"Sit down, child! You speak about loss, about the death of your close ones, but do you truly uand what a real loss is? No, you don't... You haven't experie yet, but you will. People like us always do, and the multiverse isn't kind enough to spare us the pain.

  I want you to remember this day, this versation. And then, when the universe colpses around you, taking away everything you had ever known, you must be strong. You mustn't fet to live, or all this pain and suffering will be for naught. Wasted, like a feather on the wind."

  ~ Batrak, The only survivor of the 2nd Outbreak, to an Unknown person, 37th Outbreak

  Leo paused in front of a gaping hole iairs just when a bone-chilling hiss reverberated through the entire building. He knew all too well what kind of creature was waiting for him above; after all, he had already faced one of its kin earlier that day.

  So two Inferior Crawlers. Only this time, they are well aware that I am here. Shit. Leo grimaced, his gaze darting bad forth betweewo ends of the colpsed stairs. Not even True Stealth could save him from making some noise here.

  This is gonna be great…

  Exhaling, Leo jumped across the gap, wing as the resounding ctter of rubble striking the ground was met with another cacophony of hisses. The fact that thos Voidlings didn't desd on him yet was a miracle in itself.

  And the Bestiary said that they only hunt alone... Shows you 't just blindly trust everything the System says. Lovely…

  Swallowing down his growing frustration, Leo peered over the edge, straining his eyes to catch a glimpse of anything above. Unfortunately, the gap betweewo opposing stairs was too narrow, ae having more than enough points in Vision, his sight remained far from supernatural.

  Whatever... Leo growled inaudibly and took the st few steps that separated him from the first floor. The sight of two lifeless forms was the first thing to greet him, while trails of dried blood caught his gaze . Some just paihe walls and ground red, while others led in and out of the open apartments on this floor.

  Leo really didn't want to do this, but he had to know, and so with a heavy heart, he crouched o the only dead human. His cursed arm rose, bathing the frozen body in crimson light.

  Unfamiliar face stared bad for a moment Leo hated himself for letting out a sigh of relief.

  Thank God. The thought passed through Leo's head as he turned away and headed toward the Voidling's corpse. However, before he could even take two steps, a dark blur scurried out of one of the fts, heading straight for him.

  The creature was fast, faster than probably most of the Cursed Humans, but it was still way below Leo's league.

  Like a guillotine, cws desded on the small beast, sinking deep into its flesh. The Voidling squeaked, thrashing about in Leo's grip. heless, the damage was already done, and before long, the light faded from its ruby-colored eyes.

  A giant, bald rat? And how the fuck did it hide from my pulse? Leo arched an eyebrow at the creature ensnared in his grip. It resembled a Sger, albeit rger and evidently mile... An evolution perhaps? Mutation?

  Race: Voidling | Subspecies: ScuttlejawExpected Potential: F-on of choice: JawsKnown weaknesses: Lack of survival instinctScuttlejaws evolve from Sgers after colleg the necessary Essence. In spite of being dubbed as a Stage II evolution, Scuttlejaws are still one of the weakest Voidlings that a User may e across. They usually hunt in groups of three to four and are known for squabbling over the right to a fresh kill. Beware of their speed and sotential.

  No expnation for why I couldn't sehem... Although 'ck of survival instinct'? Leo snorted, and to further prove the point, a momewo more Scuttlejaws darted out of the apartments.

  Leo rolled his eyes but didn't hesitate for a sed. He quickly stepped forward and brought his heel down hard on the first rat. The ch of bones echoed through the building as he ground the creature into the floor.

  Without missing a beat, Leo turo face the sed beast, brandishing his bowie knife. In one quick motion, he pluhe ko the monster's hide, slig through flesh and boh ease. The rat let out a pierg squeal as it was almost cleaved in half, its lifeless body falling to the ground at Leo's feet.

  Pathetic. Leaving the dead rats, Leo approached the lifeless Cursed Human, his eyes sweeping over the body without a hint of emotion. Unfamiliar features greeted him once more, aurned away; his job here finished.

  The Scuttlejaws proved to be an excellent outlet for his frustration, but Leo was here for a reason. And I still have two Crawlers waiting for me. He grimaced and headed for the staircase again.

  This building had four floors, and if Leo's pulse was at least somewhat accurate, then the Crawlers should be either ohird one her... He could s the building again, but wasting more Essen pulse didn't seem like the best idea when more surprises could pop out at any moment.

  Just focus on what's important, Leo. If the rats could hide from my pulse, then why couldn't Niodding, Leo sheathed his knife a Essence surge into his healthy hand, shadows swirling to form a long and sharp hook.

  This should be better for Crawlers in closed spaces like this…

  With a burst of energy, Leo bounded up the stairs, nimbly leaping over each gap with practiced ease. Adrenaline surged into his veins as he nded on the sed floor, and another series of hisses filled the building.

  Leo turned sharply to his right, gaze nding oairs leading to the third floor.

  Here you are.

  One of the Inferior Crawlers sat there, stuck to the staircase's wall. The beast reared its bald head, crimson eyes drilling holes into Leo. For a moment, the world stopped as the two locked eyes, sizing each other up.

  Suddenly, the Crawler vulsed, its six legs tensing as it released a low guttural screech. Leo quickly reacted and dodged to the side as the beast spit a stream of its paralyzing saliva. He really didn't want to find out how effit the fluid was.

