The Door
Kaen finally reached Riku's house. The air was cold, and the place felt like a graveyard.
The front door was already broken and hung open, making a slow, creepy sound.
Everything was too quiet.
Kaen was terrified. His hands were shaking. He was holding his only weapons: the warm stone and a broken spear.
He was remembering the last time he opened a door—that's when he saw his whole family dead.
He whispered a desperate prayer: "Please tell me she's alive." Then he took a rough breath and went inside.
---
The Attack
The air inside the house was thick and heavy, smelling strongly of blood (iron).
The room was totally messed up, with broken furniture and big claw marks on the walls. It looked like a fight had happened.
Kaen finally saw Riku. She was covered in dirt, crouched and shaking in the corner from fear.
But she wasn't alone.
A monster was with her. It was smaller than the huge ones, but it looked like a raptor—scaly, dark green, with terrifying, yellow eyes focused on Riku. It was ready to jump.
Kaen knew he had to save her, but his body froze. He remembered the night his family died: the loud roar, the bones breaking, his mother dying. He was paralyzed by the fear again.
Riku started crying. The monster adjusted himself for the final attack. Kaen clenched his fists so hard his nails cut his palm and drew blood. He kept yelling at himself to MOVE, but the chains of his memory held him tight.
---
The Fight
The monster suddenly lunged at Riku.
Kaen only saw the flash of its fangs heading straight for her neck.
In that instant, Kaen heard a whisper—his mother's dying voice: "Be someone who guards the weak... My ember."
Something broke inside Kaen. The chains of fear snapped. The fear didn't leave, but it was immediately overwhelmed by pure, blinding fury and the desperate need to defend Riku.
Kaen stopped thinking and just reacted. He grabbed the spear he was holding.
Time seemed to slow down. The monster's fangs were almost touching Riku. Kaen shouted a raw, animal scream and charged forward.
---
The First Kill
"HRRAAAHH!" Kaen roared. He thrust the spear in a panic, but it was fast. CRUNCH! The tip sliced deep into the monster's front leg, shattering bone. The raptor screamed in pain and fell, its attack ruined.
Kaen didn't stop. He ignored the hot blood spraying on his face and pulled the spear out. He slammed the spear's heavy shaft sideways, ripping the monster's other front leg.
The beast fell completely onto its chest, its legs useless, kicking wildly. Kaen was driven by instinct and anger. He kept slashing violently, ripping into its back legs, turning the floor into a slippery, bloody mess. He was exhausted, but he couldn't stop.
With one last, powerful shout, Kaen jammed the spear down hard. THWACK! The spear went between the creature's ribs, straight into its heart.
The dinosaur made a terrible, choking noise and crashed down. Silence returned—a heavy, ringing silence.
Kaen collapsed, gasping for air. His body was shaking. He had made his first kill. He hadn't just survived; he had fought and won. The spear fell from his numb hand. He stumbled toward Riku.
---
The Promise
Riku was still frozen, staring at the bloody, dead monster.
When Kaen fell in a shaking heap at her feet, she finally broke free from her fear.
"Kaen...!" she cried, rushing to him. She hugged him tight, ignoring the blood on his clothes.
Kaen hugged her back, shaking uncontrollably from the fight.
"I... I thought I was going to die!" she sobbed into his shoulder.
Kaen eyes were closed, not from the fear , but from the huge relief he finally let himself feel.
You're safe now. I... I got in here just at the right time, he whispered, his voice was broken.
They stayed like that for a long time , two survivors holding to each other in the ruined house.
---
The New Promise
After Riku stopped crying, she looked at him with sad eyes.
Kaen... my parents are gone,she whispered, struggling to talk. They told me to run and tried to stop the monsters... but I heard them cry out.
" She blamed herself: "If I hadn't been here... if I didn't need protecting... they'd still be alive."
Kaen grabbed her shoulders firmly. He wouldn't let her think that.
"No. Don't you dare blame yourself, Riku.
Look at me," he commanded. "They didn't die because of you. They died because monsters attacked. They died because the world shattered."
He calmed his tone, speaking about his mother's strength. "If you are alive, that means they succeeded. They protected what they loved. That's their love, Riku, not your fault."
He hugged her again, making a firm decision.
"And I'll protect you now. No matter what. I promise it," he whispered.
Kaen closed his eyes. He wasn't just Kaen anymore. He was the Ember a flame fueled by his family's sacrifice, powered by his own fury, and promised to protect Riku.
Outside, the sun was rising, but the shadow of these huge dinosaur was a heavy reminder to them that to survive in these world they had to become strong.