The soldier woke up from his slumber, opening his eyes groggily, expecting to see his wife next to him, but what greeted him was darkness instead. The soldier felt confused by the darkness in front of him. He was already awake, but he wondered why the world was so dark.
The soldier panicked, remembering he is inside the Gate, the forsaken world full of horrifying monsters. He only saw darkness, afraid that he was attacked in his sleep, afraid that the darkness in front of him was the afterlife.
The frail girl between the tight walls noticed the cloth she put over the soldier moving.
She crawled outside, approached the soldier covered in cloth. She grabbed the cloth, forcefully removing it from covering the man.
The soldier saw light again, his gaze landing on the kid in front of him.
His gaze remained on the girl for a few minutes, confused why a kid is in this hellhole with him. Suddenly, memories from last night came pouring down, finally remembering the kid.
He groaned, sitting up and stretching his body, and looking at the kid.
The frail girl lowered the cloth, placing it on the dirty floor before looking back at him.
"What?" The soldier asked, his voice weak, rough and raspy.
The frail girl continued to look at him, not bothering to speak even a singular word.
The soldier, too tired to say something else, only let out a sigh.
He still can't believe it even after seeing it with his own two eyes. The kid in front of him was frail, weak and thin as a stick, looking like she hadn't eaten anything in a while. He was curious about how she got here and how she lived all alone in this hell.
The soldier moved his head, looking around the building and taking every piece of detail that he could see.
His eyes landed on the empty cans, empty bottles and spoiled foods on the floor, the rotten and foul smell sickening, enough to make a grown man throw up. However, having seen the gore, and having smelled the irons and gunpowder that still lingered in his nose from last night, the stench and sight was bearable.
The girl, like him, wasn't bothered by the smell and sight. Living here alone for… what he guess, like weeks or perhaps a month, having to smell that everyday, it's no wonder why the girl seems unbothered by the sickening smell, clearly used to it.
But he didn't care about the foul smell or the disgusting sight. It gave him information that the girl wasn't alone when she arrived here. After all, it's impossible to carry—unless with Space—this amount of food by one person, much less a kid.
"You didn't come here alone, did you?"
The frail girl nodded her head in response, like already prepared for the question.
The girl's answer confirmed his earlier thought. He didn't have to ask what happened to the people who came with her, already understanding that they had been killed and eaten by monsters roaming in this area.
"Why did you all come here?" Asked again by the soldier.
The girl lowered her head and hesitated, fidgeting her fingers, troubled if she should answer the question or not. She lifted her head up and looked at the soldier in front, taking a deep breath, she muttered.
"Sold by my parents in exchange for money. There were also kids like me, but they…" She stopped, not wanting to recall the terrifying moment again.
The frail girl's answer shocked the soldier, feeling his stomach drop. He clenched his jaw, subconsciously gritting his teeth from the anger he felt, his anger growing every second.
"Do you know those people?"
"No, I don't."
Thud!
F*ck! These sick bastards! In his anger, he hit the ground with his fist, the pain forgotten by the anger he felt.
The girl flinched at the soldier's action, shocked and confused.
"Mister…?" Her voice rang on the soldier's mind, snapping him back from his anger.
The soldier looked at her, curious if she had anything more to say.
"Why are you here?"
"As you can see, I'm a soldier. My platoon and I were given orders with our main objective being to look for something and recover in this area. It was an order from the government, or at least someone"
"But this area… is deadly. Why are weak people like you sent here?"
"Before we, or I, knew it was deadly, we thought it was a safe zone, a place where no monster walked. However, that information got my platoon wiped. We were given false information, and sent here to die by someone in the government. The government is known for protecting the whole kingdom. They protect the weak and help those in need, so I doubt that the one who gave us this order wasn't from the government… but who knows, I might be wrong."
The girl stayed quiet, hearing the soldier out. Being only a kid, it was a little difficult for her to understand what the soldier was saying.
"When I first saw all of you, I thought my prayers were answered, and that I'll finally leave this place alive. But seeing you all run past this building, I was left feeling confused… 'Why are all these people running to their death?' I asked myself. I wanted to cry out, leave the building and scream for help, but I didn't, scared of the fact that if I step out of this building, I'll die. I feel… guilty. If I had stopped all of you from not going there, perhaps everyone would live and I would finally be able to leave this place."
The girl was sniffing, tears falling from her eyes and feeling conflicted, wondering if she could've stopped those from dying.
The soldier only felt pity for the girl, understanding that what she did isn't to blame for, after all, she's just a lost kid, forced to survive in this hell alone. Hating on the kid would only make him a hypocrite, knowing he didn't help those who screamed for help, ignoring them to ensure his survivability.
Silent but audible sniffles came from the frail girl in front of him.
A sigh came out of his lips, wanting to comfort the girl but not find a sweet word that could put her at ease.
Looking up, one thought appeared in his mind.
It's not impossible, but it would be too risky to return to The Camp. Staying here would also only mean a death wish with two endings; starvation and the latter becoming nutrients for the monsters
Sniffles from the frail girl slowly got quieter until fully disappearing.
Once the frail girl stopped crying, he looked down, back at her.
"Miya, yes? I don't think staying here would be a great idea. If we stay here, it's either we die from starvation or be eaten. Our only option is going back to The Camp to where the Gate is." He said.
A doubt slipped in the frail girl's mind, feeling conflicted again if she should agree with the man.
Noticing the frail girl's doubt, he said
"I understand that you doubt we will survive. I also doubt we will make it back alive to The Camp. The thought of dying is scary, but what's even scary—at least for me—is dying hopelessly."
The voice of the soldier was determined, having no sign of giving up and clinging on to a hope that almost seemed impossible.
Convinced by the unwavered determination of the man, she nodded her head, agreeing with the man and accepting the idea of escaping this hell.
"You… aren't going to use me as… bait?"
His stomach dropped, and his face frowned after hearing what she said. Just what happened to her with those f*ckers to have this type of mentality.
He shook his head. "Of course not. I promise you, even if I die, I'll protect you," said the soldier reassuringly.
A tear fell from the girl's left eye, landing on her cheek, slowly falling.
What the man said was genuine, not hiding any ill intent.
The girl smiled, her eyes glistening from the tear.
"Thank you."
A smile also appeared on the soldier's face without him knowing, appreciating the trust of the girl towards him.
His determination only grew after the girl's words.
***
Outside the building, the soldier scouts the area around the building, making sure there are no monsters present at the path they're going to take once they start moving.
It's already morning, but the area around him is still dark, as if eternally cursed to not let light in.
Having confirmed that the path is safe, he quickly returned to the building where the girl is staying.
"How… is it?"
"It's safe… at least for now. We better move before monsters come back."
Trembling, the girl stood up, not wanting to say any more words.
Noticing the scared girl, he was moved by her will to live. He took off his helmet, putting it on the girl's head.
"It's not much but this should help," he said, smiling at her.
His smile calmed her down. She is still afraid, after all, she doesn't know whether she'll survive or not. But what she knows, the man in front of her is reliable; a person that wouldn't abandon her.
The soldier stepped out of the building, waiting for the girl to do the same.
Still afraid, she hesitantly lifted her leg, her foot slowly landing on the floor, afraid that a monster might suddenly appear and devour her the moment she took a step.
Her foot landed on the floor, but no monster appeared to eat her, only the cold wind, hitting her.
Again, she took a step, and another, getting confident with each one.
The girl stood next to the soldier, holding his hand tightly.
The world is dark, but the two can see a small light flickering, knowing they may fail, the result will the same if they try or not.