Faint Light

Chapter Sixteen

The journey to the fourteenth floor had been easy, almost comically so, no monsters, no blockages, almost a straight shot. In no time they were back inside the small apartment, the kids eagerly hugged her as Hyun-Su and Sang Wook stood by the doorway almost awkwardly. Resting a hand on each of their heads she rubbed them affectionately, her gaze moving around the room to find the rest of the occupants of the apartment.

Instantly her back stiffened as she caught the worried gaze of the owner of said apartment, a frown on his lips as he flicked his eyes towards what she could only assume was the bathroom door. Resisting the urge to sigh she forced a smile as the kids let go of her waist and moved back to the small table to continue eating their food.

"What happened now?" Her voice was low as she approached the wheelchair bound male, Hyun-Su and Sang-Wook trailing behind her.

"It's auntie, she's...well...its best if you see for yourself." He gestured to the bathroom and Kagome arched an eyebrow, it would seem they missed a lot in the few days they had been on the lobby floor.

Sang-Wook grumbled under his breath, the air was tense and it made him bristle, moving his gaze from Kagome and the wheelchair bound man he let his eyes settle on the two kids. They were happily sitting next to each other, chatting amongst themselves as they ate what he assumed was a form of stew.

Looking at them in such a normal setting almost made him forget the world had gone to shit. Such was the innocence of youth, it made him frown, his hands itching to grab a cigarette and light it but he knew if he did Kagome would get irate at him for smoking near the kids.

While he hadn't known her long, he knew her enough to know that these kids were more than just a sense of duty. She genuinely cared for them and would throw hands over them. It was just another random quirk of hers that seemed to draw him in closer. It had shocked him, how quickly and intensely he was drawn to her but honestly at this point he had stopped fighting it.

The world was ending and there was little to no reason for him to fight the attraction to the small female. Sure, it annoyed him that Hyun-Su seemed to have the same attraction but it only made the chase that much more addictive.

"Well, shit." He was pulled from his thoughts at Kagome's whispered words as she stood in the doorway of the bathroom. Moving to stand behind her he blinked at the over sized...fetus that was taking up most of the room.

What, the actual fuck?

He didn't even have to voice his shock, Kagome merely tilted her head as she leaned back against him. He easily held her up, his arms wrapping around her waist to hold her back from moving even further into the room. He ignored the glared burning into the side of his face.

Kagome merely took in the large fetus as it plused, it had the aura of the auntie, so she knew it was her...but she had obviously monsterized. Her form was farm from human yet the aura it gave off was calm and peaceful.

Up until now every full monsterized human they had come across had tried to either kill or eat them. It made hope flare to life in her chest, maybe they were like the demons of old. There were good and bad demons, of course the bad far outweighed the good but the fact of the matter was that there were still good.

Maybe, once everything settled down a sense of balance could bloom to life between those who were monsterized and those who had yet fully change. Sadly it seemed that just like back then, those that were only half monsterized would be feared by both sides. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she turned to look at the Hyun-su giving him a small encouraging smile.

"She doesn't feel dangerous, which gives me hope that not all 'monsters' are bad. That being said, her new form doesn't look very mobile...we should probably leave her here and make our way down to the lobby." She patted Sang-Wook's arm lightly, asking him to let her go. He did so, shutting the door to the bathroom behind them as he followed her and Hyun- Su back into the kitchen area to make a plan of action.

It would be hard to get Han Du-Sik down the fourteen floors that stood between them and the lobby without use of the elevator but it needed to be done. She was loath to admit it but the task would no doubt fall to Sang-Wook and Hyun-Su. She would have to wrangle the kids as well as carry whatever they could fit into the packs on their backs, they would be able to come back for the rest at a later date.

Giving voice to her thoughts they quickly came up with a plan of action. They would rest for the night, packing up what they needed, and leave in the morning. Once they made it to the ground floor they would take over the arcade that they had once been locked in. It would give them the room they needed to have their own space but still be near by each other.

Once fully settled in they would begin to clear the floors one by one, gathering supplies as well as flushing out any monsters that were hiding towards the upper floors. Gaining as much space between them and their 'home'.

The next morning, the group prepared to embark on their mission to expand their base and flush out any lurking monsters. Kagome had explained the plan to the kids, who, although apprehensive, understood the importance of what they were about to do.

With the kids in tow, Kagome and the others made their way down the stairwell. As they moved through the abandoned floors, Kagome couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The silence was oppressive, and the deserted apartments were a stark reminder of the world they now lived in. The group pressed on, determined to reach the ground floor where the kids would be safe.

Sang-Wook and Hyun-Su took the lead, clearing rooms and ensuring the way was safe for Kagome, the kids, and Han Du-Sik. They moved with a practiced efficiency, dispatching any monsters they encountered. Kagome, on the other hand, focused on keeping the children calm and distracted from the grim reality outside.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the lobby floor. The once-familiar space had become a makeshift home, and it was time to make it official. Leaving the others to talk with the larger group of survivors on the main floor, Kagome led the kids to the arcade area they had decided to claim as their living space. It was a small oasis of normalcy in a world gone mad, with the flashing lights and colorful games offering a brief escape from the horrors outside.

They could has out the finer details and bring her up to speed on the plans going forward, for now she wanted to get the kids settled in. Their trek had been a long and perilous one, it was clear to her to the kids were exhausted in every sense of the word. Setting the bags on the floor she smiled at them as they gazed up at her from their seated positions. "You can relax now, this will be our new home. You guys start unpacking when you feel like it. I'm going to check in with the others." They nodded, excited that they would get to set up their new base!

Exiting the room she placed an ofuda on the door, making sure it would alert her should anyone or anything attempt to enter without her permission. Making her way to the large group loudly discussing their arrival she came to stand between Hyun-Su and Sang-Wook, clearing her throat she spoke up.

"Look, can we iron out the finer details tomorrow? We're tired. All we need to know right now is that the arcade is going to be our base, we're here to stay and we will pull our weight and the kids. If you have a problem with it, then we'll just keep to ourselves and gather our own supplies. Otherwise we can all work together. For now I'm taking these guys." She wrapped a hand around each of the wrists of the males flanking her and jutted her chin in Han Du-Sik's direction. "To go rest, its been a long day." With that she turned her head away from the group and began to lead the three males away with her towards their new home.

They settled in, making the arcade more homey with their meager belongings. It was cramped, but it would do for now. The plan was to clear the remaining upper floors one by one, gradually pushing the monsters away from their newfound sanctuary.

As they gathered around a makeshift table to eat a simple meal, Kagome couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. They were survivors, adapting to a world that had turned into a nightmare. And in the midst of the chaos, they had found a sense of unity and purpose.

With the arcade as their home base, they were ready to face the challenges that lay ahead. Together, they would carve out a new life in this hostile world, one floor at a time.