As we got closer I could see that the house wasn't destroyed, only one of the windows had been shattered, but the structure was still standing. That, at that moment, was enough to feel a slight sense of relief.
We slowed down as we approached, keeping to the shadows of the now fallen night. There was no obvious movement around, but after everything I had seen today, trusting silence was a mistake.
We moved along the side of the house, avoiding the main door. When we reached the broken window, I slowly leaned in to peek inside. For a second I thought it was empty… until a slight movement inside made me tense up.
"There's someone" I whispered.
Serin positioned herself at my side, lowering her center of gravity and gripping her sword tightly.
My heart began to pound.
Without making a sound, I slipped through the opening, placing my hands first and then letting my body drop inside. Once fully in, I drew my sword and held it in front of me.
I began to notice a strong smell, somewhat metallic… blood.
My hand was visibly trembling as I held my sword, in a way I didn't even understand why I drew it, one way or another I couldn't use it…
"Calm down", Serin took my forearm gently while glancing at me from the corner of her eye.
I tried to steady myself.
She took the lead and I followed. We walked for a moment until we reached the living room. It was a mess, a table overturned, broken chairs, objects scattered across the floor. There were signs of a fight… and dark stains in several places.
Suddenly, a faint sound came from the corner of the room, but it was enough for both Serin and me to point our swords in that direction.
"...Luke?"
My chest tightened.
"Daren?" I said as I lowered my sword.
I moved quickly, avoiding the debris on the floor. There, leaning against the wall, was Daren. His face was pale, covered in sweat and dried blood. A deep wound crossed his side, poorly bandaged with what looked like a torn piece of cloth.
I knelt beside him, "What happened? Where's Claire? And Rowan?"
Daren coughed, bringing a hand to his chest, "They… came in… we fought…" he coughed up some blood, "Claire… is upstairs… I think".
Right at that moment another sound came from the stairs, I quickly looked up.
"Luke, Serin!" Claire let out as soon as she saw us.
She approached and hugged both of us, it caught me off guard, but my head wasn't in the best state to think clearly.
She pulled away and gave Daren some medicine, "This will help you".
"What is it?" I asked.
"Grandfather said it was a special medicine that would help him get out of trouble", she replied without taking her eyes off her brother.
When she finished speaking I looked at his wound, which had stopped bleeding.
"It's a Pulsar-rich medicine, it doesn't heal completely, but it stops bleeding almost instantly", Serin said, "and by the way, where is Edric".
"He went to… look for you and Rowan", Daren replied with a bit more strength.
"Damn it", I cursed as I clenched my fist, "Row and I got separated a while ago while we were heading here".
The front door burst open. The noise made Serin turn by pure reflex and point her sword.
"It's me!" Rowan's voice cut through the tension.
I let out the air I was holding, "Brother…" I muttered.
He came in quickly, closing the door behind him. He was covered in soot, his clothes torn in several places and with blood on his arm, but he remained steady. His gaze swept across the room in an instant, stopping on each of us before finally settling on me, probably checking if I was alright.
Claire tossed him the vial, "Here, it'll help with the bleeding".
He caught it mid-air and drank it, "Thanks", he took a breath and spoke again, "Edric said we should head north as fast as possible, near the mountains there are some abandoned cabins".
"What? And where is he now?" Claire asked, worried.
"He said he'd meet us there, he went to look for others at the village shelter".
Claire looked like she wanted to argue, but quickly understood the situation and had to accept it.
"What about Daren, can you move?" I turned to look at him and spoke.
"Ah… yeah, I think I can, although the pain is unbearable", he replied with a forced smile.
Claire moved to Daren's side and helped him stand, carefully supporting him as she placed his arm over her shoulder. Rowan took the lead and Serin positioned herself just behind him.
"Let's go" Serin said in a low voice.
Rowan opened the door carefully, peeking out first. He gave a signal and we went out one by one, fast but silent. The cold night air hit us fully, mixed with the lingering smell of smoke and ash, screams and a variety of noises could still be heard in the distance. This place had become a true battlefield.
We advanced only a few steps, moving along the side of the house to avoid being exposed to the main street. A sharp sound echoed above, I didn't have time to react and something fell from the roof with a brutal crash.
The armored beast slammed into the ground right in front of us, dirt, snow and wood debris flew into the air. Its body was covered in metal plates that clashed heavily as it landed. Its eyes locked onto us instantly.
"Back!" Serin shouted.
But it was too late, the beast moved with absurd speed for its size. In a single charge it rammed forward, hitting Rowan and Serin head-on. Both were sent flying to the side, crashing against the wall of the house with a dull impact.
"Rowan!" I managed to say, but I couldn't move.
The panlagor didn't stop, it turned its body and charged again. Claire barely had time to step in, but the impact sent her flying back, breaking her hold on Daren.
I began to feel that same sense of unease and uselessness as before, my body wouldn't move at my will.
"…Luke!" I heard Claire's voice, distant.
I lifted my gaze.
The panlagor was already on top of Daren.
It had knocked him down, severing his arm in the process, and was now crushing him against the ground with all its weight. The plates of its armor screeched as it pressed down, and its jaws opened directly over his chest.
No… that was the only thing I could think in that moment.