Chapter 20: Chapter 20 - Monsters Revealed

“Go ask Dust to come down,” Leigh said to me. “He can fill in while you go with Nick.”

“To the wall?”

“We need to know what is going on, like he said, so yes.”

I nodded, and off I shot to look for Dust. He would be in the mess, no doubt, thinking he was in for the early morning shift.

He was, and he wasn’t too happy. “Sick again?” he asked, though there was a little concern in there for me.

“I’ve never had this before, yeah.”

“Ahh,” he said. “I get it. No worries. You can pull some double shifts for me next week when I’m sick.”

He nodded. “Go, sleep. I’ll finish and be down with Leigh in ten.”

I wasn’t going to let him ask me any more questions, so I left fast.

Social transactions were becoming second nature now - a small deception here, an implied agreement there. The delicate web of favors and obligations that bound communities together. I’d been learning to navigate these networks by instinct, calibrating my responses based on what people needed to hear rather than the full truth. It was survival of a different kind.

Nick caught me on the other side of the yard. “Give me a few hours,” he said. “I’ll grab some gear and go see your friend. Then maybe we’ll have more intel before we get to the wall later tonight. Say three am?”

“Where?”

“South far wall, between the two posts, should be easy enough to avoid anyone spotting us, or even caring if we’re wandering about after dark.”

“Okay,” I said and then watched him leave. I never even asked him to tell my brother anything. Dammit.

Maybe my brother wasn’t that badly hurt, if they needed him to be on the wall.

Or maybe it’s pushing him to do something else, Death whispered.

You know what else is out there?

It is not good, yes, I know.

Do we have time?

That I cannot interfere with.

I closed my eyes, felt the little weight on my shoulder. Thanks, I said. For being honest.

Always. Now go pack. You will need to be ready.

Death’s warning carried the weight of certainty, not speculation. The creatures Death could perceive were real and imminent threats, not distant possibilities. I’d come to trust this voice that spoke only truth, however harsh. In a world of human deception and manipulation, Death’s honesty was almost refreshing - unclouded by emotion or self-interest, simply stating what was.

That was enough of a warning if I ever needed any. I didn’t. The queasy feeling in my stomach wasn’t just from the last remnants of my first period.

Though I remembered the pill in my pocket and took it, swallowing it and recalling the Sal’s face. I couldn’t think about them, about any of them, other than Reece… and getting out of here. If the others were with us, I was okay with that too, but it wasn’t the important part, the important part was my brother.

I packed my ruck and tucked what I thought Reece would have wanted to keep from his inside. Some of the clothes I’d ditched, we had better from here, and could always find more clothes.

Then waited, resting as best I could. I knew we might need the energy, we might…

It is not going to be safe here, Death said. They are moving in now.

Reece?

He is at the wall, where they stationed him, with two others, Kar is one of them.

Cricket? Any other horses?

There are only four others within the complex, they are not familiars, so they are hidden.

Do you think we can save them?

No, he replied.

That made me sad that the horses might not even survive.

My ruck was heavy, but not as heavy as my stomach. I used the toilet before I headed out, and carefully made my way out to meet Nick.

There was no one around, the whole place seemed eerily quiet, far too quiet.

The absence of normal sounds and activity triggered every survival instinct I’d developed. My body tensed, senses heightening to catch any subtle cue - the way animals go silent before an earthquake or predators freeze before an attack. This wasn’t just anxiety; it was the recognition of patterns that preceded danger, a visceral knowledge that transcended conscious thought.

Instead of walking through the winding alleys and past the buildings for houses, I made my way up and stood on top of one of them. I wanted to see what I could.

Once there, the dark spread before me, eerily quiet.

Do you wish to see them? Death said and settled on my shoulder.

I thought about it. Would seeing them make me even more scared? Over the last few years, Reece and I had seen all kinds of monsters and abominations; we’d killed a few, and I’d been injured more than a few times, but these were different monsters; I could feel it—them.

Yes. I eventually replied. Because one day I’m going to have to face one, right?

Humans attract them. They’re drawn to the manifesting magics.

It’s just a natural phenomenon?

Sometimes, like tonight, yes. Other times, no, it is humans against humans.

Like in the arena? Why?

