4:00PM

The Military Base

The military base was too quiet. No guards, no voices—just the echo of our footsteps like a grim countdown.

“It’s a miracle we survived all that,” Jubi said as we slowly walked deeper into the base.

“The ice spears must have come from somewhere. I’m certain it’s the work of a demon we are yet to see,” Dora spoke, her fingers wrapped tightly around Debby’s hand.

“Did you all see how easily it pierced our vehicle? Worse yet, the car exploded and it only managed to make a dent on the ice,” John said, walking closely beside Praise.

“It didn’t shatter the ice, but it did cause it to crack—even if only a little,” Williams responded.

“Still, we ought to be happy it only went after the car and not us,” Prosper sighed. “Haaa… Imagine if it had come after us instead.”

“Yeah,” Debby answered, her voice soft and sweet.

“Brother,” Jubi tapped my shoulder. *Tap. Tap. Tap.*

“Yeah, what’s up?” I answered, turning to look at him.

“You’ve been quiet ever since we stepped into the base. Are you alright?” Jubi asked, staring into my eyes. Suddenly, I could feel everyone’s gaze on me.

“Do you all sense that something is wrong?” I asked, my right hand hovering close to my demon sword.

“Well, the base is quiet… just like the road was before the ice spear attacked,” Prosper responded, her blue eyes shining brightly under the evening light.

“Since we began this journey until this very moment, we haven’t come across any other humans—except ourselves.” I paused mid-step, my eyes darting with precision into every corner of the base.

“Now that you mention it, brother, I don’t think I’ve seen any survivors either,” Williams said. One by one, they all stopped walking.

“Honestly, my mind never really thought about that,” Dora admitted.

Everyone stood still, carefully watching for anything out of the ordinary.

“And so far, since the ice spears, we haven’t been attacked by any demon,” Praise smiled, crossing his hands behind his head.

“Arghhh—Boom!”

“What is that?” Prestige pointed toward the sudden cloud of dust.

“A demon. Really wonderful, Praise,” Jubi said, grabbing Praise’s shoulder firmly.

“Sorry, guys…” Praise winced.

“Just shut the fuck up,” John said, a small grin spreading across his face. “Now do you see how it feels?” he whispered into Praise’s ear.

“Enough!” I raised my voice as I drew my sword. “Remember—family doesn’t fight each other. Besides, sooner or later this was bound to happen.”

“True,” Dora answered.

“What are we going to do now?” Williams hefted his weapon. This time, I saw no fear in his eyes—nor in any of theirs. Only the strength to fight.

“It’s only one big demon. I’ll handle it. All of you, go hide in that office building over there,” I said, pointing to my right.

They nodded. The ladies were the first to run.

“Brother, be careful,” Jubi hugged me tightly for a few seconds. “God be with you.”

“What’s your problem with God, nigga? The saints are all gone,” Williams growled, grabbing Jubi’s collar.

“Stop the foolishness, Williams,” I commanded. “I’ll be fine. You all protect each other until I return. Now go!”

They raced toward the building with their weapons in hand.

“DON’T DIE, BROTHER!” Praise and John yelled at the same time.

A small smile spread across my face. *Alright, demon. Come and be baptized by my sword.*

I took my stance, eyes locked on the monstrosity above.

“Arghhhhh!” Its roar shattered the silence. The sheer force of the sound sent sharp stones flying, forcing me to cover my face with both hands.

“Now you will be my dinner, Chris!” It called out my name like it knew me. The ground trembled beneath its steps as the demon advanced. My body leaped backward unconsciously, my sword shaking in my grip.

“How do you know my name, demon?” I shouted.

“Hahahaha… You seem to have forgotten about me, Chris.” The voice dropped to a cavernous whisper. “That makes me very sad.”

Instantly, it vanished from my sight. Seconds later, its right fist came hurtling at me from behind with incredible force. The air itself seemed to break as I barely blocked the attack with my sword. I was blasted backward, the ground cracking beneath my feet as I dug my heels in. Dropping to one knee, I took deep, ragged breaths.

“You survived my full strength. I’m impressed,” the demon growled. “Now you’re worth eating even more.”

It charged straight at me again, its massive footprints cratering the ground. “Bam-bam—Boom!” Its right fist smashed down from above. I rolled away just in time as the impact shattered the earth. The left hand followed immediately, aimed at my head. I jumped into the air.

The demon suddenly appeared above me, driving its leg into my ribs with brutal force.

*Crack!*

Pain detonated through my side. The air exploded from my lungs as blood sprayed from my mouth. I crashed hard into the ground, swallowed by a cloud of dust and sand.