Aurex's heart pounded as he slipped outside to the kitchen, hoping to find a weapon or some way to defend himself. The house was eerily empty, until the old man suddenly appeared, blocking his path. They both grabbed for a knife at the same time, pushing and struggling fiercely.
Anger flared in Aurex. He headbutted the old man twice, finally wresting the knife free. But the old man wasn't done; his madness made him unpredictable and relentless. Aurex stabbed him but the man grabbed the knife but even with a wounded hand, he lunged, knocking Aurex to the floor and raining down punch after punch, refusing to back down.
The knife slipped free between them, clattering to the floor as the old man grabbed Aurex by the throat, squeezing hard. Aurex's fingers scrambled up, digging into the old man's eyes with everything he had. Blood poured down the man's face, but it only seemed to fuel his fury.
Aurex shoved him back, snatched the knife, but the old man charged again, fists flying. Aurex fought back with desperate strength, driving the blade in over and over until blood pooled beneath them. Only then did the old man finally stop moving, dead at last.
Once the fight was over and his breathing steadied, Aurex let his mind wander. Maybe this madness came from a dark truth they'd all uncovered, that they could not die, just like him, even if it didn't seem like it. But then he waited, half expecting the old man to stir, to come back like the others had. When he didn't, the finality hit hard.
The old man was truly dead. That shook Aurex deeper than the fight had. If death was real here, why were people acting so violently? What was driving this chaos, if not fear or desperation? The questions gnawed at him, pulling him further into the town's twisted mystery.
Before Aurex could dwell on his thoughts, a wild young woman lunged at him, her body smeared with blood, eyes blazing with a fury that felt otherworldly. He shoved her back, stunned by the sheer force behind her, no ordinary woman in her twenties should wield that kind of power.
He tried to reason, to intimidate, but she was like a rabid animal, relentless and beyond reason. There was no choice. Aurex had to fight back, and in the end, he was forced to kill her to survive.
Aurex slipped into a room and locked the door behind him, pressing his face to the window. Outside, the town was a battlefield, people who'd just been laughing and chatting were now tearing each other apart. What had felt like normal life moments ago was now soaked in blood, flowing like a dark river through the streets of Dravenfall.
As Aurex stared out the window, a sharp knock rattled the door. The pounding grew louder, more desperate. Suddenly, a head smashed through, breaking a hole in the wood. Without hesitation, the man used the opening to shove his bloody, battered body through, his face smeared with splinters and fresh wounds, hands broken and dripping blood.
He lunged at Aurex with feral strength, but Aurex dodged, stabbed him, and flung him out the window. To Aurex's shock, the man landed hard, then rose instantly, unfazed. Without missing a beat, he turned and killed another man nearby, his brutal momentum unstoppable.
Aurex slipped out the back of the house, moving quietly through a narrow alley. He hoped to find some sign of normalcy, people going about their lives, something to hold onto. Instead, he was met with an eerie silence. The streets were empty, like the whole town had vanished or rushed to the chaos elsewhere.
His mind settled on one thing: getting away, at least for now. He needed distance from the madness, a moment to catch his breath and figure out what this place really was.
Aurex ran and ran, pushing himself harder, desperate to put distance between him and the chaos. But no matter how fast or far he went, he found himself back on that same blood-soaked street. The air was thick with the scent of violence, and blood stained everything around him.
Before he could react, the man from before lunged, pounding him with relentless punches. Aurex's face soon became a mess of bruises and cuts, but he fought back, stabbing again and again. Still, the man's grip tightened around his throat, cutting off air and willpower alike. The world blurred, and Aurex finally slipped into unconsciousness.