Jahir POV

  'Southern district? How did they travel such a vast distance to the central district?' Jahir's brows furrowed deeply as he scrutinized the group. 'And with young children?' The questions swirled in his mind.

  "Please, don't be alarmed," the man said quickly, his voice earnest. "Our home was ravaged by the monsters a month ago. We've been fleeing ever since, hiding, and somehow we've found our way here. Is this indeed the central district of Encer? We hail from the south of Encer, so we are, in a sense, the same. Please, have no fear." His black mullet swayed slightly as he spoke, and his green eyes, though seemingly friendly, held a peculiar glint...

  "How did you manage to survive this far without any visible weapons?" Tosic asked, his gaze sharp as he scanned their seemingly defenceless forms. "Surely you must have a strong individual amongst you."

  "We lost our weapons in a desperate battle," the man explained, gesturing vaguely. "And yes, I am the strongest amongst our group. Our leader… is that… your leader as well?" He posed the question with a seemingly innocent tilt of his head, his green eyes fixed intently on Tosic.

  "I am not, though I appreciate the sentiment," Tosic replied, shaking his head slightly.

  "Ah, well then, my name is... it is Vincent. A pleasure to meet you both." Vincent clasped his hands together, his smile unwavering as he took a step closer. The rest of his group followed suit, their eyes fixed on Jahir and Tosic. "Are you travelling alone? It's dangerous out here, especially now."

  'He seems unusually cheerful for someone who claims to have recently fled a monster attack, but then again, Kel exists.' Jahir thought. 'Perhaps I'm overthinking this. Zephyra would likely welcome them with open arms, no questions asked.' A knot of unease tightened in his stomach as he subconsciously tightened his grip on the strap of his bag.

  "Unfortunately, we can't offer much assistance right now. We're on a rather specific mission of our own, and my mother always warned me about strangers," Tosic said, casting a glance at Jahir, who let out a resigned sigh.

  "Yes, we'll be heading on our way now," Jahir added, his tone neutral. "We wish you the best in your survival." With that, they both turned and began to walk away.

  "So you want us to die?" A small girl's voice piped up. She clung tightly to the skirt of a woman, her chestnut brown hair peeking out from behind her.

  "No, they aren't heartless, child." Vincent interjected quickly. "Please, perhaps we could assist you on your mission? We wouldn't be a burden, I assure you." His words hung in the air, causing both Tosic and Jahir to halt in their tracks.

  'What would Kel do in this situation? Probably welcome them. Acacia would most likely find a way to scare them off or be utterly perplexed. Maximus would likely ignore them entirely. But me?' Jahir's thoughts raced. 'I don't want to see children perish, but travelling in a larger group is undeniably risky. They could easily become bait, attracting more unwanted attention.'

  "If you intend to follow, understand that your safety then rests solely on your actions," Tosic stated.

  "Understood. We won't be a hindrance," Vincent replied with a hopeful smile.

  "So, what's the headcount?" Jahir asked.

  "Right, well, there are four men, myself included. Three women. And four children. All the children are girls." Vincent turned around to look at his group as he counted.

  'I simply wanted a number,' Jahir thought.

  "Eleven, then? Fine," Tosic said, turning abruptly and striding forward. Jahir followed, keeping a wary eye on the group as they trailed behind. He noticed one of the children had brown eyes, a stark contrast to the others' green, but decided against mentioning it for now.

  'Why the uniform green eyes? Just a quirk of fate? Or are they all related? There's an unsettling feeling to their demeanour, a subtle wrongness I can't quite place. Still, that thick southern Encer accent... they're definitely from that region, so they're likely telling the truth about that much.' Jahir mused internally, his senses on high alert as they navigated the skeletal remains of shattered buildings, each step deliberate, his gaze sweeping their surroundings for any sign of danger.

  "So, about the southern district," Jahir began, his voice casual but his eyes sharp, "how exactly did the monsters manage to overwhelm it so completely? Was the Flow Society present there at all?"

  "Oh yes, the Flow Society was there, alright," Vincent replied. "But unfortunately... they were all lost in the devastation. The monsters... they were just everywhere. The whole district was engulfed in flames..." He sighed, his gaze drifting into the distance, as if reliving the horror.

