Knock knock knock.

  Ushi stood in front of the door, glancing over at Shing leaning casually against the crumbling wall.

  Shadows flashed intermittently across Shing’s face as he kept clicking his lighter, trying to give life to his tabac-stick. Its dry scrapes echoed down the dim corridor of the slum, refusing to give more than a spark. Despite their mission to find Dr Jode, he seemed unconcerned about the target’s well-being.

  ‘I have a light if you need,’ Ushi muttered.

  ‘Nah, it’s fine,’ Shing grumbled, stubbornly clicking away. ‘Bought this shit yesterday. It better work.’

  With a shrug, Ushi raised his hand to knock again, eager to get this over with before the cockroaches started crawling up his leg.

  Knock knock—

  The door creaked open, revealing a woman of diminutive stature, her appearance mirroring the disarray of her surroundings. Frizzy hair framed her face, and her unkempt clothes seemed to echo the general state of disarray. Her body-fit carbon-weaved lab suit was buried under layers of thick clothing as if she were preparing a trip down to South Kowloon. Her voice trembled with a mix of anxiety and anticipation as she addressed the Kingmakers.

  This is her. Finally, Ushi thought with relief. They had spent the last few cycles combing the slums along the West and Central Kowloon borders, knowing she was trying to get to the Yu Tower. Thankfully, Dr Jode left an intentional trail only a Kingmaker could follow – one that would go unnoticed by anyone else, especially the Kam Shan Black Jackets.

  ‘Apologies, apologies. I was… ah, yes. Kingmakers, yes? Yes, yes, please come in. Aunty sent you, yes? No need to remove your boots; come inside, take a seat. Bring all your weapons, I don’t have any.’

  Ushi glanced at Shing, who raised an eyebrow with the unlit tabac-stick still resting between his lips. Aunt Tong had been right about Dr. Jode – she was clearly suffering from No Man’s Paranoia, the mysterious psychological condition from No Man’s Land. Her voice squeaked and rasped, her speech was disjointed, and her trembling hands betrayed her anxiety. Though in her 30s, the paranoia had aged her by a decade.

  As Dr Jode stepped aside to let them in, Ushi crept through the doorway, bracing himself for whatever lay ahead. Shing sighed, tucked his tabac-stick and lighter into his trench coat, and followed him into the unknown.

  They stood on an oval rug in the middle of the room, completely matted with dirt, mud, and unidentifiable grime. Whatever pattern the rug once had was long gone. Ushi thought he was glad to be out of that filthy corridor but it seemed like her small domicile was not much better. The sharp stench of ammonia that clung to the slum’s hallways was even stronger inside.

  Ushi and Shing watched as Dr Jode carefully locked the door behind them. Five different mechanisms were in place, each one looking hastily installed by her own hands. She worked through them one by one.

  First, she secured a padlock, then slid a small chain lock into a socket in the door. She dropped a metal latch down, followed by a second padlock. Finally, she bent down to pick up a wooden plank from the floor, grabbed some loose nails and a mallet from the nearby side table, and began hammering the plank across the door and wall.

  As the hammering echoed in the room, Shing strolled over to the small kitchen at the back, separated from the rest of the room by a cluttered bar filled with empty glass bottles, dirty dishes, and crumpled energy drink cans. He casually started opening drawers as he whistled to himself, their creaks revealing emptiness.

  The room held an air of desolation, accentuated by the presence of two sagging, faded couches flanking the rug. One of the couches had a blanket on it, half-fallen to the ground, and that was probably the woman’s sleeping accommodation. A cheap entertainment screen lingered nearby, the only feeble attempt of a diversion this rundown home could offer. The only other thing in the room was a single closed door, presumably to the toilet. Every inch of the wall was peeling, revealing fragments of cracked brick and mortar below.

  With a final tug to check the doors lock, as if fortifying her haven against unseen malevolence, she turned to face the Kingmakers.

  ‘Please, please, sit. Do you want any cha? Or maybe water? I don’t think I have any cha left so water may be the only dining option for tonight.’

  Ushi shook his head, offering a courteous decline. ‘No, that’s okay Dr Jode, we won’t be here for long. We’re going to safely escort you back to Kam Shan.’

  ‘What?!’ Her sharp yelp pierced the air. ‘You’re not taking me to your tower?!’ Dr Jode’s demeanour changed, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and trepidation.

  ‘No, doctor,’ Ushi maintained his composure, wary of escalating her paranoia. ‘The Aunt told us that you wanted Kingmaker protection. We are that protection, and we’re taking you home. Everyone misses you.’

  ‘No… you’ll still leave me in the end, and none of those imbecilic Black Jackets have what it takes to protect us!’

  Ushi raised an eyebrow. ‘Protect you from whom?’ he questioned cautiously. ‘When you ran away from Aunt Tong, we were told you informed no one.’

