would protect him, standing up for him with a fierce look in her eyes.
These memories were beautiful, but they felt like deep cuts in his heart because everything else was gone.
The pain was terrible, but it was also like fuel that kept his legs moving. He told himself he wouldn't let this disaster take her too.
---
The Close Call With the Beast
Kaen was focused on walking when the ground suddenly shook. He stopped fast. He knew right away what it was: one of the huge, black monsters from the Nightfall. It was hunting.
He immediately dove and hid, squeezing his body flat against a broken wall. A huge, dark shadow covered the whole street.
The monster was enormous, covered in thick, black scales. It lowered its massive, ugly head and started to sniff the air, making a deep, rumbling growl.
Kaen was completely frozen. He couldn't breathe or move a muscle. His skin was cold with sweat. He gripped the warm stone so hard it hurt his hand. He could hear the monster's slow, wet, awful breathing right next to him.
The beast turned its huge head. Its black, mean eyes searched the street. Kaen could see the dried blood on its face. He just prayed silently, Please don't see me. Don't look at me.
Then, CRASH! Some heavy wreckage fell over somewhere far away.
The monster snapped its head towards the noise. It let out an angry snarl and turned.
Its huge tail smashed through the broken houses as it walked away, its massive shape disappearing into the smoky fog.
Kaen finally let out a huge breath. He was shaking all over. It was a very close call.
---
Fighting the Sadness
The walk to Riku's house was terrible. It was a jungle of junk. Kaen had to climb over metal and crawl under collapsed walls. His skin was bleeding, and his body hurt, but he didn't stop. He just kept thinking: "I won't lose Riku."
Then he came to a sight that hit him hard.
Two small, dead children were lying there. Their hands were reaching for each other.
This sight made him remember the worst moment of his life: the death of his own little brother and sister, Lyra and Sera. Seeing these two kids broke him.
He fell to his knees. A huge, overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over him. He started hearing mean voices in his mind.
These were his own sad thoughts, yelling at him. You failed them. You couldn't save them. You are weak. He felt like he was drowning in failure.
He quickly grabbed the glowing stone and pressed it hard against his chest. The warmth became stronger, like a sudden, bright light. The sad voices got quieter, then disappeared, pushed back by the steady, clear feeling of the stone.
The stone was his lifeline. It stopped him from breaking down completely. He took a deep breath, forced himself to stand, and walked past the children. He felt a new, hard determination.
---
The Final Door
Finally, through the smoky air, he saw it: Riku's house.
It was damaged but still standing on a small hill. And he saw a thin smoke coming from the roof. This was a real sign of life.
Huge hope filled his chest. He ran as fast as he could, screaming Riku's name.
He got to the front of the house. The door was broken and hanging open. There was a faint, dark bloodstain on the wood. This sight made his hope mix with a terrible fear.
He whispered, "Riku?"
Are you there
Silence.
Then, from inside the dark house, he heard a small, soft sound: a shoe scraping the floor.
Someone was alive!
He pushed the door open and stepped inside the dark room, holding his warm stone tight.
The air was heavy, but it felt tense. He stared into the darkness.
Then, a figure moved in the shadows.
Kaen was ready to face whatever was in the dark.