Eli sat on the roof alone, staring at the blue panel hovering before him.
[HUMANITY INDEX: 56%]
[WARNING: APPROACHING CRITICAL TRESHOLD (50%0]
[RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE CLEANSING]
Six percent.
That was all he had left before the system locked him out permanently. Before he became a revenant himself, incapable of saving anyone.
[CLEANSING RITUAL AVAILABLE]
[COOLDOWN COMPLETE]
[COMMENCE PURIFICATION?]
Eli took a slow breath. "Yeah. Let's get this over with."
He crossed his legs and closed his eyes, focusing inward on that corrupted part of his soul in his chest.
The corruption was worse than before.
It wasn't just a knot anymore. It was a mass dense, tangled, and rooted deep in his soul.
Twenty seven souls' worth of pain, fear, anger, and despair—all compressed into a single point inside him.
Eli reached for it with that mental muscle he was accustomed to use by now.
He grasped it.
And pulled.
Pain exploded through his chest.
It was worse than last time. Much, much worse.
Every nerve on his body screamed, and his vision whited out.
The corruption didn't want to leave. It had rooted deeper this time, threaded into places it hadn't touched before.
Eli screamed.
Black smoke poured from his chest, leaking out like tar, dissolving into the air.
And with it came the memories.
All of them. Every single soul he had consumed. Their faces, their lives, and their last moments.
The guilt suddenly crashed into him like a tsunami wave.
"I'm sorry," Eli gasped, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry—"
[CONTINUE. YOU MUST RELEASE IT]
He pulled harder, and the corruption came free in jagged chunks, dissolving into ash as it left him.
His body convulsed, and he tasted blood on his mouth. His hands clawed at the concrete.
But he didn't stop. He kept pulling.
And then suddenly, he could breathe.
The cold weight was gone, leaving the emptiness in his chest being replaced by something warm.
[PURIFICATION COMPLETE]
[HUMANITY RESTORED: +18%]
[CURRENT HUMANITY: 74%]
[CORRUPTION PURGED]
Eli laid on his back, gasping. His whole limbs were shaking.
The emotions were back, and he could feel again.
"Oh my god…" he whispered.
[CLEANSING RITUAL COMPLETE]
[COOLDOWN: 6 HOURS]
[PYSCHOLOGICAL STRAIN: HIGH]
[WARNING: REPEATED PURIFICATION INCREASES MENTAL TRAUMA]
Eli lay there for a long time, staring at the red sky.
Repeated purification increases mental trauma.
The system was warning him.
Eventually, the pain might break him before the corruption did.
'But what choice do I have? I didn't ask for this…'
Watching the dark clouds hovering above him, he realized something.
'I need to be smarter about this. I can't keep burning through my humanity this fast.'
*******
Not long after, Eli heard footsteps on the stairs.
Marcus appeared, his baseball bat ready on his side.
"You okay?" the kid asked. "I heard you screaming."
"I'm fine. Just… cleansing the corruption out of my body. It's painful." Eli's was hoarse.
Marcus sat down next to him. "That thing you do. To stay human, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"How often do you have to do it?"
"Every day or two. Depends on how many souls I consume."
Marcus was quiet for a moment. "That's sucks."
Eli laughed. "Yeah. It does."
They sat in silence, watching the red sky over the horizon.
Finally, Marcus spoke. "So. What's the plan now?"
Eli looked at his hands. Still glowing, but fainter now. More controlled than before.
"We need weapons," he said. "Real weapons. Guns."
"Where?"
"Police station. Six blocks east."
Marcus's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"You have a better idea?"
"No, but… isn't that place gonna be crawling with those things?"
"Probably."
Eli stood up slowly. "But I can't keep fighting them hand to hand. My soul powers only work at close range. If I get swarmed, I'm dead. We need guns."
Marcus gripped his bat tighter, his excitement shown on his face. "When do we go?"
"Now. While I'm still fresh from the cleansing."
"I'm coming with you."
"Marcus—"
"Not arguing. You said it yourself. You can't handle multiple targets alone. You need backup." The kid's jaw tightened.
Eli wanted to say no. But Marcus was right.
"Fine. But—"
"No promises." Marcus cut him before he could warn him again.
*******
They gathered at the third floor.
Linda was distributing breakfast. The rations were running low again.
"We're heading out," Eli announced. "Supply run."
Linda looked at him. "Where?"
"Police station. Six blocks east."
Her brows furrowed. "That's… that's dangerous—"
"Everything's dangerous now."
Eli checked the duffel bag. It was empty now, ready to be filled with whatever they found.
"We need weapons. Ammo. These are food and medical supplies, if we can find them."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Few hours. Maybe less."
Mr. Chen stood up, leaning on his cane. "You be careful, son. Both of you."
Marcus nodded. "We will."
Sophie ran over and hugged her brother tight. "Don't die."
"I won't." Marcus ruffled her hair. "I promise."
Eli and Marcus headed for the ramp.
As they descended, Eli glanced back at the safe zone.
The dome barrier could be seen around the structure.
'This whole thing becomes a loop now. Fight. Consume. Cleanse. Repeat.'
He sighed.
'Until I break. Or until I find a better way.'
*******
The streets were quieter than yesterday.
Most of the revenants had wandered off during the night, drawn by sounds or movement elsewhere in the city.
[CORRUPTED SOULS DETECTED: 4]
[CORRUPTION LEVELS: 27%, 33%, 29%, 24%]
[THREAT: LOW]
Eli and Marcus moved carefully, avoiding sight lines.
"Why aren't we killing them?" Marcus whispered, pointing at a revenant shuffling past a burnt car.
"Conservation," Eli said quietly. "Every soul I consume costs me humanity. Can't waste it on low threat targets."
"What if they get stronger?"
"Then we deal with them later."
They moved through two blocks without incident.
Then Eli saw it.
A flash of blue light on a rooftop three streets over.
It wasn't a revenant. The light was too bright and controlled.
[AUDITOR SIGNATURE DETECTED]
[DISTANCE: 0.4 MILES]
[IDENTITY: UNKNOWN]