What else—food—resources. To prove dominance.

Like Maggie and those before her.

Exactly.

So having my brother here attracted more monsters?

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The implications unfolded in my mind like a terrible map - not just of tonight’s danger but of the larger patterns at work. The gifted were both the settlement’s greatest protection and its greatest vulnerability. The very power that defended these walls also drew predators to them. And Reece, with his extraordinary abilities, might be acting as a beacon for creatures far more dangerous than any we’d encountered before.

In a way, yes. I shivered. Stronger and more dangerous monsters, the others they’d been dealing with as and when, but he’s set them off, the power draw is too much.

The darkness shimmered, and I saw eyes, lots, and lots of eyes, yellow, red, green. Eyes and shapes of all colors.

There’s so many.

Yes, there are.

It felt wrong on one hand we were abducted here, and we’d be the downfall of these people.

There are innocent people in this compound, I said.

Some, yes.

Will everyone die?

I can’t predict that.

Then I’m going to hope others escape too.

Death fluttered on my shoulder, and I looked to him. May I see you closer?

Hold out your hand, he said.

I did, though it was shaking a little.

I felt the weight shift, and then land on my fingers.

He shimmered into existence, black as the night, red eyes staring right back at me.

You’re beautiful.

Death chuckled. Never been called that before. But he picked one foot up, and stretched one wing out—his head to one side—balancing perfectly.

The contrast was striking - this tiny, delicate creature embodying such a primal, powerful force. Death wasn’t the skeletal reaper of old mythology or the cold void of nothingness; it was this small, perfect being with iridescent feathers and intelligent eyes. There was beauty in the precision of it, in the elegant economy of form. Perhaps that was fitting - death itself was natural, necessary, even beautiful in its way. It was fear and suffering that were ugly.

His wings were bigger than he was and stretching them out showed me the colors on the inside, various hints of deep purples and blacks. His tail long and strong. Everything highlighted in the silver glimmer of the moon, and the lights from our camp.

I needed to look up birds this small, see what he was, where he came from or more importantly why he came to me in this form. There must be a book somewhere that could help. Maybe I should have looked deeper in the library.

We’d go back, I knew we would.

Death stretched that side for a moment longer, then swapped feet and stretched the other. Seen enough?

For now, but I’d like to see more.

Not till we’re stronger. Maybe after tonight.

That bad?

If you want them to suffer I can leave them be.

Will I have to see?

You will see it all through me, though I can try and block some of it.

Makes sense, thank you.

I made to move, and headed back down to the street, the eyes in the dark had dimmed, and there was only one reason I could think of for that. They were about to make a move.

Once down into the street again, I headed for my first meeting point with Nick.

Again, there wasn’t a person around, and considering this compound had over three hundred, it was almost impossible to think I’d made it this far without seeing one. Not one.

Almost there, I reached a doorway, and someone grabbed me from behind, I almost squealed but a hand covered my mouth in time.

“I won’t hurt you,” the voice said.

“Jonas?”

The sensation of being grabbed from behind triggered an immediate physical response - muscles tensing, heart rate spiking, a surge of adrenaline flooding my system. For a split second, James’s face flashed before my eyes, his weight pinning me down. The memory of violation was still fresh, still raw. But this was different - a necessary caution rather than an act of aggression. I forced my body to recognize the distinction even as my instincts screamed danger.

I wriggled out of his grip, but he put a finger to my lips. His eyes, they were…. Blue swirling orbs. “Shh,” he whispered. “There are several more adults on this side of the wall.”

“My brother?”

“Yes, he’s with them.”

“Nick speak to you?”

“He’s waiting for us on the south side of the wall, this place was a bust as soon as Kar got wind.”

“He told them on us?”

“No, not quite like that, but this is a diversion. Plus, they’ve intel the stronger monsters will hit here.”

“So why is Reece here?”

“You saw him in the arena, right?”

I could only nod.

“Then you understand why. There’s not a lightning mage with his capacity here. They need him.”

“Why are you helping us?”

“I like your brother,” he said. “And the way he talks about you, I feel like I’d like you too.”

Heat rose up my neck. “Kar?”

“He’s never stopped trying his best, for them and for Leigh.”

“Then we’re all on the same page?”

