While my mind swirled with questions, Kristen continued.
"Not to mention there is a Monolith of Profanity nearby, so there are a lot of Defilers and Profane Born roaming in this city, there might even be a Vilesworn lurking," he added, his tone serious.
"This place is not safe for you at all, if radiation doesn't kill you, those profanes will definitely do."
I struggled to process what I was hearing, just what the hell happened to Earth?
Before I could say anything, Zei spoke up.
"We apologize, Mr Kristen, but we can't answer your questions," she replied with a saddened expression on her face.
"And why is that, may I ask?"
"Because we both have lost our memories," Zei replied quietly.
"The last memory I remember was that we were both surrounded by blazing flames, and the next moment we found ourselves in a forest where we encountered a horrifying creature and barely managed to escape. After wandering for days, we found ourselves in this abandoned city."
Tears streamed down her face.
"We didn't know this was a radiation zone, we just moved forward to find someone who could help us, and that is when you found us."
I stared at her, dumbfounded, impressed by her skills to deliver a lie so flawlessly that even I almost believed it. We couldn't tell Kristen about our origins; he was showing us kindness, but all of that could very well be a facade. It was best not to trust him completely.
His golden eyes shifted towards me. "Is what your partner said true?"
"Y-yes, it's the truth, if we knew this was a radiation zone, we would have never stepped foot in this city to begin with, right?"
He leaned back while studying us. "Hmm, that does make sense indeed, so you don't know who you are or what this place is?"
"That's right, unfortunately, we don't even know what Monoliths of profanity is," I admitted, "or what a Rune of Indemnity is, for that matter.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "And yet you understand most of the terms I am using, and you speak fluently. Odd, isn't it?"
"We don't have an answer to that question," I said, my heartbeat racing.
"It couldn't be. What if perhaps" he mumbled something quietly, I was getting nervous with each passing second.
"Could it be that you both have been brainwashed?" Suddenly, he uttered, "Yeah, that must be it, gods, what a horrible fate has fallen on you pitiful souls." Relief washed over me. Looks like he had taken the bait.
"That is indeed troublesome, you won't be able to survive here like this for long."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked
Kristen stood and walked towards the shattered window, staring into the ruined city.
"This place had a nuclear power plant which exploded a long time ago, making this entire place a highly irradiated zone. If you are still fine, then that means you must not have wandered too deep into the city where the destroyed uranium core lies."
"But staying in here without any sort of protection will be life-threatening regardless of whether you go near the source or not. You will start to experience nausea, skin burns, and perhaps even organ failures."
My heart sank at his words, "What should we do then?"
"We have to get you both the Rune of Indemnity as soon as possible."
"Can you give us one?" Zei asked
"I am not an Enchantral," Kristen replied with a sigh, "But my partner is, he is currently out scouting, so we will have to wait for him. He looks scary but has a soft spot for kids. He won't turn you down."
"He'll help us?" I asked cautiously.
"He will provide you both with the Rune, so that you will be safe from radiation, and then we can figure out what to do next."
"Can I ask you something? " Zei muttered.
"What is it? Go ahead, I will answer your question, since I have nothing to do for now until he returns."
"If this place is so dangerous… Why are you and your partner here?"
"A good question indeed," Kristen said with a half smile, "To answer that, simply let's say we both are here on a mission to purify this place and destroy the Monolith of Profanity along with all those hideous beings."
"You two are going to do that all alone?" I asked with curiosity.
Kristen laughed at my question, "We are much stronger than you think, kid. We both are more than enough to take care of this mission."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside.
"Looks like he is back," Kirsten muttered.
I nervously glanced at the front door as it creaked open, and I saw him. The man who was completely drenched had black hair tied up, a beard shadowed his jaw, and a deep scar slashed across his skin above his left eye. He was wearing a black long coat, wielding a katana covered with blood in his right hand.
He gave off an aura of a killer, I felt a suffocating pressure enveloping the entire room.
His dull grey eyes met mine for a moment before retreating.
"Who are these kids?" He asked curtly, "Where did you find them? You know we are here for an operation, right?"
Kristen waved a hand dismissively. "Stop ranting as soon as you enter, dude, first go get changed and then I will explain everything."
The man glanced at us one last time and then sighed, heading towards the tent.
Kristen turned to us and chuckled, "Don't worry about that, he is just a little grumpy; otherwise, he is a good person…most of the time at least."
"It's fine," Zei replied, "We are the ones being a hindrance."
"You're not intruding, we've faced worse situations," Kristen said reassuringly.
The man returned shortly after. He sat beside Kristen and began preparing himself a cup of coffee.
"Now then, care to explain what happened while I was gone?"