  Despite the miss, the monster wasn't deterred. It dashed fliding along the wall like a snake hunting for prey. The prey iion stood his ground as the beast neared and finally left the wall, sailing through the air right toward Leo.

  Three. Two. One.

  Leo ducked low, extending the hand with the shadowy hook. And got you. The Crawler howled as the on sunk into its belly, and Leo, using the momentum, swung with all his might and hurled the airborne Voidling directly into a wall.

  A loud ch echoed throughout the hallway as the beast slid to the ground, its limbs still filing in agony. Leo knew he had to act fast; giving the Crawler time to recover was the st thing he wanted.

  Without a moment's hesitation, he moved in for the finishing blow. He kicked the Crawler in the head, stunning it before bringing down his sharp cws onto its exposed neck.

  A surge of Essence flowed through him, activating Reinfort and imbuing him with eveer strength. And so, in a swift motion, Leo sliced through the creature's flesh like a hot khrough butter. The monster's body went limp as its head fell, rolling away in a shower of blood.

  Fuck. Leo swallowed hard as the adrenaline rush slowly began to leave his body. That was way more brutal than necessary. He shook his head and turned away. Why should I care, though…

  Sighing, Leo cast his eyes across the sed floor, noting the ck of bodies. Well, except for the Crawler bleeding all over the ground.

  Only two more floors. Evehere was a voice deep in Leo's mind, ughing at his y. Laughing at his hopes of finding his family. Fuck you.

  Leo asded the stairs slowly, teeth gritted and another shadow hook tightly gripped in his hand. The hisses of the st Crawler tio echh the building, but their volume gave Leo a clue. He knew he wouldn't meet the creature until he reached the top floor.

  At first ghe third floor seemed empty, devoid of any signs of struggle. But then, in the far-off er, something caught Leo's eye. He could see a glimpse of something, a flicker of familiarity.

  No.

  Without even being aware, Leo's feet carried him to the er. He fell to his knees a moment ter, somethi sliding down his cheek.

  Please no.

  Leo raised his cursed arm, casting a crimson glow on the corpse lying slumped against the wall. It was a Voidling, there was no doubt about that, but as his hand pushed the monster's up, Leo finally became aware of the tears flowing freely from his eyes.

  Nick…

  Leo first saw it from a distahe remnants of the dark blond hair. Instantly after, he spotted the shreds of unique clothing Nick loved so much. And now, kneeling right o the body, Leo gazed into his brother's face, a face cimed long ago by the Void and then by death's embrace.

  "Fuck!" Leo puhe wall right o his brother's head even as his stealth swallowed the shout.

  The pain in his hand was nothing pared to one drilling through his heart. Leo knew he could have dohing to save Nick; his brother was cimed by the Void during the Outbreak. A, he couldn't help but feel like he had failed. Failed to save his brother, like he helped to save Leo in the past.

  "Fuck..." He muttered, and at that exaent, a loud hiss reached his ears.

  Leo's eyes narrowed as something snapped inside him.

  The fury that had been simmerih all the misery and sorrow suddeed like a voles ignited within Leo's veins as rage overwhelmed him, prepared to e anything in his path.

  A path that was now blocked.

  Leo's eyes so the stairway, and there he saw it, the st Inferior Crawler stuck to the ceiling, its crimson eyes locked onto him. The beast screeched, and Leo rose slowly, snatg the bowie k of its sheath.

  Essence exploded out of Leo's soul as his Limit Break activated subsciously, iwining with Reinfort like one unit. The surge of power almost overwhelmed his senses, but a voice suddenly pierced through the haze, giving Leo's ahe final push it needed.

  'Kill it.'

  Like a demon freed from its shackles, Leo ran at the Crawler. The Voidling responded in kind, crawling forward along the ceiling.

  Only the beast was way too slow.

  Before the Crawler could even blink, Leo seized the creature's head and ya forcefully. The monster plummeted to the ground, nding on its back like a sack of potatoes. It vulsed, releasing ear-pierg shrieks as Leo cut off leg after leg, leaving only a limbless body spasming on the ground.

  However, even now, he was far from done.

  Standing above the helpless creature, Leo stabbed it without remorse. He twisted the knife and sshed with cws again, feeling the Crawler's flesh and ans shred beh his bdes. Blood spattered on his face, but Leo didn't stop, fueled by rage and grief.

  "Fuck off," Leo growled when a System notification tried to fill his vision. He didn't care about anything the entity wanted from him; only the remains of the Crawler underh him mattered now.

  heless, even Lee had its limits, and as the fires in his veins died out, so did his onsught upon the long-dead Voidling.

  Slowly Leo stood up, panting heavily. Blood dripped from his hands and face, but he barely took notice. With the anger gone, a cold emptiook its pce, settling deep inside Leo's soul.

  He lost.

  Without a word, Leo retrieved his knife and climbed the stairs to the fourth and final floor. Absently he sed the ground in searore corpses, but there were none, and so he let his feet carry him straight for the open door of Nick's apartment.

  It's empty. Leo ughed bitterly as he checked room after room. There were no signs of life anywhere. No signs of struggle or battle. Hell, he couldn't find even a speck of dried blood anywhere on the floor.

  "They are gone," Leo mumbled, colpsing against a wall in the apartment's corridor. "They are gone..."

  I'm sorry, Nick, Adam, and Ava. I failed.

  Chaos65