  A sudden intensity seized Dr Jode’s gaze as she leaned in, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper, laden with an almost frantic urgency. ‘Them… the monsters from No Man’s Land… the voices are always in earshot, they’re definitely after me. Only you Kings can fight them. They’re like shadows, watching, lurking, biding their time until it’s time to strike. And when they do, it’s a bloody murder they’ll have, a merciless murder most foul!’

  ‘I can assure you, ma’am, this slum you’ve holed yourself up in is deterrent enough for even the most ruthless monster,’ Shing commented from the kitchen, watching a massive cockroach skitter across the wall beside him.

  Ushi shook his head at Shing’s disrespectful wisecrack, a silent reproach etched across his southern features. He had grown accustomed to Tao’s unwavering composure during their joint assignments. In contrast, Shing was chaotic and unpredictable, a grate against Ushi’s stoic and thoughtful nature.

  ‘That’s okay, doctor, we believe you. It sounds like whatever happened down in Chuan Wan Dam was scary for everyone,’ Ushi acknowledged calmly, ignoring Shing’s prior comment. ‘Maybe if you told us what it is that happened to you all, we can tackle these… entities and voices after you. You know what they say, a Kingmakers greatest weapon is knowledge.’

  Every word Ushi chose was deliberate, intending to build a bridge of trust. It was working, Dr Jode nodded to Ushi and gestured to the couch behind him, while she took a step back and sat on the couch opposite.

  Ushi stepped towards the tattered couch and dropped his weight on it. The moment he sat onto its worn cushions, the room filled with an orchestra of pops and crackles, like the tortured cries of the forsaken furniture. Ushi’s bulky body sank so low into the couch that it looked like he was almost sitting on the floor, with his knees almost to his chest.

  The doctor’s gaze darted back and forth between the two Kingmakers. It was a look Ushi had seen many times – awe and fear.

  Ushi leaned forward, his focus laser sharp. His voice was low and smooth, aiming to soothe. ‘Did you know Dr Chinh?’

  At the mention of his name, Dr Jode’s face tightened in grief. She frowned, locking eyes with Ushi.

  ‘Their first victim,’ her voice cracked. ‘But put blame on those who deserve it! Those monsters, they’re slaves to their bestial nature. The true killer is the Aunt! Claiming I have No Man’s Paranoia, making me doubt my sanity. Monsters were after us all along! When they got Chinh, I thought the blood on her hands would make her see reason, to call the Kingmakers to protect us, just as he did in the dam. The Aunt said she called the Emperor, but oh, my astute senses knew, not a single morsel of intention behind the empty promise! I realised the Kings weren’t coming, so I gave her a real reason to call a Kingmaker! I escaped that prison she called my ‘protection’ And now look! You two are here, aren’t you? My plan worked, but we don’t have much time. We need to get to the tower. The monsters… they’re close!’

  Ushi just stared at her, trying to figure out what it was she was saying.

  ‘It ain’t monsters,’ Shing called casually from behind the kitchen bench. ‘It’s the Yang.’

  ‘The Yang?! Did the Aunt feed you that lie too?’ Dr Jode threw up her hands. ‘No, it wasn’t the Yang! You can kill Yangs, they’re human. But those horrid things from the dam… they’re not even truly alive. It all started at the dam. Why did Dr Chinh make me go? Why did I ever listen? Why oh why did I step foot in the dam?’

  ‘Doctor, if you can,’ Ushi implored, ‘please start from the very beginning. Perhaps there’s a chance we can save you. But that’s only possible if you cooperate with us.’

  And so, Dr Jode began recounting her expedition to Chuan Wan. She recalled fractured events, barely connecting them to the next with a morsel of context for whatever she was sharing. Ushi found himself interjecting for clarification throughout the tale, unable to discern reality from twisted facts. But, with every interruption, a whole narrative was painstakingly stitched together, and what the pair ended up hearing had their hairs rising.

  Nestled within the heart of the western expanse of No Man’s Land lay Chuan Wan Dam, one of the few structures ancient Kowloonis dared build within the unknown realms beyond their dome walls. It wasn’t impossibly deep within its vast caverns, but the journey was perilous enough to demand the use of the Ditu – The only map of No Man’s Land.

  Four menses-cycles ago, when Dr Chinh first extended his proposition to Jode, he spun a seductive web of promises: renown, wealth, and the allure of scientific stardom. Visions of accolades and recognition from the scientific elite danced before her eyes. The thought of being among the first to explore the legendary life-giving dam, deep within the uncharted No Man’s, was irresistible. It would cement her name in history. But the sinister reputation of No Man’s Land loomed larger than any personal glory, and at first, she declined, fearing their safety would be left to a few Black Jackets provided by the Aunt.

  Dr Chinh, however, reminded her that only the Kingmakers were sanctioned to operate the Ditu. They famously held only five, perishable, digital copies. The thought of a Kingmaker – an elite warrior of legend – safeguarding them changed everything. She reconsidered.

