Ninety-Nine K Memories

Edran panted, his heart racing, as he ran towards the fortified warehouse. His thin legs, more accustomed to climbing trees than carrying sacks of grain, trembled under the weight of Lina, who wept clinging to his neck.

His little sister, barely six years old, wouldn't let go of the rag doll that had been their mother's last gift.

When he reached the inside of the warehouse, he carefully set Lina down on the ground and closed the reinforced wooden gate, securing it with the thickest bar he could find.

Around him, children, old men, and a handful of women gathered in tense silence, all with pale faces marked by terror.

The roars and screams of battle arrived like a distant echo, but close, too close.

Edran leaned against the gate for a moment, breathing heavily.

He observed the interior of the warehouse: bare stone walls, stacked barrels, and a single oil lamp that cast trembling shadows on terrified faces. Children sobbed in a corner, huddled together, while the old men murmured prayers in low voices.

His gaze rested on Lina, sitting on a sack of flour, her large, bright eyes fixed on him. When their eyes met, she raised the doll.

—Will we be alright, Edran? —she asked in a voice so small he could barely hear her.

His throat tightened. He swallowed, forcing himself to smile.

—Of course we will, Lina. I'm here with you.

But even as he said it, he felt the lie tear him apart inside.

He moved away from the gate and dropped down beside her, wrapping her in a hug. Lina nestled against his chest as he stroked her disheveled hair.

"I can't cry. I can't let her see me weak."

His father's voice echoed in his mind, harsh and accusatory: "You're useless, Edran. You can't even hold a hammer like a man."

He shook his head, as if he could get rid of those words, but their weight remained. His mother had always been his refuge, his greatest defender. But since she had died, the burden of being strong had fallen on him. For Lina. For everyone.

—Do you think Mom is watching us from heaven? —Lina whispered, raising her gaze to him.

Edran swallowed again.

—Yes. I'm sure she is. She... she's always taking care of us.

Lina nodded slowly, but her face remained full of fear.

The sounds of combat intensified. Closer now. Piercing screams, inhuman roars, and the unmistakable crunch of wood being shattered.

An old man by the wall began to pray louder, in trembling words full of despair.

—Edran... —Lina grabbed the fabric of his shirt tightly—. Are we going to die?

He hugged her tighter, closing his eyes. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise you."

But the words didn't leave his lips.

Bam!

A loud bang resonated against the gate, making everyone jump.

—What was that? —one of the women asked in a broken voice.

BAM!

Another blow. This time louder. The wood trembled and creaked.

—It can't be! —an old man exclaimed, backing away towards the group.

Edran jumped to his feet, with Lina clinging to his leg. He ran to the gate and placed his hands on the bar, but a third blow made him stagger back.

BAM!

—It's one of those things! —a woman screamed, hugging her child tightly.

BAM!

Another impact, and a crack formed in the center of the gate.

Edran felt a paralyzing cold run down his back. His gaze fell on Lina, who was looking at him with tears overflowing down her cheeks.

—Don't let them in, Edran! —a child shouted.

He gritted his teeth and turned towards the door, blocking the others' view with his body.

"I'm not strong. I'm not a hero. But... if I have to die to protect her, I will."

BAM!

The next blow almost ripped the bar from its place. The crack widened, revealing a dark, bright eye on the other side, full of hunger and rage.

—No... this can't be the end! —he murmured between his teeth, with terror seizing his mind and body.

A roar resonated, and the planks began to splinter.

BAM!

The gate exploded in a shower of splinters and wood fragments, the impact throwing Edran violently backwards. His back slammed against the stone floor and the air left his lungs in a stifled gasp.

A sharp pain pierced him, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a piece of wood embedded deep in his abdomen. Blood flowed, hot and sticky, soaking his shirt.

In front of him, the beast emerged from the remains of the gate, dark, muscular, with bright eyes full of primal fury. Its claws extended as it emitted a guttural roar that reverberated in the warehouse.

Chaos broke loose.

The creature leaped towards the nearest villagers, tearing flesh and bone with terrifying brutality. An old man was split in two with a single swipe, and his scream cut abruptly short. A mother trying to protect her child was crushed against the ground, while the child screamed before being torn from the world.

Blood and viscera stained the floor as the survivors ran, screamed, and fell one by one.

Edran was paralyzed, every muscle in his body trembling. But then, an idea pierced through the terror: Lina.

—Lina! —he screamed, forcing himself to get up.

The movement made the piece of wood in his abdomen shift, sending a wave of unbearable pain throughout his body. He let out a stifled cry, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't afford to stop.

"She needs me."

Leaning on his knees and then staggering to his feet, he searched for his sister with his eyes.

—Lina! —he shouted again, his voice tearing.

The warehouse was hell. The creature continued to attack, tearing off limbs, crushing skulls, while the echo of screams filled the air. Edran barely managed to dodge a swipe that passed within millimeters of his face, feeling the sharp, hot air graze his skin. Another blow tore his side, but he barely felt it.

—Lina!

His gaze fell to the ground. Under a pile of shattered and dismembered bodies, he saw something that paralyzed him: the rag doll.

Time seemed to stop.

He ran to the doll, pushing aside the corpses with trembling, bloodied hands. His breathing was chaotic, gasps interspersed as he pulled at a shattered arm, a torn torso.

Finally, he found her.

Lina was there, huddled among the bodies, trembling like a leaf. Her face was covered in blood, her little fingers clutching the doll with almost supernatural strength. A huge splinter was stuck in the doll, piercing the cotton, but Lina was untouched, in shock.

—Lina… —Edran sobbed, kneeling beside her.

He took her in his arms, feeling her small body tremble.

—Everything will be alright… everything will be alright… —he murmured, though even he didn't believe his words.

He stood up unsteadily, with Lina clinging to him, and began to move towards the back exit of the warehouse. Each step was a torment, each movement cost him more blood and more pain, but it didn't matter.

"I have to get her out of here."

Suddenly, silence fell like a crushing weight.

Edran stopped, his heart pounding. "Why… why aren't they screaming anymore?"

He instinctively covered Lina's eyes, turning to face the scene.

Everyone was dead.

The floor was covered in blood and mutilated remains. The bodies of the old men, women, and children formed a macabre landscape. The beast was in the center, bathed in blood, its eyes fixed on Edran and Lina.

The monster growled, and before Edran could react, it lunged towards them.

Edran screamed and hugged Lina tightly, closing his eyes, waiting for the fatal blow. But then, something happened.

An impact cut through the air, something passed through the small space between Edran's head and Lina's, so fast he barely perceived it. The projectile hit the beast with devastating force, throwing it against the stone wall of the warehouse. The impact was deafening, raising a cloud of greasy dust and blood.

Edran, trembling, turned slowly towards the origin of the attack.

A man was there, standing in the entrance of the warehouse.

He seemed barely a couple of years older than him, but there was something in his presence that made him seem unattainable.

His face was stained with blood, sweat, and ash, and his damp hair fell in messy strands over his forehead. It contrasted with his clothing, surprisingly clean, as if he were out of place in that hell.

—W-who… who are you? —Edran asked with a broken and trembling voice, as he held Lina tightly.

The man looked at him, his eyes shining with an intensity that seemed to pierce him. He said nothing at first, breathing deeply, as his chest rose and fell with a contained rhythm.

Then, in a grave tone, he replied:

—Someone who is not going to let this end here.