Laziel didn’t have a ti to be scared, because as soon as the fox finally let go of his finger and focused on the crystal core alone, Cassias pocketed the crystal cores and dragged him to run.
"Bro, why are we running?" He was alard, sensing so commotion behind them that sounded like countless footsteps.
Cassias sternly shushed him, making him shut up. They proceeded to run as fast as they could. Laziel’s heart trembled, and he nearly stumbled a few tis from exhaustion. However, the will to live pushed him to run.
They stopped not long after. Cassias warned him. "Don’t speak. Hold your breath."
They were hiding in a side passage, and behind them was complete darkness. Their hearts beat erratically, holding their breaths. Laziel saw from the corner of his eyes how Cassias was holding the detestable fox so protectively.
He concluded that this man actually liked cute and furry animals so much. He just didn’t reveal it previously. Most likely afraid that his image as the Virethorn family’s son will be tarnished? Then in the apocalypse, he decided to be unbridled, and no longer hid it.
As Laziel was busily creating assumptions about Cassias, the sounds were getting closer. He almost stopped breathing just from one peek. All kinds of mutated animals; rats, spiders, ants, and zombies, passed by the tunnel. They were crawling, dragging their feet slowly.
Cassias and Laziel stood near the opening for nearly two hours, their bodies nearly rging with the soil behind them. Laziel closed his eyes, pretending to be dead when so ants and spiders crawled along his body.
Luckily, the rancid sll from the fight with zombies earlier stayed in his body. There was also the cover of complete darkness. They made the zombies mistook them as their own. As long as they didn’t move and gave themselves away...
An hour later, the zombies went away peacefully. Still, they didn’t dare to let go of their vigilance, staying in place for another half an hour.
"Hiss, that was scary." Laziel was having a ntal breakdown. It was impossible for just the two of them to defeat such an army of zombies and mutated animals.
Cassias took care of the aftermath, killing the tiny insects with his lightning.
"What the hell is this place?" He continued, holding the flashlight Cassias had handed over to him.
The first thing he did was to check his injury from the fox bite. On top of the dirt from the soil, the color was purplish black; it looked ominous.
Laziel experienced yet another ntal breakdown. His face twisted, and he turned to Cassias with a look that was uglier than crying.
"Cassias?"
Cassias looked at him.
He took a deep breath. "C-can you protect my sister in case I die here?"
***
Laziel didn’t understand why Cassias would pick that detestable fox over him. That fox bit him, but Cassias still protected it and did not throw it away. Was their friendship that fragile?
Was he not worth as much as a re furry fox?
Besides, that thing was a mutated zombie animal. It was a dangerous creature.
Laziel never received an answer for his questions. As soon as they found a light from above in the side passage, they found another group of ability users and soldiers.
There was a man and woman who had water and wind-type ability, respectively, and then two soldiers. After that, Laziel also suffered from another fever.
The group was alard, staying as far as possible from the duo, fearing that Laziel would turn into a zombie.
Still, that didn’t stop them from asking questions to Cassias, inching away from the half-conscious Laziel.
"Did you co from that dark place there? What is in there?" The female ability asked with trepidation.
"Zombies, mutated animals." Cassias gave a succinct answer.
Cassias revealed a weary look on his face. The dirt and crust of blood sticking to his skin and clothes told them as if he had just experienced a difficult battle.
"Did you also et other people?" She asked hopefully, and that hope was dashed the mont Cassias shook his head.
"Not even one?" Her eyebrows furrowed, as though she didn’t believe his words.
Cassias no longer answered her. She didn’t stop speaking. "We actually t so people on our way here. There is a lot more light coming from that way."
She pointed in another direction. The opposite of where he and Laziel had just co from. "There was also a lady there, a fire ability user."
Laziel let out a groan when she finished her words, scaring the woman slightly that she excused herself.
"Cassias, I can... still walk." Laziel opened his eyes, sucking in a deep breath.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded, his eyes full of determination despite his flushed face.
