Courage

Don't you dare die, Lorenzo Holmes!

Eve muttered to herself while running. Honestly, everything she had experienced tonight was more intense than all the events of her first half-life combined—monsters living in the dark side of the world, and those who fought against them.

The world was more complex than Eve had imagined. The girl felt distressed and pained by this, but she also felt a sense of inspiration she had never known before, all because of Lorenzo.

He was perhaps the bravest person she had ever met in her life. Although his personality was atrocious, he still had the courage to swing his sword in the face of monsters that could shatter one's spirit. By comparison, Eve felt dimmer than ever under his radiance.

She didn't know how long she had been running, but Eve had been heading downward the entire time. She heard the sound of rushing water—the canal Lorenzo had mentioned.

The girl stopped abruptly. The surroundings were dim, with only yellowed electric lights illuminating the relatively small space.

She lacked Lorenzo's erudition; she couldn't make out what was around her at all. It was only then that the girl realized the importance of Lorenzo. If it weren't for that detective, she would likely be dead already.

But just then, the sound that had been relentlessly pursuing Eve rang out again—the faint yet distinct sound of scales, like a nest of snakes slithering. Because of the flowing water, Eve couldn't tell where the sound was coming from. The girl could only tighten her grip on the gun and watch her surroundings vigilantly.

Lorenzo had said that the thing would exert an incredible pressure on the spirit, but as long as one grew accustomed to that fear, even the fiercest tiger was merely a dangerous big cat.

Clutching the gun, Eve's gaze darted back and forth through the darkness.

Her thoughts raced. In an instant, Eve thought of many things: what would happen if she survived, and what would happen if she died. There was nothing to be afraid of, only many regrets.

For a moment, she felt a strange sense of trance. Eve wasn't even sure when she had become like this. She remembered that long ago, she was just a very ordinary girl who loved dresses and dolls. When had she started gripping swords and guns?

In the darkness of her consciousness, the girl tried hard to recall. Everything became clear in this reflection.

Eve was born after the Glorious War, but she actually had three older brothers before she was born. Just as the war stories said, those three brothers had all died in battle before she arrived. Her parents always looked at her with a faint sadness, treating her as a treasure.

It was ironic sometimes; the death of her three brothers left the family in a state of perpetual sorrow, but because of their deaths, her parents poured all their love into Eve. Her childhood was practically spent in a house made of candy.

So, why had she turned out like this?

Eve couldn't quite figure it out. In the darkness, sharp claws arrived in an instant. It was a chilling aura, but Eve still summoned a sliver of courage. She rolled to dodge the attack and then fired back. Dark red blood gushed out in the darkness, splattering onto the ground.

Her heart pounded violently, but unlike before, when she had been too terrified to move, Eve was gradually adapting. Dragging her stiff body, she ran toward a corner of the darkness—this was what Lorenzo had told her to do while they were in the corridor.

The voice from her memory echoed in her ears.

"According to the records of The Order, humans and Fiends originally lived together on the earth. Humans fenced themselves in with sturdy city walls, and when night fell, they would hide in sealed shelters, suppressing their fear and not making a sound."

She remembered Lorenzo saying that.

"We trembled in the dark until the first fire was lit, illuminating the dark forest. It could help other people lost in the night find their way, but it would also make the Fiends lurking in the dark aware of your existence. So, light does not always protect us."

"If you want to kill a Fiend, you must first become one and slip into that darkness."

The sound of scales rubbing against each other grew more intense. Eve could even smell the fishy stench permeating the air. She pressed her back against the wall in the darkness so that she only had to guard what was in front of her.

She had to survive, at least until Lorenzo arrived.

This was a circular, chamber-like structure. Because of the curved walls, sound echoed within, and the noise of water and friction blended together, making it impossible to judge the direction.

Something seemed to brush against Eve's face, but she rubbed her sleeve against it and found nothing. It must be falling dust, the girl thought, and she suddenly raised her gun and fired into the darkness above.

The muzzle flashed with a dazzling light, illuminating everything in the darkness—including the Fiend perched on the ceiling. It had a bizarre, twisted body; pale bones connected to exposed muscles, three or four hands gripping the wall tightly, sharp teeth protruding from its mouthparts, and dense clusters of eyeballs arranged among them.

The bullets successfully hit the Fiend. Eve had received a perfect score in her shooting courses at the police academy. At close range, she struck the Fiend's head directly, and several eyeballs shattered, emitting a hoarse shriek.

"Calm down, Eve. Calm down..."