He nodded, and pulled me in tighter to the doorway as someone entered the ally at the far end.

Jonas’ tight hold of me, the dark, his breathing…. Everything around me screamed at me. James face as he—

The man had passed, and I pushed myself off Jonas and stood panting in the ally.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I couldn’t be close to anyone, my skin crawled. “I just, I just want to get out of here.”

Jonas pulled me in the opposite direction.

Screams came from behind us.

Lightning lit the skies up and I wanted to run back to pull Reece out from under them.

I felt Death leave me. Don’t let them suffer, I said. Please.

If I help them, they won’t suffer, but they don’t count as much as—

I know, do it.

The choice was instinctive - mercy over indifference, even for those who had imprisoned us. Death had presented the option plainly, without judgment: let them suffer or grant them peace. It wasn’t forgiveness exactly, but a recognition of our shared humanity. In the face of such overwhelming horror, the old grievances seemed smaller, less significant. We were all just people trying to survive an unimaginable nightmare.

About to turn. “Don’t look,” Jonas said. “Keep going.”

But I had looked, there were four people standing with my brother, and firing everything they had below them.

This time there were monster screams, huge bellows and thwacks.

“They’re hitting the wall, they’re going to bring it down,” Jonas said.

He picked up his pace and though inside I was screaming for my brother the real screams weren’t stopping.

Explosions and gunfire were next.

Death Elemental

Kill Count: 1

Mercy Count: 5

Strength: 1.5%

Then pounding, massive thumps.

If that wall fell, we’d be overrun in minutes.

“Run!” I shouted to Jonas, and he really was, we both were. Full pelt across to the other side of the compound.

I almost ran into him as he stopped before Nick and Leigh.

Death Elemental

Kill Count: 1

Mercy Count: 15

Strength: 2%

“They’re going to breech the walls already,” Nick said. “This is bad, really bad.”

The steady climb in Death’s mercy count registered like a macabre scoreboard in my vision. Each number represented a life, a consciousness extinguished at my request. The strength percentage was increasing too - whatever connection existed between Death and me was growing stronger with each passing. The implications were both terrifying and oddly comforting. Power was accumulating, but at what cost? And to what end?

“We have to trust that Kar will pull Reece from the wall, right? That’s the plan?”

“We need to get you over it first. Up.” Nick said and held his palms together and out. “Step on me, I’ll boost you up as far as I can.”

“Kar?”

“He won’t let us down,” Leigh said.

“You promise?”

Leigh was nodding, and because I was hesitant, Jonas went first. Stepping onto Nicks hands and then being almost launched up to the wall, there he clung on, and I almost thought he might fall backwards, he then threw a rope down. “Bags,” Leigh said.

Death Elemental

Kill Count: 2

Mercy Count: 22

Strength: 2.8%

I tied my bags to it, and then waited while he pulled those up, and over.

Death? I asked. Kill Count? Are you okay?

Monsters can come for me too, was all he replied with.

The revelation that Death itself could be threatened was staggering. What could harm Death? What could kill the embodiment of mortality? The system messages had shown a distinction between killing and mercy—perhaps there were forces that opposed Death, that sought to pervert or prevent the natural cycle. The universe suddenly seemed far more complex, more layered with competing powers than I’d previously understood.

Then I nodded to Nick. “Okay, let’s do this.”

“I won’t miss,” he said.

I stepped into his waiting hands, and he launched me up and as high as possible. I reached out and clung to the top of the wall. Jonas grabbed hold and helped pull me up. Even with all the recent shoveling, my arms were no way as strong as his or even Leigh’s who was thrown up next.

“Wait,” I said. “How is Kar going to get Cricket over the wall here?”

Leigh was up next and then leaning over with Jonas as anchor while they pulled Nick up.

Lightning split the skies the other side of the compound and we all stood now looking at the far wall. The ground shook, and I had to kneel to stop myself from falling off.

“Come on,” Leigh said.

The wall fell, and I hoped my brother hadn’t with it.

Let me see again, I asked Death.

The darkness lit with eyes as they poured through the hole in the wall.

Then there… I saw Kar and Cricket—no sign of my brother at all.

I did see Asled, and a couple of others behind Cricket.

And the monsters at their heels.