Heir of Anubis: Survive the God's Deadly Game

Chapter 7. One Skeleton Down

 Raline, his sweet little sister, was five year younger. She naturally possessed their mother's softer, gentler face. Devon, now twenty-one, had inherited their father's sharp features.

Their parents had died, both in a work accident, when Devon was seventeen, and he'd been forced to drop out of school. He had to earn money for himself and Raline.

True, the workplace accident had left them with some insurance money, but it wasn't much, and Raline's constant illnesses bled them dry. Therefore, Devon had to keep searching for cash.

Now, for him, she was the only anchor to life he had left. She had also quit school, because her frail health meant she was always absent.

But she wasn't a gloomy child. She always tried to support Devon, with whatever she could manage.

Sometimes, she took part-time work from a bridal shop, sewing sequins onto wedding dresses, a job she kept secret. It often meant staying up late to hit deadlines.

Devon wasn't completely ignorant of this. Their financial situation, however, was too tight for other necessities. Often, they ate only once a day.

The thing was, he wasn't greedy, even when collecting security money from shop owners. He never demanded extra, often accepting only a meal a day for him and his sister if the giver was just a street vendor with a cart.

Now, he thought, wouldn't a life like this, becoming one of the gods' gladiators, be better for them? If it was only about fighting in an arena, maybe.

But why were they dragged into a world like this, amidst Skeletons? It was very likely there were other undead creatures too, putting his sister's life at risk.

He was truly suspicious that the bizarre changes happening in Newark were due to the gods' meddling. Devon wasn't religious, his life was a constant hustle for income. But the fact that the gods, not the true God, were causing this chaos, it pissed him off.

They were supposed to be myths, not real. Yet what good was complaining now? Everything had already happened. He had to grow stronger, just as his sister hoped.

He watched Raline, who still looked very happy, her soft voice chattering nonstop.

"If Dev wins later, maybe we'll be taken to their place..."

Devon shook his head. "Stop it, stop dreaming. I'm not sure only humans are chosen as gladiators. Maybe even a Titan can be one."

Hearing her brother's words, Raline stopped talking. For a moment, she was quiet, as if considering what she would say, but finally she asked, "Why do you think that...?"

"Yeah, just look. Now we've probably been moved here, into this place of living Skeletons. So, I think it's probably not just humans or these skeletons. Maybe there are Zombies, Monsters, and other things...." he answered, the thought sounding as new to him as he spoke it aloud.

Raline fell silent again, absorbing her brother's words, which she thought made sense. She stared at Devon for a long time, and he sighed, then said, "Sleep now. We need to save our energy, in case something happens."

She didn't reply, but she lay down. Devon also lay down on the mattress beside her.

They were both quiet for a while, each busy with their own thoughts.

Suddenly, a shift of weight sounded, as Raline rolled onto her side, and she spoke again, 

"Dev..."

"Yes...?"

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll still support you..."

"... Just go to sleep," he muttered, turning to face his sister, and closed his eyes.

A short while later, he heard his sister's soft, even breathing, a sign she was asleep. Devon gazed at his sister's deeply sleeping face, and finally closed his own eyes, making a silent promise to himself.

'If I can keep her safe and happy, I don't care if I have to fight a Dragon or a Titan... I'll wipe them all out...'

*******

The next morning, very early, Devon woke up. His sleep had been restless, constantly waking at the smallest sound.

'Seems like all my senses are sharper than before,' he thought, his mind racing.

He didn't try to sleep again. He sat up on the mattress. The world was still dark, but Devon could see everything clearly, and he instantly held his breath, noticing a dark aura from the building's left side.

There was only one aura, and it moved fast, circling the building twice. On the third pass, Devon grew suspicious. The aura was trying to find a way inside their current location.

It seemed like a scout from the Skeletons he'd seen yesterday. And now he watched the aura move, climbing up the building's exterior, heading toward the second floor.

"Damn it," Devon mumbled. His fear was confirmed: the Skeletons could detect humans—by scent, vibration, heartbeat, or something else entirely. Whatever it was, they were no longer just fictional stories.

He got up and grabbed a long crowbar he'd prepared, then walked toward the emergency stairs. He couldn't see below, but he was sure the Skeleton had reached the second floor.

Sure enough, a scraping sound came from the second floor. 

Scrape, scrape.

He couldn't tell what the creature was doing. But it sounded like the thing was trying to enter the third floor, avoiding the emergency staircase.

Then the sound changed, a series of soft metallic clinks, iron hitting iron multiple times.

He turned toward the elevator. The sound came from that direction. The noise stopped, but then a loud, fierce scrapeeee echoed.

Devon felt his breath hitch. That bastard could enter through the elevator shaft.

The skeletal head poked out of the elevator door, and Devon immediately swung his crowbar, striking the head with all his strength. The iron connected with the bone, causing a sickening crack.

The Skeleton instantly fell backward. Devon rushed forward. The Skeleton tried to get up again, but he kept hitting it mercilessly, over and over, until he could no longer perceive the dark aura from its bony frame.

He bent over, still clutching the crowbar, hands braced on his knees. His breathing was ragged from the adrenaline. Then, Raline's voice, anxious, called out.

"Dev.... what's wrong?"