Thunder rolled above the shattered treetops as rain poured down in cold.
Felt stood silently in the rain, staring down at the lifeless woman's body. Her eyes no longer shined. Her fingers no longer trembled. All that remained was silence—save for the sound of raindrops pelting the soil.
Without a word, Felt knelt down and began to bury her beneath the drenched earth.
Rest in peace, he thought solemnly, his hands moving in steady rhythm through mud and tears.
Zed stood beside him, both hands pressed together in quiet prayer. His long dark-red hair clung to his face, soaked by the downpour.
When the burial was done, Zed raised his head. "There's a cave not far from here. We should take shelter for now," he said, voice barely audible under the thunder.
Felt nodded.
They both trudged through the storm and entered the cave, where the roar of thunder echoed louder within its hollow chambers.
Inside, Felt peeled off his soaked shirt and wrung the water from it before placing it over a rock to dry. The cave was cold, but at least it was dry. They both sat down, rain thudding just outside the entrance.
Zed broke the silence, his voice distant. "Why didn't you kill that woman?"
Felt blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
Zed's hand suddenly slammed onto his lap. "What mind games are you playing?" he snapped, voice rising. "You're a monster—why leave her alive?!"
Felt lowered his gaze, his tone quiet. "I didn't ask to be born a monster, man."
Zed stood and faced him directly, his eyes sharp and furious. "And now you're telling me about working together? You could've killed me so many times! Why didn't you?!"
"I don't know," Felt muttered. "I just... I don't wanna kill people who are doing what they believe is right."
"You're a monster, man!"
"I get it!" Felt yelled, yanking his shirt off the rock. "I told you—I'm both. But I'd never kill a human for no reason. You've gotta believe me."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
Grrrrumble.
Their stomachs growled in perfect sync.
The tension broke. They both stared at each other, then chuckled lightly under their breath.
Zed cracked a tired grin. "Okay. I'll help you. We've got similar goals anyway."
Felt gave a small nod. "That's if we don't die of hunger first."
"Right..." Zed chuckled—but his body swayed. His vision blurred.
Come to think of it, he thought weakly, I haven't eaten in four days... this is bad...
He collapsed.
"Zed?!" Felt jumped to his side. His breathing was shallow.
Without hesitating, Felt lifted him onto his back and stepped out into the rain again. The downpour hadn't stopped, but he didn't care. Step by step, he moved forward until—finally—a small wooden house appeared in the distance.
He knocked hard on the door.
It opened quickly.
A girl stood in the doorway, eyes wide. "Are you okay? Hurry, come in!"
"Thank you," Felt panted, Zed still slumped over his back.
—
Inside, the warmth of the little home washed over them. Zed had been placed on a mat in the living room while Felt sat close, watching anxiously.
Moments later, Zed's eyes snapped open. He sat up fast, alert and suspicious.
"Where the hell am I?" he asked, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling—then at the girl.
"Oh, he's awake!" she smiled. "I'm Floris!"
Zed's eyes narrowed. He turned to Felt.
Felt sat nearby, stuffing his face full of food. "Ah, Zed," he mumbled with a mouthful. He held up a piece of juicy steak. "Steak?"
Zed sighed and closed his eyes. "I'll pass—"
Growwwwl.
His stomach betrayed him.
"Okay, maybe a little..."
—
The aroma of hot food filled the cozy room. Soon, they were both seated around a modest dining table, eating with grateful urgency.
Then, footsteps echoed from upstairs.
A mature woman with sharp eyes descended the staircase.
"Miss Kate!" Floris called.
The woman nodded and scanned the strangers at the table.
"Are these friends of yours, dear?" she asked.
Floris hesitated. "Uh—"
Felt bowed quickly. "No, ma'am. We're just travelers who needed shelter. Sorry for the inconvenience."
Zed continued chewing. "Yeah," he said with a mouthful.
Felt elbowed Zed sharply, forcing him into an awkward bow.
Miss Kate waved it off. "No, no. It's quite alright."
—
Later that evening, they all sat around the table. A strange peace hung in the air.
Floris smiled brightly. "Miss Kate is such a wonderful woman," she said, eyes sparkling. "A year ago, my parents abandoned me. But Miss Kate took me in and treated me like her own. And today—today's the Blood Moon. We finally get to see it together."
"Oh dear," Miss Kate whispered, touched.
"Blood Moon?" Zed asked.
Floris nodded. "Yes. It's a special day when the moon turns bright red. I've never seen it before. Miss Kate's told me all about it."
Felt frowned slightly. "Isn't that a ritual day? I've heard stories... Monsters tend to get stronger on nights like that. Much stronger if they feed on humans."
Miss Kate turned to Felt, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"I must say... you have quite an odd smell."
Felt chuckled nervously. "Me? Haha, probably 'cause I haven't showered in a while."
Miss Kate didn't laugh. "No... that's not it. You—"
"Thanks for the food," Zed interrupted, standing. "But we should probably get going."
"So soon?" Floris asked, looking disappointed.
Felt nodded. "Yeah... the rain's cleared anyway."
As they stepped outside, Floris waved from the door. "Take care!"
The two of them walked side by side beneath the red-tinged night sky.
Felt exhaled. "Phew. She had a great scent."
Zed nodded. "I know."
—
Flashback.
"Tea?" Floris had offered sweetly.
Felt smiled. "Of course." He took a sip.
End.
Felt suddenly groaned. "That tea was horrible."
Zed blinked. "She gave you tea?"
"Yeah—"
Felt staggered and dropped to his knees, choking.
"Hey!" Zed turned, eyes wide. "What's wrong?!"
"P... Poison..." Felt rasped, clutching his throat.
Zed's heart slammed in his chest. Poison?
Wait... that means they could be...
His eyes widened in realization.
Monster hunters.
—
Back at the house—
Miss Kate stood in the dim kitchen, her lips curled into a cold smile.
"Well done, Floris," she said softly.
Floris looked up and smiled back