  The Kingmaker selected for their expedition, a Legate named Miji Ganchou, had an enigmatic allure that was matched by his haunting magnetism. His features held a handsomeness that danced between charm and danger. His face was square and masculine, his hair was thick, dark, and lush. As he confidently guided them through dark tunnels and wide caves, Dr Jode’s gaze frequently landed on the back of his trench coat, strangely finding herself wishing she could gently smooth out the wrinkles and creases for him.

  A breathtaking spectacle awaited them once they reached their destination. The dam resembled a colossal waterfall that emerged from the shroud of darkness, cascading into narrow rivers below – this was Kowloon’s water supply. Despite it being over a thousand years since being built, the dam remained steadfast in its continuous functioning. Until now.

  The base of the dam was where they set up camp. The men of the camp; Legate Miji, Dr Chinh, and a handful of the researchers, help set up crucial structures for research. Container houses for sleeping and conducting research, bridges crossing the rivers, and guiding ropes that went up the stairs of the dam, leading to the control room of the structure.

  Around the camp, lanterns were being set up, their radius of light becoming the safe island against No Man’s Paranoia. Aunt Tong had each one blessed by the clergy from Kam Shan, to protect against the evils of darkness. These lamps lined the camp’s paths, stretching up the steep stairs towards the dam’s control room atop the waterfall and marking the perimeter of their fragile haven. Having not much to help with, Dr Jode wandered to one such lantern at the camp’s edge.

  It’s glow felt warm, comforting, familiar – like the lanterns scattered around Kowloon. But beyond that soft light was nothing but pitch-black void. She squinted into the darkness, straining to hear something… anything. But there was only silence, thick and oppressive.

  ‘Scary, isn’t it?’ a voice broke her reverie. Dr Wei, one of the female researchers, had appeared beside her.

  ‘Yeah, very,’ Jode replied, feeling a small relief at the company. ‘But I’m glad we don’t have an imbecile protecting us.’

  Dr Wei smiled faintly but her gaze lingered on the darkness beyond. ‘They say a person experiences the effects of No Man’s Land the moment they step outside Kowloon. You can only control how fast it creeps up on you.’

  ‘Do these lamps really do much against No Man’s Paranoia?’ Dr Jode asked, more out of a desire to not allow silence take over.

  ‘They do,’ Wei nodded. ‘They slow its effects by almost 90%. The moment you step into that darkness,’ she pointed out into the void, ‘what you’d experience over a week here within the lights, you’ll feel in under an hour. A full cycle out there, and you’ll hit stage 3 No Man’s Paranoia, and your sanity is forever shattered. Luckily, close human contact slows it down too. That’s why I’m making sure I’m always socialising. Just keep your wits about you, doctor, and you’ll be fine. We all need our minds sharp to figure out why the dam’s acting up.’

  Wei looked out beyond the camps edge once more and winced, as if the very darkness concealed secrets too sinister to be glimpsed. She quickly took her leave, her words lingering like a warning. As the lantern flickered beside Dr Jode, now alone, thoughts began to churn. She was hiding something – something that could jeopardise everything.

  She was a diagnosed schizophrenic and had been off her meds since they left Kowloon. The medication quietened the occasional voice within her head, but they dulled her mind too, slowing her thoughts just enough to make high-level maths and physics a struggle.

  But this wasn’t the first time she’d come off them. She’d done it once before, during her PhD five annui-cycles ago. It had been hell – breakdowns, hallucinations – but in those brief moments of clarity, the language of mathematics had come alive for her. That’s why she’d made the choice again. She needed her mind sharp… the risk was an acceptable gamble.

  Once the camp was established, time took on an odd rhythm. The researchers attempted to create a sense of normality – playing music and hosting game nights – but the sound of music echoing into the vast darkness only heightened their isolation, and the frequent trips between container houses for games became unsettling. After just a few nights, they abandoned these activities for the rest of their stay.

  On the second cycle, the team made a disturbing discovery. Atop the dam, circuitry had been torn apart by freakishly large bite marks. Whatever had chewed through metal and rock had a maw larger than a man’s head. Rumours spread about the mythological monsters of No Man’s Land being responsible.

  ‘Do not be afraid, brothers and sisters,’ Legate Miji announced during the team meeting after the discovery. ‘I’ve heard some concerns about the creatures responsible for the damage. Let me put those fears to rest with facts – it’s migration season for many rodent species that live in these sewers. Kingmakers have received reports of unusually large rodents sighted around central Kowloon, and it’s likely those reports stem from rodents originating here. There are no supernatural monsters or demonic entities lurking in the dark – just creatures made by God, like us, though twisted by their environment. These fears are not new; we warned you all about the presence of large, feral animals stalking the caves of No Man’s Land.’

