Something presses against my ribs when I breathe.
Not sharp. Not clean.
Just heavy.
Wrong.
I open my eyes slowly.
The ceiling above me is cracked, stained, one half sagging like it might drop any second. A fan hangs loose, unmoving.
For a moment, I don't know where I am.
Or why I'm here.
Then it hits.
The street. The fight. Meera.
My chest tightens.
I try to sit up.
Pain answers immediately.
"Yeah, don't do that," a voice says.
I turn.
Too fast.
Everything swims.
There's a guy sitting across from me, leaning against a broken cabinet. Blood on his shirt. Bruised face.
Familiar.
I stare.
He stares back.
"…you good?" he asks.
I blink.
"…yeah."
Pause.
I almost say something else.
Like I don't know his name.
That thought alone scares me.
"Karan," I say quickly.
Just to prove it.
He nods once. "Good. You still know me."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"Barely," I mutter.
He gives a tired half-smile.
"Same."
I look down.
My body's wrapped in cloth strips. Messy. Uneven. Some already soaked through.
"This your work?" I ask.
"Don't sound so impressed," he says. "It's ripped curtains and tape."
I touch my side.
Flinch.
"Yeah," he adds, "you were worse."
"How long?"
"Couple hours. Maybe."
That doesn't feel right.
Feels longer.
Feels shorter.
I don't know anymore.
I push myself up again.
Slower this time.
Manage to sit.
The room tilts slightly, then steadies.
"Where are we?" I ask.
"Clinic," Karan says. "Or what's left of one."
I look around.
Broken beds. Empty shelves. Smell of dust and something metallic.
"Safe?" I ask.
Karan snorts.
"No."
Fair.
We sit in silence for a second.
Then I ask it.
"…her?"
Karan's jaw tightens.
"They moved."
"Where?"
"Didn't follow."
I nod slowly.
That hurts more than the ribs.
I look away.
Something feels off again.
Not outside.
Inside.
Like I'm missing something important.
"Karan," I say.
"Yeah?"
"If I forget…"
I stop.
The words don't come out right.
He watches me.
"…then I'll remind you," he says.
Simple.
Direct.
I nod.
"Yeah."
A scream cuts through the air.
Sharp.
Close.
We both freeze.
Another scream follows.
Different voice.
Panicked.
I turn toward the broken window.
Karan stands immediately.
"Stay," he says.
I don't move.
But I don't agree either.
We listen.
There's movement outside.
Heavy.
Dragging.
A muffled cry.
I stand.
My legs protest, but hold.
"Arjun—"
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
"I can move."
"That's not the same thing."
Another scream.
Closer.
I step toward the door.
Karan moves in front of me.
"No."
"Move."
"You'll collapse out there."
"Then I'll collapse after."
He grabs my arm.
Firm.
"Think," he says. "You go out like this, you die for nothing."
"Not nothing."
"What then?"
I don't answer.
Because I don't know how to explain it.
I just feel it.
I push past him.
He doesn't let go immediately.
Then he does.
"Idiot," he mutters.
"Yeah."
I step out.
The street hits me like a wall.
Noise. Movement. Chaos.
But focused.
A small group gathered at a distance.
Watching.
Not helping.
Players.
I can tell now.
The way they stand. The way they don't move unless it benefits them.
"What are they doing?" I ask.
Karan steps out behind me.
"…waiting," he says.
"For what?"
"XP."
That sits wrong.
Deep.
I look past them.
And see it.
A creature.
Low to the ground. Thin. Twisted.
Dragging something.
A person.
No.
A kid.
Small.
Struggling.
Crying.
The creature jerks it back every time it tries to crawl away.
No one steps in.
I feel something snap inside me.
I move.
Karan grabs my shirt.
"Arjun, don't—"
"Move."
"You're not ready."
"I don't care."
"You should!"
I pull free.
Too fast.
My body lags.
Just slightly.
Enough to stumble.
I catch myself.
Barely.
Keep going.
"Arjun!" Karan shouts behind me.
I don't stop.
The players glance at me.
Some curious.
Some annoyed.
One of them speaks.
"Not dead yet, huh?"
I ignore him.
Keep walking.
Closer now.
The creature turns its head.
Sees me.
Drops the kid.
Starts moving toward me.
Fast.
Too fast.
I brace.
My heart spikes.
Panic hits.
I trigger it.
Panic Dash.
My body moves—
then stutters.
Mid-step.
Like something skipped.
I reappear closer.
But not where I aimed.
Off balance.
Wrong angle.
The creature lunges.
I barely raise my arm.
It hits.
Hard.
Teeth scrape against my sleeve.
Pressure.
I shove it back.
Stumble.
Almost fall.
The kid crawls away.
Good.
Good.
Focus.
The creature comes again.
I swing.
Too wide.
Miss.
It snaps at my side.
Claws drag across my ribs.
Pain flares.
I hiss.
Step back.
Too slow.
Everything's still delayed.
I adjust.
Try again.
Wait.
Time it.
It lunges.
I don't swing.
Not yet.
Closer.
Closer—
Now.
I strike.
Connect.
Not clean.
But enough to knock it sideways.
It skids.
Gets back up immediately.
Doesn't slow.
Doesn't hesitate.
I grit my teeth.
"Stay down," I mutter.
It doesn't listen.
Of course it doesn't.
It rushes again.
I move.
Better this time.
Still not perfect.
But better.
I grab something from the ground.
Broken metal.
Sharp enough.
The creature leaps.
I step in.
Too risky.
But I don't have time.
I drive the metal into it.
Not deep.
Not clean.
But it hits.
It shrieks.
Pulls back.
Still moving.
Still fighting.
I push forward.
Force it down.
Again.
Again.
Messy.
Sloppy.
It claws at me.
Scratches.
Shallow.
But they add up.
I ignore it.
Keep going.
Until it stops.
Finally.
Still.
I let go.
Step back.
Breathing hard.
Everything hurts.
But I'm standing.
I wait.
Nothing.
No system message.
No gain.
I frown.
"…that's it?"
Karan reaches me.
"Yeah," he says. "You have to kill them fully."
"I did."
He shakes his head.
"Not enough."
I look back.
The body twitches.
Barely.
Still alive.
I sigh.
Step forward again.
End it properly.
This time it doesn't move.
I step back.
Still nothing.
No message.
"…seriously?"
Karan shrugs.
"Maybe too low level."
I don't like that.
I turn.
The kid is sitting against a wall.
Shaking.
Alive.
I walk over slowly.
Each step heavier than the last.
I crouch in front of him.
"You okay?" I ask.
He looks up.
Eyes wide.
Not crying anymore.
Just staring.
At me.
Something about that stare feels wrong.
Familiar.
Too steady.
"You're safe," I say.
He doesn't respond.
Just keeps looking.
I shift slightly.
My head pulses.
That same gap.
That same slip.
I ignore it.
Focus.
"You're safe now," I repeat.
The kid tilts his head slightly.
Still watching me.
Then he speaks.
"You left her."