  "Sounds like the gods have finally had enough of our sins," Tosic said while muttering under his breath.

  "Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest," Vincent murmured, a beat of silence passing before he spoke again, his voice slightly softer.

  "So, in your opinion, we brought this upon ourselves?" Jahir pressed, his gaze fixed on Tosic.

  "As a person clinging to life, no, I desperately hope not," Tosic replied with a shrug. "But from the perspective of beings who've watched our kind for millennia? Maybe we deserved it." Jahir stopped as he noticed a cat with four eyes who stared at them for a moment and suddenly hissed at the group before running off. "They stood by and watched as we teetered on the brink of extinction in the past. They certainly took their time intervening then. Now, with this new wave... we're already stretched thin. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire swathes of the globe have already been swallowed whole by those creatures."

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  "Which deity holds your faith?" Jahir asked, his eyes following the stray cat as it darted into the ruins before them.

  "None," Tosic replied, a self-assured smile playing on his lips. "My faith lies in survival and my own two hands. At least I can ensure my own needs are met, rather than waiting for divine intervention that may never come." He glanced at Jahir. "And you?"

  "I believe in all of them," Jahir said, his gaze thoughtful. "Each plays a part in the cosmic balance. To favour one seems to be a narrow-minded dismissal of the others' influence."

  "We believe in only one," Vincent interjected, his voice gaining a reverent tone. The others behind him echoed his sentiment with solemn nods. "The true one."

  "The true one? And who might that be?" Tosic inquired, his brow slightly furrowed.

  "Ciflith," the group responded in unison, their voices carrying an almost unsettling conviction.

  Jahir frowned. 'Ciflith? We only have six: Nature's embrace (Goddess), Life's bloom (Goddess), the Starry realm (God), Destruction's fire and Rebirth's grace (God), Fate's unwavering hand (God), the stillness of Death (God), and the Sun's bright reign (Goddess) with the Moon's cool watch (God). And none of their names are Ciflith either.'

  "A minor deity, perhaps?" Tosic mused aloud, a hint of scepticism in his voice. "The name doesn't ring any bells."

  "Minor? No! He is the greatest," Vincent declared, his eyes gleaming with fervent conviction as he clasped his hands together. "The world may be ignorant of his glory now, but they will soon know. They all will."

  'Or maybe they're just part of some obscure cult,' Jahir thought, dismissing it with an internal shrug. 'This world is full of strange beliefs. Best not to dwell on every unfamiliar name.'

  The group continued their journey for a while, and Jahir's brow furrowed in a frown. He hadn't spotted a single monster roaming around. They should have been attacked by now, at least, considering the distance they'd covered.

  "At this rate," Tosic commented, a hint of relief in his voice, "we won't even need to use a monster for defence."

  "Do you think they're scared?" Jahir wondered aloud. "Like, are the monsters hiding because there's a bigger threat around?"

  "That would be good for us," Tosic conceded, his gaze fixed ahead, "since we could quickly find crystals and head back. But it would be bad if we have to face whatever is scaring them."

  Jahir sighed, the hours of walking weighing on him as they ventured deeper. The sky had darkened considerably, prompting Tosic to produce a torch, its beam cutting through the growing gloom. Eventually, they reached the edge of a cliff. They stopped, gazing down at the sprawling residential areas that had sunk far below, resembling a vast pit, though not so deep as to vanish entirely.

  "What exactly are we looking for down there?" Vincent inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity.

  "See those shiny things, scattered like treasures?" Tosic gestured downwards with his torch light before switching it off. "Those are crystals. We found them a few years ago after this whole area sank and have been mining them ever since." He turned to Jahir with a slight smirk. "Alright, scaredy cat. Time to put those decorations to use."

  Jahir narrowed his eyes at Tosic's teasing. With a shrug, he unslung his bag and hung it across his chest. From within, he drew a worn knife. Without hesitation, he leapt off the cliff, landing silently on the ground below. In a fluid motion, the spider-like appendages detached from his chest and waist, unfurling from his back. They extended and splayed across the dirt as he scanned the surroundings. His gaze soon found small clusters of crystals, which he carefully gathered and placed inside his bag.