  Legate Miji’s voice was confident, measured, strong. Dr Jode’s fears were instantly quashed, the Kingmaker had an edge of logic with his arguments and that resonated with her scientific mind. She reminded herself, no Black Jacket can ever impress me the way this Kingmaker already has.

  But the nights brought something worse. Lying awake in her sleeping bag, pressed against the thin metal walls of her container house, Jode heard it for the first time…

  Scratch scratch scratch. Scratch scratch scratch. Scratch scratch scratch.

  A series of faint scratches scraped against the wall on the outside, as if desperately attempting to break the barrier separating her and whatever it was outside. Her mind tried to rationalise it – it was just her imagination, or perhaps the first sign of medication withdrawal. She forced herself to ignore it.

  Despite this, during the day, Dr Jode made some of the most crucial discoveries with her maths. Dr Chinh often reminded her how lucky the camp was with her being here.

  But it wasn’t long until the darkness beyond the camps edge started calling out to her.

  Why don’t you step outside for a moment, doctor? Aren’t you curious to see where this all leads?

  But with every pause she took, turning her head to the darkness to see if anyone was there, she was starting to blur reality from delusion.

  By the third night, the scratching grew louder, clawing at her sanity. Desperate to prove to herself it wasn’t real, she recorded the sound on her handheld device.

  Then, she played it back.

  Scratch scratch scratch. Scratch scratch scratch.

  It’s real. She shot up from her bed, screaming, ‘THEY’RE REAL! THEY’RE TRYING TO GET ME! THE MONSTERS ARE GOING TO GET ME!’

  The three other occupants of the container house shot up from their sleep and rushed to her side, trying to calm her. But when she replayed the recording for them, there was only silence. Humiliated, she sank back into her bed, convinced her hallucinations were escalating.

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  The next day, Dr Chinh heard of Jode’s outburst during the night. Fearing Dr Jode had an unusually accelerated case of No Man’s Paranoia, he hastily attended to her in private. It didn’t take long for the truth to surface – Jode hadn’t been taking her schizophrenia medication. She begged him to understand, insisting that without the pills, her mind was sharper, her work more crucial to the mission. But Chinh was firm. He revealed something she didn’t know: No Man’s Paranoia was exacerbated by conditions like hers, feeding off schizophrenia’s symptoms and accelerating the madness. He never mentioned this added risk to her because he assumed she would be taking her meds like normal, not forsaking them for the sake of progress.

  Furious, Jode lashed out, blaming him for dragging her into this nightmare, knowing her condition made her vulnerable.

  ‘I’d have never come down here if you told me that!’

  ‘I’m sorry, Jode, I truly am. I know I should’ve. But either you start taking your medication again, or I end this expedition right here, right now, and you can explain to the Aunt why I made that call. I’d rather a slow but healthy researcher than a completely broken one.’

  Faced with no choice, Jode reluctantly swallowed the pills. That night, the scratching stopped. She slept for 15 hours, undisturbed.

  That cycle, however, brought a storm of frustration. She had tried solving an equation 14 different times but got 14 different answers each go. Her mathematics became a bewildering puzzle, one she found herself unable to decipher. Each number and equation became an inscrutable enigma, a language lost to her comprehension. Her frustrations led to anger, and her anger led to rage, and in mere hours her calculator lay smashed on the floor.

  She slept well that night, though. The next morning, while researchers were making steady progress, all Jode had to show for was being the most rested of them all. Unable to deal with the guilt of holding her team back, she thought Legate Miji would understand her.

  Nervously, she approached his tent, buzzing at the entrance. Her mind raced with emotions she couldn’t quite grasp – anxious yet eager. It had been years since she’d felt such a whirlwind of feelings, not since her early university days.

  The door opened with an eerie smoothness, pulling her abruptly from her thoughts. She stepped inside and immediately felt a chill run through her. Miji’s quarters were unlike the rest of the camp – heated, meticulously furnished, as if the temporary nature of the space was irrelevant. His office was a study in earthy reds and browns, with an office table at the centre, a bed to the side, and a small kitchen area. The walls were lined with accolades, as though he wanted no one to forget his significance.

  His tent sat perched on a rise above the camp, giving him the air of a silent guardian as he watched over everyone through a circular window behind his desk. When Dr Jode entered, Miji sat with his back to her, him facing the window. His peaked Kingmaker cap rested on the desk; its brim turned towards her.

  ‘Come in, Doctor,’ his voice was smooth yet deadly. Without turning to face her, he added, ‘I can sense the anxiety within you.’

  Jode blinked in surprise. She hadn’t even spoken yet. As Miji turned to face her, his calm demeanour coaxed her into opening up. She spilled her frustrations – her decision to stop taking the medication, her hearing of strange noises, her simmering anger toward Dr Chinh for pushing her into this dangerous expedition.

  Miji’s reassurances were warm, comforting. He complimented her intelligence, spoke of his admiration for her research, and even discussed complex scientific theories with ease, making Jode feel both validated and understood, but also attracted to his academic mind.

