The world was quiet again.
Each step they took echoed through the hollow streets — the crunch of glass, the whisper of wind through shattered windows. The once-lively city of Nagazora now looked like a painting scorched by time and fire. The only color that remained was red — smeared across the sky like open wounds.
They had fought through streets filled with monsters, their bodies running on instinct more than strength. Now, at last, they found shelter — a small, half-broken apartment building standing stubbornly amid the ruin.
"Looks… stable enough," Kiana said, nudging the door open with her foot.
Bronya swept her eyes across the dim hallway. "Structural integrity: fifty-eight percent. Acceptable risk."
"That's… reassuring?" Mei muttered softly.
Kuhaku pushed a fallen chair aside and sighed in relief. "Then it'll do. We stay here for today."
They sealed the door with a broken plank and made their way upstairs. The air smelled faintly of dust and rust, but for the first time in days, the silence felt safe.
⸻
Mei stood by a cracked window, her hands resting lightly on the frame.
The city stretched before her like a corpse — lifeless, gray, and cold. But it was the sky that stole her breath.
The heavens themselves were bleeding.
Crimson rivers dripped from the clouds, staining the horizon in streaks of blood.
And at the city's center, the egg loomed — massive and pulsing with light. The ground around it had cracked open, glowing with vein-like lines that spread outward like roots, creeping toward the edges of the city.
Kuhaku followed her gaze and felt a chill crawl down his spine. "It's… spreading."
Mei didn't answer. Her eyes weren't on the egg. They were locked on something else — a tall, collapsed tower halfway across the skyline. Half its body was gone, buried under concrete and steel. The logo that once gleamed at its top was barely visible now.
Massive Electric Corporation.
Her father's company.
Her lips trembled.
Tears fell before she realized it — silent, steady, unstoppable.
"Mei?" Kiana's voice broke the stillness. She hurried to her side. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Bronya joined her, brow furrowed, voice calm but soft. "Emotional distress detected. Explain, please."
Mei bit her lip, shaking her head. "That building… my father worked there. Every day. And now it's—"
Her voice faltered. "It's gone. He's gone."
Silence filled the room. Only the hum of the egg's pulse filled the air.
Kiana's hands tightened into fists before she threw her arms around her friend. "Don't say that! He could've escaped! You don't know—"
Bronya placed a hand on her shoulder, eyes downcast. "Probability of survival… low. But… possible."
Mei laughed faintly between tears. "Thanks… you two."
Her knees wobbled, and Kuhaku instinctively stepped forward. "He'd be proud, you know," he said softly. "You're still here. Still standing."
Mei blinked at him, eyes shimmering through tears — then gave a faint smile. "You're… really bad at comforting people, you know that?"
Kuhaku scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "Yeah. Guess I'll stick to cooking, then."
⸻
The attempt at humor earned him a few chuckles — small, but real. And that was enough.
"Alright," he said, clapping his hands together. "Chef time. Let's make something to eat."
He opened his system inventory, summoning a faint blue glow. With a flicker, several items appeared:
a few packets of dried noodles, some salted meat, two vegetables, and a small bag of rice.
Kiana's jaw dropped. "You had food this whole time!?"
"I was saving it!" Kuhaku protested. "Didn't think we'd need it this soon."
Mei wiped her eyes, giggling softly. "You're ridiculous."
They set to work.
Bronya used her Fire Control skill to heat the stove, carefully regulating the flame.
Kiana volunteered to stir the pot… and almost burned it within seconds.
"Why is it boiling so fast!?"
"Because you turned it into a volcano!" Bronya snapped, adjusting the temperature again.
Mei stood beside Kuhaku, slicing vegetables with quiet precision. "It's strange," she murmured. "After everything, doing something this normal feels… unreal."
Kuhaku smiled faintly. "Normal's nice. Let's hold onto it while we can."
Soon, the small room filled with warmth and the comforting scent of food. For a moment, the red sky outside didn't seem so cruel.
They ate together, laughing softly between bites.
Kiana fought Bronya for the last piece of meat, Mei scolded them gently, and Kuhaku couldn't help but smile.
If I think about home now… I'll break, he thought. Mom, Dad, Rin… please be okay.
Right now, they need me. I'll get them out — no matter what.
⸻
When night fell, the city was silent again.
The red light from the sky seeped through the cracks in the ceiling, painting the room in faint crimson.
They made makeshift futons from blankets and cushions. Kiana collapsed first, mumbling about being "too tired to dream." Bronya sat by the window until she eventually dozed off.
Mei lay quietly beside Kuhaku, staring at the ceiling.
After a long silence, she whispered, "Kuhaku… promise me something."
He turned to her. "What is it?"
"Promise you won't leave us."
Her voice trembled, fragile and small. "I don't want to lose anyone else."
He looked into her eyes — tired, red from crying, but filled with warmth. He gave her a soft, steady smile.
"I promise," he said. "I'll protect you all. Till the very end."
Then, with a faint grin, he added,
"Besides… someone's gotta keep cooking, right?"
Mei's cheeks flared red. She hid her face against his shoulder. "Idiot…"
Kiana, pretending to sleep, mumbled under her breath, "Flirting even during the apocalypse…"
Bronya's voice followed, half-asleep. "Statistically… effective bonding."
Kuhaku blinked, confused. "Did I say something weird?"
No answer.
Only soft breathing, and the faint rhythm of hearts — three, steady and close — lulling him into a fragile sleep.
⸻
The morning came too early.
Light filtered weakly through the cracks in the wall, tinted faint red by the bleeding sky.
Kuhaku woke first. He hadn't slept well — the same nightmare again, flashes of fire, screams, falling buildings.
He rose quietly, making sure not to wake the others, and went to the small bathroom.
The water was cold.
He splashed it on his face, watching his reflection drip into the cracked sink.
The person staring back looked different — weary eyes, shadows under them, but something stronger there too.
"Get it together," he muttered. "You can do this."
He stepped out into the hallway. The wind outside carried the scent of ash and metal.
The egg still pulsed in the distance, its veins crawling further across the land.
"We're almost out," he whispered, clenching his fists. "Just a little more."
Behind him, he heard soft footsteps — Kiana's sleepy voice. "Morning already…?"
"Yeah," Kuhaku said, smiling faintly. "Rise and shine. We've got a city to escape."
And for a brief moment, despite the blood-red light and distant rumble of the egg, there was something almost peaceful in the way the day began.
⸻
End of Chapter 1 – Part 14