"Haven't we arrived yet?"
The young man spoke while walking with his hands placed behind his head, as if he were strolling through a field of flowers rather than ruins.
But his eyes were alert.
Christoph looked at the scattered debris around him, then shifted his gaze to the long stretch of the wall ahead.
"I don't know, but I think we're close."
He stopped and looked at Alan.
"Alan, stay alert. It's true that we may be close… but we're approaching something dangerous."
Alan lowered his hands, his body tensing more than before.
"But what made you come to that conclusion? I know silence fills the place, but that's not a reliable indicator."
Christoph stared at the horizon.
"It's not just about the silence. Let's think for a moment. Aren't monsters supposed to be flooding this place like a constant stream? Yet there's not a single one. And most likely, fierce battles happened here. Didn't you see the traces?"
"Do you mean that large burned circle?"
Christoph nodded.
"Yes. And that means many unexpected things have entered this colony. Things that could crush us in a moment of carelessness, so be careful."
Before Christoph could continue, a sudden sound interrupted him.
clop clop clop clop.
Alan and Christoph exchanged glances.
"Hooves?" Alan whispered, his voice barely audible.
When they saw the source of the sound… everything changed.
Christoph lowered himself, his eyes locked onto those hollow eyes ahead.
Alan gripped the hilt of his sword, swallowing as he saw those sharp, uneven teeth.
Yes… the nightmarish beast stood before them.
Under the moonlight, its black body looked like a piece of absolute darkness within the area, while its white skull broke that blackness in a stark contrast.
The two stared at the grotesque creature before them, from its terrifying horns to the crack in its skull.
The beast took a single step forward, and the two men lowered themselves further, ready to dash at any moment.
Then…
The beast straightened, looked to the side, let out a low growl, and suddenly dashed in the opposite direction, disappearing into the shadows as if returning to its origin—leaving the two soldiers with cold sweat on their backs.
Silence filled the place, heavier than before.
Even Christoph and Alan remained frozen in their positions, as if the beast were still standing before them.
"I-it seems you were right."
Alan broke the silence, his voice slightly rough from the dryness in his throat. Then he continued:
"That was truly terrifying. Do you think we would have stood a chance against it?"
Christoph stood upright, his white robe fluttering behind him as he stared at where the creature had disappeared.
"I don't know. But I think everything here is worse than the rest. Even that thing was injured. Just imagine what could have wounded it."
Just the thought of something worse than that creature sent a bad feeling through both of them.
Alan returned his sword to its sheath and exhaled tiredly.
"But why did it leave?"
As if answering his question, a cold, primal sensation surged from nearby, freezing everything in place.
Alan and Christoph felt as if death itself stood close to them—as if the world did not even want to give them a chance to breathe.
Very slowly, a jaw full of sharp teeth appeared. But unlike the nightmarish beast, these teeth were sharp and aligned, as if drawn with perfect precision without a single flaw.
And above them… an orange eye snapped open.
The mere opening of that eye sent a current of air surging forward, making the men's clothes move with it, adding a colder chill atop their cold sweat.
The straight black pupil moved briefly, then fixed onto the humans before it, a rattling sound coming from the creature.
With slight movements, the monster began pushing itself through the breach to enter the colony.
"Run!"
A single word burst from Christoph's mouth toward Alan. Without any extra thought, both of them immediately fled from that vile thing in two different directions, toward the ruins and the houses.
As soon as the creature saw their sudden movement, it began pulling itself inside faster, its body rippling and scraping harshly against the wall's stone, causing some scales to scatter.
It seemed completely unconcerned.
Alan drew his sword while running—his long blade sharp on one side, while the other side was somewhat broad.
Yellow sparks began gathering around him, and his speed increased noticeably.
On the other side, Christoph's muscles began to swell, appearing much harder.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
After some time, Christoph and Alan regrouped beside each other, both breathing heavily.
The sparks around Alan faded, while Christoph's body slowly returned to normal. Meanwhile, a gray hue crept into the sky, announcing the final hours of the night.
Christoph pulled out a hammer from beneath his robe and took a ready stance. Alan gripped his sword hilt tightly, prepared to attack.
"Are you ready?" Christoph asked.
"Everything is ready, Captain."
Alan replied without looking at him.
Christoph glanced at his companion, then fixed his gaze on the monster, which had finally fully entered.
"Get ready. It seems this fight won't be easy."
"But don't die."
They spoke at the same time, causing both of them to smile slightly.
At that moment, the monster opened its mouth and released a thunderous roar…