  In the sanctuary of her idle fantasies, she allowed herself to drift, to imagine a different time, a different place. She saw them together, ensconced in the vibrant terraces of Kam Shan University, a haven of knowledge and discovery, sipping on coffee while lost in conversation that spanned the realms of science and philosophy, dreams, desires, and pleasures.

  But as the conversation turned, his concern for her and her scientific work seemed to evaporate like mist, replaced by a predatory focus on Dr Chinh. She felt a touch of bitterness and jealousy when his focus shifted to others, yet she attempted to keep these inappropriate emotions at bay.

  ‘He does not share it all with me… perhaps he may with you. Has he told you anything?’ the King asked.

  ‘I’m not sure exactly… may I ask why?’

  ‘He thinks the dam will break.’

  ‘Well, my research points to the same conclusion.’

  ‘But he thinks it will break within a few annui-cycles. Less than five. Do your calculations indicate the same?’

  ‘Um… it’s not yet conclusive… but five cycles sounds like a ridiculous projection. My research is putting it somewhere in the next few rotations. 200 annui-cycles, perhaps, or more.’

  Miji’s expression darkened. ‘Dr Chinh is old, unwise. Just as he coerced you to come down here for the sake of personal glory, once we return to Kowloon, he will discredit everyone’s contributions here. The sacrifices of your psyche will be in vain. His greed and ego, and most importantly, his age, has dulled his scientific mind. The same way those pills dulls yours. But the doctor is a hypocrite, no self-awareness in his demand of you to stop taking your pills.’

  Dr Jode did not know why, but she broke into tears. She was being understood. This Kingmaker shed a type of light on her situation that she was unable to see before.

  ‘There is much political unrest in Kowloon,’ Miji continued. ‘Dr Chinh has lived in his cave of science for so long that he is unable to see how claims like this intersect into Kowlooni politics. When he returns to Kowloon with his incorrect calculations, he may challenge yours. And when he does, you must consider what’s best for Kowloon; a lie that makes you scared, or the truth that brings security and comfort. You’ve already seen how Dr Chinh gives no damn for anyone’s safety, even his own.’

  Jode’s mind buzzed with alarm. There was something deeply manipulative in his words, yet she found herself drawn to his authority. Could Dr Chinh really be wrong? She glanced at Miji’s Kingmaker cap on the desk – symbolic of strength and protection. She believed that they are the manifest of nobility, her only chance of protection in this terrifying hellscape.

  Miji’s expression softened again as he smiled, though it felt calculated. ‘You should continue your research, Doctor,’ he said.

  ‘And keep your pills out of sight for now. We need your mind at its best.’

  Miji concluded the discussion with another preprogrammed warm smile, a wave off, and a mechanical swivel to the window behind. He stared down at the camp from above, reprising the role of the watchful guardian, or perhaps, something far more dangerous.

  Could Dr Chinh’s calculations be that off? Within a few annui-cycles, he believes the great Chuan Wan Dam will collapse? I can’t help but scoff at that conclusion.

  The next day, her calculations flowed as easily as the water from the dam. She understood all her equations, and when solving a complex formula, got the same result at least twenty times. Of course, that very night, the scratching sounds returned.

  It’s nothing, it’s nothing. I’ll wake up tomorrow, and I’ll find no scratches. Because it’s nothing.

  As Dr Jode returned to the forefront of research, she began to see truth in Miji’s words. Dr Chinh, over time, revealed fragments of his findings and hinted at an imminent collapse. Knowing where his research was leading, Jode openly ridiculed him during meals, challenged him without hesitation in meetings, and spoke to other researchers behind his back, questioning his mental state. Her more conservative estimate of a few hundred annui-cycles for the dam’s collapse gained favour within the camp, making her the more popular voice compared to Dr Chinh’s dire predictions. The once-respected doctor soon found himself emotionally isolated from the camp, though he too looked forward to their time at the dam coming to an end.

  The camp’s first major disaster struck in the final days of their research. Dr Li and Dr Wei set off for the dam’s control room, but they never returned. Kingmaker Miji gathered the remaining scientists, his face grim and dark, as he delivered the chilling news of their disappearance. He explained that he would search the tunnels alone, taking short, 10-minute trips into the dam’s tunnels along its steep stairs.

  After an hour, Miji returned, his verdict cold: They are lost forever.

  Dr Jode couldn’t rest. Her mind churned with disbelief. She stormed into Miji’s tent, demanding to know how he could give up so easily. This time, there were no soothing reassurances. Miji simply instructed her to stay within the camp’s boundaries and not leave anyone’s sight.

  As she walked back toward her container, her mind echoed with panic and dread. Dr Wei, the same doctor that warned me about getting lost in the dark…

  Then, she froze.