The girl muttered to herself, then rolled to dodge the descending Fiend. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hands trembled slightly, but she still held her weapon. Honestly, it was still difficult to view such a twisted nightmare as a dangerous big cat.

This was the terror of a Fiend: every moment spent fighting one was a test of the spirit. Once one collapsed, death would follow.

A violent gust of wind came from behind—it was a sharp claw. On those long, slender talons, a ring was still worn. It had once been human, but under the strangeness of this night, it had become a member of the Fiends.

Eve spun around abruptly. She knew clearly that she couldn't escape anymore. She drew her short sword and slashed with all her might, but the girl's strength was clearly no match for the Fiend. The sword collided with the claws, and Eve felt her hand go numb. The short sword was knocked away helplessly, and a shallow, bloody gash appeared on her slender arm.

Perhaps because of the human blood, the Fiend let out a shriek of excitement. Its sharp mouthparts opened, and its twisted arms grabbed Eve tightly. The meat-grinder-like mouthparts unfolded right in front of the girl. It was no surprise that she would die here next.

Was it ending just like this?

It seemed it could only end this way. Several arms gripped Eve like shackles, and the long, slender claws pierced into her flesh. Her spirit was shattering more and more; it felt as if she would fall into madness in the next second.

What an unlucky night. If she had listened to her father, perhaps she would be sleeping in her warm bed right now. She wouldn't know anything about these so-called Fiends; she would have grown up happily until she met a beloved partner and spent the rest of her life on some pleasant little island.

It should have been that way. So, when exactly did she become like this?

Was it her father, who drank heavily at night after her mother passed away? No, he had been like that since she was born; he was grieving for her brothers.

A familiar photo frame rose in her mind, but Eve couldn't remember the faces on it. She only knew they were her brothers. She was the princess of the Phoenix family, a phoenix reborn from the ashes.

But she was the one who survived, while they were the ones who became the ashes.

Every breath she took, every moment of her life, was bought with their deaths. Perhaps she had become like this only when she realized that.

The sharp mouthparts churned as they descended. Just then, an incredible power erupted from within Eve's body. Enduring the pain of the claws, she struggled to break free from the restraints, then thrust her fist—along with the pistol—into the Fiend's descending mouthparts.

It was a pain bordering on numbness, but Eve didn't care. In the face of extreme fear, some people would go insane, while others would fall into a state of hysterical bravery.

The girl's fierce and courageous face was reflected in the dense clusters of eyes. Her pupils narrowed with rage, like the vertical slits of a wild beast.

"Go to hell!"

She roared and pulled the trigger. Muffled sounds rang out continuously from within the strange flesh. The bullets pierced the Fiend's body one after another, shredding its flesh from the inside. It threw Eve hard against the wall, and mouthfuls of blood gushed from its mouthparts, accompanied by a piercing, hoarse sound.

Eve fell heavily from the wall. It felt as if her whole body had been shattered. Her arms were bloody with alarming wounds. The Fiend opposite her wasn't doing well either, but it was only "not doing well." It was a Fiend; these painful wounds would only incite its bestial nature. The Stomach-Chewing Grass parasitic within its body sprouted one after another, like a dancing nest of snakes.

Her cowardly heart finally summoned the courage. Eve gritted her teeth and struggled to her feet; even if she were to die, she would not tarnish the reputation of the Phoenix family.

The Fiend charged at Eve once more. She tried to move, but the excruciating pain throughout her body nearly caused her to faint. Yet, in the end, the girl forced herself to move, dodging just before the lethal impact arrived.

Gray dust descended with the violent crash, and a hideous shadow twisted and lashed out amidst the swirling debris.

Eve gasped for air. She had survived—she had lived for a few dozen more seconds, but that was enough. She had to live on, at least until Lorenzo arrived. Although she had not known the detective for long, the image of him holding off the Fiend all by himself was etched into her heart.

Lorenzo Holmes would not die; he must have been capable of killing the Fiend if he dared to stay behind. She only needed to survive, to keep on living...

Another thunderous attack followed. The wildly growing tentacles struck like flying swords; Eve was left with wounds just from being grazed, and blood flowed uncontrollably.

Her vision grew dim. Eve felt as if she had been submerged in the Ice Sea; due to the blood loss, her will could no longer withstand the Fiend's onslaught.

It seemed she would stop here. Eve looked at the approaching Fiend and closed her eyes.

Time ticked by, yet the expected death did not arrive. A light seemed to rise before her, and as Eve opened her eyes, blinding white flames filled her entire field of vision.