Noah ran for about twenty minutes before completely losing his breath. His legs had lost all strength; his entire body ached. He was only a few blocks away from Kai's apartment. The city was still in complete chaos, with people still running everywhere, uselessly trying to find shelter. All the restaurants and places that could have been used as refuges were totally closed until the next day. Luckily for Noah, he hadn't seen another one of those horrible creatures.
"They're dark spirits," he remembered.
That's what that guy said, but what the hell?
He didn't have time to worry about those creatures. He patiently tried to catch his breath, leaning against the entrance of a small building. As he tried to breathe normally again, he just had to run a little further, and he would find Kai. Thinking of Kai, his stomach clenched; he feared something might have happened to his friend. He shook his head, trying to push away the negative thoughts, but it was too late; he was expecting the worst.
The streets near Kai's apartment were completely empty. Noah hurried until he reached the small building, ringing the intercom, hoping to hear his friend's voice on the other side. But after insisting for several minutes, no one answered. If Kai wasn't home yet, he didn't know where to start looking for him. Maybe the hospital? His heart pounded at the thought of having to travel across the city to get to the hospital.
Kai, where did you go? He thought to himself with anguish.
Noah decided to go back the way he came. Maybe, just maybe, Kai would be walking back home. He wanted to think he would see him at any moment...
But after walking a few steps, he could feel someone following him. He wanted to run, but that wasn't an option; his body was injured, and breathing hurt him.
"I wonder when you're going to turn around, you little piece of trash," it was the man who had attacked him in the bathroom again.
Noah's heart stopped. There was no way he would run away with the same luck again. He would probably die at this guy's hands this time. With the remaining strength in his legs, he tried to run, but the man grabbed his cape and threw him to the ground.
"Agh!" Noah groaned.
"You're not going to escape me, not this time, trash." The man looked down at him.
"I don't know who you are, leave me alone, I don't know who you are!" Noah's breathing was ragged.
"I already told you I don't care what you say," he said, repeatedly kicking Noah's body lying on the ground.
"Today you'll just leave this world, and you won't cause anyone else pain ever again."
"I... I..." Noah couldn't finish the sentence, as blood came out of his mouth.
"Shut up now... Do you think I'm going to feel compassion for you just because you act like a weak rat? What you've done can't be erased. Do you ever think about him? I bet you don't. You only care about yourself, like the selfish trash you are."
"At least tell me who you're talking about," Noah added, coughing.
"You don't have the right to hear his name again. Do you think that by telling me a few words, I could forget how much he has suffered because of you? It's impossible, no one could forget it. The only solution is for you to die."
Each kick he delivered was stronger than the last. Noah couldn't defend himself with his arms, clumsily covering his face uselessly.
I hope I die soon, Noah thought, resigned. There was nothing else he could do.
As he slowly lost consciousness, he began to hear loud sounds of things falling and breaking everywhere. The noises seemed to be coming from a nearby street.
"I'd better kill you now. I don't want anything to stop me from finishing you off again."
Noah had given up on the idea of reasoning with this guy. He was a lunatic; his words were meaningless to him. He couldn't understand anything he was saying. His body ached, his breathing became slower and slower. He could only think of Kai's face. If only he had seen him, if only he knew he was safe, he could die in peace. But that wasn't an option. There was no way to escape this guy; his fate had already been sealed.
When his eyes were about to close, he saw a person running quickly down the street he was on. This person wore a red cape and a white demon mask. They moved at a terrifying speed as they lunged at the man who was threatening Noah's life.
"Little snack, I told you not to get into trouble," the mysterious man in the cape said, before knocking out the other man.