  At the far end of the camp, near the entrance to the dam’s stairs, she saw her. Dr Wei. Her white lab coat and dark hair tied in a bun, disappearing into the shadows.

  Follow me, Dr Jode. I’m right here… beyond the light. I’m starving… thirsty.

  No, Dr Jode whispered to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. It’s not real. But she couldn’t unsee it – Dr Wei stepping out of the camp, disappearing into the shadows.

  Heart racing, Jode darted behind her container house, out of sight. She collapsed to the ground on her hands and knees, her sobs uncontrollable. The fear, the isolation, the missing doctors – it all crashed down at once. Her mind spiralled.

  I’m next. I know I’m next.

  She forced herself to look up, her breath ragged. Her gaze landed on the back wall of her metal container house.

  Scratches. Deep, jagged marks, as if something was desperately attempting to break in. She was right behind where her mattress was.

  She slowly reached out, her finger tip grazing the rough grooves.

  This is real. Her pulse quickened.

  Doctor… Wei’s voice called again, faint but unmistakable, from the darkness behind… help me.

  Jode stood, trembling. She turned to face the black void beyond the camp.

  Without thinking, she ran.

  ‘WEI!’ she screamed, chasing the ghostly voice. The last lantern at the camps edge flickered out as the darkness swallowed her, and the voices grew louder.

  Too loud.

  Right here, follow me. The monsters will catch you otherwise.

  High pitched voices were laced with darker, demonic sounding ones. It slithered through the darkness, seeping into her mind.

  Pitch black.

  Dr Jode couldn’t see a thing. The whispers twisted around her, driving spikes of terror into her skull.

  Her mind shattered.

  She let out a blood-curdling scream, her sanity unravelling with the sound. The world spiralled into chaos as her vision blurred and her mind fractured beyond repair.

  In her last moments of awareness, she vaguely sensed the hurried footsteps of a Kingmaker. His lantern’s weak glow flickered through the black as he reached her, strong arms lifting her limp body and carrying her back to the camp.

  Later, the Aunt was informed of the tragic news: Dr Jode, already suffering from schizophrenia, had spent thirty minutes alone in the darkness of No Man’s Land before Legate Miji found her, unconscious. What no one had told Dr Jode was that she had developed Stage 5 No Man’s Paranoia – a point where changes to core personality traits manifest. She had passed the threshold, far beyond redemption. Her sanity was lost, forever.

  The next thing she knew, she could barely tell the difference between the room the Aunt had placed her in and that dark, cold place where she had chased Dr Wei. Fear gripped her as she begged the aunt for Kingmaker protection again. Then came the chilling message from Dr Chinh to her communications device – sinister figures were after him. She knew the longer she waited for the Aunt to act, the more likely they would find her too. And kill her.

  Ushi and Shing exchanged a knowing glance. Their shared concern became mutual through the course of the tale, hearing the name of a colleague who had been thrust into the spotlight of relevancy, and perhaps, suspicion.

  ‘Please, take me with you to your tower. I can’t stay here longer. I’ve outlasted my luck, take me with you.’

  ‘Okay. Let me talk to my partner,’ Ushi conceded, rising from the couch. The old sofa creaked and groaned as he heaved himself up, crossing to the small kitchen on the other side of the room where Shing stood. Their hushed conversation took place behind the countertop, shielding their whispers from Dr Jode’s earshot. The doctor watched them with rapt attention, as if confident that they were finally coming around to her pleas.

  ‘What do I say? I can’t just promise her a room in Yu Tower and call it a day!’ Ushi hissed at Shing.

  Shing shifted his gaze to the doctor, who was still in the same position on the sofa, then leaned back to Ushi, his tone as nonchalant as his demeanour. ‘Honestly, I have no clue, buddy. Why don’t you make some grand promise and then dip out of here, we’ve got decent leads from her story.’

  Ushi looked hesitant.

  ‘You do know there aren’t actual ghosts after her, right?’ Shing continued. ‘And the Yangs could never track her to this shithole, so she’ll be fine once we leave.’

  ‘Are you mad? Have you not seen what happens to people like her when left to their own devices? She may take her own life out of pure impulse. We can’t just leave her here. She’s sick, and the Aunt will be furious if we abandon her. Even if the Yang never find her here, there isn’t a soul in this slum that would think twice before raping her and leaving her for dead. She needs protection.’

  ‘What the hell is Tong going to do if we get her mad? Why do you even care so much whether Jode lives or dies? The doctor that once worked under Tong has clearly died since their trip to No Man’s Land; that there is someone else,’ Shing said, gesturing to the doctor who stared at the two with a mad curiosity in her eyes. ‘In each apartment in this slum is a fucked up person conjuring up their own demons with a rusted needle halfway into their arm. Within the annui-cycle, they’d have all either died from some drug overdose or taken their lives, and a new druggie with fresh demons will replace them. Whether you like it or not, she fits in here more than you think. She’s not our responsibility, finding out how to protect the remainder of Tong’s scientists is. Unlike us, Jode’s at home here, so do us both a favour and do what needs to be done so we can be on our merry way.’

