"Run, run, RUN."

  As soon as Aplin had spoken the words, he sprinted back down the path from the forest where they had come from. Irgos was right behind him.

  Questions can come ter. We're clearly in danger now.

  The buzzing behind them grew louder. There was no doubt about it. Those things were after them.

  Irgos struggled to keep up with Aplin. Despite his good condition, Aplin was clearly much more skilled at building up speed.

  "And DON'T stop," Aplin shouted. "They're faster than us."

  That was no lie. Behind him, the buzzing was right on their heels.

  Irgos pushed himself to run even faster. Sweat poured down his forehead, and his messy brown hair bounced with each step. The st time he'd felt this much adrenaline was during Culex's attack on Overmore. But this was different. Culex was—at least from one perspective—still a person. And this…?

  The buzzing grew even closer, as if it were right behind him. Irgos didn't dare to look back, afraid his legs would give out if he saw what was chasing them.

  The end of the forest was already in sight.

  What had taken them half an hour on the way there, they'd now sprinted back in five minutes. He saw Aplin dash out onto the street where they had ascended. Immediately, he slid across the ground and in one move opened the same manhole cover leading to the sewer.

  "DOWN," Aplin commanded. "NOW!"

  He lowered himself halfway into the opening, pressing against the edge to make enough room for Irgos to get past. Irgos had reached the street as well and was at the sewer entrance within seconds. He threw his legs into the hole. As he climbed down past Aplin as quickly as he could, he couldn't resist looking back.

  Just before his head disappeared into the opening, he caught a glimpse of what was chasing him.

  But that glimpse was enough to burn what he saw forever into his memory.

  They were enormous, bck beasts. Several meters tall, and even more meters long. They had also reached the street by now. With their long wings vibrating so quickly that they emitted a constant buzz, they sped out of the forest in a furious rush. Their rge, piercing compound eyes gred at Aplin and Irgos with bloodthirsty intent, and the thick, rod-like structure between their eyes pointed directly at them. Ready to strike.

  As soon as Irgos was fully in the tunnel, Aplin slid the manhole cover shut in one motion. Instantly, it was dark.

  A second ter, they heard the creatures stop on the other side. The buzzing ceased, and they heard the sound of tapping on the cover. It sounded more like the pounding of angry fists.

  Neither of them moved. Irgos held his breath and waited until the tapping gradually faded away.

  When it was quiet again, Aplin let out a long, deep sigh, pressing a small button on his bag. A light illuminated, allowing them to see again. "That was a really close call," he said, his face pale as a ghost. "I can't remember it ever being this intense."

  Irgos climbed down a bit further so Aplin could fasten the cover. "What were they?"

  He saw Aplin hesitate, as if the name was hard for him to say.

  "Mosquitoes."

  Just the name alone sent chills through Irgos.

  Just like that dream.

  "S-sorry, I, I…" Aplin stammered. "I should've warned you. It's just… you've already been through s-so much. I didn't want to scare you even more. Especially not after Culex."

  Irgos couldn't shake the image of those compound eyes. The way they looked. That horrible buzzing.

  "Believe me," Aplin said. "Giant mosquitoes are really rare. They usually never come here; you only find them on the other side of the Ebros, near the Marsh along the Asroan border. That's why I thought it was better not to mention them. The chances were just too slim that we'd encounter them."

  Now that the cover was closed, Irgos felt a lot safer. But still, the idea that those things were on the other side…

  They climbed down without saying a word to each other. Irgos didn't know if he'd ever even want to leave the sewer again. The stench was unbearable, but it was still much better than murderous insects.

  When they finally reached the ground in the sewer pipe, Aplin took out a new device from his bag—a rod-shaped object—and held it in his hand. It produced a simir kind of light to the one on his 'gasmask,' only now he could direct the beam anywhere without having to turn his head.

  Irgos felt something rising up his esophagus. He bent over the stream and lost the rabbit he'd eaten that afternoon.

  Aplin pced a hand on his shoulder. "You okay, man?"

  But Irgos still felt sick. Is this real? he heard himself think. We already have enough monsters in Catsroes. Jelly monsters. Culex and his followers. And now… giant mosquitoes?

