Chapter 83: Fight For Nightfall
When the notice came through, it caused a flurry of panic. The radios on all the floors have been receiving news from all over.
People are dying every day. The government is nowhere to be seen. Those who thought rescue was imminent are slowly coming to the realization that they are truly on their own.
Those who have been anxious to find their families are now even more frantic after they realize things might never be the same again.
It doesn’t help that an announcement had just made its way over the airways.
Hello. To anyone listening, this is Horizon Barge.
It has come to our attention that a large swarm of mosquitoes is currently moving at 3.6 km/h.
Should they stay on course, they will be hitting the northwest quadrant in less than five hours.
Kain’s brow furrowed; this was the first time hearing from this, Horizon Barge. He remembered seeing a barge on the first day, but it had disappeared at some point.
He never paid much attention to it. It seems it’s back.
It also appears that this barge travels around. He thought about the information the system gave him.
To Kain, it was more like two pieces of information rather than one.
It mentioned the first mosquito set that would be coming, but it also mentioned that these mosquitoes were considered a vanguard.
Not because it was planned, but because they followed the scent. It didn’t say why, whether for breeding or something else. But the scent of the female mosquitoes would drive the males to search for them.
Luckily, they still had time, and now there is a Horizon Barge. He thought briefly about whether to make contact, but decided against it.
If he did, he would appear eager.
He changed the frequency, listening for any other information. He heard the distressed cries of people who had just been ravaged by the mosquitoes.
He put his hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat. He wanted to confirm whether his heart would jump at the sound.
He had noticed that unless it involved his family, his heartbeat rarely fluctuated. He didn’t know when it started to happen.
It wasn’t relevant now. It was just information he filed away for a later date.
He checked the monitoring. The people on the lower floor indeed heard what Horizon Barge had said. Their panic was palpable as Kain watched them panic.
He continued listening for whatever information he could glean about the mosquitoes.
So far, what he found was that their destructive power was astonishing. Their bodies are hard. They could destroy buildings in the pursuit of blood. This meant they weren’t safe even if they stayed inside.
He had confidence in the system’s ability to keep the building from crumbling.
As the thought passed, he heard a sound from the system.
[Kill the army of mosquitoes]
[Reward: TDB, Based on number of kills]
He wasn’t surprised at seeing the system give him a task. Usually, when big things are about to happen, the system would give a task.
Ignoring it, Kain made his way to the intercom.
"Attention all residents. Do not panic." Whether they continued panicking or not, Kain didn’t care. He only planned to finish what he had to say.
"I’m sure we have all heard what this...Horizon Barge had to say. It was stated that the NorthWest quadrant was in trouble. Who among you knows what the Northwest quadrant means?
And if you don’t know where it is or what it means, why are you panicking? Placing all that aside, it is because we don’t know that I am making this announcement.
Should the mosquitoes find their way to us, I hope everyone will take up arms and fight. We have made several bone tools. Everyone should know how tough they are.
If the mosquitoes get through the building, it would mean the end for us.
In fifteen minutes, I will go to Floor One. Anyone who wishes to fight for Nightfall is welcome to join us."
Kain specifically used the word ’fight for Nightfall’. He was reminding them that it was because of his good graces that they could be here. He was reminding them of the oath they had half-heartedly sworn.
He wanted to see who was willing to come forward.
He wanted to know if another restructuring was necessary because when people get comfortable, they abuse the comfort they have.
After he finished his announcement, he saw the three little ones and one big one behind him.
"I’m ready," Avery said, excited.
"Ready for what?" Kain asked, amused.
"To fight for Nightfall," she said, raising her tiny fist.
The expression on Kain’s face cracked. The smile at the corner of his lips disappeared.
The corners of his eyes turned red. His jaw clenched, and the muscle in his neck jumped. His body felt as if it had been pinned in place.
He lowered his eyes, not wanting them to see the frantic, panicked look in his eyes. It was one thing to talk about fighting, but having them go outside was another thing.
He laughed mockingly at himself. He had already made their battle gear, but when he heard them say they wanted to fight, his body seized.
The four of them noticed his sudden change. The air around him was crackling. Usually, any pressure Kain sent out wasn’t directed to them, but this time he couldn’t help it.
He was already thinking about their deaths. His body was trembling and he was tense.
"Kain," Amelia whispered cautiously. She had never seen him like this.
She felt as if she were looking at both a predator and a broken man. She stepped closer to him, her steps slow and steady. She gestured to the children to stay behind.
Her steps were measured.
As she walked towards him, Kain was trapped in a cycle of death. The taste of flesh and blood, the slow of her heartbeat. He saw the three children when he didn’t know they were his. His soul had watched them die.
Fragmented memories of each other, their deaths were playing like a loop.
Then he felt someone touch his arm. His head snapped up. As he moved to kick the person away, he saw her face.
Amelia.
His body trembled. She was standing in front of him. She wasn’t dead. The fragmented scene of her death collided with the one of her standing before him.
He stretched out his hand to confirm. His finger rested on her pulse; he could feel her heartbeat. It was wild and frantic, but it was there.
He pulled her into his arms, inhaling her jasmine scent.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to hold her.
He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that. When he finally released her, he saw the worry in her eyes.
"I’m fine," he smiled.
He turned to the children who were also watching with worry.
"I’m fine," he repeated. "Come on, let’s go."
Amelia frowned. The easy-going smile was there. But his body was still shrouded in that cold aura.
She watched him walk towards the children. He scooped up all three of them and walked towards the door.
"Would the lady mind opening the door? I’ve got my hands full," he laughed, jiggling the children in his arms.
Amelia frowned but said nothing.
Kain walked out with the children.
As he walked down the stairs, he laughed and talked with the children, but his mind was a chaotic, tangled mess.
’Now isn’t the time for a breakdown. We can’t keep them inside forever. We can’t always protect them.’
’You might not be able to protect them, but I can.’
The voice raged in his mind. No matter what was said, he chose to ignore it.
