The Smiling Death

The clouds in the dark sky slowly moved. The moonlight again brightened the ancient city. The black-stoned buildings were broken, with moss forming on their cracks.

The emptiness on the streets. Honestly, it gave a beautiful aesthetic vibe.

The cold wind flew through the streets, brushing against Amon's pale skin.

'This looks so beautiful and calm,' Amon observed the scenery while running through the stone paths.

"Roaaaarrrr!"

Everything would have been perfect here if this thing was not trying to catch Amon.

'It didn't die from the building falling on its body. Well, its scales look too tough,' Amon thought gravely. His body was aching all over.

Each step was painful. Blood flowed from his small wounds. There was also a huge scar on his back, not forgetting some of his broken bones.

This guy should have gone back. But no. He put himself in a crazy mess.

Amon ran through the ruined streets, his breath uneven and sharp. His boots splashed through puddles of muddy water, echoing in the silence of the dead city.

Behind him, the thunderous stomps of the wyvern shook the ground.

"Damn it! This thing just doesn't stop!" Amon gritted his teeth, forcing his legs to move faster even though every muscle in his body screamed in pain.

The wyvern let out another ear-piercing roar, its massive wings flaring open as it smashed through a building, sending chunks of black stone flying across the street.

Dust and debris clouded the air. Amon covered his face and jumped over a broken cart, barely dodging a falling wall.

He could feel the creature's hot breath against his back. Every exhale burned like fire.

'No time to rest… if I stop even for a second, I'm dead.'

The wyvern's tail whipped across the street, destroying everything in its path.

Amon ducked and rolled forward, feeling the gust of wind and flying stones behind him.

He coughed, tasting blood. His side throbbed where the debris had hit him earlier. "Tch… how is this thing still chasing me?"

He turned a corner, hoping to lose it, but the creature followed relentlessly, smashing through another house to block his path. Amon quickly changed direction and ran down a narrow alley.

The sound of collapsing walls and the wyvern's enraged roar filled the night.

The moonlight bathing the ruined city in pale silver light.

The broken streets, the cracked statues, the moss-covered stones. All gleamed faintly under the moon, almost peaceful.

Amon looked up while running, panting heavily. 'This city looks... beautiful like this... if only that thing wasn't trying to kill me.'

He jumped over a fallen pillar and looked ahead and that's when he saw her.

On top of a nearby rooftop stood a woman. Her long silver hair flowed gently in the wind, shining under the moonlight like strands of light.

She was tall, her black armor fitting her mature figure perfectly. Her skin looked smooth and flawless, untouched by the dust and ruin around her. Even from afar he can tell. She was unbelievably beautiful.

And her eyes deep crimson, cold and sharp were looking straight at Amon.

For a moment, Amon forgot about the wyvern behind him.

The world seemed to fall silent.

Then another roar shattered that silence, and the ground trembled again.

'Who... is she?' Amon thought, his heart pounding — this time not just from fear.

He felt hope. The familiar-looking woman. She was his last hope.

So Amon did the most important thing. He yelled loudly, with all his might.

"HELP ME! SAVE ME PLEASE! SAVE ME!" Amon screamed. His scream echoed through the empty streets.

He was tired. Fighting those skinny monsters and running from the wyvern had taken a toll on his body.

His leg twisted as he fell forward tiredly.

"Fuck!"

Amon tried to push himself up.

But the wyvern was already over him, ready to bite him — ready to eat him. As it opened its mouth wide—

Slash!

Boom!

Blood splattered across the street, on Amon's own body as well. The sound of something falling on buildings resounded.

Thud!

Amon gasped and saw the thing that had fallen beside him with a thud.

It was none other than the wyvern's huge head.

"It's dead," Amon muttered, still breathing heavily.

He looked back and saw the huge body of the wyvern lying lifelessly on the street. The houses near it were destroyed and shattered by its body.

Amon had an idea who did it. But she was not near the body of the dead beast.

When he turned his gaze to the other side, he saw two legs in front of his eyes — wearing dark black armored boots. Slowly, he looked up and saw that woman looking at him with cold eyes.

The woman stood tall under the moonlight, her silver hair swaying softly as the cold wind passed between them.

Dust still floated in the air from the wyvern's fall, but her presence seemed to quiet everything around, even the night itself.

Her crimson eyes glowed faintly, piercing through Amon like a blade.

"Who are you?" her voice echoed calm, yet carrying an icy edge that sent chills down his spine.

She took a step closer, the sound of her boots against stone sharp and deliberate.

"What are you doing here?"

Amon, still on his knees, forced a weak grin despite the blood dripping from his chin. "Will you believe me if I say… I lost my way?" he said, his tone half joking, half desperate.

Her gaze didn't soften.

The silence stretched. Heavy, suffocating.

Then she spoke again, her voice colder than before. "Who are you?"

This time, it wasn't just a question. It was a demand.

Amon's grin faded slightly. He could feel the weight behind her words, like she could crush him if she didn't like the answer. He exhaled, his breath visible in the cold air.

"Amon. Amon Vale," he said finally, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. "And you?"

Amon, like an idiot, asked the question. He already had an idea who she was.

The woman tilted her head slightly, studying him. The faint glint of her sword caught the moonlight as she rested her hand on its hilt.

"You want to know who I am?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.