  Ushi gave a tired sigh and turned to the doctor, who was still staring at them like a child waiting for their parents.

  Shing – useless, absolutely useless!

  How Ushi yearned for Tao’s presence, for the comfort of someone who actually gave a damn, rather than this cold-hearted bastard. Each step felt like wading through a swamp of despair.

  When he finally sank into the worn fabric of the sofa – a seat that still bore the imprint of his body, he stiffened his shoulders and prepared himself to out-bargain the doctor.

  ‘Your meds, do you still have them?’

  ‘No, I destroyed them! Just as the Kingmaker instructed me to. Maybe I should speak to him, he will understand me! Take me to your tower! I did everything you asked!’

  ‘And then what?’ Ushi asked. ‘We take you to the tower and have Kings watch you every second?’

  ‘YES! For as long as you wish for me to stay alive!’

  ‘Be realistic, woman,’ Shing called out. Dr Jode snapped her head to him.

  ‘YOU SAID YOU WOULD TAKE ME IF I HELPED!’ Dr Jode’s voice ricocheted off the walls, amplifying fear and distrust. ‘I can’t, I CAN’T stay here!’ The panic of her shouts felt like it was engulfing the situation.

  Ushi closed his eyes shut in frustration and breathed in a sigh. ‘Jode, listen, the Yang—’

  ‘YANG? YANG?!’ Dr. Jode’s voice spiralled out of control, drowning out reason and logic.

  ‘You’re NOT LISTENING!’

  ‘Listen here, you,’ Shing jutted a finger, his patience clearly strained. ‘Don’t you dare raise your voice at us! We’re here to do YOU a favour!’

  Ushi leapt to his feet from the couch, anger and desperation simmering. ‘YOU!’ he shouted at his partner. ‘Keep your godforsaken mouth shut!’ demanding Shing not rip apart the threads of trust he had been weaving between himself and the doctor.

  ‘Please, Jode, you will live a long life if you just listen to —’ Ushi tried to reassure her, only to be cut off.

  ‘DOCTOR!’ She corrected with a screech. ‘You two planned to abandon me all along!! You’re just like the aunt!’ Dr Jode shouted.

  Shing rolled his eyes as he sighed. ‘Wake up, you dopey bitch! The Yang are the real problem.’

  ‘The YANG?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE YANG? THAT NAME DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME,’ Dr Jode screamed.

  ‘Why can’t you just shut the fuck up?!’ Ushi straddled the fence of fury as he demanded Shing once again.

  ‘Please, Jode,’ Ushi turned to the doctor once more, reaching his hands out in a plea for a truce.

  ‘IT’S DOCTOR! NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME! THE MONSTERS! THE MONSTERS!!!’

  ‘There’s no FUCKING monsters!!!!’ Shing shouted in an angered outburst, pivoting over the kitchen bench as if he meant to jump over it.

  ‘WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP SHING!?’ Ushi demanded once more, clenching his fists as he felt the impulse to swing at his partner with a tight fist.

  ‘THE MONSTERS! THEY’RE GOING TO KILL ME! THEY’RE GOING TO KILL US ALL!’

  ‘ITS THE FUCKING YANGS! WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR BULLSHIT!’ Shing barked as he slammed his fists on the counter top and stormed around it towards the doctor.

  Dr Jode’s eyes went wide with fear as the enraged Kingmaker stormed towards her, but Ushi quickly stepped in, pivoting his body to shield her, his broad shoulders raised in defence.

  Terrified, Dr Jode stumbled backwards, shielding her head with her arms. Her scream cut through the air – shrill, desperate, the embodiment of the chaos and terror that gripped the room.

  ‘AHHHHHHH—’

  Her body convulsed, a puppet jerked by the strings of fear and hysteria, her face a twisted mask of pure terror.

  Ushi turned and lunged for the doctor in a desperate attempt to help to bring her back from the brink. But the chaos was too great, the noise too deafening, a tidal wave of sound that suffocated the senses.

  The doctor’s scream did not end, saliva sputtering out as her vocal cords started cracking from strain alone. The shouting, the cries, it all mounted higher and higher, chaos strewn within the paranoia that made held no meaning to the ears it reached.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  The door shuddered violently with each thunderous blow. Ushi and Shing froze, hearts hammering, their programmed Kingmaker reflexes hijacking their senses. Before the fifth knock could connect, their hands flew to their holsters and took aim at the door with deadly precision, ready to unleash hell at a moment’s notice.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  The heavy pounding shook the very air in their lungs, threatening to unbolt every single lock fixed to the door.