Cassias helped him get up, and they walked together to the direction the woman just pointed at.
"Where are you two going? That place might be dangerous, the more of us the safer–" the woman’s words were cut off as the man beside her tugged on her hand warningly.
The two soldiers were rely watching without interfering. Cassias and Laziel walked away under their scrutinizing eyes.
The tunnel path was winding. Unknowingly, they arrived at the place where Cassias had found the fox. This ti, they heard a woman’s voice.
"There are a lot of zombies here..."
It was Nyra.
Cassias held his flashlight and aid it at the source of the voice.
The girl jumped, alard. Then she slowly walked toward them, surprised. "It’s you two?"
Her voice grew concerned when she saw Laziel’s condition. Her footsteps were quick as she took Laziel from Cassias and made him sit on the ground. "What happened to him?"
Laziel forced out the words, "I got bitten by a zombie."
Nyra bit her lip, and she didn’t hesitate to take out her dical supplies, surprising Laziel so much that he passed out.
Well, he was too tired, and he found out that Cassias and Nyra were hiding secrets from him. It made him even more disgruntled that he no longer wanted to stay awake.
"What happened to your feet?" Cassias noticed that Nyra’s way of walking was limping.
"I just fell earlier when I fought those rotten things." She breathed out. Worry lines decorated her face. "What happened to him? Where had the zombie bitten him?"
"His finger." Cassias dragged Laziel’s hand, showing her his purplish finger. Nyra’s eyes flashed. She hurriedly applied the antiseptic on the wound.
"What kind of zombie?" Nyra bit her lips. "A mutated animal or...?"
"It’s a mutated animal." Cassias said slowly. Nyra didn’t ask further. She began to notice the flashlight in his hand. Her eyes flickered as assumptions ford in her mind.
They secretly reassessed each other’s strength, realizing the other party still had so secrets. But that was also natural. In the apocalypse, people fought to survive; the fewer people knew, the better.
Seeing that she was silent, he pondered over it before he spoke. "It actually might be a useful opportunity for him."
"You an...?" Nyra trailed off. "For his awakening?"
"Yes." Cassias nodded. "As for whether his mind is strong enough to pass the hurdle, it depends on him."
Nyra fell silent. This man in front of her was too strange, in a way that she couldn’t explain.
"I can actually help him." Cassias broke her out of her thoughts.
"How?" Her pupils dilated in surprise. Then she looked at him in shock as she thought of sothing. "Do you have ntal power?"
It was a rhetorical question. The answer was obvious, and it deepened the suspicion in her heart; sothing she didn’t dare to voice out.
Then she noticed sothing strange. Her eyes landed on the bundle in Cassias’ arms. "What is it?"
"My new pet," Cassias said lightly, opening the wrapped fox and intended to change its bandage. He told Nyra, "I will help him once his fever subsides a bit."
Nyra nodded. She no longer had qualms about taking out stuff from her space and cleaning Laziel with her water, since Cassias also did the sa.
She put a damp cloth on Laziel’s forehead. After she finished taking care of him, Cassias was also done changing the fox’s bandage. "Can I hold your fox?"
Cassias lifted his head. "Its condition is too sensitive right now."
Indirect rejection.
He didn’t reuse the previous dirty cloth, but took out another soft and silky fabric for the fox to lie down.
Another two hours passed. Nyra offered him food, which he rejected. The light from above faded, and soon it would be night.
"I will do it now. You take care of your own wound." Cassias glanced at her feet, which were bandaged haphazardly.
"Oh." She nodded with a slight, gentle smile.
After making sure no danger was nearby, Cassias sat near the unconscious Laziel with his eyes closed. At the sa ti, Nyra’s smile faded as she approached the unconscious fox.
Cassias had placed it not far away, on top of a small pillow and wrapped in a silky cloth.
Zerra, who was dreaming about eating crystal cores, abruptly woke up and regained consciousness. She was shocked to find Nyra’s terrifyingly tight clutch on her.
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