  Moments later, Tosic joined him, jumping down from the cliff with an easy landing. He crouched, and his hands began to transform, the skin turning a vibrant green and hardening into scales, sharp claws extending from his fingertips. He dug into the earth, quickly unearthing several more crystals.

  Meanwhile, Jahir spotted some unfamiliar plants. He carefully cut a leaf from one, tasted a small piece, and then placed the ones he recognized as useful into his bag. Jahir continued his search when a hand shot out from the ground, clamping around his wrist. Reacting instantly, he slashed at the hand with his knife and recoiled. Tosic, startled, sprang to his feet.

  Slowly, a figure emerged from the earth. It was a woman covered in brown fur, her eyes tightly shut. Long hands ending in sharp claws completed her mole-like appearance. She had long brown hair in pigtail braids.

  "That hurts," she mumbled, looking down at her injured wrist.

  "Why were you hiding in the ground?" Jahir asked, his knife still held defensively.

  "Because it's comfy, and you were disturbing my sleep and my perfectly good hiding spot," she huffed. Jahir waved a hand in front of her face. "I'm not blind! My eyes just close like this when I transform."

  "Don't yell," Tosic hissed, striding over to them. "It's late, and I'm not about to get eaten because of a loud mouth."

  "How long have you been hiding there?" Jahir questioned, his eyes still wary.

  "I don't remember exactly. I came here on a mission to find someone... now who was it again?" She scratched the back of her head, a gesture of genuine confusion.

  'Is she like Acacia?' Jahir thought, studying her intently.

  "When did you arrive? Before the second apocalypse or after?" he asked.

  "Before, I think about a year before it happened. We found a sign that someone we thought was dead was alive!" A hopeful smile spread across her furry face.

  "Stop yelling," Jahir hissed, his patience wearing thin. The woman immediately bowed her head. 'I guess she isn't,' he mused, noting her quick deference.

  "Sorry," she mumbled, slowly raising her head to look at him before her gaze shifted towards the cliff. Just then, Vincent and two other men jumped down to join them.

  "Anyways, you're not our problem," Tosic said, shaking his head as Vincent approached. "We've already got enough of those. Let's just gather as much as we can."

  "Are you in trouble?" Vincent asked, reaching their side, his eyes flicking between Jahir and the furry woman.

  "Nope, just found another wanderer, like you fellas," Tosic replied, gesturing vaguely. "Since you're here, start grabbing crystals." Vincent and the two men nodded, immediately bending down to collect as many of the glittering fragments as they could hold.

  "My name is Fafea. I'm from Lalan," the woman suddenly announced.

  "Lalan? Well then, where have you been hiding all this time?" Jahir inquired, his curiosity piqued.

  "Nowhere special, really," Fafea explained. "I just find soft ground, burrow inside, and hibernate for a while before moving on to a different place. And this pit turned out to be a particularly perfect spot."

  "Good for you," Tosic commented, and then Jahir turned his attention back to the scattered crystals. Once they had gathered a decent amount, Jahir and Tosic began to ascend the cliff face. Jahir's spider legs extended and adhered to the rough surface, providing effortless assistance. Fafea watched them, then nimbly followed, reaching the top shortly after them.

  Jahir emptied his bag, spilling the collected crystals and plants onto the ground. He then jumped back down to help Vincent and the others gather their findings. Soon, all the crystals were consolidated into the bag, and the group climbed back up the cliff.

  "Alright, we can leave now," Tosic said, adding a handful of crystals to his own bag while Jahir refilled his until it was full. He handed the collected plants and a portion of the crystals to one of the other men, as everything wouldn't fit in his own bag.

  "Are you just leaving me here?" Fafea asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.

  "Yeah, you seem to survive pretty well on your own," Jahir said, glancing at her briefly before turning away as they began to walk.

  "Yeah, it's not like I'm lonely or anything..." Fafea muttered, sulking as she watched their retreating figures. But suddenly, her expression shifted, her eyes widening slightly. "Hey, wait! Do any of you happen to know a person called Edwin?"