  Dr Jode was a crumpled heap of hysteria, her face streaked with tears and snot, strands of dark hair clinging to the mess – a raw display of pure terror. Her screams were a ballad of madness, echoing the pounding that threatened to shatter not just the door, but their sanity.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  The atmosphere was so thick with dread it felt like the room didn’t have enough air to breathe. Ushi’s face was a mask of sweat, rivers of anxiety that coursed down his temple, a testament to how little control he had of the situation. Shing’s eye was a laser, a deadly predator locked onto its prey, yet the minuscule tremors in his hands betrayed the expression of courage.

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  Their minds raced. Was it the Yang? Or could there be truth in Dr Jode’s ravings? Ushi’s intrusive thoughts began coming to the forefront of his mind – could it be that spirits from No Man’s Land really were hunting her?

  Dr Jode tore at her own face, an animal driven mad, trying to claw her way out of the terror. She curled tighter into the corner, desperate to get away from the door. But the Kingmakers remained laser focused, trained on the door and ready to prove why Kingmakers were universally feared.

  KNOCK KNOCK—…

  …

  …

  And then, no more knocking. It ceased as quickly as it started. The void was like a vacuum of fear that left them gasping, hearts pounding, the ghostly echo of the knocks still lingering in their ears. All the sound that remained was the ear-numbing shout of the doctor, now just feeling like background noise with the passing of the loud knocking.

  Ushi’s finger, still aimed at the door, hovered over the trigger, a hair’s breadth from unleashing its chamber of energy, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

  Then, a sudden vibration came from Shing’s holocommunicator. The sudden disturbance was like a live wire snapping in a storm, his finger twitching on the verge of firing, but he held back just in time.

  ‘Hello?!’ Shing asked over the doctor’s cries. ‘Cheng, sir? What happened? What? Sir, speak up, damn it!’

  Ushi stared at Shing as he struggled to make out what Cheng was saying over the line. But the wailing doctor was too loud. Fed up, Shing’s deathly attention turned Dr Jode in the corner of the room.

  ‘Oh, why don’t you shut up already?!’ Shing said as he dropped his arms to reach down and drag the helpless doctor up by the collar of her coat.

  ‘Wait, Shing! No!’ But before Ushi could grab Shing, he’d already delivered a swift punch to the side of the unfortunate doctor’s head and tossed her limp onto the couch.

  Ushi’s anger finally reached a breaking point and he reached to grab him, but Shing aggressively swiped his arms away. ‘Listen to Cheng, dickhead!’ Shing called out into his holocommunicator once more. ‘Sir, repeat that again. I need to hear those fucking words one more time.’

  Cheng continued. ‘They have him, Shing. He was with Tao inside the fort. The Rioter’s took Yutai. We have to put everything aside and focus on getting him back.’

  ‘We’ll be at the tower as soon as possible,’ Shing concluded, hanging up. ‘Let’s go,’ he said as he approached the door.

  ‘We’re carrying the doctor back to Kam Shan, first. We’re not leaving her here.’

  ‘Actually, we can leave her here. This shit was a total fucking waste of time.’

  ‘I’m not going back on my word! This is no place for her!’

  ‘Did you not hear a word I said before? Dr Jode is long gone! No Man’s Paranoia has clearly breached her sanity! The woman we were hunting has died!’

  Ushi defiantly shook his head and turned towards the couch, grabbed the doctor by her arm and leg, and hoisted her around his neck and shoulders.

  ‘Fuck off to the tower, brother. I’ll carry her to the aunt myself,’ Ushi said as he carried her towards the door.

  Chk

  The sound of Shing’s handcannon’s safety went off behind Ushi. He stopped in his tracks. What the fuck does he think he’s doing.

  He turned around, seeing Shing point his handcannon right at Dr Jode’s head.

  ‘Believe it or not, I have very little qualms shooting someone I think is already dead.’

  ‘You wouldn’t dare.’

  ‘It’s a 3-hour ride to the Aunt, then a 4-hour ride back to Yu. Yutai has been taken by a new enemy and he could be facing death. Cheng won’t start planning for his rescue until everyone is back and you’re choosing this fucked up bitch over your brother. I’ll make sure it’s a corpse you’re taking back to Kam Shan.’

  Ushi dropped his right arm and closed it into a fist, taking a step forward towards Shing. A fuse went off in Ushi’s head at the audacity. He didn’t know what his intentions were now – rage boiled over, and all he could think about was smashing his fist into Shing’s face. His imposing frame loomed over the lanky Kingmaker as he advanced. But then, Shing’s handcannon fired – just missing Jode’s head and singeing her stray hairs. Ushi frozen in his tracks.

  ‘I can do the intimidation act too, asshole. Drop her right now and follow me quietly to the tower.’

  Ushi let out a heavy, angry sigh and carefully dropped the doctor back onto the couch. After that, he opened his holocommunicator and started drafting a message.

  ‘The hell are you doing?’ Shing asked.

  ‘Letting the Aunt know where we found her. Hoping the Black Jackets can get here in time.’