The Dawn of Malice

Living Dead

Caerus walked down the road he used to walk in the mornings.

Unfazed by the crowd, Caerus blended seamlessly with his surroundings, his dark hair and steely grey eyes drawing no more attention than a brushstroke in the grand tapestry of the bustling city. It was a novel sensation, the cloak of normalcy settling upon him like a comfortable shroud. Yet, woven beneath this newfound contentment was an undercurrent of unease, a gnawing feeling that refused to be ignored.

Despite the thrill of anonymity, Caerus couldn't shake off the shadow that loomed over his euphoria. The very path he tread upon daily, one that now felt almost ordinary, bore witness to a gruesome spectacle of chaos and ruin. His eyes swept over the people passing by their measured steps a stark contrast to the turmoil etched into the landscape.

As the city's inhabitants moved with muted determination, Caerus's gaze locked onto a poignant scene. An old woman, a visage of resilience, shuffled by with a young girl at her side, her fiery auburn hair a stark contrast to the grimness of the moment. The child's tear-streaked face painted a heartbreaking portrait of innocence lost amid the turmoil.

"Grandma, where's papa and mama?"

"My dear Edith, we are all that's left." The elderly woman choked back sobs. "We need to get to safety. Grandpa, Mama, and Papa are gone. They're in a better place now."

The elderly woman did her best not to burst into tears as she looked at her granddaughter's eyes. The girl's eyes had begun to glaze over, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. The realization finally began to dawn on the poor child. She began to pull back as her grandmother gripped her forearms firmly.

"No! Take me to Mama!" The child demanded, pulling against her grandmother's grip. "Mama wouldn't go without me! No! Let me go!" The old woman struggled to keep her grip as the child thrashed and kicked.

"Please Edith," the old woman implored, her voice a mixture of urgency and love that tugged at the young girl's heartstrings. "I'm begging you, my dear. We must find safety, for both our sakes." Her words held a resolute determination, a plea that couldn't be easily dismissed.

The child, torn between her own fears and the unwavering strength in her grandmother's voice, found herself captivated by the gravity of the situation. Slowly, her rebellious struggle against her grandmother's grip subsided, and she allowed herself to be drawn into the embrace of those caring arms.

With a gentle release, the grandmother let go, allowing space for their unspoken connection to take root. The young girl's eyes, teary and wide, met the gaze of the woman who had become her last anchor in a storm-tossed world. The depth of emotion in her grandmother's expression held her in place, freezing her steps as if time itself had momentarily stilled. "My dear, please calm down... let's get to safety..." The old woman begged between sobs.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry. Grandma... Mama... I'm sorry..." The little girl's wails echoed through the air, a heartbreaking symphony of grief. Caerus winced at the heartrending spectacle before him. His city, a haven of tranquility, had been thrust into a nightmarish reality, a stark contrast to the peace he had known.

Amidst the turmoil, a voice as cold as ice pierced the tumultuous atmosphere, a stark juxtaposition against the little girl's cries. "Quite the scene this early in the morning," the voice remarked, devoid of empathy. Caerus turned his gaze to the speaker, his expression revealing a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. "Your city seems so different from the last time I came to visit."

Lucian's nonchalant demeanor was highlighted by an exhausted yawn, his breath materializing into a misty cloud that danced around his face like ethereal wisps. The hood of his overcoat framed his features, concealing much of his countenance in shadows. It was a stark reminder that even amidst chaos, the enigmatic Laresian maintained an aura of mystery. "Your people did this, Lucian." Caerus spat.