System of the forsaken

Chapter 6

Zayn tried to rest for a bit but he just couldn't,he tossed around his head from side to side but whenever he closed his eyes all he could see was what seemed to be a dream but it felt all to real,one of the monsters lunging at him and he narrowly escaping its claws 

“…Echo Trace,” he murmured.

Below, the creatures were still trying to climb up the building 

Five of them now,their limbs scraping against the wall, their glowing eyes locked onto him with terrifying intent.

“zayn!” Lira snapped. “Focus!”

“I am,” he said, though his voice had shifted,quieter, steadier,different.

The moment one of the creatures moved,he saw it,not just the motion,but a faint after image.

A trail of where it had been… and where it was about to be.

“…Whoa.”

The creature lunged upward,but Zayn moved before it even reached him,he sidestepped instinctively, the claws slicing through empty air where he had just been.

His eyes widened.

“I saw that…”

“What?” Lira demanded.

“I saw it before it happened!”

No time to explain,another one climbed higher, reaching for the ledge

Zayn reacted again.

This time, he grabbed its wrist, twisting it and slamming it against the metal edge 

CRACK.

The creature shrieked, losing its grip and falling back.

Zayn stumbled slightly, catching himself.

“…Okay,” he breathed. “Okay, this is good.”

Lira stared at him.

Not confused,not surprised.

But… measuring.

“You’ve awakened a skill,” she said.

“Yeah, I figured that part out!”

Another creature lunged at the both of them faster than the last.

Zayn saw the echo but this time,it split into two possible movements 

His body hesitated,wrong move.

The creature’s claws raked across his arm.

“....Ah!”

Pain shot through his arm, sharp and immediate.

He stumbled back, clutching his arm as blood seeped through his sleeve.

“zayn!”

“I’m fine….!” he snapped, though his voice tightened. “It’s just a scratch.”

It wasn’t just a scratch,it burned,worse than it should.

Lira’s expression darkened. “Their attacks carry infection.”

“…Of course they do,” Zayn muttered through gritted teeth.

Another one climbed up,then another,there were too many.

“They’re adapting to your skill,” Lira said.

“That’s not fair!”

“This isn’t meant to be fair!”

A few more creatures reached the ledge eyeing the duo 

Zayn backed up as the first one pulled itself onto the platform.

Then the second.

Then the third.

“…Okay,” he said, raising his hands slightly. “New plan. We don’t stay here.”

Lira nodded once. “Agreed.”

Zayn glanced behind them,the fire escape led upward,higher floors,higher risk.

“Up,” he said.

They moved,the creatures lunged as they turned

Zayn grabbed a loose metal bar from the platform railing, yanking it free with a sharp twist.

Improvised weapon.

Better than nothing.

“Go!” he shouted.

Lira didn’t hesitate.

She sprinted up the next flight of stairs, boots clanging against the metal.

Zayn following closely behind her 

A creature leaped,he saw the echo,this time, he didn’t hesitate.

He swung.

CRACK.

The metal bar connected with its head, knocking it sideways off the stairs.

It fell, taking another one down with it.

“…Okay,” Zayn breathed. “That works.”

They climbed higher.

One floor.

Two.

Three.

The air grew colder,and the wind stronger.

By the time they reached the top Zayn burst onto the rooftop, nearly collapsing as he caught himself against the edge.

“…Tell me… we’re safe here…”

Lira stepped out behind him and froze.

“…No,” she said quietly.

Zayn followed her gaze.

His heart sank.

The rooftop wasn’t empty,shapes moved in the darkness,each watching them and slowly approaching.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me,” he whispered.

Three figures stood across the rooftop.

Not like the others.

These ones were upright.

Still human-shaped.

Their eyes glowed brighter.

Their movements… calmer.

Controlled.

“They’re not attacking,” Zayn said.

“Not yet,” Lira replied.

One of the figures stepped forward.

Its head tilted slightly.

Studying them.

Then

It spoke.

“…Players.”

Zayn’s blood ran cold.

It wasn’t a growl.

It wasn’t distorted.

It was clear.

Almost human.

“…Did that thing just talk?” he whispered.

“Yes,” Lira said, her voice tight. “And that’s very bad.”

The figure took another step.

“We… remember,” it said slowly. “Fragments… of what we were.”

Zayn’s grip tightened on the metal bar.

“…Yeah, I don’t like this.”

The creature’s glowing eyes locked onto him.

“You’re new,” it said.

Zayn didn’t respond.

Didn’t move.

“Still… intact,” it continued.

Lira stepped slightly in front of him.

“Don’t engage,” she whispered. “We don’t know what it can do.”

Zayn nodded faintly.

The creature tilted its head again.

Then it smiled.

“We can help you,” it said.

Zayn blinked.

“…What?”

Lira stiffened. “It’s lying.”

“Escape,” the creature continued, ignoring her. “We know… paths,secrets.”

Zayn’s heart skipped.

Secrets?

The system.

A way out?

“Stop,” Lira hissed. “Don’t listen to it.”

But zayn’s mind was already racing.

What if,what if it was telling the truth?

What if these things… weren’t just monsters?

The creature took another step closer.

“We were like you,” it said softly. “We fought,we learned and we survived 

The creatures voice dropped.

“And we found the truth.”

Zayn swallowed.

“…What truth?”

Lira grabbed his arm. “zayn…..no.”

The creature’s smile widened slightly.

“The system lies.”

Zayn’s pulse thundered in his ears.

“…Lies about what?” he asked.

The creature’s eyes flickered.

“About… escape.”

Lira’s grip tightened. “That’s enough.”

The other two figures began to move now.

Slowly circling around them,not rushing,not attacking just herding 

Zayn noticed.

“…They’re stalling,” he whispered.

“Yes,” Lira said. “They’re waiting for something.”

As if on cue,a sound echoed from below.

Climbing,many of them,and moving fast.

Zayn’s stomach dropped.

“They called them,” he realized.

The speaking creature smiled.

“Together… we evolve,” it said.

Zayn’s expression hardened.

“…Yeah,” he said, lifting the metal bar again. “Hard pass.”

The creature’s eyes flickered,eyes changing colour.

Its expression changed,and the last trace of humanity vanished.

“Then you… feed us.”

It moved,fast.

Faster than anything they’d faced before.

Zayn saw the echo,but there were just too many he didn't know which to pick,he reacted anyway swinging the bar

CLANG.

The creature blocked it.

With one hand.

“…Oh,” zayn breathed. “That’s not good.”

It struck back slicing through the air where Zayn’s head had been a few seconds back,he barely dodged, the claws slicing through the air inches from his face.

“Run!” Lira shouted.

Zayn didn’t argue,they both turned around sprinting across the rooftop

Behind them,the creatures followed,and below the rest were coming.

The trap had closed.

TIME REMAINING: 02:03:55

Zayn’s mind raced as he ran.

What was this world,stronger enemies,smarter enemies,and now enemies that could talk.

“…What the hell kind of game is this?” he muttered.

Beside him, Lira’s voice was grim.

“Not a game,” she said.

“A filter.”

Zayn glanced at her.

“…For what?”

Behind them,the creatures closed in and ahead of them,the rooftop ended.

A drop.

Far too high.

Zayn skidded to a halt.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Lira stepped beside him, breathing hard.

“we have no choice,” she said.

Zayn looked down,then back at the approaching creatures.

Then at Lira.

“…You trust me?” he asked.

She hesitated.

Just for a second.

“…No.”

Zayn smirked faintly. “Yeah… that’s fair.”

He took a step back,then another.

The creatures lunged towards them and 

Zayn grabbed Lira’s arm.

“Hold on.”

And together they jumped off.