"I know you want to grieve but we gotta get up Tilus, Stage 2 is starting in 30 minutes" William shake him up
Tilus pull himself back to reality, right he had duty to uphold
"Car, we need a car to get there or else we would ran out of time" Tilus shout
Brummpppp
"Get in" Inside was Mortem
How did he got it so fast ? Now is not the time for it
"Everyone get in'
Like someone snapped them out of their mourning stage.
"But we had to buried them…" Mindy said
Tilus pulled her hand
"There is no time for that, we will waste their sacrifice if we did"
"But..."
"Hurry" He yell at them
Then one by one they rush inside the truck
The road was bumpy
There was some people stay guard at the Citadel gate but we pay no mind and crashed through the gate with our car.
The moment we was inside the timer went to 0
[Stage 2 is now commencing]
Verismon appear from the shadow
[Welcome to Stage 2 you mortals, my oh my there are quite a few of you here. I know you been through a hard time no ? So how about I took you on a trip. Now buckle up]
A flash of brilliant light later—and just like that—we were no longer crashing through a Citadel gate in a battered truck. We now stood before the Co Loa Citadel in its original splendor, a monumental fortress that seemed to breathe ancient power
Verismon's hollow, mocking laughter echoed as the system text flickered in midair, its digital sneer setting nerves on edge
"Now now, hope no one had an headache because of that. You now had one day to rest and prepare your defense against the three waves of monsters. Details is in the Stage 2 description so there is no need for me to yap about it. Your mission is simple: survive three relentless waves of attack. Fail, and your fate is sealed. Cooperation is mandatory—discord will be your downfall. Enjoy the chaos, and remember: even a demon can be defeated by a well-timed insult. Now until next time my mortal human."
Verismon said as he disappear into the shadow
The crowd buzzed with tension, but two figures cut through it like old, familiar songs.
"Yo! Is that our favorite tragic protagonist or just a ghost who forgot how to moisturize?" Leon called out, grinning as he shoved his way through the people, dragging Ben behind him.
Tilus blinked, stunned for a moment. "Leon? Ben?"
Ben gave a solemn nod, eyes scanning the group. "We made it. Barely."
Leon tried to lighten the mood again. "Man, you look like you've been through five apocalypses and a bad breakup. In that order." Then, catching sight of Cindy's distant stare and Mindy's blank expression, the joke caught in his throat.
"…Right. Not the time."
An awkward silence fell like a curtain.
"I'll take them to rest," Leon muttered, voice softer now. "Jasmine, Violet, you two okay walking?"
Jasmine gave a quiet nod, brushing ash from her shoulder. Violet looked up
"I'm okay, me and William came to rescue them but we were late so it not me that you had to worry about," she said.
Leon looked to Mindy and Cindy next. "There's a half-standing dorm building not far. Roof's cracked, but it's the closest thing to peace we got. Come on."
Mindy hesitated, glancing at Tilus
He nodded. "Go with them"
Mortem didn't say a word, but followed when Cindy tugged gently at his sleeve. The group moved, a slow shuffle of trauma and fatigue, guided by a jester who'd temporarily put his mask away.
Ben lingered a moment longer. "They're not okay, Tilus."
"I know."
Ben's hand clasped his shoulder "William said he want to talk with you over there at the second floor"
"I got it" Tilus said as he moved up the stairs
"You came finally, now come here, what do you see down there ?"
Tilus take a look down there. Among the survivors there are clear two group. One side was wearing green military cloth and on the other side another group with scar all over their bodies. He don't even need William to told them who they are
"This place is split right down the middle. On one side, we have the army group led by Alex—disciplined, relentless, and stuck in their own rigid world. On the other, Darius's mafia crew—smooth operators who'd rather throw insults than a punch. And we all know these two sides wouldn't share a plate of food even if their lives depended on it."
Tilus didn't turn back but continued to look down at the two group who inviting people into their group in their own way. According to the journal there should be 3 group here and Mindy and CIndy were one of them who united the remain few survivors but how come it so different then what was written in the journal ? The people who decided to joined the battle with them already dead.
William's gravelly tone broke through the uneasy silence as he laid out their options beneath the looming shadow of the Citadel's ruined walls. "Listen up, Tilus. We're staring at two paths here." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "Option one: Alex and the army. Structured, powerful—if you like rules and bureaucracy choking every step you take. Option two: Darius and the mafia. Ruthless and unpredictable but resourceful and unbound by nonsense like red tape."
Tilus crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in quiet skepticism. "Diplomacy might work on paper, but you know how it goes. The army won't risk a bunch of civilians, and Darius won't move unless he sees undeniable gain."
William grunted in agreement, his face set in a wry, determined expression. "So, we need something more—a lever to tilt the scales."
Tilus allowed himself a half-smirk, the gears in his mind already turning. "I've got just the bait," he replied.
Later that day, Tilus and William made their way toward Alex's makeshift command post, where tensions simmered beneath military precision. The two exchanged curt nods as they approached Alex's group for the inevitable debate.
"Stop, what business do you have here ?" The two soldier pointed the gun at us
"We need to see Lieutenant Alex"
"Listen, Lieutenant Alex is busy. you can't meet him as you please, turn around and leave' one of soldier wave us to go away and the other aiming at us
"Tilus I think we should leave" William whisper
Before any prolonged discussion of pros and cons could even begin, Tilus stepped forward, cutting through the formalities. His voice shouted to Alex tent
"Alex," he said, almost casually, "how long do you think that quarantine zone your daughter is holed up in will hold before it finally falls apart?"
"What do you think you are… ?" The two soldier point his gun at Tilus again
"Let him in" Alex voice echo out
"Yes sir" They stepped aside
"You are toast now that you anger him" the soldier whisper in his ear as he go in
I pay him no mind when I walked inside.
In the tent there was only a small table set up and the guy was staring at me. He look like someone in his 40-50 and his face is somewhat familiar like Tilus saw it before but cant remember when.
Alex's eyes snapped into flame, his anger barely contained. For a heartbeat, it looked as if he was about to tear into Tilus's throat with every syllable. After a tense pause, his voice came out ragged and raw,
"Who are you two and what do you know ?"
"I'm Tilus and this is William we came to ask for your help defending the gate so we can had higher survival rate in this Stage 2"
"You want my help? Then help me get my daughter out first."
Tilus met his glare with unflinching resolve. "I was going to say the same to you, Alex. Listen here—we're stuck until we clear Stage 2. Unless we survive together, your daughter is lost, and we're all as good as dead in this mess." He let the words sink in, his tone a blend of dire urgency and calculated calm. "I've got a route into that quarantine zone. A reliable source told me how to bypass security before everything goes to hell."
William's steady gaze anchored the exchange, as he watched the tension escalate. Alex was trapped between his duty as a commander and the desperate need to save his daughter—a pawn in a high-stakes game that Tilus had just expertly set in motion.
Alex's jaw tightened as he wrestled with his options, the moral and strategic dilemma etched into every line of his face. "So you're saying we work together—if I help you, you help me save her?" he demanded, the conflict in his voice unmistakable.
Tilus nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Alex's. "Either you help me now, or this stage consumes us all, leaving her to the infected and chaos."