The candlelight flickered softly as I spun in the chair, staring at the lifeless computers surrounding me. The entire second floor of the library was dimly lit, shrouding the place in an eerie silence. Hardly any light filtered through the windows. I blew out all the candles except one, which stood on the desk beside me.
Stopping the chair, I looked down at my bloody fist.
"Finally, you're willing to write."
A man sat in front of me. His face was swollen, his eyes barely able to open. His hands and mouth were bound; his legs twisted at unnatural angles like broken tree branches. He sat atop the mutilated bodies of his comrades. His tear-filled eyes stared at me in horror, as though he were staring at a monster made flesh.
I returned his gaze with a polite smile; my body was soaked in blood from head to toe. I picked up the pencil he had dropped and placed it beside the paper, studying his pitiful state. Even I felt a flicker of sympathy. One of the leaders of the hunter group—once enjoying life with two beautiful women at his side—was reduced to this, even in a world as rotten as this one.
Life truly was a bitch. You never knew when it would betray you.
"I'll ask you again," I said calmly. "Could you please tell me where a cute little girl with curly hair is located?"
His bound hands trembled as he began to write. After a few seconds, tears splashed onto the paper, and his hand went still.
I reached out and took the paper. The sudden movement made him flinch, his body shaking as he cried silently. I ignored him and read.
She is on the first floor, in the main library office bathroom.
Finally—her exact location. It saved me precious time I didn't have. I was worried about Lee's safety. Nearly twenty minutes had passed since he went inside. When I focused, I could hear his screams. I needed to move quickly—before it was too late—but not recklessly. I couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice.
My polite smile faded as I looked at the man, who had now wet himself. Sensing my displeasure, he covered his face with his bound hands, trembling as quiet sobs echoed among the empty computers.
Like a flash of shadow, my knife lodged in his skull.
"Thank you," I said, pulling it free and wiping away the blood.
I moved quietly downstairs, sharpening my focus. Ten people were on the first floor outside the library, with four more guarding the front entrance. My target was the main office. Five people were inside—two of them had to be Lee and Clementine.
Without wasting time, I descended to the first floor.
The area was brightly lit with candles and lanterns, making stealth difficult. Three hunters were nearby, close to the break room. One sat on a sofa inside. The other two lingered outside. The closest, a man with a spider tattoo on his face, held a crossbow and stared at a painting. The second, armed with a rifle, walked toward another section of the hall.
This was the perfect moment.
I approached the hunter, studying the painting. Just as I reached arm's length, he turned. His eyes widened, and he raised his crossbow in panic—but I was faster. My knife pierced his brain, killing him instantly.
THUD.
His weapon hit the floor. Before I could grab it, the hunter in the hallway turned toward the sound. Our eyes met. I threw my knife with all my strength, striking him between the eyebrows.
Before his body hit the ground, a woman emerged from the break room with a shotgun aimed straight at me. I yanked the dead body up as a shield. She pulled the trigger—but only a hollow click followed.
Seizing the moment, I hurled the corpse aside and sprinted forward. I grabbed her by the neck and snapped it before she could react. Her body slammed to the floor.
Relief washed over me when I noticed the shotgun's safety was still on. At that range, even with a body in front of me, the blast could have torn me apart. Worse, the noise would have drawn everyone nearby, ruining any chance of saving Clementine—or myself.
I silently thanked whatever god was watching, then raised my boot and crushed her skull.
I retrieved my knife from the hunter's forehead and moved on. Two more hunters were spaced far enough apart to be easy prey. I killed them without issue.
Now came the hardest part—the main office.
There was only one entrance, guarded by two hunters with rifles. Lanterns flooded the room with light, and the open space offered nowhere to hide. I considered the air vent, but dismissed it immediately. It was barely large enough to fit me, and even if it could hold my weight, the noise would echo through the hall.
That left only one option: a distraction.
From the corner of the hallway, I clapped my hands.
"What was that noise?" one guard said. "Stay here—I'll check it out."
"It's probably one of our men," the woman replied. "And don't forget—we were ordered to guard this spot."
"Yeah… you're right," the man said.
I cursed silently.
Then Lee screamed from inside the office, followed by Clementine's cries. My heart hammered in my chest. Panic surged. I was out of time, and the guards still wouldn't move.
So, I gambled everything.
I set my sword down and stumbled forward, clutching my stomach.
"Help me…" I whispered.
They turned, startled by the sight of a blood-soaked boy. They raised their guns, but I collapsed to the floor.
"What the fuck?" the man said, rifle lock on me. "Is he dead?"
"Lower your gun," the woman said. "Let's check."
She hurried over. "Kid, can you hear me?"
I didn't respond.
She shook me again. Nothing.
The man stepped closer. "Must've been killed by one of us. Let's call someone and take the body for meat."
The woman glared at him. "Motherfucker, he's just a kid. You heartless animal."
He ignored her and reached out, placing a hand near my nose.
In an instant, I moved.
I locked my arms around the woman's neck and wrapped my legs around the man. With a violent twist, I snapped both their necks at once. They were dead before they understood what happened.
I stood and crushed their skulls with my boot.
This young body was one of my greatest weaknesses, but also one of my greatest strengths. People see me as harmless.
Ignoring the bodies, I moved to the office door.
Before entering, I peered through the keyhole.
===
Merry Christmas to all.