"Lead the way then," Leo said after a moment. "But just so you know, if you and your people try anything, I'm out. And you won't like the way I leave."

  The Abyss Walker just chuckled. "You don't o threaten me. If I wao kill you, I would have anized an ambush away from our base. Me agreeing to meet you here is a show of trust. Besides, you will see what I mean in a moment. e."

  With that said, Mal turned on his heel and headed toward the hole in the cave-in. Leo, with Nyx trailing behind him, followed, his vision ging back to normal ohey got past the door.

  Woah. He held back a gasp, his gaze drinking in the sights. He had expected a lot, but definitely not this. It's like a whole underground unity. They even dug out more tunnels in the walls to have more space... nice.

  While not that long ago, this pce was just a tunnel for the Londoro, now it had bee a hub for survivors of all kinds. Asded and Fallen Humahe first he spotted, though they were far from the only evolutions here. He also noticed some Risen Humans and quite a few people who hadn't evolved yet. He was sure there was more, but with the crowd gathering around them, it was hard to Identify everyone.

  This is getting more and more iing. Leo ented as he stopped paying attention to the survivors and focused ounnel's interior.

  For ohe entire pce was illuminated by hanging mps not much different from the Ether torches he had entered before. Ahing was the few workstations they had passed. Some had ons lying on them, others eleics or clothing. However, the most surprising among them all was the very primitive fe sitting in a dug-out er.

  And all of this without an active safe zone. Why?

  With that thought in his mind, Leo sped up a bit, steppio Mal while doing his best to ighe dozens of curious eyes watg them.

  "Fancy pce you got here," he noted, getting the other man's attention. "Fallen, Risen, Asded... Not to mention those who haven't evolved yet."

  Mal snorted. "We're not like those light bastards. Everybody is free to choose their own path here. Even those who don't want to go out there and fight." He shrugged. "Not everyone is cut out to be a fighter. As long as they get to level five and unlock a job, they stay."

  Leo disagreed but didn't voice his opinion. Staying weak in this world was just deying the iable. However, he also couldn't fault them for not wanting to fight. In parison to Wolford, London was at least twice as dangerous. Voidlings here must have grown much faster than in his hometown.

  So, in the end, he just nodded, leaving those thoughts for a ter date. "So why don't you get a Safe Zohis pce seems nice, but it's far from safe. Hell, you're almost o the Supercluster."

  Mal grimaced, his expression turning sour. "Trust me, I wish we could get another o's just impossible as we are now. But this right here? Until something ges, this is the best we get."

  "Another?" Leo frowned, ung of the people listening to their versation. "You lost a Safe Zone? How?"

  The Abyss Walker chuckled hollowly. "Isn't it bloody obvious? Those fug Emissaries. Before we could evele properly, they desded upon us like the dogs they are. Between their sheer numbers and light affinity, we ood a ce." He shook his head. "The people you see here? That's barely half of what we were before the attack."

  "They killed them? Just like that? When did it happen?" He asked, feeling his bloodlust boiling underh his skin. He khe Emissaries were mad, but to this degree? To attaroup of survivors?

  Thankfully, Mal shook his head. "Just three days after the sed Cataclysm, and ly. Only those who chose the path of the Void were put uhe sword. Others were given a choice of joining them, which they obviously did. Nobody wants to die."

  Shit! Leo cursed, his mind going a hundred miles per hour. "But why? I get hating anything to do with the Void, but that was just about six days after the Outbreak. What could possibly happen to ge aire group like this? It doesn’t make sense. I've met other survivors, and none were like this."

  Well, aside from the woman in the beginning and Tyler. Though, I doubt even they would go as far as to attaroup just because they didn't stay pure.

  "They don't just hate the Void, mate. They despise it and anyone who even tries to associate with it," the other man sighed, pausing in front of a closed door. "I could try expining why, but holy? I'm not the best person to do that. My co-leader will do it much better. Just please, don't attack her. Unlike most of us, she couldn't choose what she became."

  Leo frowhe man had seen who he was talking to. There was no reason to worry as long as no oacked him first. "Sure, I will hold my judgment for now."

  The Abyss Walker nodded and turo open the door. The moment they stepped through, a female voice called out from within. "You sure took your time, Mal," she said. "At least you have brought our new friends with you. It's o meet ya, the name's..."

  However, Leo, who had frozen when his eyes fell on the woman, didn't let her finish. "Lily..." he muttered, sileng the entire room. "It's you... You're alive..."

  Even though the woman before him gained a somewhat elvish appearance. Even though she now possessed one dark leathery wing and another one full of white angelic feathers. And even though her entire left arm became almost the exact copy of his own, he could never mistake his only sister for someone else.

  "Do I... do I know you?" She asked hesitantly, retrag the arm she offered for a handshake. "I'm sorry, but..."

  Leo gulped, knowing well he should have expected such a rea. Unlike his sister, no part of him remaihe same. He just hoped she would accept the new him.

  "Ah shit... I mean, I know I don’t look and sound anything like I did before the Outbreak," he offered the woman a weak smile. "But yes, you do know me... sister. It took me a bit, but I'm here now. Sorry for being te."

  If before his words brought on plete silenow they would be able to evehe pin drop. Lily stood frozen, her eyes open wide, while Mal wasn't doing much better on the side.

  "L-Leo?" His sister stuttered out before shaking her head. "No, no, no. This 't be you. You are dead, I know that. I have seen it. Who are you?! Speak now!"

  Leo backed off like struck. What the hell did she mean she had seen him being dead? How? When?

  No, it doesn't matter now. I have to fix this before she does something we will all regret. He grimaced and took a deep breath. "A few hours before the Outbreak, you called me. We talked about your tour, about celebrating with Nick, and about my meeting with Edward. Remember what you have told me back then? That you wish I tried a bit harder, that I should at least try and stop pushing him away."

  This time, it was Lily who took a step back, her eyes opening even wider. "B-but..."

  "When I first came to live with your family, you never gave up on me," Leo tinued, ign whatever she tried to say. "No matter how angsty I was, no matter how hard I tried to push you away, you were always there. Please, don't leave me now."

  The winged woman gulped. "Is it really... really you, Leo? I 't do this again..."

  Slowly, he approached his shaken sister and id a hand upon her shoulder. She fli first, but then she raised her head to look him right in the eyes.

  "Even if the System insists on showing Leonardo Brown as my name iatus, I'm still your brother. Nothing will ever ge that. Whatever you saw, it was a lie. I'm alive and not going anywhere now that I have found you," he swore, and with this, the dam broke.

  At once, Lily rushed forward and buried her head full of bck hair in his chest. Her silent sobbing followed right after, and he quickly returhe embrace, hugging her as if she were to disappear in a minute.

  'Leo, we will wait outside. Take your time... I'm happy for you,' Nyx spoke softly in his mind, and a momehe click of the door reached his ears.

  Thank you. He replied just as their link closed. He theurned his gaze to his sister, a soft smile spreading over his monstrous face. I don't know how this is possible, but this time, I won't waste this ce. I will destroy everything that tries to take you away. Voidlings, survivors, the Old Ones, or even the Void itself. I'm done pying around...

  Chaos65