  It seemed so absurd that it had to be a dream, or a scene right out of an adventure book.

  "What…" he began, not responding to Aplin. "What kind of world is this, anyway? How many demonic creatures are roaming around in Catsroes?"

  Aplin took a deep breath of sewer air. "I know. It doesn't make any sense anymore. I don't think anyone could've foreseen the massive consequences of the flood."

  Irgos pulled away from his touch. He was terrified, nauseated, and exhausted. He found eye contact with Aplin and didn't look away.

  "I want to ask you something," he said firmly, though his voice was on the verge of breaking. "And I want you to answer honestly."

  Aplin broke eye contact for a second, then looked at him again.

  "Can you please tell me that there aren't any more monsters hiding in this nd?" Irgos almost pleaded with him. "We've already gone through so much, but what's even worse…" he bit his lip. "…is that we don't know what we haven't gone through yet." Irgos was almost in tears. "Tell me, what else are we in for?"

  Aplin paused for a long time. He was clearly considering his answer.

  "This is it, Irgos," he finally said. "Giant mosquitoes. Jelly monsters. Culex. There's nothing else."

  "And you're sure?"

  Aplin nodded. "Absolutely. I've been through enough years to have seen it all by now. You can trust me."

  Irgos swallowed his tears. "Okay," he muttered.

  "I want to ask something from you, too," Aplin said, gesturing for them to head back to his hideout. "When we're back, this never happened. No giant mosquitoes. No danger. We just got the herbs, nothing else. Just as pnned."

  Irgos looked at Aplin. "Why?"

  His eyebrows knitted together. "What do you think? I don't want your sister to hear any more trouble than she already has. We've got enough on our pte."

  Irgos had nothing to say to that. For now, maybe it was best if Arada's world didn't gain another enemy.

  * * *

  After relieving himself in the sewer water, he returned to Aplin's hideout. Just as Aplin had done that morning, he barricaded the door with a board.

  The bunker looked just as it had before, except Aplin had given his mattress to Arada, who was deeply asleep. Aplin was busy in the other side of the room—the 'kitchen' area.

  He sat down on the mattress, and looked at his sister. Arada's forehead was damp with sweat. Despite the added bnket Aplin had given her, her body was gently trembling.

  Irgos felt her hand. It was much warmer than it should have been.

  A fever?

  "She's delirious," Aplin said, approaching with a small bowl in his hands. He sat on the other side of the mattress and gently rolled the bnket back from her. "The wound is infected. Her body is doing everything it can to fight it off." He dabbed a cloth into the bowl, where a yellow-pink liquid mixed with some leaves floated. Leaves from the 'Sea Goddess'.

  "But that won't st long."

  He rolled her jacket up and carefully removed the bandage from her abdomen. Irgos turned his head away.

  Any more blood, and I'm going to lose what's left in my stomach.

  He heard Aplin dabbing the cloth on the wound. Arada didn't respond; she was clearly far away. A moment ter, Irgos dared to turn his head slightly. From the corner of his eye, he saw Aplin pce each leaf on the wound, one by one. When he finished, he changed her bandage and tucked her back in.

  "Now, we hope for the best," Aplin said.

  Irgos suddenly felt very tired. He y down on the mattress next to her.

  "Sleeping seems like the best option right now." Aplin stood up and set the medical supplies aside.

  There was only one thing still bothering Irgos. "And what about the fact that your friend—Riuna—betrayed you? That Culex is now going to comb through the entire sewer?"

  Aplin turned around. "The chance they'll find us tonight is slim. But just in case, I'll keep watch. I'll warn you if anything happens." He ran a hand through his thick, curly hair. "But if I were you, I'd get some real rest. Your body needs it, and we'll deal with tomorrow when it comes."

  Once again, Aplin was right. He was a sharp man.

  We'll deal with tomorrow when it comes, he repeated in his head.

  Fatigue overwhelmed him, overpowering all feelings of fear that they might be discovered at any moment. He closed his eyes, and unlike the previous two nights, he was gone instantly.